In April 2026, research was conducted as part of the project “Bioindicators and Anthropogenic Pressures in the Aquatic Systems of the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve” (AQUA-BIOPRESS), funded by the European Union under the Next Generation EU programme. Project team members carried out research at selected sites on the Drava, Danube and Mura rivers, Lake Halaševo, Sakadaš Lake, and the Stara Mura channel in Podturen. The research involved determining ecological conditions (physical and chemical parameters of water), collecting samples for the analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes, sampling various planktonic and fouling communities, and collecting water samples for further molecular analyses and assessment of their diversity. The collected samples will be processed in the laboratories of the Institute of Water Ecology, Department of Biology, and field research will continue in May. Professional assistance and support for the project team were provided by the expert services of the Public Institution Kopački rit Nature Park, the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Natural Values of Osijek-Baranja County, the Public Institution for Nature Protection – Međimurje Nature, and the Sports and Fishing Association “Šaran” from Podturen.
