Ing. Lenka Kajgrová, Ph.D.

Education

2020–2024 – PhD in Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems
Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic.
Thesis: Unravelling pond ecosystem dynamics and optimizing practices for sustainable management of European fishponds
(defended 24/09/2024; supervisor: Jaroslav Vrba).

2018–2020 – MSc in Fisheries and Protection of Waters
Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic.
Thesis: Food resources of young rheophilic fish in ponds with installed light and colour insect attractants
(supervisor: Zdeněk Adámek).

2015–2018 – BSc in Water Protection
Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic.
Thesis: Benthic macroinvertebrates of littoral plant beds and free muddy substrate of carp ponds
(supervisor: Zdeněk Adámek).

Foreign experience

2024 – Internship at the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU, Brussels, Belgium
Support of EU-level policy meetings – preparation of materials and participation (fisheries, agriculture, environment), 2 months.

2024 – Workshop on Fish Nutrition, Wageningen University, Netherlands
Development of practical skills in animal nutrition.

2022–2023 – Internship at the European Aquaculture Society, Oostende, Belgium
Development of educational materials and collaboration on aquaculture outreach projects, 2 months.

2020 – Training in lipid and fatty acid analysis of zooplankton samples, WasserCluster Lunz, Austria
Laboratory instrumentation and data processing, 2 weeks.

2019 – Hands-on training in multitrophic aquaculture operations, Bord na Móna & University College Cork, Ireland
Fish husbandry; field and laboratory analysis of zooplankton and benthos, 3 months.

Teaching and student supervision

• Supervisor and specialist consultant for BSc and MSc students (6+ topics) on aquatic invertebrate dynamics, eutrophication, ecological stoichiometry, fish nutrition, and fish feeding ecology.
• Teaching assistant and field instructor of courses on Applied Hydrobiology and Zoology (University of South Bohemia).
• Summer school student supervisor (2024), topic: Dynamics of macrozoobenthos in ponds.

Grants and fellowships as principal investigator

2025–2026 – Perspective HR Fellowship (PPLZ) | Czech Academy of Sciences |
Title: Impacts of pond farming management and climate change on water quality in pond ecosystems in the Římov reservoir catchment area.
Competitive postdoctoral fellowship supporting independent research.

2022–2024 – Extraordinary Research Activities Grant | University of South Bohemia |
Organization of three international workshops engaging early-career researchers across Europe.

2022–2023 – PhD Research Grant | Grant Agency of the University of South Bohemia |
Title: Eco-based pond nutrition: optimizing Czech fishponds through smart and balanced nutrition strategies.
Supported PhD research on nutrient management in fishponds.

Awards and Prizes

2025 – Minister of Agriculture Award for Young Scientists (1st place), Czech Republic
2025 – Rector’s Award: Jakub Krčín Prize in the Agricultural and Fisheries Sciences category, Czech Republic
2024 – Best Poster Award, Workshop on Fish Nutrition, Wageningen University, Netherlands
2023 – Dean's Award for international activities (student workshop co-lead), Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic
2020 – Rector's Award for excellent study results (Master's programme), University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic
2018 – Dean's Award for excellent study results (Bachelor's programme), Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic

Service and Leadership

2024–present – Committee member, Fisheries and Ichthyology Expert Group, Czech Limnological Society

2023–2024 – Student volunteer coordinator at the conferences Aquaculture Europe 2023 (Vienna, Austria) and AQUA 2024 (Copenhagen, Denmark)

2022–2024 – National coordinator for Czechia, European Aquaculture Society – Student Group

2021–2024 – Vice-chair of the Faculty Senate, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic

Research output summary

Total publications (WoS): 15; 88 citations without self-citations (WoS); h-index: 7 (WoS); 2 certified methodologies; 6 popular science articles (in Czech and English).

List of publications / Seznam publikací

Peer-reviewed journals with IF/Lektorované odborné časopisy s IF

Mraz, J., Mandal, B., Vrba, J., Kajgrova, L., Blaha, M., Kuebutornye, F. K. A., Zabransky, L., Nahlik, V., Lepic, P., Roy, K., 2026. Nutritional requirement of European fishponds to achieve low and efficient feed use avoiding eutrophication. Aquaculture 613, 743389.

Šetlíková, I., Mikšovská, V., Let, M., Hlaváč, D., Puhanová, V., Bláha, M., Kajgrová, L., Vrba, J., Veselý, L., 2025. Response of aquatic invertebrate communities to different management strategies in central European fishponds. Environmental Sciences Europe, 37(1), 162.

Říha, M., Rabaneda-Bueno, R., Prchalová, M., Kajgrová, L., Meador, T. B., Bláha, M., Drastík, V., Kocvara, L., Kuklina, I., Veselý, L., 2025. Integrating high-resolution telemetry and stable isotope analysis to link behavior, diet, and growth in pond-reared carp. Aquacultural Engineering, 102641.

Jůza, T., Kajgrová, L., Bláha, M., Škrabánek, J., Draštík, V., Kočvara, L., Blabolil, P., 2024. Readability of fin clipping during the growing season: Case study on the pikeperch (Sander lucioperca). Aquaculture Research 2024, 9788279.

Kajgrová, L., Kolar, V., Roy, K., Adámek, Z., Blabolil, P., Kopp, R., Mráz, J., Musil, M., Pecha, O., Pechar, L., Potužák, L.  Vrba, J., 2024. A stoichiometric insight into the seasonal imbalance of phosphorus and nitrogen in central European fishponds. Environmental Sciences Europe 36, 139.

Roy, K., Vrba, J., Kuebutornye, F.K.A., Dvorak, P., Kajgrova, L., Mraz J., 2024. Fish stocks as phosphorus sources or sinks: Influenced by nutritional and metabolic variations, not solely by dietary content and stoichiometry. Science of The Total Environment 938, 173611.

Roy, K., Kajgrova, L., Capkova, L., Zabransky, L., Petraskova, E., Dvorak, P., Nahlik. V., Kuebutornye, F.K.A., Blabolil, P., Blaha, M., Vrba, J., Mraz, J., 2024. Synergistic digestibility effect by planktonic natural food and habitat renders high digestion efficiency in agastric aquatic consumers. Science of The Total Environment 927, 172105.

Kajgrová, L., Pecha, O., Roy, K., Dvořák, J., Let, M., Potužák, J., Vrba, J., Bláha, M., 2024. Pond cascades as a tool for ecological aquaculture allowing natural zooplankton succession, nutrient retention, and multiple stocking–harvesting cycles. Aquacultural Engineering 104, 102374.

Roy, K., Másílko, J., Kajgrova, L., Kuebutornye, F. K. A., Oberle, M., Mraz, J. 2023. End-of-season supplementary feeding in European carp ponds with appropriate plant protein and carbohydrate combinations to ecologically boost productivity: Lupine, rapeseed and, triticale. Aquaculture: 739906.

Kajgrová, L., Drozd, B., Regenda, J., Draštík, V., Kočvara, L., Kolařík, T., Peterka, J., Blabolil, P., 2023. A comparative study of three fishery methods for sampling the invasive topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva) in ponds. Journal of Fish Biology 102: 1121–1128.

Adámek, Z., Kajgrová, L., 2022. Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) occurrence in carp aquacultural ponds: a case study from the South Bohemia (Czech Republic) pond region. Aquaculture International 30, 2541–2556.

Roy, K., Kajgrová, L., Vrba, J., Mráz, J., 2022. The concept of balanced fish nutrition in temperate European fishponds to tackle eutrophication. Journal of Cleaner Production, 364, 132594.

Roy, K., Kajgrova, L., Mraz, J., 2022. TILAFeed: A bio-based inventory for circular nutrients management and achieving bioeconomy in future aquaponics. New Biotechnology 70, 9–18.

Kajgrová, L., Blabolil, P., Drozd, B., Roy, K., Regenda, J., Šorf, M., Vrba, J., 2022. Negative effects of undesirable fish on common carp production and overall structure and functioning of fishpond ecosystems. Aquaculture 549, 737811

Kajgrova, L., Adamek, Z., Regenda, J., Bauer, C., Stejskal, V., Pecha, O., Hlavac, D., 2021. Macrozoobenthos assemblage patterns in European carp (Cyprinus carpio) ponds – the importance of emersed macrophyte beds. Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems 422, 9.

Methodologies/Ceritifikované metodiky

Bláha, M., Blabolil, P., Draštík, V., Jůza, T., Kajgrová, L. 2024 Získání a analýza úplného obsahu zažívacího traktu kapra obecného. Edice Metodik, FROV JU, č. 207, 30 s. (In Czech).

Roy, K., Kajgrová, L., Dvořák, P., Mráz, J. 2021. Výživa reofilních kaprovitých ryb. Edice Metodik (Certifikovaná metodika), č. 192, FROV JU, Vodňany, 33 s.

Popularization articles/Popularizační články

Adámek, Z., Kajgrová, L., Regenda, J., Roy, K., 2023. Carp pond aquaculture. Concordance of Production and Nature. Aquaculture Europe 48(1), 6–15.

Blabolil, P., Kajgrová, L., Jůza, T., 2023. Psí zuby najdeme i v našich vodách. [Dog teeth can be found in our waters]. Vodní hospodářství 73(10), 22–24.

Kajgrová, L. 2022. EU aquaculture and fisheries policy „in a nutshell“, Aquaculture Europe – September/October 2022, 4–6.

Kajgrová, L., Blabolil, P. 2022. Všežravec ve zlatohnědém kabátu - lín obecný. [Omnivore in a golden brown coat - tench.] Vodní hospodářství 11 : 11-12

Blabolil, P., Kajgrová, L. 2022. Dravec, který nekouše, jen drtí. [A predator that doesn't bite just crushes.] Vodní hospodářství 4 : 22-23.

Blabolil, P., Kajgrová L. 2022. Střevlička východní - ryba klamající tělem i jménem. [Topmouth gudgeon - a fish deceiving by body and name.] Vodní hospodářství 2 : 19-20.