TUM Limnology Unit – Limnological Research Station Iffeldorf
The Limnological Research Station in Iffeldorf is a central location for limnological research, teaching, and scientific exchange at the Technical University of Munich. As an independent operating unit of the TUM School of Life Sciences, the Limnology Unit brings together the infrastructure for lake field research, experimental limnology, and interdisciplinary water research.
From its beginnings to today: The success story of the Iffeldorf Research Station
Since 2025, the station has also been the seat of the newly established Chair of Global Change Limnology, directed by Prof. Dr. Ann-Marie Waldvogel. This strengthens research into the effects of global environmental change on aquatic ecosystems. Nestled in the unique lake landscape of the Osterseen Lakes, the station offers ideal conditions for innovative, field-based research and practical teaching.
The research station was founded in 1987 on the initiative of Prof. Dr. Arnulf Melzer, the founder of limnology at TUM. Starting with a single building, the site was continuously expanded and scientifically shaped under his leadership over the decades. The renovation and expansion of the buildings was largely influenced by student engagement and reflects the exceptionally well-coordinated functionality of the infrastructure that remains to this day. In recent decades, under the direction of Prof. Melzer, the research focus has been particularly on the study of macrophytes and diatoms.
From 2013 to 2025, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Geist (Chair of Aquatic Systems Biology) directed the station: The research spectrum was expanded and supplemented with work on cyanobacteria, among other things. In addition, the station served as a base for numerous long-term studies of a large number of lakes in the Bavarian Alps. This work resulted in, among other things, the highly acclaimed summary „Bavarian Lakes in Climate Change", which provides a comprehensive overview of the condition and development of Bavarian lakes under changing climatic conditions.
Bavarian lakes in climate change - Research results from TUM
Human-induced climate change is altering the physical and chemical conditions in lakes and upsetting their ecological balance. In Bavaria in particular, large and small lakes clearly show how these changes are affecting communities and aquatic biodiversity. This is also increasingly impairing important human uses of lakes.
To the brochure [July 2022, pdf, 27 MB]
Modern infrastructure for limnological research
The Limnology Unit has three main buildings, a boathouse, and an outdoor facility for aquatic experiments. Modern laboratories and workspaces, boats, specialized field and measurement technology, and seminar and event spaces in close proximity to the study waters create optimal conditions for research, teaching, and scientific exchange. The station offers space for international visiting scientists, practice-oriented teaching formats, workshops, and networking meetings, and is firmly integrated into the study programs of the TUM School of Life Sciences.
Your contact person
Kirsten Menzel
Tel. +49 8856 8100
office.gcl@ls.tum.de
Waldvogel Limnology Lab