Natacha Pasche
EPFL ENAC LIMNC
GR A2 435 (Bâtiment GR)
Station 2
1015 Lausanne
+41 21 693 59 43
Office: GR A2 435
EPFL › ENAC › LIMNC › LIMNC-GE
Website: https://limnc.epfl.ch/
Expertise
- Applied limnology and water quality assessment
- High-frequency lake monitoring
- Lake particle dynamics and sedimentation processes
- Management and operation of high-tech research infrastructures
- Design and implementation of citizen-science projects
- Data management and FAIR/Open Research Data practices
- Multidisciplinary project coordination and international scientific collaboration
- Teaching and mentoring in limnology and freshwater sciences
- Active member in national and international committees for lake management
- High-frequency lake monitoring
- Lake particle dynamics and sedimentation processes
- Management and operation of high-tech research infrastructures
- Design and implementation of citizen-science projects
- Data management and FAIR/Open Research Data practices
- Multidisciplinary project coordination and international scientific collaboration
- Teaching and mentoring in limnology and freshwater sciences
- Active member in national and international committees for lake management
Mission
My mission is to advance the understanding, monitoring, and sustainable management of lake ecosystems by combining scientific research, operational leadership, and public engagement. I strive to support innovative freshwater research through high-resolution observations, citizen-science initiatives, and cross-disciplinary collaborations, while training the next generation of environmental scientists and engineers.
Current work
As Operational Director, I oversee the exploitation, development, and scientific coordination of the LéXPLORE platform, a high-tech floating laboratory on Lake Geneva. My work involves supporting researchers, managing observational systems, and ensuring the long-term performance of this unique freshwater observatory.
I am currently engaged in research and outreach projects including Lémanscope (citizen-science for public lake observation and environmental awareness), SEDTRAP and LakeSnow (particle dynamics and sedimentation), and FLAKE (advancing FAIR and open research data practices).
In parallel, I teach the Limnology course at EPFL, contributing to the education and mentoring of the next generation of freshwater scientists and environmental engineers.
In addition to my operational and research activities, I contribute to national and international committees, providing scientific guidance and advice on lake monitoring, ecosystem management, and research coordination.
In addition to my operational and research activities, I contribute to national and international committees, providing scientific guidance and advice on lake monitoring, ecosystem management, and research coordination.
These activities reflect my commitment to bridging operational lake research, scientific innovation, public engagement, and education to support sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems.
Dr. Natacha Pasche is a limnologist and water quality consultant specializing in biogeochemical processes in lake ecosystems. Passionate about connecting science with society, she advances citizen science, public outreach, and multidisciplinary collaborations to improve freshwater management.
Trained as an Environmental Engineer at EPFL, she completed her PhD at Eawag/ETH Zurich on nutrient cycling and methane production in Lake Kivu (Rwanda and DR Congo). From 2009 to 2013, she worked with the Government of Rwanda to establish a comprehensive lake monitoring program, assessing environmental impacts of methane extraction activities, developing analytical labs, and training local teams.
Since 2013, Dr. Pasche has served as Deputy Director and (Operational Director since 2021) of EPFL's Limnology Center, leading a team of four. She coordinated scientific, logistical, and financial aspects of major projects, including aerial imagery for water quality mapping, under-ice ecology in Lake Onego (Russia), and primary production dynamics in Swiss transboundary lakes. She also teaches Limnology to Master's students in Environmental Engineering.
As project leader of the LéXPLORE platform on Lake Geneva, she oversaw its construction and operation, enabling high-frequency, multi-parameter data collection. She coordinates diverse research activities, fosters stakeholder partnerships, and serves on national and international committees to guide lake policy.
Her current research examines suspended particulate matter dynamics in Lake Geneva, focusing on Rhône River interflow settling processes that transport sediments, pollutants, and nutrients into the lake.
Education
Environmental Engineer
| Master degree
1999 – 2004
EPFL
Directed by
Master's thesis: Effect of flooded rice cultivation on a vertisol in the Middle Senegal River Valley – evolution of iron, potassium forms, and mineralogy. Student assistant for mathematics and physics courses (2000–2003), supporting undergraduates
PhD: Limnology
| Nutrient cycling and methane production in Lake Kivu
2006 – 2009
Eawag and ETHZ
Directed by
Dissertation conducted at Eawag with extensive fieldwork in Rwanda and DR Congo. Awarded Price of Excellence from the Swiss Foundation for Hydrobiology – Limnology.
Professionals experiences
Operational Director of the Limnology Center
Leads the Limnology Center’s operations and a team of 4–5 staff, with a focus on the LéXPLORE floating laboratory on Lake Geneva. Manages strategy, finances, human resources, and external evaluations, ensuring continuity and quality of the high-frequency environmental data collected from the platform. Teaches the annual Limnology course (ENV-425, 5 ECTS) for Master’s students in Environmental Engineering and supervises student projects. Develops new collaborations with academic, public, and private partners, and represents the Center in national and international networks.
Deputy Director of the Limnology Center
Coordinated 3 large multidisciplinary lake research program, with budgets between 800 kCHF and 1.5 MCHF and teams of 30–75 researchers. Designed and managed large programs on primary production in Swiss lakes, life under ice in Lake Onego (Russia), and water quality mapping using airborne remote sensing on Lakes Geneva and Baikal. Led the full process for the LéXPLORE platform: site selection, stakeholder negotiations, permits and legal challenges, design, construction, and coordination of 40+ scientific projects. Organized workshops, retreats, and closing events to build a strong interdisciplinary community around lake research.
Deputy Director of the Swiss Polar Institute
Contributed to the creation and consolidation of a new national institute bringing together five academic institutions around polar research. Defined governance structures, set up strategic and scientific committees, and clarified roles and responsibilities of partners. Represented the institute at conferences and stakeholder meetings, contributing to its visibility and positioning within the Swiss and international polar community.
Expert in Limnology
Designed and implemented a long-term monitoring program for Lake Kivu to assess the environmental impacts of industrial methane extraction. Defined sampling strategies and protocols for physical, chemical, and biological parameters, and equipped a new laboratory for nutrient and gas analyses. Recruited and trained a team of local technicians to independently carry out analyses and lake campaigns. Advised Rwandan authorities and international partners on sustainable management, contributing to the establishment of a bilateral governance framework between Rwanda and DR Congo.
Awards
Price of Excellence for outstanding PhD research
Swiss Foundation for Limnology and Hydrobiology
2009
Research
Current Research Fields
I am currently engaged in several research and outreach projects:
Lémanscope: Citizen-science project engaging the public in lake observation and environmental awareness through participatory data collection.
SEDTRAP and LakeSnow: Scientific projects conducted on LéXPLORE focusing on lake particle dynamics, sedimentation processes, aggregation of particles within the Rhône interflow.
FLAKE : Advancing FAIR and Open Research Data practices to improve data pipelines and data quality of LéXPLORE datasets.
Lémanscope: Citizen-science project engaging the public in lake observation and environmental awareness through participatory data collection.
SEDTRAP and LakeSnow: Scientific projects conducted on LéXPLORE focusing on lake particle dynamics, sedimentation processes, aggregation of particles within the Rhône interflow.
FLAKE : Advancing FAIR and Open Research Data practices to improve data pipelines and data quality of LéXPLORE datasets.
Peer-reviewed publications
Brewin, R. J. W. and others. 2025. An innovation of two established methods for monitoring water colour and clarity: participatory science using the mini- and midi- secchi disks. Front. Environ. Sci. 13. doi:10.3389/fenvs.2025.1610130
Carratalà, A. and others. 2023. Vertical distribution and seasonal dynamics of planktonic cyanobacteria communities in a water column of deep mesotrophic Lake Geneva. Front. Microbiol. 14: 1295193. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1295193
Escoffier, N., P. Perolo, G. Many, N. Tofield Pasche, and M.-E. Perga. 2023. Fine-scale dynamics of calcite precipitation in a large hardwater lake. Science of The Total Environment 864: 160699. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160699
Fabrice Amisi, M. and others. 2022. Current status and strategic way forward for long-term management of Lake Kivu (East Africa). Journal of Great Lakes Research. doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2022.04.004
Plisnier, P.-D. and others. 2022. Need for harmonized long-term multi-lake monitoring of African Great Lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research. S0380133022000326. doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2022.01.016
Wüest, A., D. Bouffard, J. Guillard, B. W. Ibelings, S. Lavanchy, M.-E. Perga, and N. Pasche. 2021. LéXPLORE: A floating laboratory on Lake Geneva offering unique lake research opportunities. WIREs Water 8: e1544. doi:10.1002/wat2.1544
Chmiel, H. E., H. Hofmann, S. Sobek, T. Efremova, and N. Pasche. 2020. Where does the river end? Drivers of spatiotemporal variability in CO2 concentration and flux in the inflow area of a large boreal lake. Limnol Oceanogr 65: 1161–1174. doi:10.1002/lno.11378
Alfred Wüest, Natacha Pasche, Bastiaan Ibelings, Sapna Sharma and Nikolay Filatov (2019): Life under Ice in Lake Onego (Russia) & An Interdisciplinary Winter Limnology Study. Inland Waters 9 (2), editorial.
Natacha Pasche, Hilmar Hofmann, Damien Bouffard, Carsten J. Schubert, Petr A. Lozovik, Sebastian Sobek (2019): Implications of river intrusion and convective mixing on the spatial and temporal variability of under-ice CO2. Inland Waters 9 (2) in Life under Ice in Lake Onego (Russia) & An Interdisciplinary Winter Limnology Study.
Camille Thomas, Victor Frossard, Marie-Elodie Perga, Natacha Tofield-Pasche, Hilmar Hofmann, Nathalie Dubois, Natalia Belkina, Mariya Zobkova, Serge Robert, Emilie Lyautey (2019): Lateral variations and vertical structure of the microbial methane cycle in the sediment of Lake Onego (Russia), Inland Waters 9 (2) in Life under Ice in Lake Onego (Russia) & An Interdisciplinary Winter Limnology Study.
Tatyana A. Efremova, Albina V. Sabylina, Petr A. Lozovik, Vera I. Slaveykova, Maria V. Zobkova and Natacha Pasche (2019): Seasonal and spatial variation in hydrochemical parameters in Lake Onego (Russia): insights from 2016 field monitoring, Inland Waters 9 (2) in Life under Ice in Lake Onego (Russia) & An Interdisciplinary Winter Limnology Study.
Damien Bouffard, Roman E. Zdorovennov, Gallina E. Zdorovennova, Natacha Pasche, Alfred Wüest and Arkady Y. Terzhevik (2016): Ice-covered Lake Onega: effects of radiation on convection and internal waves; Hydrobiologia. DOI: 10.1007/s10750-016-2915-3.
Pasche Natacha, Tuyisenge Janvière, Mugisha Ange, Rugema Edouard, Muzana Alice, Uwasempabuka Aline and Umutoni Augusta (2015). Building Local Capacities to Monitor Methane Extraction in Lake Kivu, pp 235-244. Chapter 21 in Hostettler, Silvia, Gadgil, Ashok, Hazboun, Eileen (Eds) Sustainable Access to Energy in the Global South, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-20209-9_21, © Springer International Publishing
Fabrice A. Muvundja, Alfred Wüest, Mwapu Isumbisho, Mwenyemali B. Kaningini, Natacha Pasche, Päivi Rinta, Martin Schmid (2014): Modelling Lake Kivu water level variations over the last seven decades. Limnologica Ecology and Management of Inland Waters 47, p 21&33, doi:10.1016/j.limno.2014.02.003.
Natacha Pasche, Fabrice Muvundja, Martin Schmid, Alfred Wüest, and Beat Müller (2012): Nutrient cycling in Lake Kivu, p 31 - 45. Chapter 3 in J.-P. Descy et al. (eds.), Lake Kivu: Limnology and biogeochemistry of a tropical great lake, Aquatic Ecology Series 5, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-4243-7_3, © Springer Science Business Media B.V. 2012.
Natacha Pasche (2012): Paleolimnology of Lake Kivu: past climate and recent environmental changes, p 153 - 163. Chapter 9 in J.-P. Descy et al. (eds.), Lake Kivu: Limnology and biogeochemistry of a tropical great lake, Aquatic Ecology Series 5, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-4243-7_9, © Springer Science Business Media B.V. 2012.
Alfred Wüest, Lukas Jarc, Helmut Bürgmann, Natacha Pasche and Martin Schmid (2012): Methane formation and future extraction in Lake Kivu, p 165 - 180. Chapter 10 in J.-P. Descy et al. (eds.), Lake Kivu: Limnology and biogeochemistry of a tropical great lake, Aquatic Ecology Series 5, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-4243-7_10, © Springer Science Business Media B.V. 2012.
Natacha Pasche, Martin Schmid, John Kessler, Mary Pack, Bill Reeburgh, Carsten Schubert, Francisco Vazquez and Helmut Bürgmann (2011): Methane sources and sinks in Lake Kivu. Journal of Geophysical Research 116, G03006.N
Natacha Pasche, Georges Alunga, Keely Mills, Fabrice Muvundja, David B. Ryves, Michael Schurter, Bernhard Wehrli and Martin Schmid (2010): Abrupt onset of carbonate deposition in Lake Kivu during the 1960s: response to recent environmental changes.Journal of Paleolimnology 44, 931-946.
Natacha Pasche (2009): Nutrient cycling and methane production in Lake Kivu, thesis es science, 127pp, ETH No.18606, Zürich.
Natacha Pasche, Christian Dinkel, Beat Müller, Martin Schmid, Alfred Wüest and Bernhard Wehrli (2009): Physical and biogeochemical limits to internal nutrient loading of meromictic Lake Kivu. Limnology and Oceanography 54, 1863-1873.
Fabrice Muvundja, Natacha Pasche, Fred W. B. Bugenyi, Mwapu Isumbisho, Beat Müller, Jean-Népomuscène Namugize, Päivi Rinta, Martin Schmid, Ruth Stierli and Alfred Wüest (2009): Balancing nutrient inputs to Lake Kivu. Journal of Great Lakes Research 35, 406-415.
Sebastian Sobek, Durisch-Kaiser Edith, Zurbrügg Roland, Nuttakan Wongfun, Martin Wessels, Natacha Pasche, and Bernhard Wehrli (2009), Organic carbon burial efficiency in lake sediments controlled by oxygen exposure time and sediment source. Limnology and Oceanography 54, 2243-2254.
Mathias Kneubühler, Toni Frank, Tobias Kellenberger, Natacha Pasche and Martin Schmid (2007): Mapping chlorophyll-a in Lake Kivu with remote sensing methods. European Space Agency, (Special Publication) ESA SP (SP-636).
Carratalà, A. and others. 2023. Vertical distribution and seasonal dynamics of planktonic cyanobacteria communities in a water column of deep mesotrophic Lake Geneva. Front. Microbiol. 14: 1295193. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1295193
Escoffier, N., P. Perolo, G. Many, N. Tofield Pasche, and M.-E. Perga. 2023. Fine-scale dynamics of calcite precipitation in a large hardwater lake. Science of The Total Environment 864: 160699. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160699
Fabrice Amisi, M. and others. 2022. Current status and strategic way forward for long-term management of Lake Kivu (East Africa). Journal of Great Lakes Research. doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2022.04.004
Plisnier, P.-D. and others. 2022. Need for harmonized long-term multi-lake monitoring of African Great Lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research. S0380133022000326. doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2022.01.016
Wüest, A., D. Bouffard, J. Guillard, B. W. Ibelings, S. Lavanchy, M.-E. Perga, and N. Pasche. 2021. LéXPLORE: A floating laboratory on Lake Geneva offering unique lake research opportunities. WIREs Water 8: e1544. doi:10.1002/wat2.1544
Chmiel, H. E., H. Hofmann, S. Sobek, T. Efremova, and N. Pasche. 2020. Where does the river end? Drivers of spatiotemporal variability in CO2 concentration and flux in the inflow area of a large boreal lake. Limnol Oceanogr 65: 1161–1174. doi:10.1002/lno.11378
Alfred Wüest, Natacha Pasche, Bastiaan Ibelings, Sapna Sharma and Nikolay Filatov (2019): Life under Ice in Lake Onego (Russia) & An Interdisciplinary Winter Limnology Study. Inland Waters 9 (2), editorial.
Natacha Pasche, Hilmar Hofmann, Damien Bouffard, Carsten J. Schubert, Petr A. Lozovik, Sebastian Sobek (2019): Implications of river intrusion and convective mixing on the spatial and temporal variability of under-ice CO2. Inland Waters 9 (2) in Life under Ice in Lake Onego (Russia) & An Interdisciplinary Winter Limnology Study.
Camille Thomas, Victor Frossard, Marie-Elodie Perga, Natacha Tofield-Pasche, Hilmar Hofmann, Nathalie Dubois, Natalia Belkina, Mariya Zobkova, Serge Robert, Emilie Lyautey (2019): Lateral variations and vertical structure of the microbial methane cycle in the sediment of Lake Onego (Russia), Inland Waters 9 (2) in Life under Ice in Lake Onego (Russia) & An Interdisciplinary Winter Limnology Study.
Tatyana A. Efremova, Albina V. Sabylina, Petr A. Lozovik, Vera I. Slaveykova, Maria V. Zobkova and Natacha Pasche (2019): Seasonal and spatial variation in hydrochemical parameters in Lake Onego (Russia): insights from 2016 field monitoring, Inland Waters 9 (2) in Life under Ice in Lake Onego (Russia) & An Interdisciplinary Winter Limnology Study.
Damien Bouffard, Roman E. Zdorovennov, Gallina E. Zdorovennova, Natacha Pasche, Alfred Wüest and Arkady Y. Terzhevik (2016): Ice-covered Lake Onega: effects of radiation on convection and internal waves; Hydrobiologia. DOI: 10.1007/s10750-016-2915-3.
Pasche Natacha, Tuyisenge Janvière, Mugisha Ange, Rugema Edouard, Muzana Alice, Uwasempabuka Aline and Umutoni Augusta (2015). Building Local Capacities to Monitor Methane Extraction in Lake Kivu, pp 235-244. Chapter 21 in Hostettler, Silvia, Gadgil, Ashok, Hazboun, Eileen (Eds) Sustainable Access to Energy in the Global South, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-20209-9_21, © Springer International Publishing
Fabrice A. Muvundja, Alfred Wüest, Mwapu Isumbisho, Mwenyemali B. Kaningini, Natacha Pasche, Päivi Rinta, Martin Schmid (2014): Modelling Lake Kivu water level variations over the last seven decades. Limnologica Ecology and Management of Inland Waters 47, p 21&33, doi:10.1016/j.limno.2014.02.003.
Natacha Pasche, Fabrice Muvundja, Martin Schmid, Alfred Wüest, and Beat Müller (2012): Nutrient cycling in Lake Kivu, p 31 - 45. Chapter 3 in J.-P. Descy et al. (eds.), Lake Kivu: Limnology and biogeochemistry of a tropical great lake, Aquatic Ecology Series 5, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-4243-7_3, © Springer Science Business Media B.V. 2012.
Natacha Pasche (2012): Paleolimnology of Lake Kivu: past climate and recent environmental changes, p 153 - 163. Chapter 9 in J.-P. Descy et al. (eds.), Lake Kivu: Limnology and biogeochemistry of a tropical great lake, Aquatic Ecology Series 5, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-4243-7_9, © Springer Science Business Media B.V. 2012.
Alfred Wüest, Lukas Jarc, Helmut Bürgmann, Natacha Pasche and Martin Schmid (2012): Methane formation and future extraction in Lake Kivu, p 165 - 180. Chapter 10 in J.-P. Descy et al. (eds.), Lake Kivu: Limnology and biogeochemistry of a tropical great lake, Aquatic Ecology Series 5, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-4243-7_10, © Springer Science Business Media B.V. 2012.
Natacha Pasche, Martin Schmid, John Kessler, Mary Pack, Bill Reeburgh, Carsten Schubert, Francisco Vazquez and Helmut Bürgmann (2011): Methane sources and sinks in Lake Kivu. Journal of Geophysical Research 116, G03006.N
Natacha Pasche, Georges Alunga, Keely Mills, Fabrice Muvundja, David B. Ryves, Michael Schurter, Bernhard Wehrli and Martin Schmid (2010): Abrupt onset of carbonate deposition in Lake Kivu during the 1960s: response to recent environmental changes.Journal of Paleolimnology 44, 931-946.
Natacha Pasche (2009): Nutrient cycling and methane production in Lake Kivu, thesis es science, 127pp, ETH No.18606, Zürich.
Natacha Pasche, Christian Dinkel, Beat Müller, Martin Schmid, Alfred Wüest and Bernhard Wehrli (2009): Physical and biogeochemical limits to internal nutrient loading of meromictic Lake Kivu. Limnology and Oceanography 54, 1863-1873.
Fabrice Muvundja, Natacha Pasche, Fred W. B. Bugenyi, Mwapu Isumbisho, Beat Müller, Jean-Népomuscène Namugize, Päivi Rinta, Martin Schmid, Ruth Stierli and Alfred Wüest (2009): Balancing nutrient inputs to Lake Kivu. Journal of Great Lakes Research 35, 406-415.
Sebastian Sobek, Durisch-Kaiser Edith, Zurbrügg Roland, Nuttakan Wongfun, Martin Wessels, Natacha Pasche, and Bernhard Wehrli (2009), Organic carbon burial efficiency in lake sediments controlled by oxygen exposure time and sediment source. Limnology and Oceanography 54, 2243-2254.
Mathias Kneubühler, Toni Frank, Tobias Kellenberger, Natacha Pasche and Martin Schmid (2007): Mapping chlorophyll-a in Lake Kivu with remote sensing methods. European Space Agency, (Special Publication) ESA SP (SP-636).
Teaching & PhD
Courses
Limnology
ENV-425
Focus is on lakes, rivers and reservoirs as aquatic systems. Specific is the quantitative analyse (incl. exercises) of physical, biogeochemical and sedimentological processes. The goal is to understand the relevant processes for the water quality from an engineering perspective