Freshwater biodiversity is under increasing threat globally – particularly in Europe, where ecosystems face pressures from pollution, land-use intensification, habitat loss, and climate change. In response, EU member states are prioritising freshwater restoration.
Among freshwater habitats, ponds are especially valuable. Though small (typically 1 m² to 5 ha), they are the most numerous freshwater ecosystems on Earth and support a disproportionately high share of biodiversity, up to 70% of freshwater species in European landscapes. Ponds also sustain terrestrial species – including bats – and provide vital ecosystem services such as water purification and carbon storage.
Despite their high importance, ponds remain largely neglected in EU water and nature strategies – including the Water Framework Directive – and are often missing from national monitoring scheme. This is largely due to their high number and scattered distribution, which makes traditional monitoring of ponds logistically demanding and costly.
Innovative methods – including environmental DNA (eDNA) and passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) – offer scalable, cost-efficient alternatives. When combined with citizen science, these approaches enable high-resolution data collection while engaging local stakeholders, which is essential for long-term restoration success.
The BiodivPond pilot aims to integrate pond monitoring approaches into a harmonised European initiative. By combining eDNA, PAM, and citizen-science-based methods, it will support the development of standardised, effective biodiversity monitoring schemes. This effort will fill critical knowledge gaps and help achieve the targets of the Nature Restoration Law through better data on pond ecosystems across landscapes.
Biodiversa+ is the European Biodiversity Partnership that supports excellent research on biodiversity with an impact on policy and society. Co-developed and launched in 2021 by BiodivERsA and the European Commission as part of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, it contributes to the ambition that by 2030, nature in Europe is on a path to recovery, and by 2050, people are living in harmony with nature.
