Danube Life Lines - Safeguarding Migratory Fish and their Habitats in the Danube River Basin and beyond
About project
Project title:
Danube Life Lines - Safeguarding Migratory Fish and their
Habitats in the Danube River Basin and beyond
Acronym:
DLL
Financier:
European Commison - Horizon Europe
Budget:
7.796.074,00 EUR (IMSI budget: 109.375,00 EUR)
Project duration:
2025 – 2029
Project coordinator:
BOKU University
Project partners:
24 partner organizations from 11 countries (Balatoni Limnologiai Kutatointezet, BOKU University, Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas, Stichting Deltares, Institut für intelligente Systeme & Maschinen, Hochschule Geisenheim, Forschungsverbund Berlin Ev, Institut za Multidisciplinarna Istrazivanja, Institutul National De Cercetare-Dezvoltare Delta Dunarii, Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- Und Biodiversitätsforschung an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Orsegi Nemzeti Park Igazgatosag, Institut Za Ihtioloske In Ekoloske Raziskave Zavod Revivo Dob, Schnee auf Moss Werbeagentur GmbH, Slovenský rybársky zväz, Swansea University, Technische Universität München, Universitatea Dunarea De Jos Din Galati, Umweltbundesamt Gmbh, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Wetlands International - European Association, Wageningen University, WWF Bulgaria, WWF Romania, WWF Slovakia)
Project leader for IMSI:
Dr. Milica Jaćimović,
Research Associate
Project website:
Location:
Austria (Danube I): revitalization of a section of the Danube with nature-based solutions for fish migration
Germany (Inn): restoration of connectivity and migratory pathways in the Alpine Inn River system
Hungary (Danube II): conservation of Danube side channels for fish migration (Gönyű–Budapest segment)
Slovenia (Sava): development of a conservation strategy for Danube salmon (Hucho hucho), integrated into the Natura 2000 plan
Four additional sites are also part of the demonstration set within the 8 Living Lab locations
Keywords:
migratory fish, river habitat restoration, nature-based solutions, Danube basin, sustainable water management
Research Associate
Telephone:
E-Mail:
Website:
Linkage to the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Project description
The DanubeLifelines project is a large international initiative aimed at restoring migratory pathways and fish habitats in the Danube River Basin. The project includes eight demonstration sites in different countries, where nature-based solutions are applied (such as barrier removal, side-arm revitalization, and river habitat restoration). Activities are implemented through the Living Lab model – laboratories in real-life settings where researchers, local communities, decision-makers, and practitioners jointly develop and apply solutions.
DanubeLifelines is also developing the so-called Blueprint for Migratory Fish Recovery – a comprehensive strategy that can be replicated in other European river basins. In this way, the project connects science, policy, and practice, with the goal of contributing to biodiversity conservation, the protection of fish populations, and sustainable water management across the entire Danube region.
Data
Within the DanubeLifelines project, data are collected on:
- fish populations and their migratory pathways (migration monitoring, abundance, population structure),
- habitats (hydromorphology, connectivity of side channels, types of microhabitats),
- ecological parameters of water (water quality, discharge, chemical and biological indicators),
- socio-economic aspects (the role of local communities, fisheries, ecosystem services)
Data is stored within partner institutions and the joint project database, and after processing and validation, it will be made available through official project reports, scientific publications, and open data repositories, in accordance with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).
Results
- Improvement of ecological connectivity and restoration of migratory fish habitats in the Danube.
- Strengthening biodiversity and the resilience of river ecosystems.
- Development of a strategy (Blueprint) for the recovery and conservation of fish populations.
- Involvement of local communities and key stakeholders in the planning and implementation of measures.
- Transfer of knowledge and experience through international cooperation and partner networks.
Project team
- Project leader: Florian Borgwardt (BOKU University, Austria)
- Team:
- Tom Buijse (Deltares, Netherlands), Carlos Garcia De Leaniz (Swansea University, UK), Daniel Hering (University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany), Sibylle Schroer (Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Germany), Alexandru Capatina (“Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Romania), Paul Meulenbroek (BOKU University, Austria), Tibor Erős (HUN-REN Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Hungary), Miroslava Lehocká (WWF Slovakia)
- IMSI team: dr Milica Jaćimović, dr Marija Smederevac-Lalić, dr Gorčin Cvijanović, dr Jovana Kostić, dr Jelena Đorđević-Aleksić, dr Karolina Sunjog, dr Željka Višnjić-Jeftić, dr Dušan Nikolič, dr Stefan Skorić.