Kalina Manoylov

The fundamental questions that dominate my research: Are microbial organisms globally spread and selected by contemporary local environmental forces; or do historical events such as dispersal limitation, invasion sequence or past environmental conditions shape biogeographical patterns? Which are the processes leading to genetic divergence and speciation in aquatic microorganisms? More specifically my primary research is guided from the following questions: what traits give advantages in algal species interactions within algal communities; and what are the factors causing changes in algal species abundance and distribution. I am very interested in understanding morphological changes in algae and the conservative principles in algal taxonomy, particularly that of diatoms. The approaches that I take to understanding the patterns and processes in benthic algal communities are to assess multi-species interactions and community traits over different spatial and temporal scales and environmental conditions. I am using algal community data to understand environmental changes and anthropogenic effects in different aquatic environments. With my research I directly relate the changes human bring to nature and the results in the primary producer communities as changes in biodiversity and species compositions. Those direct cause and effect relationships are understandable by the public and sought after by the policy makers.