Preserving Life in the Danube: The Power of Sediment Monitoring

The Power of Sediment Monitoring

The SUNDANSE project aims to protect wildlife along the Danube by restoring the river’s sediment balance — while also providing a floating campus for advanced research.  

The Danube River, which for centuries has been a lifeline for people and wildlife, has been substantially altered by human activity since the late 1800s. Dam construction, agriculture and navigation, combined with climate change, have disrupted the natural sediment balance, increasing flood and navigation risks and causing damage to ecosystems.   

The SUNDANSE project, which is part of the Ocean and Waters Mission, aims to restore that balance by assessing and improving sediment management along the Danube, from Vienna to the Black Sea. It will develop a Sediment Management Manual, create forecasting tools, improve monitoring infrastructure, test solutions and engage stakeholders. To maximise the impact of the project’s innovations and results, SUNDANSE will assess the applicability of its solutions in other EU regions and river basins and develop comprehensive business plans, innovative business models, market strategies and exploitation roadmaps.    

These measures are crucial not only for reducing risks but also for protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems. SUNDANSE’s alignment with the Ocean and Waters Mission target of restoring 25,000 km of free-flowing rivers by 2030 underlines the project’s importance within broader EU efforts to tackle environmental degradation. The project directly supports the Water Framework Directive, which focuses on restoring water bodies to achieve good ecological status, preventing further deterioration and contributing to the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 by stepping up efforts to preserve the natural functions of rivers. 

Monitoring Sediments, Preserving Life in the Water 

Changes in sediments can disrupt the habitats of different species. Aquatic life, including fish and invertebrates, depends on specific sediment conditions for spawning and feeding. Altering these conditions can lead to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, threatening the health and survival of species. As Professor Lucian Georgescu, coordinator of the SUNDANSE project and manager of the REXDAN Research Centre at “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galați (UDJG), explains, “The quality of the biota — all living systems in the Danube — directly depends on the sediment.”  

The project will monitor sediment quality and quantity in three different use cases located in three EU countries, including the presence of macroinvertebrates. “There are hundreds of macroinvertebrate species that are often difficult to see, but they are ideal indicators of the health of an aquatic ecosystem and the impact of human activity,” he adds. 

If extreme erosion or extreme sedimentation is detected, the project will identify the causes, assess the impacts and propose nature-based solutions to improve the sediment balance. This will include an inventory linking specific types of pollution to their effects on biota.   

A Floating Campus Advancing Danube Research 

The SUNDANSE project will study the Danube using the advanced REXDAN research vessel . Owned by the project coordinator, UDJG, REXDAN is Europe’s newest and most advanced research vessel, equipped with seminar rooms, laboratories and facilities for researchers. 

“We will invite experts and scientists to collaborate, directly contributing to the protection of aquatic ecosystems. With this vessel, we are creating a mobile academic campus,” says Georgescu. 

During the project, REXDAN will visit participating countries, including Serbia, Bulgaria and Austria. Students from local universities will be invited to attend seminars on board and conduct research in the vessel’s laboratories. This approach promotes open science, enabling students to take an active role in conserving and restoring the Danube.