Television science report shows research on Austria's minnows

Minnow – small schooling fish – are currently the focus of a unique citizen science research project. For over a century, the European minnow was considered the only representative of its species in Europe. Today, we know that at least four different species live in Austria, whose occurrence and genetic diversity are now being studied in more detail.

Sparkling Science makes ‘small fish big’

The project ‘Biodiversity of Phoxinus minnows’ is funded as part of the reasearch funding programme Sparkling Science 2.0 and brings research institutions together with schools and associations: under the leadership of the Natural History Museum Vienna, researchers are working together with students and anglers in six states (Bundesländer) to record the distribution and ecological significance of native minnows. The students and members of the fishing associations involved are acting as citizen scientists, taking samples, examining water parameters and evaluating genetic data. This gives them practical insight into research and at the same time contributes to the protection of biodiversity in Austria.

A recent report on Austrian television shows how the collaboration between science, schools and society works and how new scientific findings are being generated in the project. In addition to the project leader, Priv.-Doz. Dr Anja Palandačić, the citizen scientists involved also have their say and report on their experiences in the project. 

The TV-report is available here (from minute 14:39)

Further information about the research project