Research areas:

Aquatic biogeochemistry and ecosystem functioning group using traditional biogeochemistry (process measurements) with a state of art (analytical, experimental and remote sensing) and functional genomics methods at both the organism and the ecosystem level seeks to fill the existing gaps of knowledge in nutrient and gasses cycling in inland, transitional and coastal waters at pelagic and benthic zones. This is attributed to the complex relationships among changes of biotic (from micro- and macro-organisms) and abiotic factors (nutrients, temperature, hydrodynamic and etc.) along geographical and eutrophication gradients.

Research topics:

Pressures and impacts to aquatic ecosystems – assessment of aquatic ecosystem response to the pressures and impacts governed by human activities and changing climate conditions. The assessment implies different scale approaches from micro (intact core incubations) to whole system (remote sensing).

Aquatic ecosystem functioning – systematic analysis of aquatic ecosystem functioning along gradients (salinity, organic and nutrient availability, biodiversity).

Aquatic biogeochemical cycles – analysis of cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, silica, oxygen, iron, manganese and sulphur in aquatic systems from freshwater to marine.

Nutrient load and mass balance – holistic analysis of nutrient transport from watersheds to the coastal sites, mass balance calculations by applying LOICZ and black-box approaches.

Ecosystem primary production – assessment and contribution of benthic and pelagic primary producers to the ecosystem metabolism and functions.

Microbe hosts – distribution, diversity, plasticity and functional role of bacteria associated with benthic invertebrate hosts in estuarine zones along a geographical gradient and a eutrophication gradient.

Group members

Dr. Mindaugas Žilius (Head of Marine Environment and biogeochemistry laboratory, principle researcher)

• Oxygen dynamic in shallow lagoons implying factors that drives hypoxia and control NEM;
• Nutrient and gas transport across the sediment–water–atmosphere system;
• Pelagic and benthic N transformations and their genetic potential;
• Benthic N cycling pathways in the presence of animal-bacterial associations;
• The role of host microbe in the benthic ecosystems functioning;
• Development of experimental systems to study nitrogen cycling in different ecosystem compartments.

Prof. dr. Marco Bartoli (principle researcher)

• Biogeochemical cycling of C, N, P, Si and O mediated by macrofauna and plants in aquatic systems;
• Nutrient and gas transport across the sediment–water–atmosphere system;
• The role of primary production in aquatic ecosystem functioning;
• Ecological nutrient stoichiometry in aquatic ecosystems;
• Land generated nutrient transport and fate in downstream ecosystems;
• Development of analytical techniques to study pathways of benthic nitrogen.

Dr. Diana Vaičiūtė (principle researcher)

• Remote sensing-based upscaling of ecological processes;
• Dissolved organic matter (particularly CDOM) transport and cycling;
• Phytoplankton ecology and functioning;
• Pigment analysis.

Dr. Ričardas Taraškevičius (principle researcher)

• The development and adaptation of analytical methods for quantitative detection of a wide spectrum of chemical elements (from Na to U) to geochemistry and biogeochemistry, focusing attention on X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.
• Quality control and improvement of elemental analysis, international exchange of laboratory analysis results, inter-elemental relationships of multi-elemental data and speciation of elements.
• Geochemical and biogeochemical mapping of abiotic and biotic environment, multivariate mathematical statistical treatment and inter-elemental impact in detected anomalies on biota and healthiness.
• The application X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for needs of archaeological-geochemical investigation.

Dr. Jolita Petkuvienė (senior researcher)

• Water quality assessment;
• Phosphorus biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments;
• Application of phosphorus extraction techniques for different matrices such as suspended matter, sediments and biological samples;
• Application of spectrophotometric and IC techniques.

Dr. Irma Vybernaitė-Lubienė (senior researcher)

• Nutrient transport from watersheds to the coastal sites;
• Nutrient mass balances estimations by LOICZ (Land-Ocean Intereaction in Coastal Zone) and black-box modelling;
• Application of spectrophotometric, GC, HPLC and ICP-MS techniques;
• Development of new analytical methods.

Dr. Tomas Ruginis (senior researcher)

• Taxonomy of freshwater invertebrate;
• The effect of invertebrate in sediment biogeochemistry.

Dr. Sergej Suzdalev (researcher)

• Analysis of the fundamental sedimentary and geochemical processes in transitional aquatic systems;
• Peculiarities of chemical elements/hazardous substances distribution, assessment of pollution processes and their control factors in different environmental matrixes;
• Analysis of maritime sector activities development and their impact on the marine environment

Dr. Tobia Politi (postdoc)

• The role of benthic biodiversity in biogeochemical processes and ecosystems functioning;
• The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functions across geographical gradient.

PhD Elise Lorre

• The sources, distribution, fate and transport of organic pollutants (phthalates) in the estuarine system.
• The development of new analytical methods to extract organic pollutants (phthalates, alkylphenols...) from various matrices (surface water, wastewater, suspended solids, sediments)
• The application of GC-MS techniques for the quantification of environmental pollutants
• The application of a wide range of extraction instruments such as SPE (Solid-phase extraction), SPME (Solid-Phase microextraction), ultrasonic extraction, etc.

PhD Agnė Jucytė-Čičinė

• Endocrine disruptive micropollutants sources, transport and detection in the sewage system
• Development of new Analytical and Biochemical methods for micropollutants detection and quantification in raw and treated wastewater
• Development of solid phase extraction techniques and sample preparation for pharmaceuticals and estrogenic substances in waste water.
• Waste water effects on ecosystems and non- targetted micropollutants identification by high resolution liquid chromatography with mass spectrometer application.