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Paraskevi Pitta

Oceanography Department

Contact Address

Institute of Marine Biology of Crete
P.O.Box 2214
Heraklion 71003
Crete, Greece.
Tel: +30 2810 346860 EXT . 198
Fax: +30 2810 241882
Email: vpitta@imbc.gr

Date of Birth : 2/5/60
Nationality : Greek
Language : Greek : Native language.
English :reading, writing and spoken English at high professional level
French :reading, writing and spoken French at high professional level
Italian: reading level

Education

  • 1984: B.Sc. Biology, University of Athens, Greece
  • 1987: D.E.A. Ecologie Generale, Universite de Paris-Sud (Centre d`Orsay-Paris XI), France
  • 1990: M.Sc. Marine Biology, University of Crete, Greece
  • 1996: Ph.D. Marine Biology, University of Crete, Greece

Professional Experience

  • 1996 - to date. Institute of Marine Biology of Crete, Oceanography Dept., Scientist in charge of the     Plankton & Microbial Ecology Laboratory, participation in research projects.
  • 1988 - 1996. Institute of Marine Biology of Crete, Dept. of Aquaculture. Research Associate
  • 1988 : British Museum Natural History. Research Associate working on Biology - Ultrastructure of     ciliates.

    Other relevant activities

      Member of the following Professional and International Societies
    • American Society of Limnology and Oceanography ( ASLO )
    • Hellenic Zoological Society ( HZS )
    • Hellenic Association of Oceanography ( AOCEAN )

    Research Interests

    • Microbial pelagic food webs: structure and influence on energy flux
    • Effects of aquaculture on pelagic ecosystems
    • Dynamics of pelagic ecosystem in mesocosms
    • Mixotrophy of ciliates

    Current European Projects

    • CYCLOPS : Cycling of Phosphorus in the Mediterranean EU - DG XII ( EVK3 - CT99 - 0009 )
    • BIOFAQs : Biofiltration and Aquaculture: an evaluation of hard substrate deployment performance within Mariculture developments EU - DG XIV (Quality of Life QLRT 99 - 31305 )
    • ADIOS : Atmospheric deposition and impact of pollutants, key elements and nutrients on the open Mediterranean Sea EU- DG XII (EVK3-2000-00604)

    Selected recent publications

    • Pitta P., Giannakourou A. & Christaki U., 2001. Planktonic ciliates in the oligotrophic Mediterranean Sea: longitudinal trends of standing stocks, distributions and analysis of food vacuole contents. Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 24: 297-311
    • Karakassis I., Tsapakis M., Hatziyanni E. & Pitta P., 2001. Diel variation of nutrients and chlorophyll in sea bream and sea bass cages in the Mediterranean. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 10(3): 278-283.
    • Siokou-Frangou I., Bianchi M., Christaki U., Christou E., Giannakourou A., Gotsis O., Ignatiades L., Pagou K., Pitta P., Psarra S., Souvermezoglou E., Van Wambeke F. & Zervakis V. Organic carbon partitioning and carbon flow along a gradient of oligotrophy in the Aegean Sea (Mediterranean Sea). Journal of Marine Systems (in press)
    • Thingstad T.F., Kress N., Herut B., Zohary T., Pitta P., Psarra S., Polychronaki T., Spyres G., Mantoura F., Tanaka T., Rasssoulzadegan F. & Krom M., 2001. Mixed indications of mineral nutrient limitation in a microcosm experiment using eastern Mediterranean surface water. Rapp. Comm. int. Mer Medit., 36: 213.
    • Pitta P., Giannakourou A. & Christaki U., 2001. Grazing impact of planktonic ciliates in the Mediterranean Sea. Rapp. Comm. int. Mer Medit., 36: 205.
    • Karakassis I., Tsapakis M. & Pitta P., 2001. Environmental effects of fish farming in the Mediterranean. Rapp. Comm. int. Mer Medit., 36: 283.
    • Pitta P. & Giannakourou A., 2000. Planktonic ciliates in the oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean: vertical , spatial distribution and mixotrophy. Marine Ecology Progress Series , 194: 269 - 282.
    • Pitta P., Karakassis I., Tsapakis M. & Zivanovic S., 1999. Natural vs. mariculture induced variability in nutrients and plankton in the Eastern Mediterranean. Hydrobiologia, 391: 181-194.
    • Pitta P., Tsapakis M., Zivanovic S. & Karakassis I., 1998. Seasonal variability of water column biogeochemistry in three coastal areas in the Ionian and Aegean Seas. Rapp. Comm. int. Mer MŽdit., 35: 284-285.
    • Pitta P., Giannakourou A., Divanach P. & Kentouri M., 1998. Planktonic food web in marine mesocosms in the Eastern Mediterranean: bottom-up or top-down regulation? Hydrobiologia, 363: 97-105.
    • Pitta P. & Giannakourou A., 1995. Seasonal variability of nano- and microplankton in Heraklion Bay (South Aegean). Rapp. Comm. int. Mer MŽdit. 34: 215.
    • Pitta P., Divanach P. & Kentouri M., 1995. Nano- and microplankton in Heraklion Bay, Crete: Comparison of coastal waters and mesocosm enclosures assemblages. In: Eleftheriou A., Ansell A. & C.J Smith (eds): The Biology and Ecology of Shallow Coastal Waters, Proc. 28th EMBS, pp 79-86. Olsen & Olsen, Fredenborg.
    • Ogden C.G. & Pitta P., 1990. Biology and ultrastructure of the mycophagous, soil testate amoeba Phryganella acropodia (Rhizopoda, Protozoa). Biol. Fert. Soils, 9(2): 101-109.
    • Ogden C.G. & Pitta P., 1989. Morphology and construction of the shell wall in an agglutinate soil testate amoeba Phryganella acropodia (Rhizopoda). J. Protozool., 36(4): 437-445.
    • Couteaux M.-M., Henkinet R., Pitta P., Bottner P., Billes G., Palka L. & Vannier G., 1989. Native carbon mineralization of an acid organic soil after use of the chloroform-fumigation method to estimate microbial biomass. Biol. Fert. Soils, 8(2): 172-177.
    • Nicolaidou A. & Pitta P., 1986. Fauna associated with marine plants in a brackish lagoon of Amvrakikos Bay. Biologia Gallo-hellenica, 12: 141-147.

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