Phytoplankton

MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON RESEARCH

WHO WE ARE

Head of the research group:

Assoc. Prof. Patricija Mozetič, PhD, biology graduate

Researchers:

Dr. Janja Francé, biology graduate

Dr. Vesna Flander Putrle, biology graduate

Timotej Turk Dermastia, young researcher

Technician:

Milijan Šiško, biology graduate, technical associate

FIELD OF RESEARCH

§ Study of the role of phytoplankton in the pelagic carbon cycle: defining the ecological characteristics of phytoplankton upon biomass, abundance, taxonomic, pigment and size structure

§ primary production measurements

§ phytoplankton physiology: photosynthetic (P-E) parameters, photoacclimation processes, physiological response in relation to physical properties of water column

§ trophic relationships in pelagic ecosystems: top-down contro by zooplankton

§ study of the ecology of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), identification of toxic phytoplankton species

§ analysis of time series, detection of regime shifts, impacts of climate change and effects of eutrophication through application of different statistical approaches

§ implementation of European legislation in the field of water protection on national level: development of methodologies for the assessment of ecological and environmental status of the sea using phytoplankton

§ expert solutions/judgments for the implementation of national monitoring programmes on the basis of EU directives

§ performing national monitoring programmes

§ Quality Assurance: participation in intercalibration exercises for determination of chlorophyll a in seawater, validation of the fluorometric method for determination of chlorophyll a

COLLABORATIONS

On-going projects:

►BALast water MAnagement System for Adriatic Sea protection (BALMAS, IPA Adriatic Cross-border Cooperation Programme, 2013-2016)

►Sensing toxicants in Marine waters makes Sense using biosensors (SMS, EU FP7, 2013-2017)

►Best practices for action plans to develop integrated, regional monitoring programmes, coordinated programmes of measures and addressing data and knowledge gaps in coastal and marine waters (ACTIONMED, 1. 11. 2015 – 28. 2. 2017)

Formal (projects’ partners) and informal (publications) cooperation with domestic and foreign institutions:

- Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Split, Croatia

- Center for Marine Research of the Ruđer Bošković Institute (CIM), Rovinj, Croatia

- Ruđer Bošković Institute, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Zagreb, Croatia

- University of Dubrovnik, Institute for Marine and Coastal Research, Dubrovnik, Croatia

- OGS National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics, Division of Oceanography, Sgonico (TS), Italy

- University of Trieste, Department of Life Sciences, Italy

- ARPA FVG Friuli Venezia Giulia, Palmanova (UD), Italy

- CNR - ISMAR, Venice, Italy - Stazione zoologica Anton Dohrn of Naples, Italy

- Institute »Jožef Stefan«, Department of Environmental Sciences, Ljubljana

- Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana

- Slovenian Environment Agency, Ljubljana

- Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection, Ljubljana

- Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana 

- Institute of Physical Biology, Ljubljana

OTHER ACTIVITIES

►FAO/IOC/UNEP Training Workshop on the Statistical Treatment and Interpretation of Marine Community Data, Split, Croatia, 1990; Patricija Mozetič

►IOC-Danida Training Course on the Taxonomy and Biology of Harmful Marine Microalgae, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 1996; Patricija Mozetič

►Advanced Phytoplankton Course, Taxonomy and Systematics, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy, 1998 (Patricija Mozetič), 2015 (Janja Francé)

► QUASIMEME Workshop on The Analysis of Chlorophyll a in Seawater, MUMM, Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences, Oostende, Belgium, 2002; Vesna Flander Putrle

►UNEP-MAP First course of training for technical operators on Coastal Water Eutrophication Monitoring Programme (MED-POL. Phase III), Cesenatico, Italija, 2003; Janja Francé

►IOC-Training Course on the Biology of Harmful Marine Microalgae«, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 2010; Janja Francé

► Workshop on Phytoplankton Pigment Analyses, DHI, Hørsholm, Denmark, 2010; Vesna Flander Putrle

►Certificate of Proficiency in Identification of Harmful Marine Microalgae; Janja Francé

►National expert in the intercalibration group MedGIG (implementation of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC), 1st phase 2005 2007; Patricija Mozetič

►National expert in the intercalibration group MedGIG (implementation of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC), 2nd phase 2008 2011, 3rd phase 2013- ; Janja Francé

PHOTOGALLERY

Phytoplankton

Research area: MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON RESEARCH

1. Who we are:

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Patricija Mozetič, biology graduate

Dr. Janja Francé, biology graduate

Timotej Turk Dermastia, mladi raziskovalec

Milijan Šiško, biology graduate, technical associate

2. What we do:

- Study of the role of phytoplankton in the pelagic carbon cycle: defining the ecological characteristics of phytoplankton using biomass, abundance, and taxonomic and size structure

- primary production measurements

- research of phytoplankton physiology: photosynthetic (P-E) parameters, photoacclimation processes, physiological response in relation to physical properties of water column (e.g. stability)

- application of P-E parameters in productivity models

- study of the ecology of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), identification of toxic phytoplankton species

- analysis of time series, detection of regime shifts, impacts of climate change and effects of eutrophication through application of different statistical approaches

- implementation of European legislation in the field of water protection on national level: development of methodologies for the assessment of ecological and environmental status of the sea using phytoplankton

- expert solutions/judgments for the implementation of national monitoring programmes on the basis of EU directives

- performing national monitoring programmes

- Quality Assurance: participation in intercalibration exercises for determination of chlorophyll a in seawater, validation of the fluorometric method for determination of chlorophyll a

3. Collaborations, projects

a) On-going projects:

- Sensing toxicants in Marine waters makes Sense using biosensors (SMS, EU FP7, 2013-2015)

- Marine debris removal and preventing further litter entry (MarineClean, EU CIP Eco-Innovation, 2011-2014)

- BALast water MAnagement System for Adriatic Sea protection (BALMAS, IPA Adriatic Cross-border Cooperation Programme, 2013-2016)

b) Formal (projects' partners) and informal (publications) cooperation with domestic and foreign institutions:

- Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Split, Croatia

- Center for Marine Research of the Ruđer Bošković Institute (CIM), Rovinj, Croatia

- Ruđer Bošković Institute, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Zagreb, Croatia

- OGS National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics, Division of Oceanography, Sgonico (TS), Italy

- University of Trieste, Department of Life Sciences, Italy

- ARPA FVG Friuli Venezia Giulia, Palmanova (UD), Italy

- CNR - ISMAR, Venice, Italy

- Stazione zoologica Anton Dohrn of Naples, Italy

- Institute »Jožef Stefan«, Department of Environmental Sciences, Ljubljana

- Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana

- Slovenian Environment Agency, Ljubljana

- Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection, Ljubljana

- Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana

4. Recent works (tu bi dala povezavo na osebno stran vsake raziskovalke, kjer že itak naštevamo bibliografijo; dodala bi pomembnejša poročila)

5. Other: (tudi to se ponavlja; nekaj je že na osebni strani raziskovalca)

- FAO/IOC/UNEP Training Workshop on the Statistical Treatment and Interpretation of Marine Community Data, Split, Croatia, 1990; Patricija Mozetič

- IOC-Danida Training Course on the Taxonomy and Biology of Harmful Marine Microalgae, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 1996; Patricija Mozetič

- Advanced Phytoplankton Course, Taxonomy and Systematics, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy, 1998; Patricija Mozetič

- UNEP-MAP First course of training for technical operators on Coastal Water Eutrophication Monitoring Programme (MED-POL. Phase III), Cesenatico, Italija, 2003; Janja Francé

- IOC-Training Course on the Biology of Harmful Marine Microalgae«, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 2010; Janja Francé

- Certificate of Proficiency in Identification of Harmful Marine Microalgae; Janja Francé

- National expert in the intercalibration group MedGIG (implementation of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC), 1st phase 2005 2007; Patricija Mozetič

- National expert in the intercalibration group MedGIG (implementation of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC), 2nd phase 2008 2011, 3rd phase 2013- ; Janja Francé

Citizen scientist

The world of a scientist is governed by limited project financing, careful planning, curiousity, active engagement, team work, enthusiasm but also things out of our control. Especially the latter is important in scientific fields such as marine biology. Weather conditions can rapidly change, microclimate conditions can offer us interesting marine behaviour that is unfortunately often overlooked. We are therefore inviting you, our potential citizen scientist to actively contribute to the knowledge of our marine ecosystem.

 

 

 

We all take long walks along the waterfront, sometimes go on boat trips, go swimming in our little but precious patch of the Adriatic sea. Should you notice any interesting species or activity, you are welcome to contribute to our knowledge by posting questions, photographs and videos to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We will appreciate any contribution and will reply to you in the shortest period of time. Every piece of information will help improve our knowledge on the biodiversity of the species (jellyfish, fish, smaller organisms) of northern Adriatic, seasonal presence, physical specificities and even litter abundance will valuably complement the scientific activities of the staff of Marine Biology Station. The most interesting questions, videos and photographs will be published on our website.

We need you to help our knowledge bloom!

In Marine Biology Station we combine scientific work and aplicative solution in order to better understand the marine ecosystems.

By clicking on the link below you will get a better overview of our working areas and conducted research. You are warmly invited to look at the list of our most important ongoing projects in the current year. Check the list of our personnel and our professional working fields of research. Last but by no means least you are invited to see the list of services and products we offer (contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).