Members of the Chair of Animal Ecology
- Peeter Hõrak, PhD, Professor
- Raivo Mänd, PhD, Professor Emeritus
- Indrikis Krams, PhD, Visiting Professor
- Tuul Sepp, PhD, Associate Professor
- Vallo Tilgar, PhD, Associate Professor
- Marko Mägi, PhD), Researcher
- Jaanis Lodjak, PhD, Researcher
- Richard Meitern, PhD, Researcher
- Randel Kreitsberg, PhD, Researcher
- Jeffrey Carbillet, PhD, Researcher
- Mari-Ann Lind, PhD, Specialist
Peeter Hõrak
Professor of Behavioural Ecology
Leader of the Human Behavioural Ecology Group
Phone: +372 7375 075 Cell phone: +372 5149 552
peeter.horak@ut.ee
Main research interests
Behavioural ecology of humans. Avian immunoecology, behavioural ecology and personality research. Oxidative stress in animal ecology. Has been involved in research on immunoecology of fishes, insects and mammals.
Winner of the National Science Awards in 2002 (with R. Mänd, T. Tammaru and I. Ots) and in 2013.
Teaching at university
Reads lectures in evolutionary ecology, ethology, evolutionary biology, parasitology, and general principles of scientific research. He has supervised 9 PhD theses and 6 MSc theses.
Raivo Mänd
Professor Emeritus in Animal Ecology
Managing Director of the Chair
Phone: +372 7375 070 Cell phone: +372 5069 849
raivo.mand@ut.ee
Main research interests
Breeding ecology and habitat relations of forest passerines, physiological and behavioural ecology, plumage bacterial communities in birds, etc. Earlier studied seabird ecology (in terns and gulls), ecological morphology of avian eggs and distribution of land snails in Estonia.
Winner of the National Science Award 2002 (with P. Hõrak, T. Tammaru and I. Ots).
Teaching at university
Teaches ethology and behavioural ecology courses, gives lectures on scientific methodology and scientific presentation art. Coordinates teaching of special disciplines for Master and PhD students. He has supervised 9 PhD theses and 9 MSc theses.
Indrikis Krams
Visiting Professor
Cell phone: +371 2946 5273
indrikis.krams@ut.ee
Main research interests
Physiological behavioural ecology of birds and insects, evolutionary psychology of humans.
Teaching at university
Reads lectures in ethology and ecophysiology courses. At the University of Tartu, he has supervised 1 PhD thesis and 1 Master's thesis. Besides he has supervised several PhD theses at the University of Daugavpils, Latvia.
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Tuul Sepp
Associate Professor in Animal Ecology
Leader of the Evolutionary Ecophysiology Group
Cell phone: +372 5052 501
tuul.sepp@ut.ee
Main research interests
Impact of man-made environmental changes (especially urbanization and marine pollution) on free-range animals (mainly birds and fish), aging and cancer in the context of evolutionary ecology.
Laureate of the Young Scientist Award of the President of the Republic (2020)
Teaching at university
Responsible for Parasitology course. Gives lectures on Evolutionary Ecology and Ethology. Supervisor of PhD (one successfully completed) and Master's students.
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Vallo Tilgar
Associate Professor in Avian Ecology
Leader of the Avian Ecology Group
Phone: +372 7375 814 Cell phone: +372 5291 735
vallo.tilgar@ut.ee
Main research interests
Avian physiological and behavioural ecology, habitat relations of forest passerines, avian personalities. Earlier has studied population ecology of moose.
Teaching at university
Responsible for ecophysiology course, teaches data sampling, gives lectures on ethology and conservation biology, earlier also on ornithology. He has supervised 3 PhD theses and several Master's theses.
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Marko Mägi
Researcher in Avian Ecology (0.5)
Communication Director of the Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences (0.5)
Director of the Field Lab of Avian Ecology
Phone: +372 7375 892 Cell phone: +372 5207 589
marko.magi@ut.ee
Main research interests
Avian population ecology and urbanization, behavioral ecology, habitat effects and personality studies.
Teaching at university
Responsible for the following disciplines: Problem Seminar in Biology and Bidoversity Conservation, Practical Identification of Vertebrates in the Wild. Gives lectures on ethology and ornithology, also practicals in data analysis. He has successfully supervised 1 PhD thesis and several Master's theses.
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Jaanis Lodjak
Researcher in Animal Ecology
Cell phone: +372 5594 5922
jaanis.lodjak@ut.ee
Main research interests
Physiological regulation mechanisms of animal behaviour and reproduction, effect of growth factor IGF-1 on avian behaviour.
Teaching at university
Gives practicals on experiment planning and data analysis. Supervisor of Master's and Bachelor theses.
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Richard Meitern
Researcher in Animal Ecology
Director of the Lab for Animal Ecophysiology and Behaviour
Main research interests
Ecophysiological and biochemical research methods
Teaching at university
Reads lectures on parasitology. Supervised student's theses.
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Randel Kreitsberg
Researcher in Ecotoxicology
Main research interests
Ecotoxicology of water bodies: distribution and effects of environmental pollution (heavy metals, petroleum products and other organic toxic substances) on living organisms; microplastic pollution. Fish physiology and health: stress factors caused by toxic substances, biomarkers, cancer in fish.
Teaching at university
Teaches ecotoxicology, reads lectures within the course of animal ecophysiology. Supervises PhD and Master's studies.
Jeffrey Carbillet
Researcher of Animal Ecology (post-doctoral position)
Main research interests
Impact of pollution on the life history of seabirds.
Mari-Ann Lind
Specialist of Animal Ecology
Main research interests
Ecophysiology of birds
- Kaarin Hein (hetkel akadeemilisel puhkusel)
- Grete Alt (hetkel akadeemilisel puhkusel)
- Velda Lauringson (hetkel akadeemilisel puhkusel)
- Riin Viigipuu
- Ciara Danielle Baines
- Merilin Raudna-Kristoffersen
Kaarin Hein
PhD Student
Study subject
Fitness consequences of avian personalities in variable environments
Supervisor V. Tilgar
Teaching at university
Supervisor for a Bachelor's thesis
Grete Alt
PhD Student
Study subject
The role of feather bacteria in birds: a new frontier opened by molecular and microbiological techniques
Supervisors R. Mänd, M. Mägi
Teaching at university
Read lectures in ornithology, supervised Bachelor's and Master's theses.
Mari-Ann Lind
PhD Student
Study subject
Internal constraints on energy processing and their consequences: an integrative study of stress, digestion and antimicrobial defenses in greenfinches
Supervisor P. Hõrak
Velda Lauringson
PhD Student
Study subject
Interactions between somatic growth, pubertal maturation and cognitive development of adolescents from the life-history perspective.
Supervisors P. Hõrak, G. Veldre
Riin Viigipuu
PhD Student
Study subject
Understanding the anthropogenic noise effects to avian behaviour and fitness in free-living populations
Supervisor V. Tilgar
Teaching at university
Has given a field practicum of bird recognizing and participated in a practicum of data collection methods
Ciara Danielle Baines
PhD Student (jointly with Estonian Marine Institute)
Study subject
Natural adaptations to oncogenic aquatic environments: a study of contemporary evolution in Baltic Sea, using flounders and their cell lines
Supervisors T. Sepp ja L. Saks
Merilin Raudna-Kristoffersen
PhD Student
Study subject
Distribution of microplastics in the marine environment and its long-term effects on aquatic organisms on the example of the zebrafish Danio rerio.
Supervisors: R. Kreitsberg, M. Heinlaan, A. Ivask.
- Jürgen Karvak
- Maiken Abel
- Kristel Zimmermann
- Helerin Lilleleht
- Toomas Tammaru (Associate Professor 1999 - 2005, currently Professor of Entomology, Director of the Chair of Entomology, Head of the Department of Zoology)
- Indrek Ots (Researcher and Senior Researcher 1999 - 2005)
- George A. Lozano (Researcher 2009 - 2010)
- Priit Kilgas (Researcher 2007 - 2011)
- Małgorzata E. Arlet (post-doctoral Researcher 2010 - 2013)
- Asko Lõhmus (Researcher and Senior Researcher 2003 - 2013, currently Professor of Conservation Biology, Director of the Chair of Natural Resources)
- Riinu Rannap (Researcher 2009 - 2013, currently Associate Professor of the Chair of Natural Resources)
- Lauri Saks (Researcher 2004 - 2014, currently Associate Professor of the Estonian Marine Institute)
- Pauli Saag (Researcher 2010 - 2015)
- Tatjana Krama (Researcher 2016 - 2019, currently Senior Researcher of the Estonian University of Life Sciences)
- Ulvi Karu (Researcher 2008 - 2021)
- Elin Sild (Researcher 2012 - 2021)
- Kunter Tätte (Researcher 2020 - 2021)