Research Team: Team of Reproduction and Development in Fish

Place of Work: Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research

Keywords: aquaculture, Eurasian perch, circadian rhythms, early life stages, developmental chronobilogy

Research Focus:

(Start with a brief introduction of your past research leading to your current work and what you aim to achieve by the end of your PhD).

My research centers on how environmental cues – especially light – shape the biology of aquatic organisms. I’m particularly interested in how organisms respond to natural and altered light conditions, including the increasingly relevant issue of artificial light at night (ALAN). During my master’s studies, I contributed to the international project called GAME (Global Approach by Modular Experiments), led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel, where we investigated the impact of ALAN on marine sessile hardbottom communities across the world.

Currently, my PhD project is entitled Exploration of the Development, Role, and Functioning of the Circadian Rhythm in Early Life Stages of Perca fluviatilis. I focus on understanding when and how these fish begin to perceive and respond to daily light cycles. Using controlled light experiments and molecular tools such as qPCR, transcriptomics, and proteomics, I aim to expand the current knowledge on key biological processes and potentialy identify new circadian biomarkers. This work not only advances our knowledge of fish developmental biology but also supports sustainable aquaculture and provides insights into the ecological consequences of light pollution.

Publications/participations:

Horváth, Á., Jug-Dujaković, J., Radočaj, T., Barić, O., Špelić, I., Balogh, R. E., Lefler, K. K., Kitanović, N., Marinović, Z., Urbányi, B., & Gavrilović, A. (2024). Cryopreservation of European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) larvae using a controlled-rate freezer. Aquaculture, 587, 740887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2024.740887

​Barić, O., Radočaj, T., Conides, A., Kitanović, N., Jug-Dujaković, J., & Gavrilović, A. (2023). Functional Morphology as an Indicator of European Eel Population Status. Diversity, 15(12), 1223. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15121223