Module A: Aquatic Ecology

1. Module A: Aquatic Ecology 1. Aquatic Ecotoxicology 2. Aquatic Ecology and Nature Protection Ekaterina Movchan Assistant professor Dept. of Ichtyology and Hydrobiology St.Petersburg state University

2. Aquatic Ecotoxicology(Dept. of Microbiology SPbU) • Principles of Aquatic Ecotoxicology • Purification Technologies and Quality Control of Tap Water • Bioremediation of Polluted Waters • Heavy Metals in Aquatic Ecosystems

3. Principles of Aquatic Ecotoxicology 4 ECTS course director – A.Falamin Course objective • to provide basic knowledge on anthropogenic pollutants affecting aquatic ecosystems; • to give an overview of modern methods of evaluating toxicants influence on aquatic organisms, populations, communities; • to discuss TRIAD as a complex modern approach to ecological risk assessment. Course content • The course starts from brief overview of pollutants, its main industrial resources and ways of circulation in ecosystems. Then the mechanisms of toxicants interaction with aquatic organisms including its biotransformation will be discussed. • Some special aspects main for our understanding of the processes that take place in aquatic ecosystems will be emphasized. These are: the problem of availability of toxicants to aquatic organisms, the peculiarity of combined action of different ecological factors, the difficulties of extrapolation of laboratory research data to natural ecosystems. • The second part of the course deals with some modern methods of pollutants toxicity measurement on organism, population and community level. • The TRIAD as an integrated practical approach to ecological risk assessment will be discussed in the final part of the course. Teaching forms • include lectures and seminars. The attendance of the seminars is obligatory.

4. Purification Technologies and Quality Control of Tap Water3 ECTS course director – A.Falamin Course objective • to compare water purification and distribution systems in different countries. • to teach students to evaluate the quality of tap water using different chemical and ecological methods. Course content • The course discuss general principles of organization of water purification and distribution systems in Russia and other countries; make clear main disadvantages of water chlorination procedure accepted in modern Russia; give an overview of existing standards of tap water quality according to the State Sanitary Regulations. • In practical part of the course students will master some methods of different pollutants concentration measurement in tap water and main water bodies of Saint-Petersburg, test the toxicity effect of such waters on laboratory model objects (Daphnia magna, strains of Chlorella spp.) and natural bacterial communities. • The course also include some statistical methods which are useful to verify data of reports of Governmental Water Management Organization and sanitation centers analysis. Teaching forms • include lectures, seminars and practical work. Practical work is devoted to determination of pollutant concentration in water before (water bodies of different districts of Saint-Petersburg) and after (tap water) purification and its toxicity to aquatic organisms.

5. Bioremediation of Polluted Waters4 ECTS course director – prof. K.Kvitko Course objective • to provide basic knowledge on the function of Algae - Bacteria associations as main actors of turnover of xenobiotics in soil water films and in upper and bottom water layers in polluted spots of biosphere. The xenobiotics inhibitors and as new substrates for getting energy and biogens. • to study the structure of natural populations of microorganisms in process of xenobiotics destruction of technogenic origins. • to form the basis of professional skills in investigation, analysis and performance of bioremediation. Course content • Microbial ecology, focus on freshwaters ecosystems (ES), and on common trait of all others ES. • Outline of Proposed Bioremediation Process. Description of the microbiology of the bioremediation process. Anaerobic reductive degradation. Aerobic oxidative degradation. Description of environmental conditions. Monitoring procedures. Alternate treatment methods.Time and cost estimation. Teaching forms • Teaching will be done by lectures, group exercises, seminars and (after special equipment’s) practical work. The student’s presence at seminars and practical work is obligatory.

6. Heavy Metals in Aquatic Ecosystems4 ECTS course director – A.Falamin Course objective • to provide basic information on heavy metals and metalloid pollution of aquatic ecosystems. • to give an overview of microbial interactions with heavy metals. • to stimulate students to create new ideas for purification of polluted waters using methods of biotechnology. Course content • The course will offer an overview of natural and industrial resourses of heavy metals and metalloids pollution, routes of its circulation in aquatic ecosystems and possible mechanisms of its toxic action on living organisms. • The main emphasis will be put on its interaction with bacterial communities (import, accumulation, excretion, redox transformations, formation of organic derivatives etc.) and the mechanisms of bacterial resistanse to heavy metals. • The final part of the course will be devoted to discussion of modern applications of these mechanisms for extraction of heavy metals and metalloids from waste waters. Teaching forms • include lectures, seminars and students creative projects. The projects should integrate the theorethical information provided by the course and aim for development of new methods of heavy metals extaction from waste waters.

7. Aquatic Ecology and Nature Protection(Dept. of Ichtyology and Hydrobiology SPbU) • Fundamentals of a Hydrobiology • Fundamentals of Water Ecosystems Functioning • Mathematical methods of data processing and planning of experiment • Biological resources of waters • Sanitary-technical Hydrobiology

8. Fundamentals of a Hydrobiology4 ECTS course director - prof. N.Maximovich Course objective: • to develop basic knowledge on aquatic ecology; • to give an overview diversity of water objects both their biotic and abiotic characteristics; • to give skills organization of scientific seminars. Course content • General Hydrobiology; • Fundamentals of Oceanology and Limnology; • Marine Regional Hydrobiology; • Hydrobiology of inland waters; • Anthropogenic modifications of water systems. Teaching forms: • lectures, laboratorial experiments and seminars. The attendance of the seminars and laboratorial experiments is obligatory.

9. Fundamentals of Water Ecosystems Functioning 3 ECTScourse director – assoc. prof. I.Stogov Course objective: • to develop of theoretical knowledge in aquatic ecology; • to discuss fundamentals of water ecosystems functioning; • to give an overview environmental contamination; • to discuss the hydrobionts role in transformation of waters (bioaccumulation, biomagnification et al.) and effects of biological self-refinement. Course content • Fundamentals of functioning water ecosystems • Eutrophication and contamination • Biological self-refinement of waters Teaching forms • include lectures and seminars. The attendance of the seminars is obligatory.

10. Mathematical Methods of Data Processing and Planning of Experiment 3 ECTS course director - prof. N.Maximovich Course objective • to consider water organisms as objects of quantitative researches; • to discuss sampling of plankton, benthos and nekton: quantitative methods; • to give advanced knowledge in statistical theories and theirs application. Course content • Descriptive statistics; • Linear and nonlinear regression models; • Analysis of variance (ANOVA), multivariance analysis of variance (MANOVA); • Multidimensional methods: Cluster, Factor and Discriminant analysis. Teaching forms • include lectures, seminar and individual exercises. The attendance of the seminars is obligatory. The practical individual exercises is obligatory. The course director will issue certificates to students who have completed the course.

11. Biological Resources of Waters3 ECTScourse director – assoc. prof. M.Ivanov Course objective • to receive submission about different of biological resources and their use; • to discuss biological fundamentals of a rational craft and aquaculture; • to evaluate perspectives of a modern hydrobiology as by a theoretical fundamentals of rational use of biological resources of waters. Course content • Biological resources of the seas and inland waters; • fishery and aquaculture; • Ecological safety of aquaculture. Teaching forms • include lectures and seminar. The attendance of the seminars is obligatory.

12. Sanitary-technical Hydrobiology 3 ECTScourse director – assist. prof. E.Movchan Course objective • to discuss problems of “Clear water”; • to develop of theoretical knowledge on Sanitary Hydrobiology; • to discuss the role of hydrobionts in the forming of water quality; • to consider main problems of water supply. Course content • Fundamentals of Rational Water Consumption; • Water Toxicology; • Bioindication and Biotesting; • Epibioses and Biodamage in a Water Environmental. Teaching forms • include lectures, seminars and excursions to "St.Petersburg Water Museum" and Central station of water aeration. The attendance of the seminars and excursions is obligatory.