Mývatn Research Anniversary Conference

Lake Mývatn has been studied by people for decades, but projects really picked up when the Mývatn research station was founded 50 years ago. With Árni Einarsson as the head of the research station, scientists came together and many projects have been spearheaded through the years. Especially long-term monitoring in collaboration with the University of Iceland, Hólar University and University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA) has shed light on the incredible ecosystem that is Lake Mývatn.

The conference was held at the former school Skjólbrekka, which is located right next to the Mývatn research station near the lake shore. During the four days of the conference, researchers from many different fields present their past and present work in and around Lake Mývatn. We learned about the incredible dynamics between species in the lake and how nutrients find their way into the lake, making it so incredibly productive. On our excursion to the river Laxá Árni also explained to us how Mývatn drives life in the river, making it one of the most productive rivers in the world. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, so we cut our trip short. Luckily a warm bus and beers brought us back to our wonderful guesthouse Narfastaðir where we officially celebrated 50 years of Mývatn research with a delightful dinner, live music, and singing with old and new friends.

Although the general tone of the conference was positive, it was not all good news. We also learned about the decline in Arctic charr, certain midge species and various water birds, which likely is connected to progressing climate change. So, understanding how the species interact in Mývatn could not only be important for the species living in Mývatn all year round, but also for the thousands of birds coming to Iceland to nest in Mývatn during the summer.

Overall, scientists have made a lot of progress in understanding what makes Lake Mývatn so unique, but there is still just so much unknown. For this reason, the last day of the conference was fully dedicated to the future. In groups we discussed what topics and species have been overlooked so far and tried to identify what the most pressing topics of research are. We came up with potential future projects and collaborations especially using the already existing data sets. We also discussed the upcoming special issue in the journal Aquatic Ecology, which will be fully dedicated to Lake Mývatn.

What became very clear though, is that research is not the only thing that has bloomed over the years. Many friendships have formed and have made research not only interesting but also fun, as work is so much sweeter when you get to do it with your friends. In this spirit, the new head of the Mývatn research station, Agnes-Katharina Kreiling, said that the door of the Mývatn research station will stay open and that her husband and son will be happy for people to stop by for coffee and a chat, as Árni Einarsson has done all these years.