Graduate Program in Biological Oceanography

The Laboratory of Phytoplankton and Marine Microorganisms (LabFito) started with professors and doctors Clarisse Odebrecht, Marli Bergesch, Virginia Maria Tavano and Paulo César Abreu, who developed and established research programs of national and international scope, and who were responsible for the training of several professionals specialized in studies on marine, estuarine, and coastal phytoplankton. Currently, LabFito is led by professors Rafael Mendes and Fernanda Giannini who, besides maintaining the high level of quality in teaching and research, have been implementing and establishing new thematic lines, such as chemotaxonomy and bio-optics, applied to the study of phytoplankton.

LabFito participates in several research projects in the area of Marine Phytoplankton Ecology, with special focus on the South Atlantic and Antarctic Peninsula, including coastal regions such as the Patos Lagoon estuary (RS). The LabFito also has an extensive culture collection with several species of microalgae, enabling the conduction of research and laboratory experiments in the area of Ecophysiology. 

All research and studies are related to the high biodiversity of the phytoplankton groups, using techniques and approaches from the most traditional (microscopy) to the most modern such as Molecular Biology. The teaching activities are focused on undergraduate Oceanology and graduate (Masters and PhD) in Biological Oceanography and Oceanology.

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