Recently, the Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute signed a memorandum of understanding on scientific and technological cooperation with the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, Austria.

The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, Austria, was founded in 1872. It is a famous international university with rich teaching and research experience. It has environmental beautification design, water atmosphere environment college, etc., covering municipal engineering, water resource management, environmental protection engineering and other specialties. Among them, the Institute of Aquatic Biology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management under the School of Water Atmosphere Environment is an interdisciplinary institution composed of experts in aquatic ecology, landscape ecology, river engineering, biogeochemistry, history and other fields, with 9 full-time scientists, about 40 doctoral students and postdoctoral students, and 3 technical and administrative personnel. The main research field is the function, process and structure of freshwater ecosystem and its environment, aiming to promote the sustainable management of freshwater ecosystem and provide ecosystem services according to human pressure and global change, which will ultimately promote the sustainable development goals of the country, the EU and the world.

The Department of Environment and Resources of PRFRI has been engaged in the protection and monitoring of water ecological environment and aquatic biodiversity in the Pearl River basin for a long time, and has established a long-term serial specimen bank and database. In order to further deepen exchanges and cooperation in the field of scientific and technological innovation between the two countries, and strengthen cooperation between China and Austria in information communication, technology docking, talent exchange and achievements transformation, the two sides agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding on scientific and technological cooperation through early good communication between Wang Chao, a specially appointed researcher of the Fisheries Environmental Protection Research Office of our Institute, and Professor Thomas Hein of Austria.

Under the framework of the memorandum of cooperation, the two sides intend to carry out scientific and technological cooperation in the fields of research and development of river water ecological health assessment system, restoration technology of important habitats and systems of damaged rivers, restoration and protection technology of river aquatic biodiversity, screening of biological indicators of river ecosystems and development of prediction models. In addition, encourage personnel from both sides to carry out exchange activities on science, technology and management methods in the field of ecological protection and river ecosystem restoration, including expert exchange visits, short-term training, post doctoral scientific research and in-service training.