Laboratory of Ichthyology and Aquaculture

The history of the laboratory and ichthyology researches in our republic dates with the 1947 year, the year of creation of Zoology Section of Science Academy Base from the USSR, of science researches in Moldova, its head being the academic M.F. Iaroșenco. Further, in 1961, with the founding of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, the laboratory, as the structural unity of Zoology Institute conducted fundamental and applicable scientific researches for the  inventory of the republic ichthyofauna, for the elaboration of the perspective forecast of the functional state of aquatic ecosystems and the recommendations for the increase of fish productivity in the aquatic objectives of the republic.

For the first time in the Experimental Ichthyology Laboratory of the Zoology Institute of the Science Academy of the Republic of Moldova, were achieved researches of acclimatization of the American catfish (Ictalurus punctatus Raf.) in the water pools of the Republic of Moldova.

For the first time were achieved multilateral researches of the biology of the American catfish (Ictalurus punctatus Raf.), were created the biological bases of acclimatization, were materialized some biotechnological elements of breeding and growth of this fish in different kinds of water pools in Moldova.  The research results permitted the approval obtaining of the Ichthyological Comission of the Ministry of Fisheries of the former Soviet Union and served to the foundation of the biological bases of acclimatization of the American catfish in the refrigerant lake of the Thermal Power Plant in Moldova. In the mentioned investigations were elaborated the criteria of selection of age structure of the American catfish for the aquatic ecosystems population of various types and its use in the quality of biological breeder.

Another important project for the aquatic ecosystems in the Republic of Moldova , achieved by the laboratory researches was that of the sturgeon restocking of the inferior area of the Nistru river. Installations for reproduction in natural and artificial conditions of various fish species were elaborated, assembled and implemented, including the endangered species which are in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova. The researches of the Zoology Institute, in common with the employees of the S.R.L. “ACVATIR” of Tiraspol, in 2009 stocked the Nistru  with 50000 specimens of sturgeon spawn, Acipenser guldenstaedtii, a species included in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova, protected at European and international level.

In the laboratory were obtained mainly new knowledge concerning fish fauna, through the integration of the ecological methods in the classic ichthyological investigations in order to reveal the relational particularities at different levels of superindividual organization and  subindividual integration, of deciphering the mechanisms of maintenance of ecosystem stability and of the elaboration of a sustainable strategy of efficient and rational capitalization of fish fund. For the first time was evaluated the reproductive potential at some allogeneic and intervening species of fish, such as: Lepomis gibbosus (Linnaeus, 1758), Pseudorasbora parva (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846), Perccottus glenii Dybowski, 1877, Gasterosteus aculeatus Linnaeus, 1758, Syngnathus abaster Risso, 1827, Ponticola kessleri (Gunther, 1861), Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814), Neogobius fluviatilis ( Pallas, 1814) through histological investigations.

The descriptions of the ichthyofauna was included as component part in various publications of laboratory researchers, including in the collective monograph in 6 volumes ,,Животный мир Молдавии” (“The Animal World of Moldova”), “ The Red Book of Moldova”, the II and the III editions and others. Together were published about 1000 scientific works, 8 collections and 16 monographs, including “ The Animal World of the Republic of Moldova”, mentioned with the National Prize in the field of science (2013), 45 practical recommendations for the national economy, were obtained over 40 patents at different National and International Salons and Exhibitions.

Profesorul Marin Usatîi cu discipolii dr. hab. Dumiru Bulat  și dr. Denis Bulat

Dl. dr. hab. Marin Usatîi cu discipolii Vatavu Dumitru și Cebotari Andrei

Project in progress:

1. 20.80009.7007.06 Determining the changes of aquatic environment, assessing the migration and impact of pollutants, establishing the patterns of the functioning of hydrobiocenoses and preventing the negative effects on ecosystems – AQUABIO / project within the State Program 2020-2023
2. eMS BSB 165 Creating a system of innovative transboundary monitoring of the Black Sea river ecosystems transformation under impacts of hydropower development and climate change, HydroEcoNex/ UE ENI CBC Joint Operational Programme Black Sea Basin 2014-2020 (2018-2021)
3. eMS BSB 27 Black Sea Basin interdisciplinary cooperation network for sustainable joint monitoring of environmental toxicants migration, improved evaluation of ecological state and human health impact of harmful substances, and public exposure, MONITOX/ UE ENI CBC Joint Operational Programme Black Sea Basin 2014-2020 (2018-2021)
    

Finalised projects:

1. 15.817.02.27 A. Establishing the structure, functioning, tolerance of hydrobiont communities and developing the scientific principles of the management of bioproductivity of aquatic ecosystems –AQUASYS/ applicative institutional project (2015-2019)
2. 18.51.07.08A/PS System of monitoring of the quality of fishery products to ensure food security in the Republic of Moldova/  project within the State Program „Food security and safety during the period of demographic transition” (2018-2019)
3. MIS ETC 1676 Cross-border interdisciplinary cooperation for the prevention of natural disasters and mitigation of environmental pollution in Lower Danube Euroregion –INPOLDE/ Joint Operational Program Romania-Ukraine-Republic of Moldova 2007-2013, (2013-2015) 
4. MIS ETC 1150 Project resources pilot centre for cross-border preservation of the aquatic biodiversity of Prut River/ Joint Operational Program Romania-Ukraine-Republic of Moldova 2007-2013 (2012-2015)
5. 11.817.08.15A Assessment of diversity, peculiarities of ecological successions, and elaboration on the methodology of integrated monitoring of aquatic ecosystems in the context of the European Directives/ applicative institutional project (2011-2014) 
6. 10.08.079F  Biological invasions and their impact on the diversity, structure and functioning of natural and anthropic ecosystems in the Republic of Moldova/ fundamental institutional project (2011-2014)
7. 11.819.08.04A Assessment of the diversity, structure and functional status of wetland ichthyocenoses in the aquatic ecosystems of the Lower Prut / project for young researchers, (2011-2012).

Scientific Contracts:

• 03/2027 CS  Biological argumentation of the aquatic basin fishing productivity on the territory of Gheleuza village rn. Straseni.
• 05/2017 CS Theoretical-scientific counting of the fish breeded in the lake located in the village of Popestii-de-Sus, Drochia district after it being populated in the Spring of 2008 and 2011 years.
• 06/2017 CS Biologic argumentation of the lake’s natural productivity in Horodca village.
• 05/2018 CS Determining the specific composition of the ichthyofauna in  Javgur pond (Cimislia disctrict) and elaborating the measures to increase the fish productivity.
• 08/2018 CS The qualitative composition of the ichthyofauna and the quantitative state of the phytoplankton and zooplankton in the Raut river (Domulgeni - Cazanesti section) during the years of 2002-2017 and the current situation of the fish populations.
• 05/2019 CS The specific composition of the ichthyofauna in the Darurile Basarabiei ponds and the elaboration of measures to increase the fish productivity.
• 08/2019 CS The specific composition of the ichthyofauna in the Javgur pond and the elaboration of measures to increase productivity.