On Friday, 27th 2026, the Austrian project team presented the phytoplankton database to the network of observers (Top 3 Taxa, 2015–2024). Overall, participant feedback was very positive, and several regional authorities expressed interest in using the tool for their own monitoring and analytical work. The database compiles the three most abundant phytoplankton taxa at the phylum or genus level based on biovolume or abundance, as well as the top three cyanobacteria genera, including potentially toxic species.
During the session, the team also introduced an Excel-based visualisation tool using data query and pivot tables, which allows observers to explore the data and analyse supra-regional trends across lakes and monitoring locations. Rainer Kurmayer, from UIBK, presented the tool, highlighting its potential to support data interpretation and comparative analysis.
Participants discussed several potential applications of the database. They noted that the tool could provide a valuable foundation for planned long-term analyses of phytoplankton and benthic communities, including the exploration of correlations with climate-related parameters such as sunshine duration. Although funding for such analyses is not yet secured, the visualisation tool was recognised as a useful basis for identifying major ecological trends. Participants suggested that analysing comparable datasets from lakes in other federal states would provide additional insights. It was clarified that the values presented are depth-integrated measurements, in some cases standardised to the 0–20 m water column.