details
- Name
- Institute of Ecology of Nature Research Centre
- Native name
- Gamtos tyrimų centro Ekologijos institutas
- Address
- Institute of Ecology of Vilnius University Akademijos g. 2
- Zipcode
- LT-08412
- City
- Vilnius
- Country
- Lithuania
- Phone
- +370 5 2729107
- Fax
- +370 5 2729107
- ekoi@ekoi.lt
- Centre Website
- http://www.ekoi.lt
organisation profile
The Institute of Ecology of Nature Research Centre (former Institute of Ecology of Vilnius University) is a state-financed institution. Going through the seventh decade of its operation, the Institute conducts scientific studies of international significance in ecology, zoology, animal physiology, genetics, ethology and parasitology. Fundamental research conducted by the Institute is in line with priorities of the most recent global scientific trends. The latest scientific activities cover the functioning of ecosystems and their components, including their sensitivity, vulnerability, adaptation and microevolution patterns and mechanisms in the environment under global change and anthropogenic impact; physiological and ethological mechanisms of animal population control and communication as well as the role of parasites in ecosystems.
Institute is a major contributor when it comes to implementing a national ecological monitoring, submitting recommendations and proposals for environmental quality improvements, and mitigating anthropogenic and global climate change impacts. The Institute scientists were involved in the work of harmonizing Lithuanian legislation with EU law, performed territorial selection for the NATURA 2000 European Project, and designed administration plans and measures for selected territories. Further activities include reports on national and regional biodiversity studies, and the implementation of the UNFCCC. Nine laboratories, a strong experimental bases (6 stationary units, experimental aquarium, two seagoing experimental ships, the GIS Centre gradually winning a wider recognition in the Baltic Sea region), and a powerful academic potential – 64 scientists (9 of them are habilitated doctors and professors, 47 – doctors and lecturers, while all in all the Institute employs 140 people) allows the performance of highly complex tasks. The list of the contractors includes not only local ministries, municipalities, companies or organizations, but also numerous international organizations and funds: NATO, PHARE, OMPO, UNESCO, US Department of State, UNDP, GEF, UNEP, etc. The Institute participates in the EU FP5 and FP6 research projects. A close international cooperation takes place in the following activities: the monitoring of the Baltic Sea littoral and fish; preparation of recommendations for fishing quotas; development of research in response of fish species and assemblages to various types of human pressures; selection of metrics, the most sensitive to human pressure in the rivers; development of fish based multi-metric method for assessment of ecological status of rivers; development of biomarkers to assess the environmental health of marine and freshwater ecosystems; genotoxicity research into various organic compounds found in fish and mollusk tissues; genotoxicity assessment of oil pollution in the ecosystems of the North, Baltic, Barents, Mediterranean Seas and the Atlantic Ocean; search for oil-decomposing microorganisms and their identification by DNA sequencing methods; development of new geoinformation technologies applied in ecological and landscape research; special studies into the impact of global climate change on ecosystems, habitats, communities, species and their adaptation capabilities; preparation of recommendations for mitigation measures.
results in other services
edmo metadata
- EDMO record id
- 1115
- Collating centre
- Department of Marine Research of the Environmental Protection Agency
- Latest update
- 27 February 2017 9:56:26 AM