Research division
Biodiversity, Bioresources and Ecology
Institutes and Academic Specialized Units
Ina Aneva
Scientific secretary of division 5. Biodiversity, bioresources and ecology
ina.aneva@abv.bg
Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research
Bulgaria is among the European countries with the richest biodiversity. The fauna of vertebrates and invertebrates and the diversity of plant species are extremely rich in comparison to the relatively small area of the country.
The study of biodiversity is essential for the implementation of a national policy based on knowledge in the field of nature conservation and the development of the country’s green strategy. The diversity of our flora and fauna has significant value as a biological resource important for the livelihood of the population and the country’s economy. Their sustainable management is important for the development and improvement of public welfare.
The Natura 2000 program is of great importance for the preservation of Bulgaria’s biodiversity, the long-term conservation of specific plant and animal species and the places they live in. Preserved nature means preserved soil, water, air and natural resources. It is capital for the development of successful business – ecotourism, organic farming, sustainable forestry.
News
New fossil fills gap in human evolution: Oldest human ancestor appears to be from the Balkans
A new fossil femur, or thigh bone from Bulgaria could re-write the story of human origins. This is the conclusion of an international team of researchers from the National Museum of Natural History at the [...]
Bulgaria participates in the 37th session of the International Co-ordinating Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme
The 37th session of the International Co-ordinating Council (MAB-ICC) of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme was held in Hangzhou, China, from 26 to 28 September 2025. Bulgaria, which is a full member of this [...]
Max Planck Institute for Anthropology in Leipzig funds NMNHS-BAS research
The excavations of the palaeontological team of the National Museum of Natural History (NMNHS-BAS) in the Late Miocene Azmaka trove (Chirpan region), led by Prof. Nikolai Spassov, have aroused particular international interest in connection [...]
The expedition of the National Museum of Natural History near Tran successfully completed
Part of the expedition team (from left to right): Assoc. Prof. Docho Dochev, Asst. Prof. Vladimir Nikolov, Prof. Marlena Yaneva and Georgi Sevov. Photo: Latinka Hristova The eighth palaeontological expedition of the [...]
Four medals for Bulgaria at the International Biology Olympiad
The Bulgarian students have won four medals - two silver and two bronze from the International Biology Olympiad (IBO). The Olympiad was held from 20 to 27 July in the Philippines. The silver medals [...]
Bulgarian DNA Barcoding Unit organizes the first training on nanopore barcoding and genome analysis in Bulgaria
At the Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics of BAS, the first of its kind for Bulgaria Practical Training Course on Nanopore Barcoding and Genome Analysis was held. The training took place in the period [...]
Prof. Valya Vassileva – among the eight selected participants from over 860 applications in Malmö Residency 2025
Prof. Dr. Valya Vassileva, Director of the Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics at BAS, is among the eight scientists and innovators from around the world selected to participate in the prestigious international Malmö Residency [...]
Earth Day was celebrated at BAS
The International Earth Day was celebrated today by scientists from the Geological Institute of BAS with a conference which was held in the "Prof. Marin Drinov" Hall of the Academy. The director of the institute, [...]
Conference of the International Association for Danube Research (IAD) gathers over 100 participants from 15 countries
The 45th Conference of the International Association for Danube Research (IAD) was officially opened today and brought together representatives of the scientific community, institutions, NGOs and partner projects from the Danube region. The Forum, which [...]
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ina Aneva introduces the students from the 4th Primary School “Prof. John Atanasoff” with moments from the work of scientists
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ina Aneva, Scientific Secretary of the Biodiversity, Bioresources and Ecology Division of BAS visited the "Prof. John Atanasov" 4th Primary School on February 4 and introduced the 4th grade students to the [...]
“Bats of Vietnam” Exhibition
The exhibition "Bats of Vietnam" opened on January 7, 2025 at the Earth and Man National Museum. The exhibition reflects the research carried out within the framework of the agreement on bilateral scientific cooperation between [...]
The Amazing Vietnam – official opening of an exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History at BAS
A temporary exhibition "The Amazing Vietnam" dedicated to the joint Bulgarian-Vietnamese research on the biodiversity of Vietnam, which had began in 1975, was opened by the Deputy Director of the Museum Prof. Stoyan Beshkov on [...]
A new study used DNA-metabarcoding to elucidate the dietary spectrum of the grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola) on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast
Grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola) A team of young scientists and postdoctoral fellows at the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Studies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, has published results of the first study in [...]
National workshop under the CASRI project
A national workshop on the CASRI project (Collaborative Action coordinating and enhancing systemic, actionable and transversal Sustainability Research and Innovation) was held at the Botanical Garden of the BAS. The project is funded by the [...]
The largest nursing colony of the Lesser Horseshoe Bat and the Geoffroy’s Bat in the world is in the Eastern Rhodopes
A new publication in the European Journal of Wildlife Research reports the discovery of the largest nursing colony of the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) and the Geoffroy’s bat (Myotis emarginatus) worldwide. It is located [...]
New paper demonstrates high microplastic pollution in marine sediments associated with urbanised areas along the SW Bulgarian Black Sea coast
Fig 1 Graphical Abstract A new article by the staff members of the Laboratory of Marine Laboratory in Sozopol (unit of IBER-BAS) Nikola Bobchev (PhD student), Dr Dimitar Berov, Dr Stefania Klein [...]
First finds of placoderm gar-fishes in Bulgaria, discovered in the dinosaur locality near the town of Tran
A team led by Asst. Vladimir Nikolov from the National Museum of Natural History at BAS (NMNHS-BAS) published the description of the first fossil remains of armoured gars in Bulgaria in the specialized scientific journal [...]
Another successful expedition of palaeontologists from NMNHS-BAS
The seventh palaeontological expedition of the National Museum of Natural History at BAS to the locality of dinosaurs and other vertebrate fauna of Late Cretaceous epoch near the town of Tran took place from 2 [...]
Participation of Bulgaria in the 36th session of the International Coordinating Council of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme
For the first time, Bulgaria participated as a full member in the International Coordinating Council of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme which was held in Agadir, Morocco, from 1 to 5 July. Assoc. [...]
The plenary session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will be held in Sofia from 26 July to 2 August
On May 10, 2024, the President of BAS Prof. Julian Revalski, Member of the Academy, met with the Secretary of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - Mr. Abdallah Mokssit, Mr. Julian Popov and [...]
New genomic techniques – opportunities and challenges for researchers and farmers
Scientists and experts presented scientific data and concrete results from the application of new genomic techniques, the advantages and disadvantages of their use, the opportunities they provide for solving a range of problems in medicine [...]
New facts about the evolution of the fallow deer
New and interesting facts and patterns reflecting different aspects of the evolution and distribution of the оьввду deer are presented in two papers published in the prestigious scientific journals PNAS and Nature's Scientific Reports. The [...]
The zoological expedition of scientists of BAS in Vietnam is over
On November 1, 2023 Assoc. Prof. Nikolay Simov, Assoc. Prof. Rostislav Bekchiev, Assoc. Prof. Mario Langourov from NMNHS-BAS and Assoc. Prof. Ivailo Dedov from IBER-BAS successfully returned to their native land after almost three weeks [...]
95 years Forest Research Institute
An international conference on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the Forest Research Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences took place in the period 19-21 October 2023 at Grand Hotel Astoria. The conference [...]