Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment

We develop knowledge about environmental changes and their causes through research, education, and environmental analysis. The department takes a broad and interdisciplinary approach to water issues, focusing on monitoring, understanding, and contributing to improved quality in Sweden’s aquatic environments.

Education

If you are interested in delving deeper into water-related issues, welcome to explore our information on courses at undergraduate, advanced, and research levels we are involved in. Also, we offer a certification course for water sampling.

Research

Our research concerns everyone in Sweden, as water is a vital resource that affects everything from our health and food production to biodiversity and climate adaptation.

Environmental analysis

Environmental analysis of freshwater provides long-term data series from our lakes and watercourses. This is crucial for making well-informed decisions on the management, protection, and sustainable use of our water resources.

Environmental data

Discover environmental monitoring data – track changes in Sweden’s soil, water and ecosystems over time (the database is only available in Swedish).
Data base Environmental Data
News & Events

News

  • 2025-06-03

    Climate changes threatens Lake Mälaren's ecosystem

    Lake Mälaren’s environmental condition continues to concern researchers. The Focus on Mälaren 2024 report shows that the lake’s surface water temperature continues to increase, which makes it harder to combat eutrophication.
  • 2025-05-23

    Five projects granted seed funding at SLU Urban Futures

    To enhance the urban discourse at SLU and support landscape-oriented urban research, SLU Urban Futures has awarded seed funding to five projects focused on publishing inter- and transdisciplinary research.
  • 2025-03-31

    Lake sediments reveal ecosystem change

    By analysing sediment from the subarctic lake Diktar-Eriks sjö, researchers can describe how climate variations have impacted the lake ecosystem. This knowledge is crucial for understanding how current climate change may affect our waters.

Calendar

Discover scientific findings – explore our publications!

Curious about new knowledge? Dive into our scientific publications and uncover the insights behind the research!
Find our publications

Microplastics impact aquatic environments

Microplastics are long-lasting. They are found everywhere. They can move within and between different environments, and they can affect both soil- and water-dwelling organisms. In this short film, you’ll meet Kong and Mareile, whose research focuses on microplastics in aquatic environments and in soil.