Team Lead
Interests: eco-physiology of algae (light acclimation, desiccation, N and C-uptake), algal taxonomy, ecology of alkaline-saline systems, applied phycology
Employees
Vera Hechtl
vera.hechtl@univie.ac.at
study assistant
I am the guardian of the algal culture collection. It is like gardening in the micro-format.
Students in alphabetical order
Sandra Anna Barilits
sandra.anna.barilits@univie.ac.at
Danube water discharge into Lake Neusiedl - effects on turbidity and chemistry
The water level of the lake Neusiedlersee has dramatically dropped in the recent past due to climate change. I will focus in possible effects of supplementing lake water with Danube water, which is currently discussed as a solution to prevent the lake from drying. I will pay special attention to absorption, scattering and reflection properties, which are expected to change.
Jasmin Böhr
Danube water discharge into Lake Neusiedl - effects on turbidity and chemistry
The lake Neusiedlersee is decreasing since a few years due to climate change. One possible solution to overcome this problem is adding Danube water, which however might have a significant environmental impact. I will focus on shifts in the pelagic community during mixing experiments of lake water with Danube water.
Nil Eifler
Ecology of the rare freshwater rhodophyte Kyliniella latvica
The rare freshwater rhodophyte Kyliniella latvica was very recently dicovered in the Danubian backwater Kaiserwasser. The focus of my work is on cultivation, life cycle and autecology of this species. As this taxon is mainly found during winter time, it could be a cold stenothermic organism, which I will test in laboratory experiments.
Henrik Engelke
MZB communities of hard structural flood controls and near-natural condition of the riverbed Wienfluss - a comparison (co-supervision Carina Zittra)
My studies focus on macrozoobenthos communities (MZB) in the river "Wien". Using the multi-habitat sampling (MHS) method, I collected samples from the heavily modified, channeled, embanked river in Hütteldorf (Vienna) and from a partially renaturalised area located upstream in Purkersdorf (Lower Austria). The aim of my research is to evaluate the effects of renaturalisation measures on MZB communities.
Christina Guggenbichler
Mapping macrophyte communities in the vicinity of Freudenau Power Plant
I study macrophyte communities in human-made riverbank structures near the Freudenau Power Plant. The spatial and temporal distribution of the communities within the bay habitats is being assessed to evaluate their effectiveness as compensatory measures.
Alexander Kaptejna "Der Berliner"
Motion of the filamentous cyanoprokaryote Limnospira fusiformis
The filamentous cyanobacterium Limnospira fusiformis (formerly Arthrospira fusiformis and Sprulina platensis) shows motiliy on submerged surfaces. I study movement at high viscosity medium, and irradiance a possible trigger for movement, and search for differences between strains originating from East African saline lakes. The phenomenon may be interpreted from an ecological perspective: darkness impedes photosynthesis, therefore filaments start to move around to enhance light supply.
Michael Lintner
Feeding experiments with Cribroelphidium selseyense at different light exposure rhythms
Foraminifera are very abundant marine protists. I will test if the factor light influences foraminiferal metabolisms, which neither host symbionts nor kleptoplasts. A pilot study indicated that changes in light intensity might lead to significant differences in the food uptake. This pattern might be explained by a better food supply during light periods.
Andrea Musonne
Ecophysiology of the areophytic alga Trentepohlia aurea
Trentepohlia aurea is a prominent alga occurring as an orange cover on rocky substrate. Some Trentepohlia -spots have a size of several square meters and cannot be overlooked. The color is due to intracellular carotenoid and oil droplets, which mask the greenish color of chloroplasts. Although the plant is quite common in prealpine areas, very little is known about its ecology. It seems that the plant is restricted to habitats of a certain humidity, maybe to locations with regular dew formation. We will dip into the ecophysiology of this fascinating organism.
Rainer Siedler
Use of phototrophic biofilms for pond detrophication
Biofilms remove nutrients and particles from the water column and therefore can be applied for water purification. A promising application is cleaning of swimming ponds. A potential positive side effect is using the harvested biofilms as fertilizer.
Lena Sax
Algal community structure in the danube (Alte Donau) with special focus on Gloeotaenium
In recent years, the presence of the green freshwater algae Gloetanenium (Oocysatceae) has been observed in the Alte Donau during warmer periods. Its occurrence in this region is not understood because it is only common in tropical regions. Reasons for this could be due to rising temperatures attributed to climate change. The focus of my work is analyzing algal community structure through sampling phytoplankton and macrophytes.
Lena Streicher
Inorganic carbon uptake of the freshwater rhodophyte Bangia atropurpurea
The filamentous rhotophyte Bangia atropurpurea thrives at the air-water interface along the rocky riverbanks of the Danube. While plants exposed to air use CO2 as their carbon source, submerged plants primarily use HCO3- as it is the abundant inorganic C source in slightly alkaline water. Because Bangia is frequently exposed to air and therefore benefits from a higher availability of CO2, I focus on the question, if Bangia has lost its ability for HCO3- uptake.
