Günther Unfer

Günther Unfer is a Researcher at the Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna). With a 2002 Dipl.Ing. in Applied Freshwater Ecology, his work focuses on riverine ecosystem dynamics, fish migration, and climate change impacts on aquatic species.

• Affiliation: Department of Ecosystem Management, Climate and Biodiversity
• Key Research Areas: Hydropeaking effects on fish, ecological connectivity restoration, climate-driven stressors in rivers

His BOKU projects include: ClimateTrout (2019), aquaZoom (2020), and Christian Doppler Laboratory for Meta Ecosystem dynamics (2021-2028). He has led 19 projects since 2005, including EU-funded Mura-Drava-Danube connectivity (2020-2022) and Salmonid stocking experiments in Austria.

Scientific Contributions:

• 139+ publications (2000-2025) in journals like Limnologica, Global Ecology and Conservation, and Science of the Total Environment
• Presented at major conferences: IAHR Europe Congress (2024), ASLO Aquatic Sciences (2023), and International Symposium on River Science (2019)

Awards: Dissertation mit Auszeichnung (2012) and Studienabschluss mit Auszeichnung (2002).

His work integrates field surveys, numerical modeling, and socioecological frameworks to address challenges in sustainable river management and fish conservation.