gal@ocean.org.il
Tel: 04 – 6721444 ext. 224
Scientist
Ph.D. 1999, Cornell University, USA
At IOLR since 2001
Research interests:
I am interested in the development of ecosystem models and their application as both a research and management tool for freshwater and marine ecosystems. This includes examining the impact of processes on the ecosystems by using long-term scenario simulations, the study of the factors affecting the ecosystem, and the potential changes that may occur as a result of changes to management measures of environmental conditions. I study possible ways for enhancing model testing tools and use a variety of models including DYRESM-CAEDYM, GLM-FABM, Ecopath with Ecosim and Ecospace and data-driven models. My interests also include the study of food-web trophic interactions especially at zooplankton-phytoplankton and zooplankton-fish levels. I am in charge of the zooplankton monitoring of Lake Kinneret and study the long term changes to the zooplankton population as a result of environmental changes and management approaches.
Selected publications:
Gal, G. and W. Anderson (2010). A novel approach to detecting a regime shift in a lake ecosystem. Methods Ecol. Evol. 1: 45-52.
Gal, G., Hipsey, M.R., Parparov, A., Wagner, U., Makler, V., Zohary, T. (2009). Implementation of ecological modeling as an effective management and investigation tool: Lake Kinneret as a case study. Ecol. Model. 220, 1697-1718.
Gal, G., Loew, E.R., Rudstam, L.G. and Mohammadian, A.M. (1999). Light and diel vertical migration: spectral sensitivity and light avoidance by Mysis relicta. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 56:311 322.
Gal, G., Makler-Pick, V. and Shachar, N. (2014). Dealing with uncertainty in ecosystem model scenarios: application of single-model ensemble approach. Environ. Model. Soft. 61: 360-370.
Gal, G., Rudstam, L.G. and Greene, C.H. (1999). Characterizing the acoustic properties of Mysis relicta. Limnol. Oceanogr. 44:371 381.
Gal, G., Skerjanec, M. and N. Atanasova. (2012). Fluctuations in water level and the dynamics of zooplankton: a data-driven modelling approach. Fresh. Biol. 58:800-816. Gilboa, Y., Gal, G. and Friedler, E. (2014). Defining limits to multiple and simultaneous anthropogenic stressors in a lake ecosystem – Lake Kinneret as a case study. Environ. Model. Soft.. 61: 424–432.
Li, Y., Gal, G., Makler-Pick, V., Waite, A. M., Bruce, L.C. and Hipsey, M.R. (2014). Examination of the role of the microbial loop in regulating lake nutrient stoichiometry and phytoplankton dynamics. Biogeosciences. 11: 2939-2960.
Makler-Pick, V., Gal, G., Shapiro, J., Hipsey, M.R., (2011). Exploring the role of fish in a lake ecosystem (Lake Kinneret, Israel) by coupling an individual-based fish population model to a dynamic ecosystem model. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 68: 1265-1284.
Mills, E.L., Casselman, J.M., Dermott, R., Fitzsimons, J.D., Gal, G., Hoyle, J.A., Johannsson, O., Lantry, B.F., Makarewicz, J.C., Millard, S., Munawar, M., Munawar, I.F., O’Gorman, R., Owens, R.W., Rudstam, L.G., Schaner, T. and Stewart, T.J. (2003). Lake Ontario: Food web dynamics in a changing ecosystem (1970-2000). Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 60:471-490.
