A. Malej participated as a member of the WG that was originally composed of 24 members from USA, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Japan, Slovenia, and the UK. The main aims of the WG were to develop a global gelatinous plankton database, to analyse trends globally and to assess the impacts of blooms. Deliverables include group publications, educational information and public seminars. Three group papers (below) with co-authorship of A. Malej were published in 2012 and 2013 and already have 99 citations (CI WoS). Condon R.H., W.M. Graham, A. Malej et al. (17 A.) 2012. Questioning the rise of gelatinous zooplankton in the world's oceans. Bioscience 62: 160-169. COBISS.SI-ID 2501711 Condon R.H., C.M. Duarte, A. Malej et al. (22 A.) 2013. Recurrent jellyfish blooms are a consequence of global oscillations. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 110: 1000-1005. COBISS.SI-ID 2703695 Duarte C.M., K.A. Pitt, A. Malej et al. (20 A.). 2013. Is global ocean sprawl a cause of jellyfish blooms? Front. Ecol. Environ. 11: 91-97. COBISS.SI-ID 2629455
D.03 Membership in foreign/international boards/committees
COBISS.SI-ID: 2703695Members of the program research team were mentors/comentors in 15 doctoral, 23 master's and 72 graduation theses between 2009 and 2014 for which candidates carried out research on topics covered by our research program. They also imparted their knowledge teaching university courses on oceanography and marine meteorology, marine biology, marine ecology, gelatinous plankton, microbial ecology, environmental biology, environmental microbiology and bioremediation, zoology, transport and environmental protection, marine resources and coastal zone management.
D.09 Tutoring for postgraduate students
The Water Framework Directive obliges EU Member States to achieve Good ecological status of waters by 2015. For coastal waters we developed a classification system to assess the Ecological Status of three biological elements: phytoplankton, macroalgae and benthic invertebrates on soft bottom. In addition, we developed some methodologies for supporting hydromorphological and physico-chemical elements. Finally, we successfully and actively participated in intercalibration groups for the Mediterranean Sea. Within the framework of the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) we prepared many extensive reports: the report for the initial assessment of the status of the Slovenian sea (under Article 8 of the MSFD), the report for the determination of Good Environmental Status (under Article 9 of the MSFD), the report for Environmental targets (under Article 10 of the MSFD), and the report for the establishment of the monitoring program of seawaters (under Article 11 of the MSFD). To assess the status of the sea, we tested methods that were proposed at the Mediterranean level, and we upgraded the ones that were not appropriate for our environment. Furthermore, we developed methodologies for those biological elements where there was nothing developed yet. Our scientific work was therefore continuously related to the needs of the implementation of these two important directives. For all the proposed elements and methodologies a further coordination at the level of regions or subregions will be needed. In addition to scientific-development tasks, we actively participated in the preparation of materials for the public and we participated to international meetings. With our results we have contributed to the understanding of processes and changes in the Slovenian sea, which is very important to anticipate the negative consequences and timely action.
F.23 Development of new system-wide, normative and programme solutions, and methods
The present oceanographic buoy equipped with various measurement equipment was setup in its current location in the eastern part of the Gulf of Trieste (45° 32' 55,68'' N, 13° 33' 1,89'' E) at the end of 2008 in order to create an information system on the marine environment. The development and setup of this infrastructure has enabled us to become members of an important network of institutions offering information services on the marine environment (http://gnoo.bo.ingv.it/myocean/calval/; http://www.seadatanet.org/Metadata/EDIOS-Observing-systems; http://www.emodnet-physics.eu/map/). Our own know how in cooperation with local Slovenian SMEs plays a significant part in the observation system upgrade and places us among the producers of oceanographic measurement(?) in the harsh marine environment. In addition to being available to the public, the results have been used in at least 10 scientific publications. Programme group members are also active in NODC IODE (National Oceanographic Data Centre/International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange http://www.iode.org/datacentres). From 2009 to 2014 the buoy webpage was visited by over 1,6 million users, over 78% of whom visit the webpage regularly. Over 5000 users downloaded the application programmed for buoy data display and released for smart phones using the Android operation system.
F.11 Development of a new service
We organised the 11th Symposium on Aquatic Microbial Ecology and a member of the program research group (V. Turk) was chairperson of the organising committee. The program consisted of ten sessions focused on microbes and microbial biogeochemical cycles, organic matter transformation, sediment microbiology, climate change and aquatic microbes, microbial interactions and communication, viral ecology and modelling. A book of the abstracts was published in advance and was available on the symposium web page. 210 participants from 30 countries attended.
B.01 Organiser of a scientific meeting