91滴滴

Research Topics

• The role of fish as indicators of environmental degradation and as regulators of biological processes; assessment of long-term changes in fish assemblages
• Monitoring of ichthyofauna in river systems and oxbow lakes
• Monitoring, ecology and biology of selected European species of lampreys, fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds
• Biology of tropical species of fish, amphibians and reptiles
• Ecology and impact of invasive fish species
• Fish foraging strategies; partitioning of their trophic niches based on habitat preferences of prey
• Ecological niche modelling and climate-based distribution projections of fish species
• Assessment of water quality based on physico-chemical parameters and assemblages of invertebrates and fish
• Composition, structure and productivity of Chironomidae insect assemblages in lowland rivers
• Morphological deformities in insect larvae as an indicator of water quality
• Ecology of caddisflies (Trichoptera) and their adaptive abilities in response to anthropogenic transformations of aquatic environments
• Genomics of fish, amphibian and bird populations
• Aging 鈥� its origin and evolution in fish
• Behavior of dogs and primates
• Impact of biotic and abiotic factors on the occurrence and distribution of protected species
• Interspecies interactions
• Mathematical modeling in ecology and biology

Teaching

The department鈥檚 staff participate in teaching programs (lectures, seminars, discussions, laboratory and field exercises, specialized workshops, e-learning courses) in undergraduate and graduate studies, covering a broad range of topics in ecology, vertebrate zoology, hydrobiology and environmental protection in the following fields of study:

• Biology
• Environmental protection
• Biotechnology
• Biomonitoring and ecological biotechnologies
• EcoCity

The department also supervises M.Sc. and Ph.D. theses across the above research areas.

Honorary staff

• Prof. Marina Piria

Journal editors

• Journal of Vertebrate Biology 鈥� Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Carl Smith

Scientific projects:

• ORLEN Foundation for Pomerania 鈥� Vistula Biodiversity Grant 鈥� WGB/00067/2025 鈥� Natural filters of the Vistula River: biodiversity of bivalves, their interactions and ecosystem functions; Principal Investigator: Dr Dariusz Halabowski (project duration: 2026-2028)
• Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (WFO艢iGW) 鈥� N2420777W 鈥� Assessment of the mobility of selected pharmaceuticals in contaminated rivers flowing through urbanized areas of the city of 艁贸d藕, along with the development of guidelines for creating a Polish Standard for detecting such xenobiotics in the aquatic environment; Principal Investigator: Dr hab. Mariusz Tszydel (project duration: 2026-2028)
• NCN 鈥� OPUS 鈥� UMO-2025/57/B/NZ8/03063 鈥� When the chill hits: respective role and importance of low molecular weight cryoprotectants, ice-binding proteins and skin microbiota in supercooling amphibians (SUPERCOOL); Principal Investigator: Prof. Philippe Kok (project duration: 2026-2029)
• NCN 鈥� OPUS 鈥� UMO-2024/53/B/NZ8/00210 鈥� The eco-evolutionary dynamics of an adaptive radiation; Principal Investigator: Prof. Carl Smith; Researchers: Prof. Grzegorz Zi臋ba, Dr Eliza Szczerkowska-Majchrzak (project duration: 2025-2028)
• NCN 鈥� OPUS 鈥� UMO- 2024/55/B/NZ8/02767 鈥� PIERISADAPT: The influences of local evolutionary history and ecology on diversification and adaptation to a changing environment in a young, hybridizing butterfly species complex; Principal Investigator: Dr Richard Bailey (project duration: 2025-2028)
• ROPME (Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment, Kuwait) 鈥� Non-native invasive species in the ROPME Sea Area 鈥� screening tools and assessment methodology;  Principal Investigator: Prof. Lorenzo Vilizzi  (project duration: 2025-2026)
• European Commission 鈥� Marie Sk艂odowska-Curie Actions 鈥� HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01, Project 101105250 鈥� PROSPER 鈥� Predicting the ecological and evolutionary consequences of barriers and fish passes in Europe鈥檚 rivers; Fellow: Dr Dagmara B艂o艅ska (project duration: 2023-2025)
• NCN 鈥� SONATA 鈥� UMO-2021/43/D/NZ8/01704 鈥� The role of symbiotic bacteria in chemical signaling in reptilian host species; Principal Investigator: Prof. Alejandro Ib谩帽ez Ricom谩 (project duration: 2022-2026)
• NCN 鈥� OPUS 鈥� UMO-2021/41/B/NZ8/02567 鈥� Does coevolutionary dynamics generate population-specific responses to invasive species? Principal Investigator: Prof. Martin Reichard (project duration: 2022-2026)
• NCN 鈥� SONATA 鈥� UMO-2020/39/D/NZ8/02399 鈥� EXILE 鈥� EXobIoLogy on Earth; Principal Investigator: Prof. Philippe Kok (project duration: 2021-2026)
• NCN 鈥� POLONEZ 鈥� UMO-2016/21/P/NZ8/03919 鈥� Convergent evolution in the threespine stickleback; Project co-funded by the Horizon 2020 program under Marie Sk艂odowska-Curie Actions (COFUND); Principal Investigator: Prof. Carl Smith (project duration: 2017-2019)
• NCN 鈥� OPUS 鈥� UMO-2015/19/B/ST10/02167 鈥� Application of artificial neural networks and image recognition methods for a comprehensive catchment analysis of the impact of anthropogenic chemical and microbiological pollution on water resource quality; Principal Investigator: Dr hab. Edyta Kiedrzy艅ska; Researcher: Prof. Andrzej Kruk (project duration: 2016-2019)
• Development and implementation of risk assessment tools for non-native aquatic taxa (International project); UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, CEFAS 鈥� Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences, Lowestoft, UK; Researcher: Prof. Lorenzo Vilizzi (2004-2022)
• NCN 鈥� SONATA 鈥� UMO-2011/01/D/NZ8/01807 鈥� Biology traits of pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus favouring its invasion in the context of predictable climate change; Principal Investigator: Prof. Grzegorz Zi臋ba (project duration: 2011-2016)
• NCN/MNiSW 鈥� N N 304 023 240 鈥� Assessment of bioaccumulation of selected metals in benthic invertebrates (Chironomidae ) with various environmental adaptations; Principal Investigator: Prof. Ma艂gorzata Dukowska (project duration: 2011-2016)
• NCN/MNiSW 鈥� N304 305 140 鈥� Threats and long-term changes (1963-2013) in the fish fauna of the Warta River due to anthropogenic stressors and the impact of invasive species; Principal Investigator: Prof. Andrzej Kruk (project duration: 2011-2016)
  
  

Collaboration with international and national partners

• Croatia, Zagreb, University of Zagreb
• Czechia, Brno, Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences
• China, Kunming, Yunnan University
• China, Shanghai, Shanghai Natural History Museum
• China, Wuhan/Pekin, Chinese Academy of Sciences / University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Finland, Helsinki, University of Helsinki
• France, Toulouse, Universit茅 Paul Sabatier
• Germany, Giessen, Justus Liebig University
• Germany, Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit盲t M眉nchen (LMU)
• Japan, Mie, Mie University
• Japan, Tokio, University of Tokyo, University Museum
• Latvia, Daugavpils, Daugavpils University
• Norway, Oslo, University of Oslo
• Romania, Sibiu, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
• Slovakia, Bratislava, Comenius University in Bratislava
• T眉rkiye, Mu臒la, Mu臒la S谋tk谋 Ko莽man University
• UK, Bournemouth, Bournemouth University
• UK, Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh
  
• UK, London, The Natural History Museum
• UK, Lowestoft, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)
• UK, Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University
• UK, Nottingham, University of Nottingham
• UK, Wallingford, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
• Ukraine, Odesa, Institute of Marine Biology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
• Ukraine, Kyiv, Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
• Ukraine, Kyiv, Institute of Hydrobiology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
• Ukraine, Kyiv, Institute of Fisheries, Marine Ecology and Oceanography
• Ukraine, Ostroh, Derman-Ostroh National Nature Park
• USA, Delaware, Ohio Weseyan University
• USA, Tallahassee, Florida State University
  
  
• National Marine Fisheries Research Institute
• Jagiellonian University in Krak贸w, Faculty of Biology
• Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toru艅, Institute of Biology
• University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Animal Bioengineering
• University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology
• University of Wroc艂aw, Museum of Natural History, Faculty of Biological Sciences