Dr. Tom Shatwell
Scientist
Contact
Department Lake Research
Helmholtz-Centre
for
Environmental Research - UFZ
Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg,
Germany
Tel: +49 391 810 9440
Fax: +49 391 810 9150
tom.shatwell@ufz.de
Academic positions
Since 2019
Research scientist at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Magdeburg, Germany.
2013 - 2018
Postdoc, Leibniz-Institut for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany.
2014 - 2015
Guest scientist, Photobiology Lab, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland, USA
2007 - 2013
PhD at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, and at the Humboldt University, Berlin.
Education
2007 - 2013
PhD (Doctor rerum naturalium) in Biology (Ecology) at the Humboldt University, Berlin (grade: magna cum laude). Topic: Interactive effects of nutrients and physical factors on the growth of phytoplankton.
2003 - 2006
Master of Science, Ecological Engineering, Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.
1994 - 1998
Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering (First Class Honours) at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Research interests
Topics: Ecology and physics of lakes and reservoirs, particularly the interactions between lake physics, phytoplankton ecology and biogeochemistry. Another core theme is how climate warming, eutrophication, and anthropogenic stressors affect lakes and reservoirs.
Methods: ecological and hydrodynamic modelling, minimal or conceptual models, statistical modelling, laboratory experiments (especially cultivation of phytoplankton), field campaigns and analysis of long-term data.
- Stratification and mixing of lakes
- Light and nutrient limitation of phytoplankton, including physiology and its mathematical description
- Influence of vertical mixing on phytoplankton
- Influence of phytoplankton and water transparency on mixing
- Influence of light pollution on biological interactions
- Oxygen and nutrient dynamics of lakes and reservoirs
- Climate change
Projects
DYNAMO (UFZ funded PhD cohort)
Events as dynamic drivers of pollutant transport, turnover and export in catchments - from monitoring to models
ISIMIP
The Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project - Lake Sector
DIABLO (DFG funded)
Winter diatom blooms and their effect on lake ecosystems
Research profiles
Publications
2025 (7)
- Boehrer, B., Shatwell, T., Damoah, A., Aurich, P., Determann, M., Sanful, P., von Tümpling, W. (2025):
Gas accumulation in Lake Bosumtwi deep waters and its potential to contribute to fish kills
Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 32 (9), 5371 - 5380 10.1007/s11356-025-36032-z - Cao, Y., Scharfenberger, U., Shatwell, T., Adrian, R., Agasild, H., Angeler, D.G., Beklioğlu, M., Çakıroğlu, A.I., Hejzlar, J., Papastergiadou, E., Šorf, M., Stefanidis, K., Søndergaard, M., Zingel, P., Jeppesen, E. (2025):
Predicting daily net ecosystem production in shallow lakes from dissolved oxygen saturation levels: a pan-European mesocosm experiment and modelling approach
Hydrobiologia 852 (2), 471 - 487 10.1007/s10750-024-05714-z - Fárez-Román, V., Rinke, K., Dunker, S., Hampel, H., Shatwell, T. (2025):
Phytoplankton community dynamics and vertical nutrient fluxes during the winter‐to‐spring transition in a monomictic temperate reservoir
Limnol. Oceanogr. 10.1002/lno.70082 - Fernandes, T., Shatwell, T., Schultze, M., Mi, C., Determann, M., Rinke, K. (2025):
How efficient are pre-dams as reservoir guardians? A long-term study on nutrient retention
Water Res. 272 , art. 122864 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122864 - Fonvielle, J., Thuile Bistarelli, L., Tao, Y., Woodhouse, J.N., Shatwell, T., Villalba, L.A., Berger, S.A., Kyba, C.C.M., Nejstgaard, J.C., Jechow, A., Kupprat, F., Stephan, S., Walles, T.J.W., Wollrab, S., Hölker, F., Dittmar, T., Gessner, M.O., Singer, G.A., Grossart, H.-P. (2025):
Skyglow increases cyanobacteria abundance and organic matter cycling in lakes
Water Res. 278 , art. 123315 10.1016/j.watres.2025.123315 - Gai, B., Kumar, R., Hüesker, F., Mi, C., Kong, X., Boehrer, B., Rinke, K., Shatwell, T. (2025):
Catchments amplify reservoir thermal response to climate warming
Water Resour. Res. 61 (1), e2023WR036808 10.1029/2023WR036808 - Mi, C., Shatwell, T., Kong, X., Rinke, K. (2025):
Cascading climate effects in deep reservoirs: Full assessment of physical and biogeochemical dynamics under ensemble climate projections and ways towards adaptation
Ambio 54 (3), 385 - 401 10.1007/s13280-023-01950-0
2024 (5)
- Gai, B., Boehrer, B., Sun, J., Li, Y., Lin, B., Shatwell, T. (2024):
Vertical water age and water renewal in a large riverine reservoir
J. Hydrol. 631 , art. 130701 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.130701 - Gai, B., Kumar, R., Hüesker, F., Mi, C., Kong, X., Boehrer, B., Rinke, K., Shatwell, T. (2024):
GOTM model setup and climate projections for Rappbode Reservoir
Zenodo 10.5281/zenodo.14191748 - Graeber, D., McCarthy, M.J., Shatwell, T., Borchardt, D., Jeppesen, E., Søndergaard, M., Lauridsen, T.L., Davidson, T.A. (2024):
Consistent stoichiometric long-term relationships between nutrients and chlorophyll-a across shallow lakes
Nat. Commun. 15 , art. 809 10.1038/s41467-024-45115-3 - Mi, C., Rinke, K., Shatwell, T. (2024):
Optimizing selective withdrawal strategies to mitigate hypoxia under water-level reduction in Germany's largest drinking water reservoir
J. Environ. Sci. 146 , 127 - 139 10.1016/j.jes.2023.06.025 - Shikhani, M., Feldbauer, J., Ladwig, R., Mercado-Bettin, D., Moore, T.N., Gevorgyan, A., Misakyan, A., Mi, C., Schultze, M., Boehrer, B., Shatwell, T., Barfus, K., Rinke, K. (2024):
Combining a multi-lake model ensemble and a multi-domain CORDEX climate data ensemble for assessing climate change impacts on Lake Sevan
Water Resour. Res. 60 (11), e2023WR036511 10.1029/2023wr036511
2023 (7)
- Adrian, R., Gsell, A.S., Shatwell, T., Scharfenberger, U. (2023):
Linking theory with empirical data: Improving prediction through mechanistic understanding of lake ecosystem complexity under global change
Fundam. Appl. Limnol. 196 (3-4), 179 - 194 10.1127/fal/2022/1457 - Bucher, S.F., Uhde, L., Weigelt, A., Cesarz, S., Eisenhauer, N., Gebler, A., Kyba, C., Römermann, C., Shatwell, T., Hines, J. (2023):
Artificial light at night decreases plant diversity and performance in experimental grassland communities
Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B-Biol. Sci. 378 (1892), art. 20220358 10.1098/rstb.2022.0358 - Determann, M., Musolff, A., Frassl, M.A., Rinke, K., Shatwell, T. (2023):
Nutrient retention in a small reservoir under changed variability of inflow nutrient concentration
Inland Waters 13 (4), 560 - 575 10.1080/20442041.2024.2305105 - Dyer, A., Ryser, R., Brose, U., Amyntas, A., Bodnar, N., Boy, T., Bucher, S.F., Cesarz, S., Eisenhauer, N., Gebler, A., Hines, J., Kyba, C.C.M., Menz, M.H.M., Rackwitz, K., Shatwell, T., Terlau, J.F., Hirt, M.R. (2023):
Insect communities under skyglow: diffuse night-time illuminance induces spatio-temporal shifts in movement and predation
Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B-Biol. Sci. 378 (1892), art. 20220359 10.1098/rstb.2022.0359 - Evens, R., Lathouwers, M., Pradervand, J.-N., Jechow, A., Kyba, C.C.M., Shatwell, T., Jacot, A., Ulenaers, E., Kempenaers, B., Eens, M. (2023):
Skyglow relieves a crepuscular bird from visual constraints on being active
Sci. Total Environ. 900 , art. 165760 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165760 - Gai, B., Sun, J., Lin, B., Li, Y., Mi, C., Shatwell, T. (2023):
Vertical mixing and horizontal transport unravel phytoplankton blooms in a large riverine reservoir
J. Hydrol. 627, Part B , art. 130430 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.130430 - Rinke, K., Schultze, M., Thober, S., Mi, C., Cöster, D., Shatwell, T. (2023):
Auswirkungen des Klimawandels auf Talsperren und mögliche Anpassungsstrategien
WasserWirtschaft 113 (6), 20 - 23 10.1007/s35147-023-1811-9
2022 (6)
- Golub, M., Thiery, W., Marcé, R., Pierson, D., Vanderkelen, I., Mercado-Bettin, D., Woolway, R.I., Grant, L., Jennings, E., Kraemer, B.M., Schewe, J., Zhao, F., Frieler, K., Mengel, M., Bogomolov, V.Y., Bouffard, D., Côté, M., Couture, R.-M., Debolskiy, A.V., Droppers, B., Gal, G., Guo, M., Janssen, A.B.G., Kirillin, G., Ladwig, R., Magee, M., Moore, T., Perroud, M., Piccolroaz, S., Vinnaa, L.R., Schmid, M., Shatwell, T., Stepanenko, V.M., Tan, Z., Woodward, B., Yao, H., Adrian, R., Allan, M., Anneville, O., Arvola, L., Atkins, K., Boegman, L., Carey, C., Christianson, K., de Eyto, E., DeGasperi, C., Grechushnikova, M., Hejzlar, J., Markensten, H., McBride, C., Özkundakci, D., Potes, M., Rinke, K., Robertson, D., Rusak, J.A., Salgado, R., van der Linden, L., Verburg, P., Wain, D., Ward, N.K., Wollrab, S., Zdorovennova, G. (2022):
A framework for ensemble modelling of climate change impacts on lakes worldwide: the ISIMIP Lake Sector
Geosci. Model Dev. 15 (11), 4597 - 4623 10.5194/gmd-15-4597-2022 - Kong, X., Ghaffar, S., Determann, M., Friese, K., Jomaa, S., Mi, C., Shatwell, T., Rinke, K., Rode, M. (2022):
Reservoir water quality deterioration due to deforestation emphasizes the indirect effects of global change
Water Res. 221 , art. 118721 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118721 - Kong, X., Ghaffar, S., Determann, M., Friese, K., Jomaa, S., Mi, C., Shatwell, T., Rinke, K., Rode, M. (2022):
Reservoir water quality deterioration due to deforestation emphasizes the indirect effects of global change [Data set]. In Water Research (1.0, Vol. 221, Number 118721)
Zenodo 10.5281/zenodo.6617108 - La Fuente, S., Jennings, E., Gal, G., Kirillin, G., Shatwell, T., Ladwig, R., Moore, T., Couture, R.-M., Côté, M., Vinnå, C.L.R., Woolway, R.I. (2022):
Multi-model projections of future evaporation in a sub-tropical lake
J. Hydrol. 615 , art. 128729 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.128729 - Mi, C., Hamilton, D.P., Frassl, M.A., Shatwell, T., Kong, X., Boehrer, B., Li, Y., Donner, J., Rinke, K. (2022):
Controlling blooms of Planktothrix rubescens by optimized metalimnetic water withdrawal: a modelling study on adaptive reservoir operation
Environ. Sci. Eur. 34 , art. 34 10.1186/s12302-022-00683-3 - Shikhani, M., Mi, C., Gevorgyan, A., Gevorgyan, G., Misakyan, A., Azizyan, L., Barfus, K., Schultze, M., Shatwell, T., Rinke, K. (2022):
Simulating thermal dynamics of the largest lake in the Caucasus region: The mountain Lake Sevan
J. Limnol. 81 (S1), art. 2024 10.4081/jlimnol.2021.2024
2021 (9)
- Graeber, D., Tenzin, Y., Stutter, M., Weigelhofer, G., Shatwell, T., von Tümpling, W., Tittel, J., Wachholz, A., Borchardt, D. (2021):
Bioavailable DOC: reactive nutrient ratios control heterotrophic nutrient assimilation—An experimental proof of the macronutrient-access hypothesis
Biogeochemistry 155 (1), 1 - 20 10.1007/s10533-021-00809-4 - Jechow, A., Schreck, G., Kyba, C.C.M., Berger, S.A., Bistarelli, L.T., Bodenlos, M., Gessner, M.O., Grossart, H.-P., Kupprat, F., Nejstgaard, J.C., Pansch, A., Penske, A., Sachtleben, M., Shatwell, T., Singer, G.A., Stephan, S., Walles, T.J.W., Wollrab, S., Zielinska-Dabkowska, K., Hölker, F. (2021):
Design and implementation of an illumination system to mimic skyglow at ecosystem level in a large-scale lake enclosure facility
Sci. Rep. 11 , art. 23478 10.1038/s41598-021-02772-4 - Kirillin, G.B., Shatwell, T., Wen, L. (2021):
Ice-covered lakes of Tibetan Plateau as solar heat collectors
Geophys. Res. Lett. 48 (14), e2021GL093429 10.1029/2021GL093429 - Kong, X., Seewald, M., Dadi, T., Friese, K., Mi, C., Boehrer, B., Schultze, M., Rinke, K., Shatwell, T. (2021):
Unravelling winter diatom blooms in temperate lakes using high frequency data and ecological modeling
Water Res. 190 , art. 116681 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116681 - Mi, C., Frassl, M., Hamilton, D., Shatwell, T., Kong, X., Boehrer, B., Li, Y., Rinke, K. (2021):
Controlling metalimnetic bloom of Planktothrix rubescens by a novel water withdrawal strategy: a modelling study
EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021
EGUsphere
Copernicus Publications, EGU21-4053 10.5194/egusphere-egu21-4053 - Moore, T.N., Mesman, J.P., Ladwig, R., Feldbauer, J., Olsson, F., Pilla, R.M., Shatwell, T., Venkiteswaran, J.J., Delany, A.D., Dugan, H., Rose, K.C., Read, J.S. (2021):
LakeEnsemblR: An R package that facilitates ensemble modelling of lakes
Environ. Modell. Softw. 143 , art. 105101 10.1016/j.envsoft.2021.105101 - Shatwell, T., Kong, X., Seewald, M., Dadi, T., Friese, K., Mi, C., Boehrer, B., Schultze, M., Rinke, K. (2021):
Unravelling winter diatom blooms in temperate lakes using high frequency data and ecological modeling
EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021
EGUsphere
Copernicus Publications, EGU21-8051 10.5194/egusphere-egu21-8051 - Woolway, R.I., Jennings, E., Shatwell, T., Golub, M., Pierson, D.C., Maberly, S.C. (2021):
Lake heatwaves under climate change
Nature 589 (7842), 402 - 407 10.1038/s41586-020-03119-1 - Woolway, R.I., Sharma, S., Weyhenmeyer, G.A., Debolskiy, A., Golub, M., Mercado-Bettín, D., Perroud, M., Stepanenko, V., Tan, Z., Grant, L., Ladwig, R., Mesman, J., Moore, T.N., Shatwell, T., Vanderkelen, I., Austin, J.A., DeGasperi, C.L., Dokulil, M., La Fuente, S., Mackay, E.B., Schladow, S.G., Watanabe, S., Marcé, R., Pierson, D.C., Thiery, W., Jennings, E. (2021):
Phenological shifts in lake stratification under climate change
Nat. Commun. 12 , art. 2318 10.1038/s41467-021-22657-4
2020 (3)
- Kyba, C.C.M., Conrad, J., Shatwell, T. (2020):
Lunar illuminated fraction is a poor proxy for moonlight exposure
Nat. Ecol. Evol. 4 (3), 318 - 319 10.1038/s41559-020-1096-7 - Mi, C., Shatwell, T., Ma, J., Wentzky, V.C., Boehrer, B., Xu, Y., Rinke, K. (2020):
The formation of a metalimnetic oxygen minimum exemplifies how ecosystem dynamics shape biogeochemical processes: A modelling study
Water Res. 175 , art. 115701 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115701 - Mi, C., Shatwell, T., Ma, J., Xu, Y., Su, F., Rinke, K. (2020):
Ensemble warming projections in Germany's largest drinking water reservoir and potential adaptation strategies
Sci. Total Environ. 748 , art. 141366 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141366
2019 (1)
- Shatwell, T., Thiery, W., Kirillin, G. (2019):
Future projections of temperature and mixing regime of European temperate lakes
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 23 (3), 1533 - 1551 10.5194/hess-23-1533-2019
Other publications
- Shatwell, T., Köhler, J. (2019):
Decreased nitrogen loading controls summer cyanobacterial blooms without promoting nitrogen-fixing taxa: Long-term response of a shallow lake.
Limnology and Oceanography. 64, S166-S178. - Köhler, J., Wang, L., Guislain, A., Shatwell, T., (2019):
Influence of vertical mixing on light-dependency of phytoplankton growth.
Limnology and Oceanography, 63, 1156-1167. - Bruce, L.C., Frassl, M.A., Arhonditsis, et al.,
(2018):
A multi-lake comparative analysis of the General Lake Model (GLM): Stress-testing across a global observatory network.
Environ. Model. Software 102, 274-291. - Kirillin, G., Wen, L., Shatwell, T., (2017):
Seasonal thermal regime and climatic trends in lakes of the Tibetan Highlands.
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 21, 1895-1909. - Kasprzak, P., Shatwell, T., Gessner, M.O., Gonsiorczyk, T., Kirillin, G.,
Selmeczy, G., Padisák, J., Engelhardt, C., (2017):
Extreme Weather Event Triggers Cascade Towards Extreme Turbidity in a Clear-water Lake.
Ecosystems, 20, 1407-1420. - Kirillin, G., Shatwell, T., (2016):
Generalized scaling of seasonal thermal stratification in lakes.
Earth-Science Reviews 161, 179-190. - Shatwell,
T., Adrian, R., Kirillin, G., (2016):
Planktonic events may cause polymictic-dimictic regime shifts in temperate lakes.
Scientific Reports 6, 24361. - Müller, F., Bergmann, M., Dannowski, R., Dippner,
J.W., Gnauck, A., Haase, P., Jochimsen, M.C., Kasprzak, P., Kröncke, I.,
Kümmerlin, R., Küster, M., Lischeid, G., Meesenburg, H., Merz, C., Millat, G.,
Müller, J., Padisák, J., Schimming, C.G., Schubert, H., Schult, M., Selmeczy,
G., Shatwell, T., Stoll, S.,
Schwabe, M., Soltwedel, T., Straile, D., Theuerkauf, M., (2016):
Assessing resilience in long-term ecological data sets.
Ecological Indicators 65, 10-43. - Zak, D., Reuter, H., Augustin, J., Shatwell, T., Barth, M., Gelbrecht, J.,
McInnes, R.J., (2015):
Changes of the CO2 and CH4 production potential of rewetted fens in the perspective of temporal vegetation shifts.
Biogeosciences 12, 2455-2468. - Shatwell, T., Köhler, J., Nicklisch,
A., (2014):
Temperature and photoperiod interactions with phosphorus-limited growth and competition of two diatoms.
PLoS ONE 9, e102367. - Zak, D., Gelbrecht, J., Zerbe, S., Shatwell, T., Barth, M., Cabezas, A.,
Steffenhagen, P., (2014):
How helophytes influence the phosphorus cycle in degraded inundated peat soils - Implications for fen restoration.
Ecological Engineering 66, 82-90. - Shatwell, T., Köhler, J., Nicklisch, A. (2013):
Temperature and photoperiod interactions with silicon-limited growth and competition of two diatoms.
Journal of Plankton Research 35, 957-971. - Kirillin, G., Shatwell, T., Kasprzak, P., (2013):
Consequences of thermal pollution from a nuclear plant on lake temperature and mixing regime.
Journal of Hydrology 496, 47-56. - Shatwell, T., Nicklisch, A., Köhler,
J., (2012):
Temperature and photoperiod effects on phytoplankton growing under simulated mixed layer light fluctuations.
Limnology and Oceanography 57, 541-553. - Shatwell, T., Köhler, J., Nicklisch,
A., (2008):
Warming promotes cold-adapted phytoplankton in temperate lakes and opens a loophole for Oscillatoriales in spring.
Global Change Biology 14, 2194-2200. - Nicklisch, A., Shatwell, T., Köhler, J., (2008):
Analysis and modelling of the interactive effects of temperature and light on phytoplankton growth and relevance for the spring bloom.
Journal of Plankton Research 30, 75-91.