Verbania headquarters

The Verbania headquarters deals with aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, taking into account their physical, chemical and biological aspects. Studies focus on anthropogenic effects, such as water pollution, hydromorphological alterations, deposition of atmospheric pollutants, global changes and alien species, and their impact on biodiversity and ecosystems functioning. The headquarters plans and develops researches on the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems, carrying out in-depth studies to understand the causal relationships between environmental stresses caused by natural and anthropogenic impacts and the ecosystems evolution; it actively cooperates and supports environmental authorities, providing technical-scientific indications for ecosystems protection and recovery. The headquarters originated from the Italian Institute of Hydrobiology, founded in 1938 on Lake Maggiore by Rosa Curioni to honour the memory of her husband, the limnologist Marco De Marchi, to whom the Institute was dedicated. In 1977 it joined the CNR, in 2002 became the head office of ISE (Institute of Ecosystem Study) and since 2018 it is an IRSA headquarters.