News - LIB

From newly discovered animal species to nature conservation measures, from historic collection treasures to special exhibitions: you’ll find the latest information here. In the press section, we also provide the latest press releases for download.

News | of 151

2026

Research museums call for decisive action
News Research Press release
29 September 2026
Ahead of the COP17 World Biodiversity Conference in Armenia, biodiversity researchers are appealing to policymakers. They are calling for decisive action and a strong scientific basis for the effective implementation of international biodiversity ...
Working Together for a Greener City: Insights from Research and Practice
News Museum Koenig Bonn
28 September 2026
How can we successfully transform our city into one that is climate-resilient, rich in biodiversity, and a great place to live?
FörTax: New Approaches to Expanding Species Knowledge
News Knowledge exchange Project of the LIB
25 September 2026
Species knowledge is an essential foundation for nature conservation. However, the number of experts is steadily declining across Germany.
Biobank networking to preserve biological diversity
News Research Museum Koenig Bonn Press release Collection
23 September 2026
The GGBN facilitates global access to genetic resources for biodiversity research and species conservation.
11.09.2026, New Lighting at Train Stations Reduces Light Stress for Insects
News Research Press release
11 September 2026
A newly tested LED light drastically reduces the attraction of flying insects at railway stations. This has been demonstrated by the BALIN research project under real-world conditions at the Westhavelland Nature and Star Park.
Speed dating with science: The LIB at ‘Book a Scientist’
News Research Knowledge exchange
27 August 2026
If you don’t ask, you’ll never know – as Sesame Street taught us. With “Book a Scientist”, you have the chance to spend 25 minutes discussing a topic with an expert from the Leibniz Association.
A natural history museum for Hamburg – independent of the Elbtower
News Museum of Nature Hamburg
24 August 2026
The current debate surrounding the planned new Natural History Museum in Hamburg has once again brought the question of its future into sharp focus. A guest article by Prof. Dr Dr h.c. Bernhard Misof.
Plant diversity benefits conservation and agriculture: A global study reveals the effects of biodiversity
News Research Press release
23 July 2026
An international data analysis, in which the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB) played a key role, shows that plant diversity enhances natural pest control in arable landscapes and stabilises ecosystems in meadows and ...
Complex food webs ensure the proper functioning of ecosystems
News Research Knowledge exchange
22 July 2026
An international study involving the LIB shows that it is not only biodiversity, but also the connectivity between species, that is crucial for stable and functioning ecosystems.
Millions for Species Conservation: LIB Joins Europe-Wide Biodiversity Genomics Initiative to Combat Biodiversity Loss
News Research Press release
20 July 2026
The LIB is participating in a groundbreaking major European project. As the lead partner in the ‘Biodiversity Genomics Europe plus’ (BGE+) initiative, the LIB coordinates funding from the EU.
How wildflower strips restore biodiversitiy to our fields
News Research Museum Koenig Bonn
17 July 2026
The unique Citizen-Farmer-Science project “Nature-Positive Agriculture” (NaPA) demonstrates how effective nature conservation works in agriculture. Many farmers want to actively promote biodiversity on their fields...
News Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release Knowledge exchange
08 July 2026
Traces of ancient atmospheric oxygen in iron ore deposits offer a new insight into their formation and link Earth’s history, life and mineral resources.
Cichlids: Record-holder for diversity
News Research Knowledge exchange
29 June 2026
In nature, gender is far more diverse than we had long thought. African cichlids are among the most species-rich groups of fish in the world and possess an extraordinary variety of sex chromosomes.
Biobanking & Species Conservation: The LIB as the Engine of the Global Network
News Research Museum Koenig Bonn
29 June 2026
Biobanks for biodiversity, such as the one at the LIB, preserve unique genetic samples for current and future generations of researchers. The Global Genome Biodiversity Network (GGBN) connects these biobanks...
Young talents impress at the painting competition at the Museum Koenig
Museum Koenig Bonn Knowledge exchange
23 June 2026
A packed lecture theatre, beaming faces and plenty of creative energy: on Sunday 15 June, the awards ceremony for the popular primary school drawing competition, held as part of the ‘Natur beflügelt’ project, took place at the Museum Koenig.
Sponsorship of the ‘Bundesgiraffe’ supports programmes for children and young people
Museum Koenig Bonn Knowledge exchange
18 June 2026
The ‘Federal Giraffe’ in the savannah at Museum Koenig Bonn has been given a sponsor. Animal sponsorships are very important to Museum Koenig Bonn and its work. They demonstrate the bond between the sponsors and the museum,
Museum Mile Festival 2026: A programme packed with variety
Museum Koenig Bonn Knowledge exchange
12 June 2026
40 fully booked guided tours of the exhibitions and behind the scenes, over 1,100 Flower Power balls made from 13 kilograms of local wildflower seeds, more than 100 artists performing on stage in the museum park ...
New LIB Magazine: Creating new perspectives together
News Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn LIB Magazine
10 June 2026
The second issue of the LIB Magazine, on the topic of ‘Together’, is now available.
Hidden diversity in the depths of the Atlantic
News Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release
04 June 2026
An international research team, including Dr. Nancy Mercado Salas from the LIB, has described a new family of copepods (Copepoda).
Face of the LIB: Katharina Schmidt-Loske
News Research Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
27 May 2026
Katharina Schmidt-Loske manages the Biohistoricum at the LIB, a library with numerous historical books and documents. As she talks about her work and shows the unique works, her whole face lights up.
Exploring garden biodiversity with COGS
News Research Museum Koenig Bonn
26 May 2026
Who chirps in the cherry tree and who visits the pond at night? Private gardens in Germany cover an area as large as all nature reserves put together - yet there is still a lack of reliable data on their biodiversity.
Flower strips control pests just as well as insecticides
News Research Museum Koenig Bonn
21 May 2026
Biodiversity is in a poor state in many agricultural landscapes. A new study with LIB involvement is investigating whether flower strips on sugar beet fields can replace insecticides.
Hidden diversity on our doorstep
News Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn Collection
21 May 2026
Led by the LIB, a new study shows: even in regions that have been relatively well researched, such as Germany, the diversity of parasitoid wasps remains largely unknown.
From ore to coin
News Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection Knowledge exchange
30 April 2026
How do coins relate to minerals? The exhibition “Skulptural” at the Hamburger Kunsthalle provides an answer to this question. The LIB is contributing ores from the mineralogical collection of the Museum of Nature Hamburg.
YouTube series ‘LIBelle’ brings biodiversity research to life
News Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn Knowledge exchange
28 April 2026
With its new YouTube playlist “LIBelle”, the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change is expanding its science communication to include a visual format specifically aimed at a younger audience.
"The rainforest and you" - young people discover global connections
News Museum Koenig Bonn Knowledge exchange
28 April 2026
How are our consumption and biodiversity in rainforests connected? The new, participatively developed topic area "The rainforest and you" on the digital learning platform "Discovering Nature Online" (NEO) at Museum Koenig Bonn shows this.
PLANET A* - The exhibition for *species diversity in Hamburg
Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release Knowledge exchange
28 April 2026
"We only have this one planet - let's preserve nature together!" With this message, the interactive exhibition "PLANET A* - The exhibition for *species diversity" aims to inspire young people in particular to reflect and act.
The Long Night at the Museum der Natur Hamburg
Museum of Nature Hamburg Knowledge exchange
20 April 2026
On 18 April, everything at the Museum der Natur Hamburg revolved around the topic of taxidermy. In keeping with the current special exhibition, this year's motto was "Prepared: Stone, Animal, Time – Three Ways to Understand Nature".
Exploring the Depths
News Research Museum of Nature Hamburg
15 April 2026
From long working days, her first dives in a submarine, and the feeling of returning with renewed scientific energy: in November 2025, LIB researcher Dr. Jenna Moore took part in an OceanX expedition to Timor-Leste.
CMS COP15: Momentum for the protection of angel sharks
News Research
14 April 2026
Campo Grande (Brazil) recently hosted the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS COP15). Eva Meyers from the LIB followed the negotiations.
New spider species in the Amazon mimics parasitic fungus
News Research Press release Collection
07 April 2026
An international research team, including the LIB, has described a new species of spider from the Ecuadorian Amazon: Taczanowskia waska.
Giant deer from the Museum Koenig Bonn exhibited in the Gasometer Oberhausen
News Museum Koenig Bonn
26 March 2026
Old, huge, impressive - and successfully arrived: The famous giant deer skeleton from the foyer of the Museum Koenig Bonn has been welcoming visitors to the current "Mythos Wald" exhibition at the Gasometer Oberhausen since its opening on 19 March ...
Special exhibition "Between Moor and Maar": Museum Koenig Bonn shows nature photographs
News Museum Koenig Bonn
26 March 2026
Sometimes seemingly barren - sometimes lush and green: the landscapes of the Venn and Eifel are as diverse as they are extraordinary. The beauty of these regions is shown in the photos taken by the photographers of the Eschmar nature photo club...
Treasure of the month: The "dragon worm" puzzle
Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection Treasure of the LIB
12 March 2026
An inconspicuous jar, a red label - and an unsolved mystery that has been waiting to be answered for over 130 years. In the LIB's annelid collection, numerous such jars stand close together. They contain so-called type specimens ...
World Biodiversity Council points the way to a nature-positive economy
News Research Knowledge exchange
10 February 2026
Companies can exacerbate biodiversity loss - or help to reverse it. The new IPBES report "Business & Biodiversity" shows ways to achieve this transformation. LIB projects visualise how scientifically sound solutions can...
Face of the LIB: Md Abdullah Al Mamun
News Museum of Nature Hamburg Faces of the LIB
27 January 2026
Md Abdullah Al Mamun came to Germany with the dream of helping to establish a natural history museum in Bangladesh. Today, he works as a zoological preparator at the Museum of Nature at the LIB. In this interview, he talks about his path between ...
Historical specimens show human influence on the feeding behaviour of harbour seals
News Research Press release Collection
14 January 2026
Tooth samples from historical specimens in natural history collections show how strongly humans can influence the feeding behaviour of seals.
Curtain up for taxidermy - special exhibition "People make museums" enters the next round
Museum of Nature Hamburg
12 January 2026
From 13 January, a new part of the exhibition will expand the special exhibition "People make museums" in the zoology department at the Museum der Natur Hamburg. After focussing on research and collections, the third part is now dedicated to ...
12.01.2026, Type genomics: DNA treasure trove in the collection
News Research Press release
12 January 2026
New study shows how DNA from type specimens can revolutionise biodiversity research.

2025

Season's greetings and all the best for the New Year
Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn
19 December 2025
As the year draws to a close, the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB) wishes you happy holidays and a good start to the new year.
EuroWorm: Leibniz funding for LIB project on marine worms
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release
16 December 2025
Led by Dr Jenna Moore (LIB), the project to study European marine annelids will start in 2026 as part of the 'Leibniz Cooperative Excellence' programme.
Jenna Moore curates one of the world's largest collections of annelid worms
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection
15 December 2025
The Museum der Natur Hamburg houses one of the world's largest collections of annelids. These include earthworms, leeches and their relatives in the sea. Jenna Moore is the curator of this collection.
Museum Koenig Bonn shows special exhibition "Multifaceted insects"
Museum Koenig Bonn Knowledge exchange
27 November 2025
Dazzling, beautiful, successful, useful - and endangered. Insects are a valuable part of nature. The travelling exhibition "Multifaceted insects: Diversity I Endangerment I Protection", which is now on display at the Museum...
Nature photography - Museum Koenig Bonn presents "Highlights"
Museum Koenig Bonn Knowledge exchange
27 November 2025
Once again this year, the Museum Koenig Bonn is showing the winning photographs from the international photo competition "Highlights of Nature Photography". The fascinating range of nature photographs will be on display on the 2nd floor of the museum until 18 January ...
Face of the LIB: Dennis Nitz
Museum of Nature Hamburg Faces of the LIB
26 November 2025
For a decade, Dennis Nitz has been ensuring that visitors to the Museum of Nature Hamburg feel comfortable, move around safely and remain curious. In this interview, he explains why this job became a turning point for him.
Two-tusked narwhal from Hamburg is a male
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release
20 November 2025
New analyses after 340 years: International study rewrites a piece of scientific history.
Unknown Germany: LIB participates in national biodiversity inventory
Research Press release
10 November 2025
The LIB is part of the new research initiative Unknown Germany, which aims to systematically record and describe the previously hidden biodiversity in the Federal Republic of Germany.
LIB appeals to the participants of the UN Climate Change Conference COP30
Research Press release
06 November 2025
With a view to the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB) is making an appeal to the international community.
Keeping pace with climate change: Genetic exchange enables rapid adaptation in songbirds
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn Press release
17 October 2025
Exchange of genetic diversity between species accelerates evolutionary adaptation.
Possible location for new natural history museum found
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release Knowledge exchange
14 October 2025
Hamburg is to receive a new, forward-looking natural history museum with research laboratories and a scientific collection. This was unanimously decided by the city parliament in 2021. The examination of various locations by the Senate...
Face of the LIB: Simone Rödder
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
08 October 2025
How can science and communication help to overcome the biodiversity and climate crisis? How can the dialogue between science, politics and society be revitalised? These are the questions that the sociologist and ...
Elbe estuary in transition: dramatic changes in the fish fauna over the last 40 years
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release
25 September 2025
A study spanning almost four decades paints a clear picture of the changing fish fauna in the Elbe estuary: Researchers from the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), in cooperation with the University of Hamburg, have analysed data ...
Insects of the night - how AI and art can help them
Research Museum Koenig Bonn Knowledge exchange
19 September 2025
Using newly developed camera traps and artificial intelligence, researchers in the LEPMON project want to determine the population of moths in Germany. LIB researchers are also using other unusual approaches to study and protect nocturnal insects
Research project analyses biodiversity change since 1960 - and the consequences for groundwater
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Knowledge exchange
10 September 2025
How has biodiversity in Germany changed over the past 60 years? And what does this change mean for our future? What influence do land use, climate change and the straightening of watercourses have?
Street art murals make biodiversity visible
Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn Press release
04 September 2025
Two juniper thrushes are beautifully enthroned high up on a building façade for everyone to see - in the centre of Hamburg-Eimsbüttel. The street art duo Anna Taut & Pascal "KKade" Flühmann spent over a week working on the large-format mural...
Colourful and sophisticated - that's how diverse sea snails are!
Research Museum Koenig Bonn
28 August 2025
Marine snails not only look fascinating - many can also defend themselves with toxins! An international team of researchers has now discovered two new species of so-called warty snails in North Sulawesi, Indonesia...
Face of the LIB: Thorsten Hermann
Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
21 August 2025
As deputy head of the IT department at LIB, he rarely fishes in the mud and finds solutions to our digital problems. In his spare time, Thorsten Hermann is drawn to the local lakes in the Bonn area to cast his line...
New handout for schools on handling human remains in their collections
Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release Knowledge exchange
20 August 2025
The handling of human remains in school biology collections is a sensitive topic - around 40 per cent of secondary schools in Hamburg have such human remains. A new handout now offers guidance for teachers...
Connect, Conserve, Restore: How Research Is Protecting Coral Reefs – and Our Future
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release Knowledge exchange
28 July 2025
July 28 marks World Nature Conservation Day – a moment to focus on especially vulnerable habitats, such as coral reefs. These biodiverse ecosystems are not only fascinating but also vital indicators of environmental health.
Treasure of the Month: A Tiny Tarantula with Great Scientific Importance
Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection Treasure of the LIB
22 July 2025
Hidden in the remote Tepui formations of Ecuador, researchers from the LIB came across a small tarantula that differed significantly from all previously known species. What began as an expedition in 2024 to a scarcely explored high plateau ...
What Dinosaur Teeth Reveal About Life 150 Million Years Ago
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release Knowledge exchange
18 July 2025
What did long-necked dinosaurs eat – and where did they roam to satisfy their hunger? A team of researchers has reconstructed the feeding behaviour of sauropods using cutting-edge dental wear analysis. Their findings, published...
Warming seas scare away female angel sharks - with potentially dramatic consequences
News Research Museum Koenig Bonn Press release
17 July 2025
Angel sharks, a shark species threatened with extinction, change their mating behaviour in warmer oceans: If the water temperatures become too high, the females avoid their traditional breeding grounds - and rely on cooling instead.
"The Museum Makers" continues: a look behind the scenes of our collections
Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection
14 July 2025
Our museums are an experience for visitors — but natural history doesn’t stop there. Beyond the permanent exhibitions, many minds work on research projects, prepare specimens, or develop educational programmes. The Museum Makers takes a closer ...
Face of the LIB: Timo Moritz
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection Faces of the LIB
27 June 2025
Even at the age of twelve, Timo Moritz wanted to know everything about sharks. More and more questions eventually led him into science. As the new curator of the fish collection at the LIB's Museum der Natur Hamburg, he is now researching the diversity of ...
How biodiversity research benefits from the dismantling of heteronormative perspectives
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Knowledge exchange
26 June 2025
In biology, one theory has long been considered irrefutable: animals mate primarily to reproduce - preferably heterosexually, male-dominant, female-passive. Does this view of the world really reflect nature in a value-free way or has it been...
New record - Over 20,500 guests at the Museum Mile Festival in the Museum Koenig Bonn
Museum Koenig Bonn Knowledge exchange
13 June 2025
On May 31 and June 1, 2025, the Museum Koenig Bonn opened its doors, cabinets, chests, and museum park to young and old, as it does every year. The festival of Bonn's five major museums on the Museum Mile featured live music from the stage ...
How "supergenes" in fish help to develop new species
Research Museum Koenig Bonn Press release Knowledge exchange
12 June 2025
One of the big questions in biology is how new species arise and how the incredible diversity of nature comes about. A new paper, which has now been published in the journal "Science" by an international team, provides us with...
"We need an agriculture that destroys less"
Research Knowledge exchange
11 June 2025
With the PhenoRob Cluster of Excellence - Robotics and Phenotyping for Sustainable Crop Production, the University of Bonn is breaking new ground: robotics, sensor technology and ecological research are to work together to make agriculture fit for the ...
"You can't just focus on your own research here" - An interview with Livia Schäffler
Research Knowledge exchange
27 May 2025
Our closest relatives in the animal kingdom are acutely threatened: every two years a new Top 25 list of the world's most endangered primates is published. Compiled by a group of members of the nature conservation organisations International Union...
Museum on the Move: Ein Interview mit Katrin Vohland und Bernhard Misof
Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn LIB Magazine
20 May 2025
The institution of the Natural History Museum is undergoing radical change. Collecting, preserving, researching, exhibiting - all that remains. However, the perspective, the methods, the discourse, the management are changing. At the interface between scientific ...
Magical sea creatures in new special exhibition "Corals - a play of colours in art and science" at the Maritime Museum
Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection
15 May 2025
Colourful biodiversity is not only found on land, but also in the water. The International Maritime Museum in Hamburg is currently dedicating an entire special exhibition to corals and is also showing exhibits from our treasure troves...
Practical programme for Ukrainian biology students
Press release Knowledge exchange
12 May 2025
It was an event with a vision for the future, a course that was more than just a learning unit for students from Ukraine. As co-initiator, the LIB supported a practical programme for Ukrainian biology students from Kharkiv.
5057 Night owls between crab igami and butterfly treasures
Museum of Nature Hamburg Knowledge exchange
28 April 2025
Do jellyfish and worms have sex? And how do you make crab igami? Many hands-on activities such as upcycling and gold panning, lectures and guided tours attracted 5057 night owls to the Museum der Natur Hamburg on Saturday for the Long Night of ...
Treasure of the month: Eggs and nests at Museum Koenig Bonn
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn Treasure of the LIB
17 April 2025
We are in the starting blocks for the egg hunt: it's only a matter of hours until the Easter bunny fills his hiding places. The search for real eggs - that aren't made of delicious chocolate - is a real passion for researchers too...
Face of the LIB: Alexandra Hostert
Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
04 April 2025
Here at the LIB, Alexandra Hostert wants to inspire people about nature and show how socially relevant our research is. When she's not scrambling up mountains, she goes to concerts or enjoys the proximity to Bonn's lifeline: the Rhine.
Illegal trade in Galapagos iguanas - study uncovers international network
Research Museum Koenig Bonn
02 April 2025
A study involving the LIB now shows how an international network illegally trades in iguanas that are only found on this archipelago.
Digitising museums faster with a smartphone
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn Press release Collection
27 March 2025
A team from the LIB has published tutorials that can be used to quickly and cost-effectively read out collection data from natural history museums using a smartphone.
The LIB Magazine: an inspiring journey into the world of biodiversity
Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn Knowledge exchange LIB Magazine
06 March 2025
With our LIB magazine, we address the core topics of our research museum and show how relevant science is to our everyday lives.
Strengthening cooperation with research institutes in Ghana
Research Knowledge exchange
24 February 2025
It was the start of a strategic partnership. A delegation of LIB researchers recently traveled to Ghana with the aim of identifying fields for joint research projects.
LIB establishes Centre for biodiversity research in Ecuador
Research Press release
18 February 2025
The Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change is working with the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE) in Quito to establish a scientific center for biodiversity research in Ecuador.
"SciXit": Withdrawal from Platform X:
Knowledge exchange
17 February 2025
Numerous academic institutions left Platform X in January 2025 following a widely recognised public appeal. By now, more than 120 universities and research institutes have joined the call to cease communication on X, including the LIB.
Pesticides have greater impacts on animals, plants, and microorganisms than previously thought
Research Press release
13 February 2025
Pesticides are used primarily in agriculture to control pests. However, they can also harm many beneficial animal, plant and fungal species.
Insight and exchange: New rooms and exhibition opened at the Museum of Nature Hamburg
Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release
12 February 2025
Since 12 February, two newly designed rooms in the zoological exhibition at the Museum of Nature Hamburg have been inviting visitors to linger, marvel, discover and join in.
Museum Koenig Bonn opens special exhibition ‘Meadow habitat’
Museum Koenig Bonn Press release
06 February 2025
The Museum Koenig Bonn is presenting her impressive photographs in the special exhibition ‘Habitat Meadow’, which opens on 19 February.
Quarries, sand and gravel pits as habitats: how the building materials industry can promote biodiversity
Research Press release
29 January 2025
With funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the ‘Holistic Biodiversity Management in the Building Materials Industry’ (GiBBS) project has produced a handbook to help raw materials companies implement species ...
Scientists Resolve “Identity Crisis” for Australia’s Deadliest Spider
Research Press release
13 January 2025
An international team of scientists has revised the classification of Australia’s most famous spider.

2024

Art meets science on insect protection at the ‘UN Campus’ railway station
Press release Knowledge exchange
17 December 2024
Beetles, butterflies and other insects have recently been hanging around the UN Campus railway station in oversized graffiti. What looks beautiful has a larger goal: the graffiti draws attention to the threat posed to insects by light pollution.
Elbtower: option for new natural history museum in Hamburg
Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release
16 December 2024
The discussion about the location for the new natural history museum in Hamburg is gathering pace. As confirmed by the Senate of the City of Hamburg, proposals for housing the ‘Evolutioneum’ in the new building on the Elbe bridges are being ...
Decoding the world’s largest animal genome
Research Press release
14 August 2024
Thirty times the size of the human genome: An international team of researchers led by Konstanz evolutionary biologist Axel Meyer and Würzburg biochemist Manfred Schartl, including researchers from the LIB has sequenced the largest genome of all ...
Bronze of the "Bundesgiraffe" on board the MS Wissenschaft
Museum Koenig Bonn Knowledge exchange
30 July 2024
"Freedom" is the motto of the Science Year 2024, which the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has proclaimed to mark the 75th anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany. With a wide range of activities to take part in, a swimming
Science meets street art
Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn Press release Knowledge exchange
09 July 2024
InUrFaCE (Initiative of Urban Facades Creature Exposition) aims to create facade artworks on biodiversity that "jump out at you". Internationally renowned street artists create the so-called murals together with
Wanted: Butterflies in Hamburg - Who's in?
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Knowledge exchange
01 July 2024
We don't have to travel far to find rare species. There are many places in Hamburg where we can find rare or even endangered animals. Even in densely populated areas such as Hamburg, there is a lack of constant biomonitoring in order to find rare ...
Over 10,000 visitors at the Museum Mile Festival at Museum Koenig Bonn
Museum Koenig Bonn Knowledge exchange
27 June 2024
For two days from 22 to 23 June 2024, Museum Koenig Bonn opened its doors as well as the Museum Park to young and old at the legendary Museum Mile Festival of the five major museums on the Museum Mile. In addition to live music from Klassik
Face of the LIB: Marie Herberstein
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Faces of the LIB
27 May 2024
Marie Herberstein is looking for a different perspective, a fresh look at fixed structures and the creative side of change. On 15 April, the Australian with Austrian roots took over the management of the ztm at the LIB.
Painted democracy: 75 years of the Basic Law in pictures by Markus Lüpertz
Museum Koenig Bonn Press release Knowledge exchange
03 May 2024
To mark the 75th anniversary, the Museum Koenig Bonn is showing the exhibition "Painted Democracy - 75 Years of the Basic Law in Paintings by Markus Lüpertz."
Unique "Elmshorn" meteorite now on display at the Museum der Natur Hamburg
Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release Collection
25 April 2024
It is a meteorite of superlatives that fell from the sky in Elmshorn near Hamburg on 25 April 2023: from a scientific and cultural-historical point of view, it represents a globally unique piece. At 3.7 kilograms, it is also the largest in
What medicine can learn from ants...
Research Press release
05 April 2024
Mixing livestock farming and arable farming, integrating flower strips and trees, water and soil conservation and much more: diverse agriculture not only benefits nature, but also secures the food base and the agricultural sector for us humans.
What medicine can learn from ants...
Research Collection
27 February 2024
When biology and technology intersect, we usually talk about bionics. The mouthparts of ants could, for example, help to improve needle holders during endoscopic procedures. Dr Benjamin Wipfler, together with colleagues from various disciplines
FOGS database against illegal wildlife trade launched
Research Press release Knowledge exchange
22 February 2024
The global illegal wildlife trade threatens around 6,000 protected species and their populations. With the FOGS reference database and new analytical methods, the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB) supports authorities and species conservation organisations in their efforts to combat this ...
Our treasure of the month: The Great Adjutant
Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection Treasure of the LIB
22 February 2024
A large bird that was a big surprise for our taxidermists and bird experts. The Great Adjutant is this month's treasure from our scientific collections. The fact that it is this rare bird
Face of the LIB: Camilla Bruno Di Nizo
Research Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
22 January 2024
For Camilla B. Di Nizo, scientific work holds new surprises every day. As head of the cell culture laboratory in the LIB biobank, she has preserved viable material from more than 100 species.
Biomorphic worlds: Where art and science merge
Museum Koenig Bonn Press release Knowledge exchange
09 January 2024
Exciting and flowing at the same time, close to nature and abstract: Bielefeld artist Henning Bock interprets specimens from the mammal collection at Museum Koenig Bonn, combining art and science. From 25 January to 3 March 20

2023

Treasure of the month - worm wishes for the holidays
Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection Treasure of the LIB
14 December 2023
While lights are shining all around us, streets are decorated and Christmas markets are beckoning, we at LIB are celebrating some of the specimens in our Annelida collections that are quite festive - like the Christmas tree worms.
Face of the LIB: Dagmara Żyła
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection Faces of the LIB
28 November 2023
As head of the Coleoptera section, Dr Dagmara Żyła is particularly fascinated by beetles in her job. In order to work in her dream job as a scientist, she had to focus strongly on her goal and moved to Hamburg for this reason.
Women in Herpetology - 50 stories from around the world
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn
22 November 2023
Umilaela Arifin works as a herpetologist at the Museum der Natur Hamburg and has already experienced a great deal in her career as a researcher. Now she has teamed up with 49 other female experts from the world of science to publish the book "Women in ...
Foundation stone laid for multinational research centre in the Caucasus
Research Press release
26 October 2023
The freely accessible database is up and running, the laboratory infrastructure is functioning. The Caucasus Barcode of Life (CaBOL) cooperation project has laid the foundations for a multinational research centre in the Caucasus. However, it is still unclear how the ...
Solve puzzles from the world of pollinators in our new escape game
Museum Koenig Bonn Press release Knowledge exchange
25 October 2023
Make an entire city liveable again for insects: Players can now immerse themselves in the fascinating and colourful world of "PROJECT POLLINATION: A BUZZING RESCUE". The educational escape game raises awareness in a playful way.
Face of the LIB: Dennis Rödder
Research Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
24 October 2023
As curator of herpetology at the Museum Koenig Bonn, he is particularly fascinated by reptiles and amphibians. As a researcher, he has an eye for the big picture - which is why he is particularly interested in the complex interrelationships in ...
Expedition Schneeleo" exhibition now at the Museum der Natur Hamburg
Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release Knowledge exchange
11 October 2023
Look a snow leopard in the eye, guess its voice, catch prey on a monitor: NABU's "Expedition Snow Leopard" exhibition follows the endangered "spirit of the mountains" with a mixture of analogue and digital hands-on activities.
"It's not the weather - we humans are causing insect mortality"
Research Press release
28 September 2023
Can the weather really be the main cause of insect mortality? A recent STUDY in the scientific journal Nature blames (changing) weather conditions for the sharp decline in insects. Christoph Scherber, Deputy Director
Our treasure of the month: A penguin from the north?
Museum Koenig Bonn Treasure of the LIB
20 September 2023
It can't fly, but it can swim beautifully and looks like a penguin - but it's not a penguin at all. Our treasure of the month comes from the north and is the last giant auk - because it can no longer be found in the wild, only in
Highlights of nature photography 2023
Museum Koenig Bonn Press release Knowledge exchange
12 September 2023
The "Highlights of Nature Photography" were sought for the 25th time.
Mixed crop cultivation offers insect protection without loss of yield
Research Press release
04 September 2023
How can we stop the drastic decline in biodiversity? A recent STUDY led by the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB) shows possible solutions for agricultural landscapes. The investigations prove
75 years of the Parliamentary Council: Ceremony at Museum Koenig Bonn
Museum Koenig Bonn Press release
01 September 2023
75 years ago, Museum Koenig Bonn wrote a piece of German democratic and parliamentary history. On 1 September 1948, the Parliamentary Council met here in the atrium for its constituent session. Today, the German Bundestag is celebrating this
Face of the LIB: Alexander Suh
Research Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
29 August 2023
Curious, eager to experiment, connecting: these are the signs with which Alexander Suh took over the management of the Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research (zmb) at the LIB in April 2023.
Our treasure of the month: The spotted snare grasshopper
Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection Treasure of the LIB
25 July 2023
It is 110 years old, from near Hamburg and our treasure of the month: unfortunately, the spotted grasshopper no longer hops through the heathland near the Hanseatic city - it is now extinct there. For this reason, however, it is
The effects of deep-sea mining are unpredictable
Research
08 June 2023
Bizarre-looking creatures cavort in the diffuse light at sea depths of 200 metres and below. Yet we know almost nothing about life in the deep sea, our largest ecosystem. But what we do know: The seabed harbours valuable minerals
The LIB at the Long Day of Urban Nature Hamburg
Museum of Nature Hamburg Knowledge exchange
30 May 2023
We're grabbing our nets, binoculars and wellies - 17 June is once again the LONG DAY OF CITY NATURE in Hamburg. As a close partner of the event, which is initiated by the Loki Schmidt Foundation, the Museum der Natur Hamburg is of course also i
Face of the LIB: Thomas Wesener
Research Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
30 May 2023
His favourite thing to do is discover the unknown: As head of the Myriapoda section and curator of the associated collection at the Museum Koenig Bonn, Thomas Wesener is scientifically very familiar with millipedes.
Long Night of Museums: Full house with 4,500 revellers
Museum of Nature Hamburg Knowledge exchange
24 April 2023
What a night it was! Scorpions crawled over researchers' hands, minerals glowed in the dark and our dinosaur researcher told us what dinosaurs did at night to pass the time. Almost 4,500 night owls came to the Long Night on 22 April.
Our treasure of the month discovered in Africa for the first time: black Nile monitor lizard
Research Museum Koenig Bonn Treasure of the LIB
19 April 2023
The largest lizards on earth, the monitor lizards, inhabit various habitats in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, Asia and Australia. The species have extremely different colours and colour patterns. For example, there is the brightly coloured
Global database links collections from the world's 73 largest natural history museums
Research Press release Collection
24 March 2023
The LIB's scientific collections, with their 16 million objects, are now part of a global database of the world's largest natural history museums. The digital catalogue links more than one billion objects from scientific collections of
Face of the LIB: Karsten Stehr
Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
21 March 2023
Karsten Stehr has a mission: he wants to inspire young people to learn about species. This way, they can help to protect nature. In the Museum Koenig Bonn's educational programme, the biologist uses his knowledge of the interrelationships between the ...
Face of the LIB: Stefan Peters
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection Faces of the LIB
07 February 2023
For Stefan Peters, stones are important stores of information. Because they tell stories from the early days of the earth. The geoscientist is involved in the current debate on the energy transition when he works on the extraction of critical minerals ...
Non-native land snail species are increasing exponentially
Research Press release
19 January 2023
Invasive land snail species can displace native species and harm human health. A recent study by the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB) provides an overview of the exponential increase and dy

2022

Face of the LIB: Markus Reinhardt
Museum of Nature Hamburg Faces of the LIB
19 December 2022
A visit from Markus Reinhardt brings joy. Because he is on hand with help and advice when the notebook goes on strike. In fact, the LIB IT administrator's challenges lie elsewhere: professionally in the expansion of WLAN to the museum and in ...
"Nature can still be saved" - Bernhard Misof on the World Nature Conference
Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn
06 December 2022
The aim is to save the planet and turn the tide of the biodiversity crisis. From 7 December, government representatives from almost 200 countries will meet in Montreal, Canada, with the aim of forging a pact to protect nature. LIB Director General
Frankfurt Declaration: Working together for biodiversity
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn
02 December 2022
One week before the start of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15) in Montreal, an alliance of German scientific and non-governmental organisations calls in its "FRANKFURT DECLARATION", published today, for the protection of biodiversity in the ...
New home for natural history in Hamburg
Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release
29 November 2022
The new building of the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB) will be built on construction site 51 in HafenCity. The LEUCHTTURMPROJEKT for the world of science and museums will offer innovative exhibitions as well as space for research and ...
Face of the LIB: Heike Wägele
Research Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
24 November 2022
"Imagine you're naked, without any protection. How can you protect yourself from a Tyrannosaurus? Run away, become poisonous or burn like a candle as soon as you are touched?" This is how Heike Wägele would explain to an eleven-year-old child what ...
Face of the LIB: Dirk Neumann
Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection Faces of the LIB
24 October 2022
For Dirk Neumann, the student job did more than just put butter on bread. He found that managing processes complemented his interest in fish. As a collection manager at the LIB in Hamburg, he acts as an interface between different lines of action.
Face of the LIB: Benjamin Wipfler
Research Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
29 September 2022
Although he actually wanted to become a marine biologist, he ended up in his dream job. As head of the morphology laboratory in Bonn, he is involved in the planning and evaluation of a wide range of projects. Methods can be an important interface ...
Pan-European genome research to save biodiversity worldwide
Research Press release
28 September 2022
Experts from all over Europe are joining forces today to launch the pan-European consortium "Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE)". The comprehensive application of genomics to the study of biodiversity will revolutionise science.
Face of the LIB: Jeanne Agrippine Yetchom Fondjo
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Faces of the LIB
30 August 2022
Even as a child, Jeanne Agrippine Yetchom Fondjo wondered why some animals seek out ecological niches. The Humboldt Fellow is now an expert on locust species from Cameroon. Until spring 2024, she will be researching grasshoppers ...
Reporting portal for alien species extended to northern Germany
Research Press release Collection
28 July 2022
Hamburg's portal for reporting non-native animal species is now available for the whole of northern Germany. On NEOBIOTA-NORD.DE, citizens can now compare and report species that were previously not native to northern Germany. With the Eng
Face of the LIB: Karen Meusemann
Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
26 July 2022
As a research officer, she is currently an interface between the various areas at the LIB. She wants to use her work to network people and advance projects. If her path hadn't led her into biology and research, she might be on tour as a musician ...
Face of the LIB: Martin Husemann
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection Faces of the LIB
28 June 2022
Culinary-wise, he enjoys experimenting, scientifically he specialises in wasteland insects. Dr Martin Husemann is the head of the Hemimetabolous Insects & Lepidoptera section at the LIB and loves to immerse himself in both the biodiversity ...
One year of LIB: researching and acting together
Press release
23 June 2022
Joining forces to preserve nature and shape the future: The Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB) began its work a year ago with this goal against the backdrop of an increasing biodiversity crisis.
Face of the LIB: Katja Waskow
Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
30 May 2022
She wants to get people excited about nature and species knowledge: Katja Waskow is the coordinator of the FörTax project - promoting taxonomic knowledge as a basis for nature conservation at the LIB.
Berlin Declaration: For the future of humanity
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Museum Koenig Bonn Press release Collection
20 May 2022
Thirty years after the first World Summit on Nature in Rio de Janeiro, the loss of biodiversity and global climate change are the greatest and most pressing challenges of the future. Nothing less than our very existence is at stake. U
Face of the LIB: Karina Lucas da Silva-Brandão
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection Faces of the LIB
25 April 2022
The search for the "why" has led Karina Lucas da Silva-Brandão into science. Born in Brazil, she researches why and how butterflies and plants interact and what influences the evolution of these species.
Face of the LIB: Albia Consul
Research Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
29 March 2022
Albia Consul wants to curb the wildlife trade and at the same time inspire young people biologically through knowledge transfer: She manages the balancing act at the LIB by coordinating a special project to prevent illegal wildlife trade in Europe.
"Multifaceted insects": Travelling exhibition opens in Hamburg
Museum of Nature Hamburg Press release Knowledge exchange
23 March 2022
Dazzlingly beautiful, successful, useful - and endangered. Although insects do a great deal for us humans, we are responsible for their decline. From today, 23 March 2022, the travelling exhibition "Multifaceted insects: Diversity I G
Face of the LIB: Ulrich Kotthoff
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection Faces of the LIB
22 February 2022
Professionally, he looks far into the past and, together with us, into the future: as a geologist and palaeontologist at the LIB, Ulrich Kotthoff's research focuses on the past 50 million years or so.

2021

Face of the LIB: Johanna Hollensteiner
Museum of Nature Hamburg Faces of the LIB
21 December 2021
Johanna Hollensteiner is responsible for events at the LIB in Hamburg. When she is not immersed in planning here, she is drawn to travelling the world. From Australia to the Philippines to Sweden - she always enjoys discovering new places.
Face of the LIB: Christoph Scherber
Research Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
30 November 2021
When Christoph Scherber explains his work, he sometimes reaches into the chocolate bag. After all, the quality of the dark delicacy depends very much on the variety of pollinating insects.
A close look at the dinosaurs: What did the prehistoric lizards eat?
Research
10 November 2021
"The Hamburg dinosaurs will play a key role in the project." Humboldt Fellow Emanuel Tschopp wants to find out more about the lifestyle of long-necked dinosaurs through the wear and tear and changing of their teeth. An important part of his ...
Face of the LIB: Nancy Mercado Salas
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection Faces of the LIB
18 October 2021
Some look like tiny balls, others like aliens. The diversity of copepods is endlessly fascinating for Nancy Mercado Salas. The curator for crustaceans at the LIB in Hamburg has made research into these tiny animals her ...
Face of the LIB: Oriana Wojewski-Yelle
Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
13 September 2021
Oriana Wojewski-Yelle is learning how to communicate innovative research with exciting events at Museum Koenig. She is training as an event organiser at the LIB site in Bonn. Here she supports the "Press and Communication" team ...
Face of the LIB: Alexander Haas
Research Museum of Nature Hamburg Collection Faces of the LIB
10 August 2021
As head of the Centre for Taxonomy and Morphology, he builds a scientific bridge between Bonn and Hamburg. Prof. Dr Alexander Haas, as Head of the Herpetology Section and Head of the Centre for ...
Face of the LIB: Bernhard Misof
Research Museum Koenig Bonn Faces of the LIB
01 July 2021
As Director General, he now holds the highest management position at the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB): Prof Dr Bernhard Misof kicks off our "Faces of the LIB" series.