Aquatic Photobiology and Plankton Ecology
Our research lies at the interface of plankton ecology and photobiology, and uses a combination of field and lab studies, as well as approaches ranging from the community to the single-cell level. A major focus is on assessing the direct and indirect effects of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation in combination with other environmental stressors.
Another research focus is on the strategies that different aquatic taxa have evolved to obtain tolerance against the damaging effects of solar UV radiation and to understand under which environmental conditions they are efficient. Studies on the ecology of UV sunscreen compounds known as mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) have played a central role since our discovery in alpine organisms in 1995.
Because the dissolved organic matter (DOM) pool is involved in many lake processes including the control of UV penetration, we are also interested to understand how changes in DOM sources affect bacterial community composition and activity, particularly under a climate change scenario.
These three particular research foci are backed by basic research on (micro)plankton ecology, and on central parameters such as UV radiation and DOM. Our research emphasis during the last years has been on alpine lakes, but studies in other aquatic ecosystems (e.g., coastal areas, polar lakes) are carried out through international co-operations.
Group Members
- Ruben Sommaruga Dr., Full Prof. (Head)
Expertise: plankton ecology, photobiology - Maria Teresa Perez Dr. (Post-doc Associate)
Major research interest: DOM-mediated changes in bacterial community composition,
bacterial single cell activity, phosphorus cycle in alpine lakes - Barbara Tartarotti-Alfreider Dr. (Post-doc Associate)
Major research interest: Ecology of zooplankton, MAAs, heat-shock proteins - MSc. Barbara Kammerlander Mag. (PhD student)
Major research interest: Ecology of ciliates in clear and glacier-fed turbid alpine lakes - MSc. Eyasu S. Shuba (PhD student)
Major research interest: Plankton trophodynamics and structure in high mountain lakes of the
Bale Mt. (Ethiopia) - Florian Trattner (Master Student)
Zooplankton distribution and photoprotective strategies: a comparison of a clear and a glacier-fed
turbid lake. Supervised by Dr. Tartarotti - Peter Anegg (Master Student)
Dynamics of the infection rate of copepods with procercoids of the parasite Triaenophorus spp in
Achensee. Supervised by Dr. Tartarotti - Philipp Kirschner (Master Student)
Molecular phylogeny of Cyclops abyssorum - Salvador Morales-Gómez MSc (Technician)
Expertise: microscopy and flow cytometry
Former members of our group:
Dr. Marisol Felip (Associate Professor, University of Barcelona, Spain)
Dr. Isabelle Laurion (Professor at the INRS, Canada)
Dr. Daniel Conde (Associate Professor, Dept. of Limnology, University of Uruguay)
MSc. Julia Hofer
MSc. Gunther Augustin (Manager)
MSc. Heidi Obwaller
MSc. Alex Oberleiter
Dr. Gao Wang (Nanjing Academy of Sciences, Inst. of Limnology)
Dr. Ulrike Obertegger (Research and Innovation Centre - Fondazione Edmund Mach, Italy)
Dr. Monika Summerer (Innsbruck Medicine University, Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology)
MSc. Johannes Peter (Ph.D student by Dr. Lars Tranvik, Sweden)
MSc. Karin Nagiller
Michela Orfeo
Dr. Paul Hörtnagl (Central Institute for Blood Transfusion and Immunology, University Hospital Innsbruck)
MSc. Tobias Schneider (Ph.D student by Dr. Milla Rautio, Canada)
MSc. Evelynn Holzer (Fish Association from Tyrol)
MSc. Kathrin Schwab
MSc. Dominik Kornthaler
MSc. Georg Kandolf
Dr. Bettina Sonntag (Institute of Limnology, Academy of Sciences, Mondsee)
Our research in covers
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Current and Recent Projects
| 2012-2014 |
UV stress in alpine lakes: hsp gene expression in copepods (Austrian Science Fund, FWF V233 Elise-Richter Program). PI: Barbara Tartarotti. |
| 2012-2014 |
Role of different bacterial groups in the biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus in mountain lakes. (Austrian Science Fund, FWF P24098). PI: Maria T. Pérez. |
| 2011-2013 |
Lake Lander: Impact of glacial melt on past and present lakes. NASA-ASTEP. N. Cabrol (USA, PI), R. Sommaruga (Co-PI) |
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2009-2012 |
Ultraviolet radiation effects on planktonic freshwater ciliates: an assessment of photoprotection and repair strategies” (Austrian Science Fund, FWF P21013-B03). PI: Sonntag Bettina. |
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2007-2011 |
Cascading effects of climate change and UV radiation on the nutritional quality of the food base in marine ecosystems. Norwegian Research Council, Proj. Nr. 178731/S40. Cooperation project with H. I. Browman (Norway, PI), M.T. Arts (Canada, PI) and P. Kuhn (Co-PI). |
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2006-2011 |
Community structure and function of heterotrophic bacteria in alpine lakes: atmosphere and catchments linkages (Austrian Science Foundation, FWF P19245-B03, R. Sommaruga PI). |
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2007-2008 |
Load and viability of bacteria associated to airborne particles and effect of ultraviolet radiation on their composition. Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Culture (bm:bwk, ÖAD), Proj. Nr. 16/2007. PI: R Sommaruga |
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2006-2007 |
Diversity of microbial communities in remote alpine lakes of the Alps and Himalaya. Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Culture (bm:bwk, ÖAD), Proj. Nr. 16/2006. Pi: R. Sommaruga |
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2004-2007 |
Characterization of the underwater UV climate in lakes from the Mt. Everest Region and assessment of DNA damage levels and counteractive mechanisms (photorepair and photoprotection) in planktonic organisms (K2-Ev-CNR Committee, Italy and Svarowsky Foundation-Univ. of Innsbruck). PI: Ruben Sommaruga |
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2003-2007 |
Testing alternative benefits in symbiosis of pelagic Chlorella-bearing freshwater ciliates: an ecological and molecular approach (Austrian Science Foundation, FWF 16559-B06). PI: R. Sommaruga |
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2004-2006 |
Climate warming impact on alpine’s lake bacterioplankton community structure and specific activity (Austrian Science Foundation, FWF M788 B06). PI: R. Sommaruga, CoPI: Maria T. Pérez |