Our Stories

The oceans are under pressure from all sides. In a conversation with ECHO, political scientist Alice Vadrot and marine biologist Frank Melzner, ECH members at the University of Vienna, discuss how climate change is spoiling our vacations, why marine protected areas do not necessarily protect against deep-sea mining, and why every effort counts toward making marine ecosystems more resilient - and institutions for marine conservation stronger.

High interest greeted the event “Understanding Microplastics - What we know today and why panic is not the answer” organized by ECH, AGES and BfR, with many following via live stream. The discussions highlighted the complexity of the topic – spanning environmental, health and risk perception issues, with many questions still open. Experts agreed: only inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration can provide a thorough understanding of microplastics.

Alice Vadrot, political scientist at the University of Vienna and member of the ECH, has been elected as a domestic corresponding member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) – a recognition of her outstanding academic achievements. Domestic corresponding members are recognised researchers from Austria who are appointed to the Academy on the basis of their excellent expertise and who contribute to academic work and interdisciplinary exchange within the Academy.

Our members, meteorologist Andreas Stohl and pharmaceutical scientist Lea Ann Dailey, are part of the new FWF-funded project AERIAL. The team investigates how micro- and nanoplastics move from oceans into the atmosphere, how they spread globally, and what potential health impact they have. The €4.8m project aims to reshape understanding of airborne plastic pollution.

Invasive alien species are among the most underestimated drivers of biodiversity loss. What happens when this complex challenge becomes a board game? Developed by biodiversity researcher Bernd Lenzner and colleagues, Raccoon Rampage turns research into a playable experience, showing how ecological change, political decisions and public perception interact, and why invasive alien species require attention before their impacts become irreversible.

The Alps are warming rapidly, and winter as we know it is fading. Why are plants, people and the ski industry struggling to adapt? Can artificial snow buy enough time, and what is needed to maintain quality of life in the mountains? Research by ECH members Valentina Ausserladscheider and Stefan Dullinger offers some answers. A story of snowmaking, climate pressures, and cultural lethargy.