The Nature Research Centre is engaged in conducting different applied research works and services, with the main focus on the following:
Generalization, analysis and projections of biological, geological and geographical data: development and implementation of nature conservation and management documentation.
Conflict identification, assessment and recommendations for their mitigation, socio-environmental conflict prediction: (fungal, bacterial and viral plant diseases, diagnostics, identification of toxic and pathogenic fungi, damage by animals, assessment of killing mammals and amphibians in wildlife-vehicle accidents, bird strike hazards, identification of human and animal parasites, determination of extensity and intensity of infestation, parasitological situation and improvement of preventive measures).
Consultations on botany, zoology, ecology, environment protection, geology, geography, genetics, plant cultivation, plant genetic resources conservation and information management, phytochemistry, radioactivity measurement, oil-contaminated water and soil treatment, geothermal energy, oil, gas storage, CO2 geological storage, plus on terminology of the all listed subjects.
Monitoring system projects and implementation: protected, problematic and potentially valuable areas, species, habitats and ecosystems, economy- and pollution-related projects.
Environmental impact assessment: development of programmes and reports.
Assessment of pollution: assessment of genotoxicity effect, hydrological, sedimentological, lithological and geochemical pollution research, identification of chemical composition of different objects, assessment of pollution and toxicity through biological methods by using aquatic animals of different phylogenetic levels and age and a set of microbiotests, ecogeochemical and geohygienic evaluation of technogenic and natural geochemical anomalies and mapping, general chemical groundwater, surface water and waste water analysis, investigation of soil, ground and sludge pollution with metals and oil products, giving basis to sanitary protection zones, radionuclide monitoring in the environment, etc.
Assessment of botanical, zoological, viral, bacterial, ecological, mycological, parasitological diversity, radiological, radioecological, seismic, neotectonic, tectonic characteristics of territories as well as terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Supervision of BSc and MSc degree theses and doctoral studies in environmental engineering, biology, botany, ecology and environmental research, genetics, geology, geography and zoology; consulting, participation in dissertation defence committees.
Public education in botany, zoology, ecology, geology, geography, preparation of publications and education programs:
- Taxonomy, identification and nomenclature of plants, fungi, bryophytes, viruses, bacteria, vertebrates and invertebrates as well as assessment of their population state.
- Preparation of projects for recultivation of degraded territories.
- Ecological aesthetic expertise of landscape components and recommendations on the use of resources for economic purposes.
- Estimation and forecasting of natural resources, development of their regeneration and replenishment.
- Recommendations on ecological optimization of landscape and urban environment.
- Climate change projections.
- Landscape and urban eco-environment optimization solutions.
- Development of hunting control recommendations for mammals and birds.
- Selection of fungi and plants as producents of biologically active substances.
- Dating of organic and inorganic material by isotope (14 C, 210 Pb) methods, identification and age determination of fossils.
- Palaeobotanical (pollen, diatoms and plant microfossils), petrographic and mineralogical investigations.
- Assessment of molecular genetic structure within animal populations on the basis of DNA molecular markers.
- Framing plans for regional, urban and rural territories development and studies, investigation of recreational and tourism potential.
- Recommendations for setting catch quotas for fish and commercial invertebrates and establishment of catch limits in the Baltic Sea and freshwater bodies.
- Analysis, inventory and evaluation of biological and geological-geomorphological values in the preserved territories and development of information systems.
- Creation and maintenance of thematic databases and compilation of thematic maps.
- Evaluation of water resources and quality, forecasting of their changes, use and preservation, solutions of quality control and improvement, exploitation technologies and optimization of capture constructions.