The outdoor mesocosm facility of Balaton Limnological Research Institute (mesocosm: an experimental system that examines the natural environment under controlled conditions) consists of 12 outdoor cylindrical plastic tanks; each has a volume of 5 cubic meters. Water temperature, nutrient levels, water circulation, light intensity, and several other relevant parameters can be controlled in the tanks, depending on the experimental hypotheses to be tested. The sensors deployed in the mesocosms gauge the most important physical parameters (e.g., light irradiation, water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, etc.). The tanks can be filled either with unfiltered water from Lake Balaton (pumped in directly from the lake), or with lake water filtered in three phases (gravel, – sand, – and UV filters).
The mesocosm system enables the researchers to study/model ecological processes under controlled conditions, such as the impacts of global climate change on aquatic food-webs, or the interactions of environmental factors promoting algal blooms.
Contact person, leader scientist: Gergely Boros, PhD (boros.gergely@blki.hun-ren.hu)
