Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2025

Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster E45

Ups and downs: Five Decades of Waterbird Dynamics at Lake Mývatn

Höfundar / Authors: Sölvi Rúnar Vignisson, Árni Einarsson

Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: Náttúrufræðistofnun

Kynnir / Presenter: Sölvi Rúnar Vignisson

Mývatn in northeast Iceland is a shallow, nutrient-rich lake that sustains exceptionally high biomass due to its unique geology and geothermal influence. This productivity has long supported one of the most diverse and abundant waterbird assemblages in the northern hemisphere. Decades of systematic monitoring reveal, however, that populations have not remained stable. In this talk, I will present 50 years of waterbird monitoring at Mývatn, highlight species of conservation concern, examine their status both within and beyond the Mývatn system, and consider the ecological processes driving these changes.