Martina Schuler won the Phenology 2020 competition price

Martina Schuler won the Phenology 2020 competition price with her project entitled: "In situ versus artificial water turnover during spring: A comparison of microbial food web structures in Lake Zurich". As part of her doctoral thesis at the University of Zurich, Martina Schuler is conducting several experiments under natural and artificial conditions on the dynamics of phytoplankton in Lake Zurich. Her work shows that artificial water turnover techniques to redistribute nutrients and generate spring blooms of phytoplankton should be used with caution. The consequences of artificial turnover on all trophic levels of the microbial food web are not predictable with the models currently used. Depending on the duration and type of mixing, a different and previously unknown microbial community may evolve.