Scientific interest and research:
- analysis of phytoplankton response to climate change, with particular emphasis on the role of winter periods;
- ecology and taxonomy of phytoplankton (algae and cyanobacteria) including potentially toxic species;
- application of multi-metric phytoplankton index to the assessment of ecological status or ecological potential of waters;
- searching for the possibility of application of primary producers present in aquatic environment in terms of the use of active substances produced by them in medical therapies.
Skills and methods:
- water quality sampling and analysis plan in various types of aquatic ecosystems (flowing and stagnant waters, peat bogs, anthropogenic reservoirs) for hydrobiological and ecological analyses;
- analysis of biological factors in water - determination of qualitative and quantitative composition of phytoplankton (algae and cyanobacteria), analysis of chlorophyll a concentration;
- primary production measurements in aquatic ecosystems with the use of Winkler method;
- analysis of basic physical and chemical factors of water: pH and conductivity; determination of thermal-oxygen profile; measurement of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR); spectrophotometric determination of the concentration of biogenic compounds (dissolved and total forms of nitrogen and phosphorus), chloride and silica content; determination of water hardness and color;
- application of biological indexes for the assessment of water status in accordance with the monitoring guidelines of the EU Water Framework Directive;