The Oceanography Laboratory of the University of Thessaly was founded in 1995 (PD 50 / Government Gazette 38 / 22-02-1995) and covers teaching and research needs in the subjects of marine biology and oceanography such as the study of the qualitative and quantitative composition of marine ecosystems. as well as the productivity and the mechanisms that control it, the pollution of the marine environment and the assessment of its biological impact, the economic assessment of the value of marine biodiversity in the context of the principles of conservation of the marine environment while achieving sustainable development.
It consists of faculty members, PhD candidates and technical staff with main research and teaching interests covering the wide range of Marine Biology and Oceanography. Its modern and quality facilities and equipment make it capable of providing high-level education, (both undergraduate and postgraduate and on doctoral level), but also of elaborating and implementing important national and international research projects/programs.
Bachelor Level Courses
The courses taught by the faculty members and the collaborators of the Oceanography Laboratory at the undergraduate level, in the context of the subjects provided by the Presidential Decree of its establishment, are the following:
- Oceanography
- Zoology
- Ecology
- Marine Biology
- Histology
- Biodiversity
- Geochemistry
- Ecotoxicology
- Fisheries
- Ichthyology
- Biostatistics
- Informatics - Mathematics
- Microbiology
- Microbial Ecology of Aquatic Ecosystems
- Aquaculture and environment
- Aquaculture constructions
- Fishery Reserves Management
- Valuation and Accounting
- Marine Benthic Ecosystems
- Dynamic Oceanography and Marine Ecosystems
- Applied Ecophysiology
- Economy and valuation of environment and natural resources.
- Investment Evaluation
- Methodology of economic valuation of water resources
- Financial Analysis of Ecosystem Services
- Special Topics in Statistics
- Environmental Geochemistry
- Coastal Geomorphology
- Environmental Design
- Applications of aquatic microorganisms
- Remote Sensing - Geographic Information Systems
- Meteorology - Climatology
Laboratory Personnel
The Oceanography Laboratory consists of its director, the faculty members whose subject matter is related to that of the laboratory, research and technical staff as well as external-contracting teaching staff. At the same time, it supports doctoral candidates, postgraduate students and undergraduate students who prepare respective dissertations.
Laboratory Director
• Dimitrios Vafidis, Professor
Expertise: Biodiversity of Marine Benthic Invertebrates and their direct-indirect usefulness
Teaching and Research faculty members
- Konstantinos Kormas, Professor
Expertise: «Microbial Ecology of the Aquatic Environment»
• Steriani Matsiori, Associate Professor
Expertise: « Natural Resources Estimate »
• Konstantinos Skordas, Associate Professor
Expertise: « Environmental Geochemistry »
• Nicholas Neofitou, Associate Professor
Expertise: « Aquaculture and the Environment »
• Dimitrios Klaoudatos, Assistant Professor
Expertise: Fishing
Specialized Teaching Staff:
- Hristos Domenikiotis (UΕ, Ph.D.)
Expertise: Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems
• Sofoklis Dritsas (UΕ, Ph.D.)
Expertise: Economic demographics and natural resources in the context of climate change
Hrisoula Apostologamvrou (TE, M.Sc.)
Specialized Technical Staff:
• Alexandra Petrotou (UΕ M.Sc.)
University research fellows:
• Alexios Lolas (PhD).
Post-Doc Fellows:
- Konstantinos Fidantsis (PhD)
Research Interests
The Oceanography Laboratory deals with a wide range of topics related to the sustainable management of the coastal zone and aquatic ecosystems. In particular, the main research interests of the Laboratory are:
- Monitoring of abiotic parameters of the marine environment.
- Study and recording of organic and ecological marine biodiversity.
- Study of the population characteristics of benthic species and the factors that affect them.
- Study of benthic plant- and animal-societies and their interactions with the abiotic parameters in time.
- Estimation of fish age, ratios of skeletal structure radius and body length, retrospective length calculation by age.
- Length-weight relationship, main growth models and methods for estimating mortality growth parameters, definition and types of mortality and methods for estimating it.
- Stages of embryonic maturation, methods of estimating the age and length of first genital maturation and methods of estimating the fertility of fish.
- Mapping of seabed habitats using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
- Study of the effect of abiotic parameters on the metabolism of marine organisms in laboratory conditions.
- Experimental microbial ecology and microbial field ecology
- Symbiotic relationships of microorganisms
- Bacteria, Archaea, unicellular eukaryotic organisms
- Aggregation and pollution of land - marine sediments and the effects on benthic organisms
- Bioaccumulation of metals and metalloids in aquatic organisms,
- Groundwater and surface water quality and salinization of groundwater aquifers
- Detection and assessment of the burden and pollution of the environment by heavy metals and metalloids, the identification of their sources and their impact on the environment.
Expertise and Equipment
The Oceanography Laboratory has modern equipment that serves the educational and research needs. In particular, it has the know-how and the equipment for:
Optical Microscopy
The Oceanography Laboratory has specialized know-how for the histological and histopathological study of aquatic organisms. The available instruments for the histological studies are:
- Optical microscopes equipped with imaging cameras
- Istokineta (synergy with Ichthyology Laboratory)
- Device for scanning histological samples (synergy with Ichthyology Laboratory)
- Histological section staining system (synergy with Ichthyology Laboratory)
- Microtome (synergy with Ichthyology Laboratory)
- Super-microtome
- Incubation oven
Environmental Geochemistry
The Oceanography Laboratory provides specialized know-how for the detection, burden and pollution of the environment by heavy metals and metalloids as well as the identification of their sources of origin and the effects on the environment. The available instruments of the Laboratory are:
- Atomic absorption AAS PERKIN ELMER (flame and toner oven techniques)
- Multiwave 3000 sample digester
- Garmin handheld GPS
- Portable instrument for measuring pH, DO, EC etc.
- Sample storage cold room -4 οC
- Accuracy balance of 3 decimal places
- Sample stirring bank
Assessment and recording of marine biodiversity
The Oceanography Laboratory has specialized know-how for the assessment, recording and distribution of biodiversity, both in space and time, in coastal benthic ecosystems. Available equipment includes:
- Benthos samplers (Van Veen, Ekman).
- Stereoscopes, microscopes, image analysis and photographic data instruments.
- Rheumatograph
- Multi-Parameter Submersible Recorder (CTD).
- Digital portable measuring instruments (temperature, salinity, oxygen, pH).
- Measurement of analytical and digital scales.
- Diving equipment (SCUBA Diving)
Control of the environmental impact of aquaculture
The Oceanography Laboratory has specialized know-how for the monitoring of biotic and abiotic parameters of the aquatic environment, both in the field and through the use of remote sensing, recording the pollution of the aquatic environment and its effects on the marine ecosystem. The available equipment includes:
- Multi-Parameter Submersible Recorder (CTD).
- Rheumatographers
- Digital portable measuring instruments (temperature, salinity, oxygen, pH BOD)
- Diving equipment
- Special stainless steel study cages for benthic organisms in the field
- Water and sediment samples
- Spectrophotometer
- Water distiller
- Simple stereoscopes and Stereoscope with camera
- Water bath
- Drying furnace and combustion furnace
- Freezers,
- Aquarium systems,
- Lyophilizer
- Polyethylene boat with outboard engines and electric boat engine
Microbial ecology
The Oceanography Laboratory has modern equipment for Omics technologies and specialized know-how for experimental microbial ecology and microbial field ecology. Specifically, the laboratory has:
- Field equipment for sampling of plankton and microorganisms from lake and coastal systems \
- Laboratory equipment for molecular analysis of microbial diversity (from field to bioinformatics analysis)