Projects / Programmes
Raziskave morja in obalnega okolja (Slovene)
January 1, 1999
- December 31, 2003
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 1.03.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Biology |
|
| 1.08.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Control and care of the environment |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B260 |
Biomedical sciences |
Hydrobiology, marine biology, aquatic ecology, limnology |
| P305 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Environmental chemistry |
| P500 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Geophysics, physical oceanography, meteorology |
| B270 |
Biomedical sciences |
Plant ecology |
Researchers (21)
Organisations (1)
| no. |
Code |
Research organisation |
City |
Registration number |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
0105 |
National Institute of Biology |
Ljubljana |
5055784 |
13,493 |
Abstract
The research programme at the Marine Biology Station, Piran, includes aspects of physical, chemical and biological oceanography and is focused on marine ecology and environmental protection, including biodiversity and the effects of pollution; the dynamics of the coastal sea; and the biogeochemistry of shallow waters. All are fundamental to issues of health, fishing and tourism in the Slovenian coastal region and the Gulf of Trieste.
The study of coastal ecology concentrates on issues related to ecosystem health and is aimed at understanding the harmful phenomena such as bottom layer oxygen depletion, mucilage accumulation, red tides and ecosystem changes due to waste waters. Human-health related phenomena like toxic phytoplankton and environmental pollution are also studied. Issues under investigation include primary production as well as the transfer and cycling of organic matter to higher trophic levels and into the dissolved phase in contrasting hydrographic and nutrient regimes. Research on coastal processes is linked to the study of land-sea fluxes and man's impact on the marine environment, aiming to provide necessary data for sound environmental management. Biodiversity research includes mapping and monitoring of marine flora, fauna, and habitats in protected areas and selected coastal transects in pristine and perturbed situations. Particular attention is being given to the infralittoral fish assemblages and selected habitats (seagrass meadows, rocky and sandy shores). Coastal dynamics research comprises field measurements and 3-D numerical modelling of the movement of water masses in semi-enclosed basins, i.e. density-driven and tidal dynamics of the northern Adriatic Sea. Field campaigns for the study of the near-field spreading of sewage from a submarine outfall are complemented with modelling of small-scale processes and applied to the dispersion of pollutants near the outfall. Biogeochemical research deals the anaerobic degradation of sedimentary organic matter using both in situ and in laboratory incubations. The dynamics of mercury contamination as a result of long-term mercury mining and mercury biogeochemical cycling in sediments of the Gulf of Trieste has also been investigated. In parallel, the photochemical transformation and degradation of organic compounds is being studied, including the photocatalysed degradation of selected organic pollutants in aqueous media.
Most important scientific results
Final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report
