Gitai Yahel-CV
Gitai Yahel-CV: Full Academic Version
Abridged CV
Research Interests
I'm interested in the diverse processes that link the seafloor to the overlying ocean. These processes range from feeding mechanisms of individual suspension feeders such as sponges and bivalves through the behavior pattern of ground fish and migratory zooplankton to the interplay between hydrodynamics and the benthos (organisms that inhabits the bottom of the sea). Fieldwork and the development of new methods for underwater studies are major themes in my work.
Personal Details
Born: 21 April 1964, Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, Israel
Family status: Married, Three children (born 1998, 2002, 2006)
Home address: Hamifras 16. St. Kfar-Vitkin 40200, Israel
Work address: The Faculty of Marine Sciences Ruppin Academic Centre, Mikhmoret, Israel, 402970
M. +972 52 2918 007
Zoom + Skype: gitaiyahel
Academic Position
Professor (Oceanography) | 2023-Present
The Faculty of Marine Sciences and Marine Environment,
Ruppin Academic Centre,
Michmoret, Israel
Associate Professor (Oceanography) | 2016-2023
The Faculty of Marine Sciences and Marine Environment,
Ruppin Academic Centre,
Michmoret, Israel
Senior Lecturer (Oceanography) | 2008-2016
The School of Marine Sciences and Marine Environment,
Ruppin Academic Centre,
Michmoret, Israel
Lecturer (Oceanography) | 2007-2008
The School of Marine Sciences and Marine Environment,
Ruppin Academic Centre,
Michmoret, Israel
Academic Education
Rothschild Postdoctoral fellowship at the Biology Department, University of Victoria (UVic), British Columbia, Canada. 2003-2006
Host: Prof. Verena Tunnicliffe
Ph.D. Thesis at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI), Ecology, Systematics and Evolution Department (E.S.E) and the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat (IUI). 1997-2003
Supervisor: Prof. Amatzia Genin
Title: "Feeding on ultraplankton and dissolved organic carbon in coral reefs: from individual-based rates to community processes”.
Master of Science at HUJI, E.S.E Dep. and the IUI.
Graduated with distinction, 1995-1997
Supervisor: Prof. Amatzia Genin
Title: “Phytoplankton distribution and grazing at coral reefs”.
Bachelor of Science at HUJI: Biology - major, Statistics - minor.
Graduated with distinction, 1990-1994
Grants and Awards
Israel Science Foundation (ISF) | 2021-2025 | 299,646 ILS
Revisting the role of dissolved organic matter, the largest pool of exchangeable carbon in the ocean, as a nutrional source for aquatic metazoans.
Yad HaNadiv | 2021-2023 | 1,600,000 ILS
Applied research on coastal estuaries.
Co-researchers: T. Topaz, Y. Suari.
The Kishon Authority | 2020-2023 | 375,000 ILS
Science based management of the Kishon Estuary.
Co-researchers: T. Topaz.
Styrelsen for Forskning og Uddanels (Denmark) | 2019-2021 | 111,537 Euro
FLOWMAR: The role of flow in marine life.
Co-researchers: T.K. Kiorboe, A. Andersen, U. Shavit, R. Holtzman.
Spanish Science Ministry | 2019-2021 | 700,000 Euro
Role of sponges in biogeochemical benthic-pelagic coupling: carbon and nutrient exchange between the Coraligenous and adjacent communities (Be-Calm).
Co-researchers: S.E. Monismith, M. Ribes, R. Coma.
Jewish National Fund | 2019-2022 | 723,000 ILS
Long term monitoring of the Alexander Estuary.|
Co-researchers: B. Chefetz, Y. Suari.
Yad HaNadiv & IMPA | 2018-2021 | 600,000 ILS
Assessing the role of invasive bivalves in controlling ecosystem dynamics as a tool for better management of Israeli Marine Reserves and Marine Protected Areas.
NSF-BSF Integrative and Organismal Systems (IOS-NSF-BSF) | 2018-2021 | $1,315,000
Mediation of biological filtrationin marine suspension feeders: significance of intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
Co-researchers: E. Ward, S.E. Shumway, U. Shavit.
Israel Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) | 2016-2019 | 2,500,000 ILS
Developing new methodologies for quantifying biological sediment resuspension in the sea and for studying its dynamics.
Co-researchers: U. Shavit, T. Katz, T. Treibitz, Y. Schechner.
Yad Hanadiv | 2016-2019 | 2,475,000 ILS
The role of estuaries in controlling pollution of the Mediterranean Sea: The Alexander River as a case study.
Co-researchers: B. Chefetz, R. Egozi, G. Eshel, S. Gafny, Y. Suari.
The Villum Foundation grant (Denmark) | 2015-2018 | 800,000 EUR
Early evolution of multicellular sponges - a bioenergetic and bio-fluid mechanical approach for understanding evolutionary adaptation to animal filter-feeding in the sea.
Co-researchers: H.U. Riisgård, D. Canfield, N. T. Eriksen, P. Funch, P. S. Larsen, J. H.Walther, K. E. Meyer,
T. Fenchel, C. Nielsen (Denmark).
Ruppin Academic Centre | 2014-2017 | 90,000 ILS
Ruppin Marine Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Station at Michmoret.
Co-researcher: Y. Suari.
Israel Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) | 2014-2017 | 1,638,000 ILS
Study of the deep Israeli continental margins of the red and Mediterranean seas in light of local and global changes (ROV).
Co-researchers: A. Genin, M. Ilan.
United State-Israel Binational Science Fund (BSF) | 2013-2017 | 244,000 USD\
Interactions between marine picoplankton and mucous-net filter feeders.
Co-researchers: K. R. Sutherland (USA), Y. Tikochinski (Israel).
Israeli Science Fund (ISF) | 2013-2017 | 1,232.000 ILS
Examining size independent biological filtration at the submicron range.
Yad Hanadiv | 2013-2016 | 1,084,000 ILS
Rehabilitation of the micro estuaries along the Mediterranean coast of Israel.
Co-researchers: S. Gafny, Y. Suari.
NSERC–STAC (Canada) | 2013-2014 | 360,000 CAD
Ecophysiology of Benthic systems in the Strait of Georgia.
Co-researcher: S.P. Leys (Canada).
Ruppin Academic Centre | 2013-2014 | 21.000 ILS
Development of a nonspecific sensor for the detection of water contaminations.
Co-researcher: B. Dekel.
Ministerio de Ciencia Innovación (Spanish Science Ministry) | 2012-2015 | 700,000 EUR
Environment changes and mass mortality events: Underlying causes and mechanisms in Mediterranean gorgonians and sponges (En-Changes).
Co-researchers: M. Ribes, R. Coma (Spain).
Ruppin Academic Center | 2011-2013 | 40,000 ILS
Potential role of fish induce sediment resuspension on the N cycle in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Co-researcher: S. Avrahami.
Academic Teaching
Current Courses:
Biological Oceanography (3rd year), Ruppin Academic Centre.
Oceanographic Cruise (3rd year), Ruppin Academic Centre.
Under Water Research Methods (3rd year), Ruppin Academic Centre.
