We study the response of the photosynthetic apparatus of microalgae to the intensity and spectral composition of underwater irradiance, and to nutrient concentration. We focus on three systems, phytoplankton in the Mediterranean and Lake Kinneret, and in the Red Sea, on zooxanthellae living as endosymbionts in reef building corals. The bio-optical coupling of the primary productivity of phytoplankton to the underwater light is also studied by remote sensing from satellites. We have recently developed a system for the study of the efficiency of phytoplankton photosynthesis, based on photoacoustics.

Previous and Current Research Projects

Geobotanical survey of the Amud region, Galilee.

Ecology of desert isopods and snails.

Combined systems for sewage treatment and algal protein production.

Microalgae as sources of fine chemicals.

Dynamics of phytoplankton in Lake Kinneret.

Photosynthetic efficiencies of algal communities. 

Coral symbiosis and reef ecology.

Remote sensing and bio-optical coupling of marine phytoplankton.

The application of photoacoustics to the study of phytoplankton.

Photoacclimation and energetics of the photosynthetic apparatus.

Future Projects

Mapping the energy flow and dissipation in the course of photosynthesis

A coupled benthic- pelagic ecosystem model for the Gulf of Eilat.

Elucidate the way environmental factors shape coral colonies

Study adaptation and acclimation processes of corals to light gradients

Determine the effect of pollutants on algal assemblages

Examine the effect of wave-generated light fluctuations on coral biology

Climate Change, Secrets and Dangers: The Coral Reef as an Example - Presentation from Faculty Day at Shefayim

Zvy Dubinsky (b. 1934, Barcelona) is an emeritus Professor at BarIlanUniversity, Ramat Gan, Israel, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1978, working on the photosynthesis of Lake Kinneret (Israel) phytoplankton. In that pioneering study he developed the theoretical and experimental tools for the in situ determination of photosynthetic quantum yields, which were applied to the design of photobioreactors. As a postdoctoral fellow at Queens College, NY, he worked on the physiology and biochemistry of algal lipids and on their potential in biofuel production. Based on his results he published a pioneering analysis of the economics of algal biofuels. During a sabbatical with Paul Falkowski at Brookhaven National Laboratories he studied the photo-acclimation of phytoplankton, where he changed the field markedly. Subsequently, he developed a strong interest in coral ecology and photobiology, formulating the first integrated views unifying energy and nutrient fluxes in zooxanthellate corals. These views helped us understand the detrimental effects of anthropogenic eutrophication on coral reefs. Additional projects were the ecophysiology of desert invertebrates and the physiology of mangroves. Prof. Dubinsky spent sabbaticals at Brookhaven National Laboratories, Rockefeller University, and three periods at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, Tokyo University, where he worked on microalgal biotechnology and on the exploitation of algal antioxidants. He participated in several research expeditions to the coral reefs of Sinai, Antarctica,Eritrea, and theSeychelles, and worked on research projects at the Australian Institute of Marine Science, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, and the University of the Ryukyus,Okinawa. Professor Dubinsky has sponsored over 30 M.Sc. and 30 Ph.D. students and has published over 200 scientific papers. He edited the volume Coral Reefs (vol 25, Ecosystems of the World, Elsevier, 1990). He is co- editor of the Springer volumes: Coral Reefs: An Ecosystem in Mediterranean Sea: Its history and present challenges (2013), and edited the Photosynthesis volume published by INTECH (2013).

Professor Dubinsky is the recipient of several grants, the most recent current ones are the prestigious ERC CORALWARM € 3,300,000 to study global climate change effects on coral reefs, and a series of current grants to study various aspects of the photosynthesis of algae for the production of biodiesel and fine chemicals.

Professor Dubinsky is the Head of the MBA in Management of Natural Resources Program at the Netanya academic College and teaches a course Man and the Biosphere and heads the Laboratory of Algal Biotechnology and Coral Ecophysiology at the Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar Ilan University.

Zvy Dubinsky is an avid art photographer who exhibited his work in several galleries in Israel and had published many scientific journal covers