Science, Technology and Engineering

School of Life Sciences

Department of Environmental Management & Ecology

Visiting professor explores local and regional research on water quality.

Media release September 2007

Professor Maria Lazaridou, from the Department of Zoology at Aristotle University, in Thessaloniki, Greece, will be visiting the Albury-Wodonga campus from 10 th - 14 th September as the guest of the Department of Environmental Management and Ecology.

Professor Lazaridou's research specialisation is in river water quality, especially the use of macroinvertrebrates as indicators of water health.

The Hellenic Evaluation System of river water quality is based on the composition of the benthic macroinvertrebrates community. The benthic zone is the lowest level of a body of water and includes the superficial larger of soil and materials lining the bottom.

Professor Lazaridou will take part in field trips to local and regional rivers, deliver a water quality seminar to campus staff and discuss freshwater research with staff from The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre.

The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is the largest university in Greece . The University Campus covers some 23 hectares close to the centre of Thessaloniki . It comprises 9 Faculties organized into 39 Schools, as well as 3 independent Schools (a total of 42 Schools). More than 70,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students are actively studying at the University, supported by over 4,000 academic, technical and administrative staff.

Thessaloniki , a port city in Northern Greece with a population of 1.2 million people, is one of the oldest cities in Europe . Founded in about 315 BC by King Cassandros of Macedonia , it was named after his wife " Thessaloniki ", sister of Alexander the Great. Since then, the city has become the regional capital of Macedonia and Thrace .

For further information, contact:

Dr Phil Suter , Head, Department of Environmental Management and Ecology on (02) 6024 9885.

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