Professor Marian Gieysztor Award of the Polish Hydrological Society for research on ostracodes to a graduate student in Oceanography.

The Professor Marian Gieysztor PTH Third Degree Prize (2019/20 edition) for her Master's thesis was awarded to mgr Joanna Piskorska, a graduate of the second-degree course in Oceanography at the Department of Oceanography and Geography, UG.

Professor Marian Gieysztor Prizes are awarded by the Polish Hydrobiological Society for outstanding master's theses in hydrobiology. The main criteria for assessment are the originality of the topic, its relevance to hydrobiology and the logic of conclusions, documentation of the thesis, its form, language and clarity.

Master's thesis of mgr Joanna Piskorska on 'Biogeographical, taxonomic and population diversity of Ostracoda in the Atlantic frontal waters (Africa-Antarctic section)' was written under the direction of dr hab. Luiza Bielecka, prof. UG from the Department of Marine Ecosystems Functioning of the Institute of Oceanography and prof. dr hab. Katarzyna Błachowiak-Samołyk from the Institute of Oceanology PAN, as assistant supervisor.

The award-winning work deals with marine crustaceans belonging to the Ostracoda, which are often treated very generally or not at all in plankton research. - 'Their species composition, population structure and distribution in the South Atlantic - at the interface of multiple hydrological fronts that can act as barriers to the movement of planktonic organisms - were recognised. The research provided new, detailed information on Ostracoda,' - explains dr hab. Luiza Bielecka, prof. UG.

It is worth mentioning that the research is also part of a broader trend of research relating to global changes observed in the marine environment, such as climate warming and its impact on the range of occurrence of particular taxa, including crossing previous biogeographic barriers.

Prizes funded by the Polish Hydrobiological Society support and promote research on the aquatic environment undertaken as part of Masters' theses.

Let us recall that in the previous edition of the prof. M. Gieysztor competition of the PTH, two graduates of second-cycle studies in Oceanography were awarded outstanding master's theses in hydrobiology. In the last nine years, a total of five graduates of the Institute of Oceanography of the University of Gdańsk and two graduates of the Department of Genetics and Biosystematics of the Faculty of Biology of the University of Gdańsk have been awarded prizes. - 'We are delighted that from our environment a total of seven graduates have been awarded in recent years,' concludes dr hab. Luiza Bielecka, prof. UG, and president of the Gdynia-based Marine Branch of the Polish Hydrobiological Society.

Ewa Cichocka / Press Office of University of Gdańsk