Scientific activity

Offshore ecology (A. Bednarska, P. Dawidowicz, Z.M. Gliwicz, P. Koperski, A. Mikulski , J. Pijanowska, A.M. Prejs, E. Rygielska, M. Ślusarczyk)

  • Evolutionary and population ecology of plankton and fish. Food and predation in governing (1) life history, behavior and morphology of an individual, (2) density and distribution of a population, and (3) structure of an offshore community. Phytoplankton-zooplankton interface. Prey-predator interactions: chemical communication, induced defenses, diel vertical migrations and life-history patterns in zooplankton. Diapause in temporal and spatial dispersal. Optimal foraging. Diel habitat shifts in fish. Food-web manipulations , lake restoration and fishery management.

    • Littoral ecology (A. Kołodziejczyk, E. Pieczyńska, P. Koperski, T. Ozimek, J.I. Rybak)

  • Ecology of lake littoral communities. Biology of different plant and animal species (macrophytes and algae, nematodes, leeches, crustaceans, mollusks), antipredation defenses, herbivory and detritivory. Algae-macrophyte-invertebrate interrelations. Ecotone ecology: coupling of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Role of macrophytes in lake productivity and nutrient cycling. Macrophytes in lake protection and restoration.

    • Ecology of stress (A. Bednarska, M. Grzesiuk, A. Mikulski, B. Pietrzak, J. Pijanowska)

  • Ecology of stress. Molecular, behavioral, life-history and morphological adaptations to stress from biotic (predation and starvation) and abiotic (temperature, salinity, polychlorinated biphenyls) factors in Daphnia as a model. The adaptive role of maternal effect in expression of phenotypic adjustments to stress. The role of Heat Shock Proteins (HSP) in the individual reaction to various kinds of stress.