Department of zooplankton

The Department of zooplankton was established in 1951. In the period 1950-1986, the continuous zooplankton investigations were carried out by Ph.D Jordanka Serafimova Hadzische.

Scientific staff:

Head PhD Goce Kostoski research advisor fellow

PhD Dafina Guseska research advisor fellow

PhD Orhideja Tasevska senior research fellow

Main research trends:

• Zooplankton research (taxonomy, morphology, ecology and reproduction, temporal and spatial distribution of the zooplankton) on Lake Ohrid pelagic and littoral zone and estimation of the ecosystem stability
• Investigations of the life cycle of Copepoda and Cladocera representatives in natural and laboratory conditions: egg production, embryonal development of the eggs, postembryonic development of the larval stages (nauplii and copepod), larval mortality
• Monitoring of the taxonomic composition and quantitative characteristics of the zooplankton community in relation to anthropogenic impacts upon the littoral zone of the lakes
• Biomass of representatives of zooplankton community.
• Estimation of water quality on the basis of bioindicator species of Rotifera, Cladocera and Copepoda
• Investigations on Lake Prespa and Lake Dojran
• Biological investigations of surface water quality which are used for water supply
• Biological investigations on all reservoirs (artificial lakes) in Macedonia

Future aims:

• Estimation of nutritive values of zooplankton (carbohydrates, proteins and lipids)
• Accumulation of heavy metals in zooplankton
• Limnology related to zooplankton changes and ohrid trout nutrition in Lake Ohrid