On 15 June 2026, the ninth meeting was held as part of the project “Bioindicators and Anthropogenic Pressures in Aquatic Systems of the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve” (AQUA-BIOPRESS). Prof. Tanja Žuna Pfeiffer chaired the meeting. The team discussed the field research conducted in May, planned further field and laboratory research for July, and noted that the research would be presented at the Kopački rit symposium – Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, 2026. Team members received promotional materials and T-shirts. The project is funded by the European Union under the Next Generation EU programme.

In June 2026, field research continued as part of the project “Bioindicators and Anthropogenic Pressures in Aquatic Systems of the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve” (AQUA-BIOPRESS), funded by the European Union under the Next Generation EU programme. Research on environmental conditions and biotic communities was carried out on the Drava, Danube and Mura rivers, Lake Halaševo, Lake Sakadaški, and the Stara Mura morass in Podturen. Students also participated in the field research and will take part in processing the collected samples.

On 28 May 2026, at the 4th European GREEN Conference in Vodice, research from the project ” Bioindicators and anthropogenic pressures in aquatic systems of the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve” (AQUA-BIOPRESS) was presented. The project leader, prof. Žuna Pfeiffer, delivered the presentation. The conference brought together scientists and experts from various fields, once again emphasising the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the challenges of climate change, environmental protection, and the implementation of sustainable development guidelines. The presentation of the AQUA-BIOPRESS project within the GREEN Project Zone contributed to the dissemination of results, the exchange of knowledge, and the establishment of new collaborations.

Within the framework of the project “Bioindicators and Anthropogenic Pressures in Aquatic Systems of the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve” (AQUA-BIOPRESS), laboratory research on the impact of polluting compounds on planktonic and periphytic communities has begun. The research is being conducted under controlled conditions in a growth chamber equipped with European Union funds from the Next Generation EU programme. The research will also include a final thesis.

On 15 May 2026, following the completion of field research, the eighth meeting of the team members of the project “Bioindicators and Anthropogenic Pressures in Aquatic Systems of the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve” (AQUA-BIOPRESS) was held. The project is funded by the European Union under the Next Generation EU programme. The meeting addressed the field research conducted, the further processing of collected samples and data, and the preparation of publications. Additional research is planned for June and the summer months.

Field research within the project “Bioindicators and Anthropogenic Pressures in Aquatic Systems of the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve” (AQUA-BIOPRESS), funded by the European Union under the Next Generation EU programme, continued in May 2026. Project team members collected samples at six locations in the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve, and sample analyses are ongoing in the laboratories of the Institute of Water Ecology, Department of Biology.