An Animal Invasion

Whether they arrive as stowaways aboard ships, are abandoned from aquariums, or even deliberately introduced, more and more foreign animal species are arriving in German waterways from around the world. The result is that exotic animals that have almost no natural enemies are threatening native species. Researchers are studying this phenomenon, taking Lake Constance as an example to find out how the ecosystem is affected by the new arrivals.

 
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05
An Animal Invasion: Episode 05, 13/05/2008

Counting, Counting, Counting

 

The Institute for Lake Research in Langenargen on Lake Constance: This is the venue for a meeting of experts on invasive species. John presents his latest findings on the predation behaviour of the invasive killer shrimp to his fellow researchers. Back in the lab the researchers have still got their work cut out. They need to evaluate the samples they collected, and that means counting. Will John and Stefan be able to prove the displacement of the native freshwater shrimp?

At a glance

University: University of Konstanz
 
Field of Research: Biology, Botany, Ecology, Geosciences, Limnology, Ornithology
 
Location: Lake Constance
 
Episodes: 12
 
Season/Year: 1. Season/ 2008
 
Status: Finished
 
Topics: samples, evaluation, research, lab
 
 
15.04.2008

Hungry Predators?

The habitat of Lake Constance: The amphipod Dikerogammarus villosus recently arrived from the Black Sea region. Its voracious hunger has led to it becoming known as the "killer shrimp".
 
22.04.2008

Scientific Diving

The experiment begins. Today John Hesselschwerdt and Stefan Werner are going to position experimental cages on the lake bed.
 
29.04.2008

The Status Quo

The researchers heave hundreds of kilos of equipment, including diving gear, tubes, buckets and an underwater suction sampler, onto their research boat. Today they want to find out how many mussels and shrimp currently live in Lake Constance....
 
06.05.2008

Washing Up for Science

The first stage was successful: The samples that the researchers brought back from their dive are densely populated with mussels, the preferred habitat of the killer shrimp. Now it’s time for the laborious work....
 
13.05.2008

Counting, Counting, Counting

Back in the lab the researchers have still got their work cut out. They need to evaluate the samples they collected, and that means counting.
 
20.05.2008

All for the Birds?

Coots, diving ducks and Dikerogammarus villosus share one thing in common: they all love zebra mussels. The more mussel eaters there are on Lake Constance, the faster the habitat for the "killer shrimp" shrinks.
 
27.05.2008

Dangerous Coexistence

Today, John and Stefan are going out to the experimental plots for the second time, to take stock of the native shrimp and the invaders half way through the experiment.
 
03.06.2008

Fleeing Into the Depths

Do the native freshwater shrimp stand a chance against the killer shrimp? If so, what is their survival strategy? John starts a new experiment.
 
10.06.2008

Remnants of the Past in Peril

As scientific divers, John and Stefan are also interested in the lake’s past. Today they are going to visit an archaeological dig at the Orkopf.
 
17.06.2008

Fighting the Current

It’s time for the final dive, and there are strong winds forecast for today. The researchers decide to risk it. Underwater there is a strong current; Stefan Werner and John Hesselschwerdt can barely hold their position....
 
24.06.2008

A Lost Cause?

Is the native freshwater shrimp doomed? Today the researchers are taking their final samples from the lake. The wind and the currents are ideal for the dive. They’re finished in an hour: all the samples have been collected....
 
01.07.2008

I Will Survive!

Who would have guessed: The native freshwater shrimp is able to outlive the killer shrimp. In addition to other factors, the bitterly cold water in Lake Constance causes the invasive killer shrimp to lose its appetite....
 
 
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