Dr. Simona Noè
Post Doc
My research mainly focuses on biological invasions and interactions (i.e. grazing, predator-prey, competition) between native and invasive species. I am currently working on the interactive effects of climate change (warming and acidification), bioinvasions and epiphytism on species interactions (i.e. competition and grazing) in macrophyte-based assemblages in the Mediterranean Sea."
B.Sc - Biological Sciences - University of Palermo, Italy.
M.Sc - Marine Ecology - University of Palermo, Italy
Ph.D - Earth and Marine Sciences - University of Palermo, Italy
Dr. Martina Mulas
Ph.D.
My PhD project is focused on the effect of biodiversity shifts-driven by climate change and bioinvasions on reef ecosystem functions. My research is a continuance of Peleg’s research and the goals start from the principal hypothesis we have regarding the change in the Levant reef benthic community functions. I will define the species and functional diversity of four different rocky reef community types with a major focus on Cystoseira’s forests thanks to laboratory and in situ experiments.
B.Sc. – Ecology,University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Italy
M.Sc. - Marine Biology, Marche Polytechnic University, Italy
Co-supervisors: Dr. Smadar Ben Tabou de Leon, Department of Marine Biology
Dr. Jacob Silverman, Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research
Brooke Dominguez
M.Sc.
Generally, I am interested in the thermal tolerance and vulnerability of intertidal marine invertebrates. As the oceans warm and extreme weather events (such as marine heatwaves) become more prevalent, it is essential that we understand how thermal stress affects organisms and their respective ecosystems. In conjunction with FutureMARES, my master’s thesis will evaluate the thermal tolerance, vulnerability, and acclimation potential of the mottled shore crab, Pachygrapsus transversus, under current and future heatwave scenarios.
Co-supervisor: Dr. Catarina Vinagre, University of Algarve.
B.Sc. - Biology, Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi.
Inês Gonçalves
M.Sc. candidate
My master’s research will be done in the framework of the project FutureMARES (www.futuremares.eu) funded by the EU as part of the Horizon 2020 program and will focus on the impacts of climate change on eastern Mediterranean reef species, communities, and their functions using novel methodologies and new experimental systems.
BSc: Biology (University of Coimbra)
MSc: Marine Biology (University of Algarve)
Supervisors: Gil Rilov (IOLR); Catarina Vinagre (University of Algarve).
Aliza Leit
M.Sc.
Masters Student in Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University.
Main research interest: conservation, vermetid reefs, intertidal resource management
Elena Bogdanova
M.Sc.
Master student in Marine Biology Department, Leon Charney School of Marine sciences, University of Haifa. Main research interest: reef ecology, 3D models, conservation
Khristina Ermak
M.Sc.
My master's research focuses on interactions between two closely related species of Cerithium sea snails. In the context of climate change and growing bioinvasions, I want to compare the seasonal dynamics of the Cerithium populations in the field (abundance and size distribution) and compare thermal performance of the invasive and native Cerithium species to observe their adaptations to different temperature conditions.
Chen Rabi
Ph.D. Candidate
The purpose of my PhD project is to determine how fine-scale variation in thermal and desiccation stresses affect the distribution of intertidal species, which range from the local to the biogeographical scale. The data from the field surveys and lab experiments will help us to make projections of how species and communities will be affected by climate change under different scenarios.
Co-supervisor: Dr. Tamar Lotan (University of Haifa)
B.Sc- Marine Biology , Ruppin Academic Center.
M.Sc- Zoology, Tel Aviv University.
Lior Bartal
Lab Technician
Lior is responsible for the national intertidal biodiversity monitoring and database along the Israeli coast. She is involved in conducting experiments for research concerning climate change, ecosystem functions, and biodiversity community structure for native and invasive organisms , all while gaining a better understanding of the Mediterranean rocky reef ecosystem.
B.Sc- Marine Biology, Ruppin Academic Center.
Dr. Tamar Guy-Haim
Ph.D.
I study the ecological and physiological effects of climate change on benthic communities, at two different marine ecosystems: the Baltic Sea and the Levant Basin. Working in different geographical ecosystems and at multiple scales, from micro- to macro- (whole-community) scale, allows me to test the generality of ecological responses to environmental change, and to investigate the relationships between different ecosystem components. In my research, I apply and integrate approaches from different scientific disciplines, including benthic ecology, eco-physiology, and biogeochemistry.
Ph.D. thesis: The impact of ocean warming and acidification on coastal benthic species and communities.
Now a Zooplankton ecologist at IOLR.
Co-supervisors Prof. Martin Wahl (GEOMAR, Germany), Dr. Jacob Silverman (IOLR).
BSc - Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
MSc - Marine Ecology, Bar-Ilan University.
PhD. University of Haifa.
Ohad Peleg
Lab Technician and M.Sc.
My research focuses on the effects of change in biodiversity on ecosystem functions. I characterized three distinctive rocky benthic community types existing along the Israeli Mediterranean coast: ‘Native Canopy’, characterized mostly by canopy forming macroalgae, which is the closest to the past dominating rocky Mediterranean community; and two other community types which deviate from the first and are dominating at present: ‘Turf Barrens’, which are created by the invasive herbivorous Rabbit fish; and ‘Invasive Frondose’ - low laying invasive macroalgae. I conduct in-situ incubations, using custom made incubation systems (i.e. Bell-jars) within each community type and compare their carbon budget and biomass production. Finally, I try to examine whether certain functional traits may explain variances between community types.
B.Sc- Marine Biology, Ruppin Academic Center.
M.Sc.- Marine biology, Haifa University.
Now a PhD candidate at the University of Auckland, New Zealand
Dr. Yaniv Levi
Ph.D.
Sea Turtle Conservation, Life history and ecology of the loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles populations in the Mediterranean Sea.
Current researches involves fishery impact on sea turtles and practical methods to medically treat rehabilitating turtles.
Head of the Sea Turtle Rescue Center in Israel
Co-supervisor Dr. Daniel Chernov (University of Haifa)
Dr. Dor Edelist
Post Doc
My two main research interests in Rilov Lab in IOLR included Ecosystem Services in the Med and Red seas (in collaboration with the Israeli Academy of Sciences), and a Citizen Science outreach initiative (EU Mare Nostrum project) to increase public awareness and map human uses via a smartphone application in the Shikmona Marine Reserve, just south of the institute.
B.Sc- Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography, Ruppin Academic Center.
M.A - Marine Ecology - Dept. of Maritime Civilizations, University of Haifa.
Ph.D - Marine Ecology - Dept. of Maritime Civilizations, University of Haifa.
Regina Iscovich
M.Sc.
Settlement and recruitment patterns of the invasive mussel Brachidontes pharaonis in the rocky intertidal.
B.Sc- Marine biology, Ruppin Academic Center.
M.Sc.- The Department of Marine Biology, University of Haifa.
Maura Schonwald
Lab Technician
Maura was responsible for the national intertidal biodiversity monitoring and database along the Israeli coast between 2018-2019. She also helped with experiments for research concerning climate change, ecosystem functions, and biodiversity community structure for native and invasive organisms.
Lior Klein
M.Sc.
The effects of temperature changes on grazer gastropod species alnog the rocky shores of the Eastern Mediterranean.
B.Sc.- Life sciences in Bar-Ilan University
M.Sc.- In Bar-Ilan University - co supervior Prof. Zvi Dubinsky
Reut Zamir
M.Sc. Porter School of Environmental Studies, Tel Aviv University.
The Impact of Extreme Desiccation Events on the Vermetid Reef Ecosystem in the Face of Climate Change
Co-supervisor: Professor Pinhas Alpert, The Department of Geophysics And Planetary Sciences (Tel Aviv University).
Tal Garval
M.Sc.
Population dynamics and ecological impacts of the alien macroalgae Galaxaura rugosa (J. Ellis & Solander) J.V.Lamouroux on the Israeli shore
B.Sc- Marine biology, Ruppin Academic Center.
M.Sc. - The Department of Marine Biology, University of Haifa.
Adi Barash
M.Sc. student (University of Haifa) and Database Analysis
Species identification, phylogeography and spatio-temporal distribution of requiem sharks (genus carcharhinus) along the Israeli Mediterranean coast
Co-supervisor Prof. Leon Blaunstein (University of Haifa)
B.Sc- Marine biology, Ruppin Academic Center.
MSc - University of Haifa
Now a PhD student at the University of Haifa
Eyal Amsalem
M.Sc.
Physiological and behavioral performance of the rockpool shrimp Palaemon elegans in the context of climate change
B.Sc- Marine Biology , Ruppin Academic Center.
M.Sc.- The Department of Marine Biology, University of Haifa.
Ofrat Raveh
Lab Technician
Led the rocky shore monitoring program between 2012-14
B.Sc- Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography, Ruppin Academic Center.
Gidi Levi
Lab Technician
Led the subtidal survey program between 2013-15
B.Sc- Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography, Ruppin Academic Center.
M.Sc- Coral Restoretion, Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Haifa University.
Inbal Gamliel
M.Sc.
Predicting species distributions under climate change by combining lab experiments and species distribution models
Co-supervisor Dr. Jonathan Belmaker (Tel Aviv University)
Kate Kaufman
Lab Intern
Hailing from the United States, Kate is an ambitious assistant to the lab members and can be found either at IOLR or in the field.
B.A.- Environmental Science & Policy, Florida State University.
Ateret Shabtai
MSc. Student
Thesis: The invasive oyster Spondylus spinosus Schreibers, 1793 in the Israeli Mediterranean coast
Co-supervisor Prof. Yehuda Benayahu (Tel Aviv University)
Olga Vadov
MSc. Student
The Linkage Between Environmental Heterogeneity and Biodiversity in Algal Assemblages on the Rocky Shore
Co-supervisor Prof. Yohai Carmel (Technion)
Sarah Clydon
MSc. Student
Thesis: Characterization of the population of the invasive mussel Brachidontes pharaonis and the effect on the biodiversity at the rocky shores
Co-supervisor Prof. Ehud Spanier (University of Haifa)
Natali Shalev
MSc. Student
Thesis: Recruitment and development of benthic communities onto a planned artificial reef two decades post-deployment
Co-supervisor Prof. Yehuda Benayahu (Tel Aviv University)
Patrick Chavel
Ph.D. Candidate
In my research, I evaluate several important services (supporting-regulating, provisional and cultural) of the Mediterranean rocky reef ecosystem on the Israeli coast, using a marine protected area (MPA) as a case study to estimate the value of relatively healthy reefs. The study sites are the Akhziv-Rosh Hanikra marine reserve off the north coast, and adjacent unprotected areas that serve as reference and represent the state of the system along most of the coast. The data could be useful for decision-makers and conservationists for planning marine reserves and their monitoring, as well as for evaluating damage and its compensation in case of ecological disaster.
Co-supervisor Prof. Hillel Frumm (Tel Aviv University)
GAME students
Luisa Düsedau
I’m a visiting student from Germany and during my 6 months in the Rilov lab I’m studying the effects of climate change on the performance of the invasive gastropod Conomurex persicus for my master thesis. I’m in Israel within the framework of the unique global research and training programme GAME (Global Approach by Modular Experiments), founded by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. It is a binational team project and under:
http://www.oceanblogs.org/game/2017/10/27/middle-east-times-news-from-israel
you can read about Erez Yeruham and my research and our time as Team Israel 2017.
B.Sc – Biosciences, Rostock University, Germany
M.Sc Candidate – Ecology and Evolution, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Lisa Gassen
I’m a foreign student from Germany and participate in the same project like Laura Argens. Together we build a team and work on the same topic of this year’s GAME programme (http://www.geomar.de/forschen/fb3/fb3-eoe/fb3-eoe-b/game/game-infos-fuer-studies/).
We are investigating the influence of extreme heat events on the feeding preferences of marine grazers. The coast of Israel is one of the most affected regions by the global change. So we are very happy to have the chance to do our research in the Rilov Lab!
B.Sc. – Biology, University of Rostock, Germany
M.Sc. Candidate – Marine Biology, University of Rostock, Germany
Laura Argens
I´m a German student visiting Rilov lab for 6 month. Together with my Teampartner Lisa Gassen, I´m working on the effects of heat events on the feeding behaviour of marine invertebrates. The main question is, whether the food preferences of herbivore molluscs are changing with increasing temperature. This is part of a global research project, which is organised by GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel.
B.Sc – Biology, Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany
M.Sc Candidate – Ecology and Evolution, Goethe-University Frankfurt a. M., Germany
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paul kahles
M.Sc. candidate
As a participant of GAME (Global Approach by Modular Experiments) run by GEOMAR and in a team of 18 other students I am investigating the impact of artificial light at night on the colonization process of sessile invertebrates and macroalgae on hard bottom substrates. Many anthropogenic light sources nowadays encompass a wide range of wave lengths to mimic natural light. Consequently, I am specifically interested in the effect of white LED light on species richness, species composition and community biomass.
Co-supervisor: Dr. Mark Lenz (GEOMAR)
B.Sc.- Biologie, Universität Bayreuth
M.Sc.- Biological Sciences, Universität Konstanz
Sophia Walter
M.Sc. candidate
I am staying at Rilov lab for 6 months being part of the global research project GAME (Global Approach by Modular Experiments) organized by the GEOMAR. Together with 18 other students worldwide we are working on the influence of artificial light at night on communities of sessile invertebrates and macroalgae on hard bottom substrates. We are specifically interested in the effect on species richness and composition, as well as the biomass of the communities.