Arnold Rakaj works at the Laboratory of Experimental Ecology and Aquaculture of the University of Rome Tor Vergara. The main purpose of his research is to answer ecological questions and investigate by applied research, both in the field and in controlled conditions, the role of benthic invertebrates in marine ecosystems.
His research topics can be summarized as follows:
• Aquaculture waste bioremediation and development of multitrophic integrated models (IMTA)
• Reproduction and nutrition of benthic invertebrates to investigate their biology and autecology.
• Ecological role of benthic invertebrates in hard soft substrates and seagrass meadows.
• Seagrass detritus food chain and Sea cucumbers role on the decomposition dynamics.
• Benthic invertebrates assessment, management and species conservation.
• Epibenthic communities monitoring and mapping.
• Response Epibenthic communities to human activities and global changes.
• Development of embryo larval bioassays for the assessment of marine pollution
• Benthic invertebrates as a model to test ongoing and future scenarios in mesocosm systems (global warming and ocean acidification).