Bernd Sures

Professor Bernd Sures is affiliated with the University of Duisburg-Essen, where he serves in the Faculty of Biology, Department of Aquatic Ecology. His research primarily focuses on aquatic ecosystems, parasite-host interactions, and environmental stressors affecting river systems.

Professor Sures' research interests span several interconnected fields in aquatic ecology and environmental science. His work emphasizes parasitology in changing environments, particularly examining how parasites respond to and influence ecosystem degradation and recovery processes. He investigates river ecosystem dynamics under multiple stressors, with special attention to biodiversity patterns, species adaptation mechanisms, and community recovery trajectories. His research integrates field studies, experimental approaches using systems like AquaFlow and ExStream, and statistical modeling to understand complex ecological processes.

As the speaker of Collaborative Research Center SFB 1439 "Degradation and recovery of river ecosystems under multiple pressures," Professor Sures leads a major research initiative examining how river ecosystems respond to various stressors including pollution, hydromorphological changes, and climate impacts like drought. His work has contributed to the development of the "Asymmetric Response Concept" (ARC), which explains differential importance of tolerance, dispersal, and biotic interactions during ecosystem degradation versus recovery phases.

Professor Sures has secured significant research funding through the German Research Foundation (DFG), managing both collaborative research centers and individual projects. His current portfolio includes the Integrated Monitoring of Parasites in a Changing Environment (IMPACT) project, along with multiple sub-projects within SFB 1439 focusing on parasite ecology, research training, and project administration. His previous work has examined topics ranging from ICP-MS analytical methods for trace metals in biological matrices to the invasiveness of alien parasites and cryptic species coexistence in river ecosystems.

Based at the University of Duisburg-Essen's Essen Campus, Professor Sures works within the Department of Aquatic Ecology, contributing to both research and academic training in freshwater ecology and environmental science. His research group appears to be actively involved in both fundamental ecological research and applied environmental monitoring approaches.