Mezinárodní spolupráce

From 2^ndDecember to the 20^th December 2024, I conducted a business trip to the Institute of Marine Research (IMR, Havforskningsinstituttet) in Bergen, Norway. The purpose of this trip was to study the effects of various wavelengths of visible light on the early embryonic development of Atlantic salmon.

IMR provided access to extensive Atlantic salmon resources, along with a well-equipped research environment. The supportive and collaborative colleagues further enriched the experience and facilitated the experiment.

On 27.-30.5. 2024 FROV JU staff T. Randák, P. Lepič, and M. Šindler visited long-term monitored sites in the Belá river basin in Slovakia as part of the LIFE "Living Rivers" project. Several coordination meetings occurred with subjects and colleagues involved in the project solution during the visit. Issues of removing or rebuilding migration barriers on the stream were discussed, current fisheries management was consulted, and autumn activities related to the continuation of the project were planned. There was also a visit to selected stream localities connected with recapturing fish tagged last year.

Through the Erasmus+ mobility funding program, I engaged in several training activities at Aquaforum, School of Agricultural, Forest, and Food Sciences at Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland, and at Aquaforum's partners in Switzerland.

I participated in gene expression analysis procedures for fish. I enhanced my fish and shrimp farming expertise within land-based aquaculture facilities in Switzerland, including Swiss Lachs AG in Lostallo, LocalFish AG in Rafz, and SwissShrimp GmbH in Rheinfelden. Additionally, I expanded my knowledge of insect farming for animal feed at Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology in Dübendorf, and of fish trials at the experimental fish facility at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL in Frick.

On 14^th March 2025 we participated in the fourth Workshop within the bilateral project BYCZ-SPF00088 Fish Welfare Education - Knowledge Transfer and Innovation in Fisheries Science, which is supported by the Small Project Fund of the Interreg Bavaria-Czech Republic Programme. The workshop programme was this time focused on the issue of fish welfare in pre-spawning preparation and selection of broodstock. The fish on which the issues were demonstrated was the grayling (Thymallus thymallus), which usually spawns in mid-April. The Czech side presented suitable methods for assessing the quality of gametes under hatchery operating conditions. In the afternoon, there was a practical demonstration of manipulation of brood fish, their sexing and assessment of their readiness for spawning.

On 21 May 2024 we participated in the first Workshop within the new bilateral project BYCZ-SPF00088 Fish Welfare Education - Přenos znalostí a inovace v rybářských vědních oborech, which is supported by the Small Projects Fund of the Interreg Bayern-Czech Republic programme. The programme of the workshop was focused on the anaesthesia of salmonids (BY partner) and the use of fish body photography for fish quality assessment (CZ partner). The introductory theoretical part was followed by a practical demonstration of both discussed activities.

Ing. Ján Regenda, Ph.D., MSc. Niksirat Hashjin Hamid, Ph.D., MSc. Thora Lieke, Dr. rer. nat.

On 9^th November 2024 I attended the meeting after the preparation of the project application for the creation of ESFRI in the field of livestock breeding. Based on the meeting, a consortium called GenoPHEnix – a research infrastructure to deliver a consolidated vision for farmed animal science in Europe was created. The goal is to submit a project proposal where the faculty will be involved in data management activities, application of modern technologies or analysis of the influence and impact of infrastructures on the environment.

This is a strategic project that would allow the faculty involved in other EU challenges to offer paid services in the future.

On 20 – 24 May 2024 I visited the São Paulo State University (UNESP), as part of the ERASMUS+ mobility and with support from the University of South Bohemia. I met staff from three Faculties (the coordinators of international relations) and a colleague from the University Department of International Relations. We exchanged experience and good practice, I was shown around the faculties, and we also discussed possible contracts between our faculties or between universities.

As a employee of the University of South Bohemia’s part of the Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, Ismael Soto had the privilege of attending and presenting at the International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species (ICAIS) from May 12 – 16, 2024 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This conference represents a cornerstone for global dialogue on the ecological, social, and economic impacts of aquatic invasive species. My participation was represented on two main topics.

- The Faunal Ponto-Caspianization of Western European Waterways: I delved into the spread of Ponto-Caspian species into Western European waterways. I discussed the vectors of this invasion, its ecological ramifications, and the necessary strategies for management and mitigation.

- DOSI Schema: Taming the Terminological Tempest: My second topic addressed the often-overlooked issue of inconsistent terminology in our field. The DOSI schema, a framework proposes a standardized terminological approach to enhance clarity and facilitate better communication among researchers and policymakers.

Members of the Laboratory of Physiology of Reproduction, Sergii Boryshpolets, Borys Dzyuba, and Vitaliy Kholodnyy, recently undertook a field expedition to Finland to work with unique populations of European flounder (June, 30 - July, 11, 2024). This expedition was made possible thanks to the support of Erasmus+ and the Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters.
The primary objective of this expedition was to study the European flounder in freshwater lakes and estuaries in North Finland and Norway. Our focus was on understanding the reproductive mechanisms of this species, particularly their adaptation to reproduce in different salinities, which sets the European flounder apart from many other marine species. There is intriguing information suggesting that some populations of flounder in Lapland, particularly in North Finland, might reside in freshwater lakes and even reproduce there. This presents a fascinating and challenging issue for scientific investigation related to the adaptability and functioning of gametes in different environments.
During the expedition, our team engaged in several key activities, including an overview of the local environment, sample collection, and ecological data recording in the fish's natural habitat. Additionally, we had the opportunity to meet with local fishermen, discussing the unique biology and populations of the flounders inhabiting different localities and gaining valuable insights into our research. An essential aspect of this expedition was networking with fellow researchers and experts in marine biology and conservation. This allowed us to engage in hands-on research and establish professional relationships crucial for future collaborations.

Through the Erasmus+ mobility funding program, I participated in a visit to the University of Jyväskylä from May 6^th to 10^th, 2024. My primary objective was to enhance my knowledge of stable isotope analysis. Additionally, I had productive discussions with colleagues regarding compound-specific isotope analysis.

Hung Quang Tran

From May 12 to 14, the IPSW 2024 (14^th International Passive Sampling Symphosium and Workshop) took place in Limoges, France. It was attended by members of the Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Biochemistry, Pavla Fialová and Roman Grabic, who presented three lectures. The aim of the conference was to bring together scientists to share their knowledge about the use of passive sampling approaches in wide application range from fundamental research to regulatory monitoring.

From the 21^st to 26^th of August 2024, Linan Gao, Joao Ferreira, and Mohammad Riaz Morshed visited Leibniz University in Hannover, Germany, to take part in summer school in cryobiology arranged by IMP (Institute of Multiphase Processes), under the Cryostore Project funded by the European Union. The summer school focused on cryobiology and its different applications for the future conservation of livestock biodiversity. It included lectures and hands-on workshops on different topics, such as cryobiology, cryodamage, communication science, cryo-microscopy, and cryopreservation techniques. Renowned professors and researchers from different countries lectured on current cryobiology and its application. We got the opportunity to see the latest cryobiology technology. The GAJU and Cryostore Projects are acknowledged for financially supporting the business trips.

For the second year, the field trip with students was organised to visit sites with a strikingly high diversity of non-native species in Hungary, especially in the thermal water localities. We started our excursion visiting the biological station on the shore of Lake Neusidler in the town of Illmitz (Austria), where Gilbert Hafner gave us an engaging presentation of the history of the Lake and, on a short walk around the biological station showed the local phenomenon of salt marshes, once again hosting a high diversity of wetland and water birds, as well as specific invertebrate fauna.

We had the opportunity to explore the outflows of Lake Héviz, the largest thermal lake in Europe, the Városliget park in the Budapest centre, a thermal tributary of the Barát brook, sites rich for non-native organisms, but also Kis-Balaton artificial wetland constructed to protect Lake Balaton from high nutrient loads. At these locations, students could practically try catching crayfish, fish and macrozoobenthos and thus practically see a very rich community of African and South American cichlids, a syntopic population of spiny cheek crayfish (Faxonius limosus) and red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), marbled crayfish (P. virginalis) and red cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi), very popular with aquarists, and many other non-native species including young false map turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica), but also critically endangered European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis).

As a new part of the excursion, we visited the Asian market, literally a source of many non-native species. Indeed, besides "traditional releases" of aquarium species to the wild, we are also newly encountering organisms originally intended for human consumption – especially crabs. In order not to leave empty-handed, we purchased North American blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) imported from Greece, where they are an invasive species, for tasting purposes. Recently, there have also been recordings of their presence in the Danube in Budapest. The blue crabs were a reward after a long day of (cray)fishing when the students enjoyed their cooking and tasting. Another newly visited site was the Limnological Station on the shores of Lake Balaton in the town of Tihány. Here, Péter Takács, Blanka Gál, and Bálint Preiszner presented their activities and took us to a unique system of tanks for mesocosm experiments on the shore of the lake.  During the field trip, we were accompanied by our Hungarian colleagues. Special thanks go especially to András Weiperth and Árpád Ferincz.

Author of text and photos: Martin Bláha

On 8-15.2.2025 a business trip was made to the sturgeon farm of The Northern Sturgeon Company Limited (Hið Norðlenzka Styrjufjelag ehf.), Iceland. The participants were Ing. Vojtěch Kašpar, Ph.D., Ing. Martin Hubálek, Ph.D. and Ing. Pavel Švejda, supplemented by Daniel Dvořák and Filip Medal, as a pair of selected students of the bachelor's study of the FFPW USB. 

The final preparation and artificial spawning of Russian sturgeon (A. gueldenstaedtii), Siberian sturgeon (A. baerii) and white sturgeon (A. transmontanus), was carried out on site, in order to produce caviar from ovulated eggs, i.e. without the need to kill the fish. Our students were excited about the trip and gained a lot of new experience.  

Roman Franěk spent his postdoc from August 2022 to July 2024 at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, in Dr. Harel's laboratory. The main focus of the fellowship was working with a new model species - the extremely short-lived turquoise killifish - and studying its unique embryogenesis, which has adapted to an extremely short life cycle in harsh conditions. During the fellowship, I mastered techniques in transgenesis and genome editing. I also joined studies by colleagues in the laboratory, which were published in the Nature Aging and eLife. The fellowship was made possible through the GAČR project Franěk 22-01781O and supported by FFPW USB.

In December 2024, Paride Balzani was in Firenze (Italy) for a teaching + research visit. During this time, he gave three seminars, „Stable isotopes ecology“, „Analysis of stable isotopes data“, and „Biodiversity patterns across different ecosystems“, and discussed future collaborations.

From 17^th to 28^th February 2025, I got a chance via the program of Aquaexcel 3.0 to visit the Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA) in Carmagnola, a separate working place of the University in Turin (Italy). The visit aimed to experience exchange, make contacts and gain a deeper understanding of the mealybug (Tenebrio molitor) and black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) breeding methodology which I can for two weeks actively participate.

I visited the office of the Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the FAO and WFP in Rome as part of the Erasmus+ mobility program from 10th June to 14^thJune, 2024. I had the opportunity to participate in the 175^th Session of the FAO Council. It was very interesting and rewarding for me to be present at an international meeting focused on resolving global crises and humanitarian aid, particularly in the context of food security.

On October 1 - 4, 2024, Dr. Jan Urban represented our  faculty at the meeting of the Aquaexcel 3.0 project in Turin, Italy. During the meeting, the results and outputs of the project for the past year were discussed. Among the partners, interest in the activity of the signal and image processing laboratory is growing considerably, several possible collaborations using the TNA program have been proposed.

Between November 14^thto 20^th, I, together with my colleagues Tomáš Policar, Jan Kouřil, and Oleksandr Malinovskyi, conducted a business trip to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
The purpose of the trip was to participate in a professional and educational meeting at S. Seifullin Kazakh Agro Technical University and the emerging Kazakh-Czech Aquaculture Research Center. During this visit, we prepared plans for international cooperation for 2025 and 2026 at the university leadership level, including discussions with Rector Prof. Kanat Tireuov and the center’s leadership, represented by its director and our colleague, MSc. Zhaxygalim B. Kuanchaleyev. The main focus of discussions and professional work revolved around the development of scientific (preparation and implementation of projects and experiments related to the intensive farming of pikeperch, reproduction, and controlled rearing of Siberian taimen) and pedagogical collaboration (exchange programs and internships for Master's and Ph.D. students).
During our stay, staff from FROV JU delivered special lectures to Master's students in the field of Fisheries. Additionally, the Czech delegation from the FFPW USB visited aquaculture facilities for pikeperch and sturgeon farming in Astana and Karaganda. We also met with the Czech ambassador, Ing. Pavel Šepeľák. This meeting facilitated discussions to clarify the most suitable procedure for granting study visas to Kazakh students interested in studying at our faculty. I believe that our visit to the center, the lectures for university students, and our renewed meetings with its representatives, as well as with fish producers in Kazakhstan, will contribute to the accelerated development of intensive collaboration between the two institutions. Furthermore, I hope this visit will enable our faculty to offer both its students and Kazakh students exciting international study opportunities, thereby expanding their global professional experience.