Mission and vision

• to define biological and biochemical changes in indigenous aquatic organisms (bivalves and fish) caused by essential and non-essential metals, using integrated biological and chemical approach
• to apply interdisciplinary skills and knowledge for implementation of WFD and MSFD to achieve and maintain good environmental status of Croatian natural waters

 Research topics

• assessment of metal bioavailability in aquatic environment using passive samplers for metals and cytosolic metal levels in tissues of aquatic organisms
• investigation of inducibility, polymorphism and metal-binding properties of metallothioneins (MTs)
• assessment of natural and metal induced variability of MTs and their application in marine, estuarine and freshwater organisms (bivalves and fish) as a biomarker of exposure to metals
• use of fish intestine parasites (Acanthocephala) as indicators of fish exposure to dietborne metals
• application of cellular energy allocation in bivalves from estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems to assess the natural or anthropogenic stress
• application of chromatographic and metal analyses to characterise protein and metal profiles in the cytosols of aquatic organisms
• integration of the collected biological and chemical data to differentiate the impact of natural factors from the anthropogenic impact on the studied biomarkers

  Publications

• Original scientific papers and other publications (1996-2002)
• Original scientific papers and other publications (2002-2006)
• Original scientific papers and other publications (2007-        )