Head of the laboratory:
Dragan Liudmyla
Ph.D of Biological Sciences
mobile: +38(067)739-32-74
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The laboratory has been created with a goal to carry out ecological studies of water, soils of inland water bodies and aquatic organisms, analysis of the effect of organic and mineral fertilizers on the development of natural food base of water bodies, detection of major pollutants in water bodies.

The importance of the laboratory activities is related to the fact that the efficiency of hydrobiont rearing rely heavily on the ecological state of water bodies. Currently, water bodies are continuously polluted by hazardous pollutants such as heavy metals, oil products, organochlorine pesticide, etc. The determination of pollutant levels is an important task because hydrobionts can transfer toxic substances to humans through the food chain. In addition, to meet the environmental legislation requirements, the organizations, the production activities of which has direct effect on the environment, have to perform in-house controls of both environmental pollution sources (effluent waters, industrial wastes from stationary pollution source, etc.) and nature objects (surface water bodies, bottoms, etc.). The main documents, which regulate the in-house control are Water and Land Codes of Ukraine, Law of Ukraine “On Environmental Protection”, Law of Ukraine “On the protection of atmospheric air”, Regulations on the collection of waste waters from the users to sewage system, Directives of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, guidelines, etc.

The methodology of the lab works is based on generally accepted methods of ecological, hydrochemical, toxicological studies, which are carried out in both laboratory and field conditions – on reservoirs and aquaculture enterprises.

Major areas of the laboratory activities:

1. creation and improvement of the methods used for complex fisheries studies adapted for specific conditions of the reservoirs of Ukraine;
2. modeling the ecological processes in water bodies of different purpose;
3. modeling the processes of dilution and mixing of the sewage waters of enterprises with surface natural waters;
4. development of normative documents on analytical ecological studies of the composition and properties of environmental components;
5. laboratory analytical ecological studies of water, soils and bottom sediments from water bodies of different purposes;
6. complex monitoring of the state of natural and artificial water objects;
7. environmental assessment of the quality of surface waters of Ukraine by classes and categories.

Propositions of services for individuals and legal entities:

• full chemical analysis of water quality;
• providing recommendations on the improvement of water quality for different purposes;
• consultative aid regarding the use of sorbents and reagents in water bodies;
• chemical analysis of soils;
• chemical analysis of frozen and chilled fish;
• chemical analysis of sewage waters and provision of recommendations on their purification.

The Laboratory of Ecological Studies of the Institute of Fisheries is attested by the State Enterprise “Ukrmetrteststandart” (attestation certificate № PT-223/13), has high qualified specialists, appropriate material and normative-methodical base for performing measurements of following parameters (according to the field of attestation):

surface waters, pond water, tank water (dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, pH, permanganate value, ammonium nitrogen, nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, total iron, ammonium, chlorides, sulphates, total hardness, calcium, potassium+sodium, mineralization, cadmium, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, manganese);

sewage (return) waters (odor, transparency, pH, ammonium nitrogen, nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, total iron, chlorides, sulphates, calcium, magnesium, mineralization);

frozen and chilled fish from inland water bodies (lead, cadmium, copper, zinc);

soils (lead, manganese, cadmium, copper, zinc);

drinking water (pH, permanganate value, ammonium nitrogen, nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, total iron, hydrocarbonates, chlorides, sulphates, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, mineralization.

The laboratory has prepared and improved a number of the methods for performing complex fisheries scientific studies adapted to the specific conditions of the water bodies of Ukraine.

Head of the laboratory:
Tetiana Grygorenko
Ph.D of Agricultural Sciences
моb.: +38(067)368-09-34
e-mail (head): This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The aim of the laboratory is the study of the development of natural food supplys for fish culture water bodies and search for new effective methods for its increase; study of diets and trophic relationships of various fish species; development of the technologies of the cultivation of valuable invertebrates.

The important task of the laboratory activity is an increase in biological productivity of fishponds by intensifying the development of natural food supplys for fish; improvement of already existing and search for new effective methods for increasing natural food supplys with the use of non-traditional environmentally-friendly fertilizers; assessment of aquatic environment safety based on hydrobiological parameters (bioindication of surface waters).

Studies are performed with the use of standard methods generally accepted in hydrobiology, microbiology, ichthyology and aquaculture.

Major areas of the laboratory activities:

1. studies of the peculiarities of the formation of natural feed supplies (bacterioplankton, phytoplankton, zooplankton, zoobenthos) in aquaculture water bodies;
2. studies of structural-functional characteristics and assessment of the productivity of hydrobiological communities when rearing fish with the use of different technologies in mono- and polyculture for determining the supply of fish with natural feeds;
3. search for new and improvement of already existing methods and ways for increasing the natural food supply in aquaculture water bodies;
4. increase of biological productivity of aquaculture water bodies by using non-traditional kinds of fertilizers;
5. development of methods for integrated management of bioproductive processes in aquaculture water bodies aimed at increasing the natural and total fish productivity;
6. studies of the diets of various fish species;
7. assessment of aquatic environment quality based on hydrobiological parameters.

Propositions of services for individuals and legal entities:

• integrated studies on the state of natural food supply (bacterio-, phyto-, zooplankton, zoobenthos) of aquaculture water bodies;
• development of recommendations on an increase in natural food supply in fishponds adapted for specific fish farms;
• consultations on industrial and laboratory cultivation of invertebrates for aquaculture needs (California worm, brine shrimp, daphnia, etc.)
• consultations on rearing valuable invertebrates (freshwater crayfish, freshwater (Ampullaria glauca) and terrestrial (Helix aspersа) snails).

Scientists of the laboratory have developed:

recommendations on the methods for increasing bioproductive potential of ponds by using new organic fertilizers (biocompost, riverm);

methodical recommendations on the use of brewers’ grains as non-traditional organic fertilizer in fishponds;

methodical recommendations on the use of alcohol industry wastes – grain wash as an organic fertilizer for increasing the development of natural food supply and fish productivity of fishponds when rearing cyprinid yearlings;

recommendations on the manufacture and use of vermiculture in pond aquaculture;

recommendations and biotechnical norms on the procurement and use of brine shrimp (Artemia salina L.) eggs;

technology of the breeding and rearing of freshwater snails (Ampullaria glauca);

recommendations and biotechnical norms on the breeding and rearing of Helix aspersа in closed premises;

recommendations and biological norms on the breeding and rearing of freshwater crayfish to the young-of-the-year stage.

Head of the laboratory:
Anna Kucheruk
Ph.D of Agricultural Sciences
mobile +38(096)132-7673
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Laboratory of salmonid culture and restoration of endangered fish species has been created for the restoration in Ukraine and significant increase in the species structure of fish culture objects due by using native salmonids and sturgeons. The primary attention is given to the conservation of the genetic pool of endangered fish species including Danube salmon, European grayling, brown trout, sterlet of Danube and Dniester populations.

The importance of the laboratory is related to the fact that slamonids belong to a rare complex of freshwater fish fauna of Ukraine, the conservation of which is task of national importance. Therefore, the artificial propagation and introduction into aquaculture of salmonids and endangered fish species currently became an important issue.

Research methods of the laboratory include generally accepted ichthyological, hydrobiological, and fish culture techniques. Moreover, for the approbation of technological schemes, we use in-house methods, which allow assessing the efficiency of the rearing of salmonids based on established criteria. Employees of the laboratory carry out joint studies with Presov University (Slovakia), with the Recreational Fishing Association (Poland) and French Aquaculture Association.

Major areas of the department activities:

1. Research works and monitoring of the presence of rare and endangered salmonid species (brown trout Salmo trutta morpha fario (Linnaeus), Danube salmon Hucho hucho (L), European grayling Thymallus thymallus (L) in Carpathian rivers;
2. improvement of methodological approaches for the determination of biological parameters of salmonids and endangered fish species;
3. determination of the population structure of salmonids for the improvement of the methods of their exploitation and preservation of their reproductive potential;
4. analysis of the human impact effects on the populations of endangered fish species;
5. study of the peculiarities of their restoration, distribution, and abundance dynamics, feeding and trophic relationships, natural food supply, growth, population biology, interspecific and intraspecific competitive relationships and the state of the habitats of salmonids and endangered fish species;
6. development of the recommendations on the improvement of the restoration of endangered fish species;
7. monitoring of the state of brood salmonids in fish farms;
8. increase in the efficiency of salmonid rearing in aquaculture;
9. analysis of the state of domestic and world experience in the field of the restoration of salmonids and endangered fish species.

Propositions of services for individuals and legal entities:

• development of the technological schemes of salmonid rearing according the conditions of individual fish farms;
• development of breeding selection programs of the subjects of breeding selection;
• provision of scientific support for forming selection brood stocks in fish farms – subjects of breeding selection;
• consulting services on salmonid rearing;
• formation of domesticated replacement and brood stocks of salmonids and endangered fish species.

Head of the department:
Нanna Kurinenko
Ph.D of Agricultural Sciences, Senior Research Scientist
mobile: +38(067)318-15-10
e-mail (head): This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The aim of the department is organizing and conducting selective-breeding works with pond fish at fish farms of different forms of ownership.

Currently, the department of fish selection develops selective-genetic bases for the improvement of the genetic resources of aquaculture objects with the use of molecular-genetic methods and modern cryobiotechnologies. Lately, a significant progress was achieved in the freezing of fish sperm and its use for artificial reproduction of valuable, rare and endangered species as well as pedigree fish specimen valuable in selective aspect. In the nearest perspective, we planned to conduct the works on forming the new brood stocks of Ukrainian carp breeds and improvement of breed base of domestic aquaculture, to obtain and grow new genotypes of valuable aquaculture objects with the use of modern biotechnologies, to widen and implement novel achievements of molecular genetics into everyday practice of fisheries research and fish selection, including the use of markers base on mitochondrial DNA.

Major areas of the department activities:

1. development of selective-breeding bases for improving the genetic resources of aquaculture objects;
2. rearing and forming the improved stocks of aquaculture objects;

Propositions of services for individuals and legal entities:

• consultative and practical aid on organizing and conducting selective-breeding works in aquaculture;
• selective-breeding works at specific fish farms.

The Department of Fish Selection of the Institute of Fisheries created first in the former Soviet Union two carp breeds – Ukrainian framed and Ukrainian scaled carp, based on which a number of intrabreed types and arrays (ecological types) were created, including: Nivka intrabreed type (scaled form); little scaled type (framed form); Lyubin types (scaled and framed forms) as well as Antonisko-Zozulenetsk arrays (scaled and framed forms) and Nesvitsk arrays (scaled and framed forms).

Head of the laboratory:
Yuiry Rud’
Ph.D of Biological Sciences, Senior Research Scientist
mob.: +38(097)953-80-80
e-mail (head): This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The laboratory of biotechnologies in aquaculture was created in 2002 by the laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technics, Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (RANS), Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Buchatsky Leonid Petrovych. The aim of the laboratory is application of genomic and proteomic techniques for increasing fish productivity including the use of recombinant DNA and stem cell technologies, production of unisexual fish populations, introduction of molecular-biochemical, molecular and cryobiological studies in aquaculture, development of effective methods for diagnostics and prevention of infectious fish diseases.

The importance of the laboratory work is related to the fast development of aquaculture and introduction of novel biotechnologies for meeting the world demands in aquaculture products. The biotechnologies in aquaculture are aimed at solving such important problems as: improvement of fish population genetic control, conservation of biological diversity, restoration of rare and endangered fish species, biosafety, control of infectious fish diseases, immunology and genetic engineering.

The laboratory uses following methods: production of embryonic stem cells and their cultivation, cryopreservation of genital products, wide spectrum of molecular-biological and biochemical methods. Modern biotechnologies allow increasing fish growth rate, increasing their resistance to infectious diseases, affecting their reproductive processes, producing improved hybrids. The application of biotechnologies in aquaculture also contributes to the study of fundamental problems in ichthyology, developmental biology, immunology, microbiology, virology, etc.

Major areas of the laboratory activities:

1. development of diagnostic test-systems for the identification of infectious fish diseases;
2. study of the immunomodulating properties of novel biologically active substances and preparation and their introduction into aquaculture;
3. fundamental studies in gender genetics, polyploidy and distant hybridization;
4. obtaining distant hybrids with the aid of disperm androgenesis and alkylated DNA;
5. use of passaged cultures of fish cells in the study of “pathogen-host” immunological interactions;
6. isolation of spermatogonial stem cells and recipient transplantation for improving the genetic properties of aquaculture objects, xenotransplantation;
7. improvement of cryopreservation methods for fish genital cells.

Propositions of services for individuals and legal entities:

• molecular express-diagnostics of infectious fish diseases (see the Table);
• recommendations on the application of immunomodulating drugs;
• procedure of distant hybridization;
• search for genital DNA-markers for the express-diagnostics of sex in valuable fish species;
• use of indirect feminization method and obtaining the special unisexual fish brood stocks for the need of fish egg production;
• cryopreservation and storage of brood fish genital products.

During the laboratory existence, we developed the diagnostic systems based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the identification of viral and bacterial fish diseases, which according to the International Office of Epizootics (OIE) are especially dangerous for the objects of modern aquaculture.

We developed a PCR method for sex diagnostics in rainbow trout, Danube salmon and European grayling. The identification of genotypic males is a key stage in the process of hormonal sex reversion and production of reversant males for further fertilization of native females for obtaining a 100% unisexual population.

The laboratory developed and currently works on the dehydration-vitrification method of fish sperm freezing, due to which we increased the efficiency of cryobiological studies more than by two-fold with the aid of significant decrease in time and material necessary for getting the necessary result.

List of infectious fish disease agents and diagnostic test-systems in the laboratory of biotechnologies in aquaculture of the Institute of Fisheries NAAS

* possibility of the identification by multiplex PCR method