70The Department of Zoology, the oldest zoological institution in Slovakia, has a long-standing reputation of leading national research and teaching institution. Research in the Department is organised into several Research Groups; these span a broad spectrum of zoology ranging from taxonomy, morphology and ecology, through molecular evolution and parasitology. Department is a member of the Network of Excellence EDIT (European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy) and founding member of the National Taxonomic Facility. Staff of the Department is experienced in dealing with basic and applied research on taxonomy (specialists for various systematic groups of vertebrates, invertebrates and eukaryotic protists), faunistics, biodiversity, morphology, ecology and zoogeography of terrestrial and freshwater animals (limnology, parasitology, entomology, ichthyology, ornithology and teriology).
Department maintains the Databank of Slovak Fauna - an integrated information system on biodiversity and distribution of fauna in Slovakia, and related computer applications for biogeography.
The most research activities are realized in the Carpathian and Pannonian region and the department utilize the Field Research Station in the Jurský Šúr Nature Reserve. Molecular research is supported by up-to-date laboratory facilities. Among facilities operated by the department are such as advanced laboratories for microscopy, information system on taxonomic resources in Carpathian region, taxonomic information centre on fauna in Slovakia etc.
The Department participates in teaching at B.Sc. degree in several study programmes, mainly in the Systematic Biology and Ecology, the Biology, the Ecosozology and the Didactics of Natural Sciences. The department organizes M.Sc. study of Zoology and has accredited two programmes of Ph.D. study - Zoology and Parasitology programmes. Department traditionally contributes with the highest share to educational activities of the faculty and its research activities belong to the most highly ranked components of the faculty.
The Department of Zoology currently has 18 academic staff, up to 40 MSc students and above 30 PhD students. Department publishes two zoological journals (Acta Zoologica Universitatis Comenianae and Folia Faunistica Slovaca).
The Head of Department is Eduard Stloukal.
