The Institute of Ecosystem Study of the National Research Council. Limnological research: present activities and future challenges

This presentation shows the main researches that will be discussed in the 2014 Congress: A changing environment: Climate change: lake surface water temperature, lake heat content physical properties of lakes, water mixing, biological consequences, e.g. algal blooms; Direct human impact: Eutrophication, macro and micro pollutants (es. Total Posphorus trend) Impact from tourism, agriculture, etc. Introduction of new species of organisms (fishes, macrophytes, macrobenthos. Effects: Potential effects on living organisms: introduction of new species (voluntary or involuntary). Some of these species potentially have effects on the functioning of the ecosystem or on human health. Eutrophication: a problem still present Eutrophication is still a major concern for many aquatic environments, especially in regions of our planet where extremely fast economic growth is under way. Such return of eutrophication is apparently related to climate change and the concern is even greater than in the past and the reason for the change in my opinion is climate-driven eutrophication-like phenomena that are out of a direct control. While in the past, we knew the www (where, when and what) for controlling eutrophication and restoring endangered aquatic ecosystems. Nowadays, with "climate change" as a possible major driver, we need to study the phenomenon.