SOMMARUGA Ruben Dr., Univ.-Prof.



Ruben Sommaruga

University of Innsbruck
Institute of Ecology 

Head of the Institute

Head of the Research Group:
Lake and Glacier Research

Technikerstrasse 25     (Room 503)
A-6020 Innsbruck

Tel: +43 (0)512 507-51710
Fax: +43 (0)512 507-51799
E-mail: Ruben.Sommaruga@uibk.ac.at


I was trained in Biological Oceanography and Limnology, and I have worked in a broad range of freshwater and brackish ecosystems in different parts of the world. I have a general interest for aquatic sciences with a focus on Plankton and Photobiology (i.e., the study of the interactions of (sun)-light and organisms). In particularly, I am interested on the factors controlling microbial dynamics, distribution, processes, and interactions within planktonic food webs, as well as in understanding the direct/indirect effects of solar ultraviolet radiation on key biotic and abiotic components/processes of aquatic ecosystems. From the latter research activities, I developed a strong interest on the evolutionary strategies of different aquatic taxa to obtain tolerance against the damaging effects of sunlight, and more recently, on the environmental conditions under which they are efficient. One of my main research goals is to understand how different global changes affect those processes in lakes.

I am involved in different services to the scientific community such as for example, being Subject Editor of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Plankton Research, and Associate Editor of Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences. I also work as elected Board Member of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) and of the Faculty of 1000.