The Ministry of Ecology and Environment has announced the inclusion of four new monitoring stations in the National Ecological Quality Monitoring Network, with key contributions from the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The selected stations include the Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems and Xiangxi River Ecosystem Research Station in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, led by IHB, as well as the Chishui River Forest Station in Guizhou and the Ningbo Urban Station in Zhejiang, where IHB is a collaborator. These stations will enhance ecological monitoring efforts across diverse environments.

The National Ecological Quality Monitoring Network covers a wide range of ecosystems, such as forests, wetlands, grasslands, deserts, oceans, urban areas, and agricultural fields. The network's objectives include long-term data collection, integrating satellite and ground-based verification, identifying ecological risks, supporting environmental regulations, advancing research, and training future experts. This initiative is part of the National Ecological Quality Supervision and Monitoring Plan (2023–2025) and reflects China's commitment to strengthening its ecological management capabilities.

IHB has a long history of contributing to ecological research through its field observation stations, which span provinces including Hubei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Qinghai. These stations support multi-scale research to address ecological challenges and contribute to safeguarding regional ecological stability.

Moving forward, IHB will continue to focus on cutting-edge research and solutions to support sustainable development. The institute aims to contribute to national priorities, such as managing the Yangtze River’s ecological health and ensuring sustainable freshwater resources. Through its expertise, IHB seeks to deliver actionable insights and innovations to promote ecological resilience and balance.