Projects and grants

Ongoing projects:

2017-2020. Grant of the Polish National Centre of Science # 2016/23/B/NZ8/00741. Anti-predator defence as a competitive advantage of invasive fish species over natives: a case study of Ponto-Caspian Gobiidae. Principal investigator: Tomasz Kakareko.

The aim is to check if the Ponto-Caspian gobies are more effective in recognizing, learning and avoiding predators than native fish co-occurring with the aliens in the introduced range. Two goby species as well as their native counterparts from the same prey guild are used as a model. We are testing behavioral responses of the fish to predator kairomones as well as to alarm cues from other prey individuals, and compare defense capabilities of the species against predation. We hypothesize that gobies are more capable to avoid predation compared to the native species.

Overall participation in research grants:

2017-2020. Grant of the Polish National Centre of Science # 2016/21/B/NZ8/00418. Ecology of fear of invasive organisms. Are Ponto-Caspian gammarids (Crustacea, Amhipoda) less susceptible to predator-induced stress? Investigator: Tomasz Kakareko (PI: Łukasz Jermacz, N. Copernicus University)

2013-2016. Grant of the Polish National Centre of Science # 2012/05/B/NZ8/00479. Habitat preferences of Ponto-Caspian gammarids (Crustacea, Amphipoda), invasive in European waters. Investigator: Tomasz Kakareko (PI: Jarosław Kobak, N. Copernicus University).

2011-2014. Grant of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education # N N304 306840. Impact of substratum drying on the survival and migrations of the bottom fauna at the land-water interface. Investigators: Tomasz Kakareko, Janusz Żbikowski (PI: Małgorzata Poznańska, N. Copernicus University).

2012-2013. Pheromone pollution: an overlooked impact of invasive fish species. Small Research Grant of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles. Principal investigator: Tomasz Kakareko, (institution: Bournemouth University)

2011-2013. Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship for Career Development (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IEF). Projekt nr 272234, pt. ?Scaning Chemical pollution as an Ecological impact of Non-native fish inTroductions: an experimental approach (SCENT)?. Researcher: Tomasz Kakareko. Supervisors: prof. Rodolphe Gozlan (Bournemouth University), prof. Gordon Copp (Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft), UK.

2010-2013. Grant of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education # N N304 371539, Impact of an alien fish, the racer goby (Neogobius gymnotrachelus), on the occurrence of the bullhead (Cottus gobio).  Principal investigator: Tomasz Kakareko.

2010-2013 r., Grant of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education # N N304 393038, Interactions between zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha, Bivalvia) and selected species of invasive and native Amphipoda. Investigator: Tomasz Kakareko (PI: Jarosław Kobak, N. Copernicus University).

2009-2012. Grant of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education # N N304 0274 36. Parasite fauna of fish introduced to Polish waters: racer goby (Neogobius gymnotrachelus), monkey goby (Apolonia fluviatilis) and amur sleeper (Perccottus glenii) in the lower Vistula River. Investigator: Tomasz Kakareko, (PI: dr Katarzyna Mierzejewska, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn).

2008-2010. Grant of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education # N N304 338734, Habitat preferences of two alien gobiid fishes for substratum type, macrophyte coverage and water dynamics.  Principal investigator: Tomasz Kakareko.

2007-2009. Grant of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education # N N304 153033, Impact of predators on the behaviour of zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha, Bivalvia).  Investigator: Tomasz Kakareko (PI: Jarosław Kobak).

2006. Nicolaus Copernicus University Grant # 326-B. Influence of dynamic and physico-chemical peculiarities of water on distribution of spawning grounds of racer goby Neogobius gymnotrachelus in the Włocławek Reservoir on the lower Vistula River. Principal investigator: Tomasz Kakareko.

2003-2005. Grant of the Scientific Research Committee # 3 P04G 007 25. Ecology of racer goby (Neogobius gymnotrachelus Kessler, 1857) in the Włocławek Reservoir in the lower Vistula River: Evaluation of biocenotic consequenses of invasion of a new fish species. Principal investigator: Tomasz Kakareko.