The currently low water temperatures cannot disguise the fact that Lake Constance is getting warmer. With drastic consequences for the plants and animals that live in the lake.
The Langenargen Lake Research Institute has been measuring the water temperature of Lake Constance since 1962. When the numbers are evaluated, one clear finding emerges: as a direct result of climate change, the water is getting warmer. Last year the average value was 13.6 degrees and in 2022 an all-time high of 14.1 degrees was reached. For comparison: In the first decades since measurements began, the average temperature was generally between ten and twelve degrees.
The consequences are serious: warming causes the exchange of deep water with surface water to lose momentum. This also reduces the transport of oxygen from the top layer to the depths, which in turn has negative consequences for the organisms that live there. And conversely, nutrients from the depths no longer reach the surface, causing many fish to lose their food supply.
The effects of warming on fish stocks and aquatic plants are currently being studied in detail as part of the ‘Sea Changing Climate’ project, which runs until 2026. The first results are sobering: a loser from warming lakes is about the worst . This requires water temperatures of below five degrees in the deep zone – in 2023 the annual average in this zone was 5.4 degrees, meaning stocks are collapsing.
Minnows are also among the losers of climate change: their eggs and larvae show increased mortality when the water is too warm. Adult fish are also affected: normally in the summer they feast on water fleas on the surface of the lake – if the water is too warm, they no longer swim into their hunting grounds.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
