Department of Biodiversity Sciences

At the core of our activities are high quality multidisciplinary research, excellent teaching and active engagement with society. We collaborate extensively both within the university and with many other universities, research institutes, and stakeholders. We believe that sustainable solutions are created together.

We study biodiversity and how it is changing. Based on this research, we produce up to date knowledge that reaches a wide audience outside the academic community as well.

We use our facilities in Turku, the Archipelago Sea, and Utsjoki, and our fieldwork from all around the world, to study biodiversity on a local and a global scale.

Our facilities include:

• The Natural History Museum on the university campus in the Natura building, which consists of the zoological and botanical museums and their extensive collections
• The Aerobiology lab on the university campus in Aurum
• The University of Turku Science Centre and the LUMA Centre of Southwest Finland at various locations on the university campus
• The Botanical Garden in Ruissalo, Turku
• Kevo Research Station in Utsjoki, Northern Lapland
• The Archipelago Research Institute on the island of Seili.

Our staff and students work extensively with key issues related to biodiversity. Our research and activities focus on, among other things:

• the links between biodiversity, the economy and human well-being
• the diversity and systematics of different groups of organisms
• the impacts of biodiversity loss and climate change
• how the Archipelago Sea and northern environments are changing
• science education
• the current state and future of tropical rainforests

Multidisciplinary research collaboration – for example with researchers in economics, history and cultural studies, and many other fields - is a particular strength of the department. We are constantly developing new research initiatives together with experts from various disciplines.