Participants learn about the basic ecological processes in standing and flowing waters as well as their relevance for aquatic habitats. Additionally, they are trained on the usage of different measurement instruments and the application of methods of data collection, allowing them self-sufficient use of the devices.

Students measure the abiotic conditions in water using different devices at four different sampling sites at the Queich water system. These sampling sites encompass wide sections of the Queich that are either free from anthropogenic influences or show urban characteristics, allowing the students a wider scope on different water conditions. The aim is for students to make conclusions on the quality of different river sections based on their own data. In a second step, they investigate correlations between their findings and possible influences of the surrounding areas.

Participants review the knowledge and experience they gained by working on flowing waters in module 2 and adapt, and reapply it to standing waters. Additionally, they measure the temperature gradient of a pond and learn about the influence of light exposure on the vertical temperature gradient of a water body.

Students are introduced to the complexities of data evaluation and catch a taste on what it means to conduct research, what methods are used to collect data for these purposes and how they can be evaluated in a scientific manner. Based on this, they then evaluate their collected data of module 2 and 3, which will then be interpreted and discussed.