Evita Strode
Researcher, Experimental hydrobiology department
Researcher, Experimental hydrobiology department
Main research topics – health of aquatic ecosystems, studies of ecotoxicity and biological effects, biological indicators, HELCOM potential indicator – reproductive disorders in amphipoda The research work combines both laboratory and field work – planning expeditions and experiments, collecting silt and sediment samples, sample preparation and test organism cultivation in order to determine the toxicity of potential pollutants and evaluation of its impact on the environment, determining its acute or chronic effect on the survival of aquatic organisms, growth, reproduction, oxidative and neurological stress. The use of biomarkers (including reproductive quality) helps to detect the toxic effects at the lowest biological levels, to determine the state of environmental quality and the impact of pollution on biological resources. Several countries are already conducting pilot studies to offer such indicators in monitoring programmes. Research activities include project implementation, management, writing proposals and serving as an expert on biological effects in HELCOM and OSPAR working groups. Responsibilities at LIAE are linked to the implementation of projects related to biomarker research (detection of biological effects, including deformation amphipoda embryos) and public awareness of the relevance of methods for their application in the determination of environmental quality.
New approaches in determining the impacts of chemical pollution to protect the biodiversity of the Baltic Sea (Detect2Protect);
Application of biological effects methods in monitoring and assessment of contaminants in the Baltic Sea (BEACON);
Jūras ūdeņu monitorings (Monitorings), Pharmaceuticals in wastewaters – levels, impacts and reduction”
(LLI – 527) (MEDWwater).