Introduction to NATKOP

Náttúrufræðistofa

Kópavogs

Natural History Museum of Kópavogur

www.natkop.isfinnur@natkop.is

What we do

• Our research area is freshwater ecology. Studies include nationwide lake surveys, monitoring of biological and physical-chemical factors, environmental assessments, and biological studies at the species and population levels. The museum cooperates with other research institutes in Iceland, the Nordic countries and Canada..

• Ecological survey of Icelandic lakes (ESIL)• Implementation of Emerald Network (Natura

2000) – freshwaters• Ecological monitoring of Lake Thingvallavatn• Monitoring of crustaceans in lake Elliðavatn• Monitoring of Arctic charr in lake Þingvallavatn• Ecology of the tadpole-shrimp in Iceland• Environmental impact assessment of Hydroelectric

power-plant at Kárahnjúkar

Our main research projects

The ESIL - project

Associates: University of Iceland,Hólar Agricultural Collage and Institute of Freshwater Fishery

Making database with standardized information.

72 lakes – Geology – Hydrology – Chemistry – Biology (vegetation, micro-invertebrates, fish, birds)

Emerald Network – freshwaters

• Cooperation with Icelandic Institute of Natural History

• Conservation of flora and fauna and their natural habitats (Bern convention)

• Nomination of conservation sites

• Classification of sites mainly based on macrophyte communities and lake trophy

72 Sampled lakes.

International Cooperation

Queen´s UniversityKingston, Ontario, Canada

Próf. Jon P. Smol

Dr. Tammy Karst

University of Colorado

Boulder, Colorado, USA

Nat. Hist. Mus. of Faroe Ilands

NERI, Silkeborg

KUFL, Hillerød

NIVA, Osló

Univ. of Oslo

Univ. of Lund

Inst. of Limnol, Uppsala

International Cooperation

European project named EURO-LIMPACS

Aim of project is to estimate impacts of global changes on freshwater ecology in Europe.

37 institutions from 19 countries.

Natural History Museum of Kópavogur, Mývatn Research Station and Univ. of Iceland Inst. of Biology.

Funded by European Union (EU) Total amount 20 m. Euro.

www.eurolimpacs.ucl.ac.uk/

Thank you