Key research themes
1. How do environmental stressors like flow intermittence and salinization influence life-history traits and population dynamics of freshwater fish in arid and semi-arid regions?
This theme investigates the adaptive life-history strategies and population responses of freshwater ichthyofauna to challenging abiotic factors such as flow cessation, habitat fragmentation, and increasing salinity in intermittent river systems prevalent in arid and semi-arid regions, particularly focusing on African and Mediterranean basins. Understanding these adaptations is critical for conservation biology and management of endemic and relict species facing climate variability and anthropogenic pressures.
2. What are the current methods and challenges in assessing population dynamics and sustainable fishery management of native and economically important freshwater fish species?
This theme addresses quantitative assessment techniques for population parameters such as growth rates, mortality, recruitment, and exploitation levels of freshwater fish species to inform sustainable fishery management. It encompasses case studies focusing on data collection methods, use of growth models (e.g. von Bertalanffy), mortality estimation, and exploitation rate evaluation, particularly for species of conservation concern or economic value in Southeast Asia and North America.
3. How can ichnological methodologies, including 3D modeling and trace fossil analysis, advance our understanding of vertebrate and invertebrate behavior in both modern and fossil contexts?
This theme explores state-of-the-art ichnological methods focusing on the creation and application of statistically generated morphotypes via 3D modeling ('mediotypes' and 'stat-tracks'), and the study of trace fossils (ichnology) for reconstructing ancient organism behavior and paleoecology. It emphasizes the role of high-resolution data, morphometric variability analysis, and paleontological trace interpretation that informs evolutionary, ecological, and stratigraphic studies.