ABOL BioBlitz 2026
within the Days of Biodiversity
5 BioBlitzes
took place
Welcome
In 2026, ABOL will participate with ABOL BioBlitz campaigns on the Days of Biodiversity (TdA) for the 5th time. On this page we want to inform you about it and encourage you to participate. The content is continuously updated.
Dear friends and biodiversity enthusiasts
The Days of Biodiversity (TdA), which take place in various Austrian federal states, have been among the most important events for years, on the one hand in informing the public about the importance of biodiversity and, on the other hand, successively improving the data basis for the occurring species of various regions in Austria.
A whole series of TdAs are planned for 2026 and ABOL will participate again this year. The aim of the ABOL BioBlitzes is to generate DNA barcode sequences from as many of the animals (and fungi) that are collected and determined by the experts as possible and and enter the data into the international DNA barcode of life database (BOLD).
In addition, we will contribute an ABOL BioBlitz at this years ÖEG Insect Camp. The annual insect camp serves to promote entomological research and taxonomy. Young scientists meet with experts to collect and identify insects and arachnids. In 2022, ABOL took part for the first time and generated DNA barcodes from collected animals and carried out a metabarcoding approach using a malaise trap (blog article ->HERE).
We hope that many of the experts will join the ABOL BioBlitz campaigns. With your taxonomic expertise you can make a valuable contribution to the genetic recording of Austrian biodiversity! A well-founded data basis is more important than ever to get the biodiversity crisis under control.
Your ABOL coordination team
What does ABOL offer the experts (and the organizers)?
This year ABOL can again provide plates for sequencing. Due to limitied financial resources, we plan to work as efficiently as possible. Therefore we favour
(i) groups of organisms with a high chance of sequencing success,
(ii) groups of organisms where costs are calculable and low,
(iii) species of which there are no DNA barcodes from Austria, and
(iv) organisms with feasible sampling effort
(v) organisms that have not (!) been sampled at previous BioBlitzes.
The focus will be on insects and fungi, but we do not exclude other groups of organisms – experts for other groups of organisms (plants, invertebrates away from insects, etc.) please contact the ABOL coordination team in advance.
In general, we would like to clarify the procedure in advance with you (e.g. labeling of the samples and the reference organism, photographing the reference organisms, deposit of the voucher copies, etc.).
Again this year: Data-workshops for everyone interested!
We plan on offering free online workshops on the International Barcode Platform BOLD and the handling of DNA barcoding data in September.
The course is open to everyone – inexperienced as well as advanced. Depending on the demand, different topics will be at the center of attention.
If we sparked your interest, we kindly ask you give us short feedback about which
- topics
- BOLD-features
- etc.
you are most eager to learn about and we will integrate these where possible
For further questions and if you want to participate, please contact florian.ackerl@nhm.at.
Dates
June 12. & 13. - TdA Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald
Location: Vienna Penzing
10. & 11. Juli - GEO-TdA Carinthia
Location: European protected area Untere Lavant
July 10.-12. - National Park Hohe Tauern
Location: Debanttal
July 17. & 18. - Biosphere Reserve Nockberge
Location: Falkert, municipality of Reichenau
Information about the practical procedure
Experts who agree to participate will as usual
- collect their organism group
- determine the species
Unlike previous days of biodiversity, we ask you
- to sample tissue for DNA barcoding from interesting species – can also be done together (for example, a leg of an insect in a tube with alcohol with the same numbering as the specimen copy – it is of crucial importance to document which specimen has been sampled)
- to transfer the metadata to ABOL (location data, date, collector, determiner, etc.) – we will provide forms for download on individual dates
- to store the reference specimen in a publicly accessible, scientific collection (museum) for keeping traceability
- to provide a photo of the specimen (is required for BOLD)
Experts get from ABOL
- preservation liquid (alcohol 95%) and sample tubes
- assistance with sampling
- samples are prepared by the ABOL team and sent to Canada for sequencing (CCDB, http://ccdb.ca/) – shipping and sequencing costs are covered by ABOL
- the metadata will be integrated into the ABOL database by the ABOL team and
- transferred to the international DNA barcoding database BOLD (the data will be made public after publication of the results of the TdA in BOLD, at the latest however 2 years after the BioBlitz action)
ABOL BioBlitzes 2019 to 2025 – a review
2025
In addition to 6 days of biodiversity, we again performed an ABOL BioBlitz at the insect camp. The creation of the DNA barcodes is currently still in progress. We would like to thank all organizers and everyone who provided samples!
6 ABOL BioBlitzes
- TdA Vienna – Area Breitenlee
- Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald – Lower Austria, Baden
- Tyrol – Gurgltal near Imst/Tarrenz/Nassenreith
- Biosphere Reserve Nockberge – Bad Kleinkirchheim – diversity in settlement area
- National Park Hohe Tauern – Gradental in National Park municipality Großkirchheim
- TdA Karawanken – Mittagskogel
2024
In addition to 4 days of biodiversity, we again performed an ABOL BioBlitz at the insect camp. The creation of the DNA barcodes is currently still in progress. We would like to thank all organizers and everyone who provided samples!
5 ABOL BioBlitzes
- Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald – Vienna, Liesing
- TdA Tyrol has been cancelled
- GEO day Carinthia – Geo park Karawanken, South Carinthia
- Biosphere Reserve Nockberge – lake Windebensee
- National Park Hohe Tauern – Habachtal, Salzburg
2023
In addition to 5 days of biodiversity, we again performed an ABOL BioBlitz at the insect camp. The creation of the DNA barcodes is currently still in progress. We would like to thank all organizers and everyone who provided samples!
6 ABOL BioBlitzes
- Vienna – Garden plot, Kagran
- Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald – Klosterneuburg
- Insect camp – Nature reserve Weißbach at Lofer, Salzburg
- Biosphere Reserve Nockberge – Innerkrems
- Tyrol – Leutasch
- National Park Hohe Tauern – Defereggen valley, East Tyrol
2022
After two years of pandemic 2022 the Days of Biodiversity could take place again in the usual way including offers for the public, e.g. in the Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald.
The analyses of the samples are currently underway.
4 ABOL BioBlitzes
- Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald – Vienna, Ottakring
- Tyrol – Ehrwalder Becken
- Biosphere Reserve Nockberge – St. Lorenzen ob Reichenau
- National Park Hohe Tauern – Malta valley
2021
Most of the Days of Biodiversity with the ABOL BioBlitzes could take place again in 2021 – despite the ongoing pandemic. Unfortunately, this did not apply to the respective events for the interested public.
ABOL BioBlitzes 2021 in numbers
2020
Due to the Covid19 pandemic, in 2020 a few Days of Biodiversity and the associated ABOL BioBlitzes were canceled or postponed. We are pleased that some events still took place, albeit without offers for the public.
ABOL BioBlitz 2020 in numbers
2019
In 2019, the ABOL-BioBlitz format was launched in order to combine the taxonomic expertise of the participants on the Days of Biodiversity with the generation of DNA barcodes. In this way we were able to improve the data basis for Austria, at the same time strengthen the network of the Austrian biodiversity community and make DNA barcoding better known as an innovative approach for species identification.
We can look back on successful ABOL BioBlitzes on 6 Days of Biodiversity & 2 additional test runs in 2019. Numerous experts followed the call and provided samples for the creation of DNA barcodes. Subsequently, the ABOL coordination team prepared the samples and sent them to the CCDB in Canada for sequencing. In addition, the associated metadata was collected and transmitted to BOLD, the international DNA database. The whole process took quite some time – but all ABOL BioBlitz samples have now been sequenced and the results entered in BOLD. There they can be viewed and edited by the participants – Oliver Macek has written a BOLD manual for this, which is -> available for download here.
ABOL-BioBlitz 2019 in numbers
Data set 2019 & 2020
Most of the DNA barcode reference data generated by the ABOL BioBlitzes 2019 and 2020 has already been published. They can be viewed via the following link:
dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-ABOLBB19
The graphic on the right shows the taxonomic classification of the data obtained. Coleoptera and Hymenoptera lead the field. The data reflect to some extent not only the abundance of the taxonomic groups but also the expertise of the participants. The data make a significant contribution to the database of Austrian biodiversity. We thank all contributors!
In addition, a joint publication for the Acta ZooBot on ABOL BioBlitzes was written as part of the publication of the data ->DOWNLOAD
Coordination & contact
The ABOL coordination team will participate in the Days of Biodiversity, depending on the possibility and with different cast, provide information on the project, etc. and be available for questions at any time. Janine Heinzl is the main person responsible and the first contact person for the ABOL BioBlitz campaigns, but the rest of the team is also available at any time. Please contact us if you have any questions and/or want to participate!
Janine Heinzl
NHM Vienna
janine.heinzl@nhm.at
Florian Ackerl
data curation
florian.ackerl@nhm.at
Tel.-Nr. 01 523 7302 – 135
abol@nhm-wien.ac.at
ABOL BioBlitzes are listed on the Austrian Citizen Science platform Österreich forscht.
Latest News
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