Dr. Zala Schmautz

Work at ZHAW

Position

Lecturer and Co-lead Research Group Aquaculture Systems

Focus

• Nutrient recycling in closed water systems
• Water analysis and water chemistry
• Soilless plant cultivation (hydroponics, aquaponics, bioponics)
• Vertical farming and indoor plant cultivation

Education and Continuing education

Education

• Doctor of Science / Environmental Systems Science
  ETH Zurich
  09 / 2016 - 02 / 2021
• Master's degree / Sanitary Engineering (Public Health and Environmental Health Professional)
  Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
  10 / 2013 - 04 / 2015
• Bachelor's degree / Sanitary Engineering (Public and Environmental Health Professional)
  Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
  10 / 2009 - 09 / 2013

Network

Membership of networks

European aquaculture society

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0672-7086

Awards

Hans Vontobel-preis 2022
ETH Zurich
05 / 2022

Social media

• LinkedIn
• ResearchGate
• GoogleScholar
• Scopus

Projects

• Food-Energy-wAter-healTh innovations for sustainable development in AFRICA / Project leader / ongoing
• AQUAPEALTH: Harnessing soilless microbial communities to enhance plant health across different cultivation systems / Deputy project leader / ongoing
• From urine to fertiliser: on-site nutrient recovery in circular sanitation systems / Team member / ongoing
• Innovating Nepalese aquaculture: Technology advancement, integration in the WEFH nexus and social inclusion / Project leader / ongoing
• AquaChain – Connecting the trophic levels of a freshwater aquaculture food chain / Deputy project leader / ongoing
• Underground Farming: Sustainability, land efficiency and food security in Swiss agriculture / Co-project leader / ongoing
• Swiss Aquaculture Coordination Centre (KSA) / Team member / ongoing
• INtegrated and Circular Technologies for Sustainable city region FOOD systems in Africa / Project leader / ongoing
• Industrial symbiosis options for nutrient provision in indoor vertical farming / Project leader / completed
• Development of a prototype of low-tech, space efficient soilless cultivation (aquaponics) for refugee camps in Jordan / Project leader / completed
• SAMAKI AFYA: Facilitating economic viability of fish farms through better fish health / Deputy project leader / completed
• Underground mission: Soilless crop cultivation / Project leader / completed
• Local food for the future / Project leader / completed
• AWACS – Animal Welfare Assessment and Control System for Fish Farms / Team member / completed
• Implementation of aquaponic technology in Kunming, China: Construction of prototype for cultivation of fish and vegetables / Deputy project leader / completed
• Characterization of nitrogen dynamics in an aquaponic system / Team member / completed
• Implementation of aquaponic technology in Romania to benefit health and sustainable livelihood in deprived areas (AQUA-ROM) / Team member / completed
• CTI Gotthard water / Team member / completed

Publications

Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed

• Junge, R., Schmautz, Z. and Milliken, S. (2024) 'Toward nutrient cycling from organic waste streams for soilless cultivation', Current Opinion in Food Science, 61(101257). doi: 10.1016/j.cofs.2024.101257.
• Gartmann, F. et al. (2023) 'Bioponics – an organic closed-loop soilless cultivation system : yields and characteristics compared to hydroponics and soil cultivation', Agronomy, 13(6), p. 1436. doi: 10.3390/agronomy13061436.
• Folorunso, E. A. et al. (2023) 'The economic viability of commercial-scale hydroponics : Nigeria as a case study', Heliyon, 9(8), p. e18979. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18979.
• Bruni, L. et al. (2023) 'The effect of nutrient source and beneficial bacteria on growth of Pythium-exposed lettuce at high salt stress', Water, 15(11), p. 2109. doi: 10.3390/w15112109.
• Schmautz, Z. et al. (2022) 'Microbial diversity across compartments in an aquaponic system and its connection to the nitrogen cycle', Science of the Total Environment, 852(158426). doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158426.
• Schmautz, Z. et al. (2021) 'Nitrogen transformations across compartments of an aquaponic system', Aquacultural Engineering, 92(102145). doi: 10.1016/j.aquaeng.2021.102145.
• Schmautz, Z. et al. (2021) 'Environmental parameters and microbial community profiles as indication towards microbial activities and diversity in aquaponic system compartments', BMC Microbiology, 21(12). doi: 10.1186/s12866-020-02075-0.
• Eck, M. et al. (2019) 'Exploring bacterial communities in aquaponic systems', Water, 11(2), p. 260. doi: 10.3390/w11020260.
• Egloff, S. et al. (2018) 'High-density cultivation of microalgae continuously fed with unfiltered water from a recirculating aquaculture system', Algal Research, 34, pp. 68–74. doi: 10.1016/j.algal.2018.07.004.
• Nicoletto, C. et al. (2018) 'Babyleaf NFT production and water management in aquaponic system', Acta Horticulturae, pp. 159–164. doi: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1215.30.
• Nicoletto, C. et al. (2018) 'Extension of aquaponic water use for NFT baby-leaf production : mizuna and rocket salad', Agronomy, 8(5), p. 75. doi: 10.3390/agronomy8050075.
• Maucieri, C. et al. (2018) 'Hydroponic systems and water management in aquaponics : a review', Italian Journal of Agronomy, 13(1/1012). doi: 10.4081/ija.2018.1012.
• Nozzi, V. et al. (2018) 'Nutrient management in aquaponics : comparison of three approaches for cultivating lettuce, mint and mushroom herb', Agronomy, 8(3), p. 27. doi: 10.3390/agronomy8030027.
• Maucieri, C. et al. (2017) 'Vegetable intercropping in a small-scale aquaponic system', Agronomy, 7(4), p. 63. doi: 10.3390/agronomy7040063.
• Schmautz, Z. et al. (2017) 'Microbial diversity in different compartments of an aquaponics system', Archives of Microbiology, 199(4), pp. 613–620. doi: 10.1007/s00203-016-1334-1.
• Goddek, S. et al. (2016) 'Navigating towards decoupled aquaponic systems : a system dynamics design approach', Water, 8(7). doi: 10.3390/w8070303.
• Goddek, S. et al. (2016) 'The effect of anaerobic and aerobic fish sludge supernatant on hydroponic lettuce', Agronomy, 6(2). doi: 10.3390/agronomy6020037.
• Schmautz, Z. et al. (2016) 'Tomato productivity and quality in aquaponics : comparison of three hydroponic methods', Water, 8(11). doi: 10.3390/w8110533.

Book chapters, peer-reviewed

Némethy, S. et al. (2016) 'Protecting plants from pests and diseases in aquaponic systems', in Łabaj, M., Sobczuk, S., and Fabin, A. (eds) Ecological Footprint in Central Europe. Sucha Beskidzka: The University College of Tourism and Ecology Press, pp. 166–179.

Other publications

• Becke, C. et al. (2025) Advancing sustainability and circularity in aquaculture to build a resilient global food system. Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina. doi: 10.26164/leopoldina_04_01259.
• Gartmann, F., Schmautz, Z. and Junge, R. (2019) 'Influence of pH change on the phosphorus cycle in aquaponics', in 9th International Phosphorus Workshop (IPW9), Zurich, 8-12 July 2019. ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-18461.
• Schmautz, Z. and Junge, R. (2015) 'Acvaponia în lume : aquaponic systems around the world', Revistă Română de Acvaponie, 1(1), pp. 12–15.
• Podgrajsek, B. et al. (2014) 'Preliminarni monitoring akvaponicnega sistema v biotehniskem centru Naklo', Moje podeželje, 5(9), pp. 10–11. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-4982.

Publications before appointment at the ZHAW

Schmautz Z (2015). Mass Balance and Nutrient Recycling in Aquaponics. Master thesis. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia).

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