Nettsider med emneord «marine biology»

Mass mortality events are on the rise globally. However, we have a limited understanding of the population consequences of such events that particularly affect the early life of fish. To increase our understanding of the population-level effects of mass mortality in early life, we constructed population models for 40 fish species and ran scenarios on mass mortality for these species. Our approach allows for predictions of potential effects of mass mortality in a range of fish.

Extreme climate events, overexploitation and in general human activities can lead to a strong elevation of mortality, particularly for young and sensitive life stages. Such mass mortality events are predicted to occur more frequently. In our study published in Global Change Biology (Langangen & Durant, 2024), we recorded the chance of collapse of fish populations confronted to various levels and frequency of mass mortality events.

Not all of us dive. That's why aquariums are AMAZING! We have a glimpse into the deep blue without ever getting wet. Behind the glass, spiny stickleback, flat flounder, bright anemones, and sluggish snails dance about, either starring back at us or waving their long tentacles. This post is a tribute to the folks who keep these windows into the sea (and their inhabitants) healthy and happy, first off with the little aquarium at UiO, Steinbiten Akvarieforening, and then with the larger Drøbak Akvarium, just south of Oslo.

Benjamin is a fisherman of a different fin. Intstead of cod, salmon, or stickleback, Benjamin is writing his Masters at the CEES and working with IMR on a project about the Corkwing wrasse, an iPhone-sized fish known for its showy blue scales, taste for salmon lice, and male "cross-dressers" or sneakers (males mimicking females). This is his second year invetigating the effects of size-dependent fishing on the proportion of sneaker-males in populations in Norway.

It feels great to be reunited with my study species, kelp! This summer, I took a  ForBio class in Bergen: Kelp communities: marine macroalgae and associated flora and fauna. I spent 10 days collecting samples by wading, snorkeling, and boating, then subsequently identifying the catch with some of the top seaweed and marine invertebrate biologists in Scandinavia. See some of the neat critters we found... and check out ForBio's homepage for upcoming courses!

During the last few days of October, I volunteered at the Nordic Marine Science Conference in Asker, Norway. This joint meeting hosted by the Norwegian Oceanographic Society (NHF) and Swedish Society of Marine Sciences (SHF) included three days of talks and presentations from students and researchers working throughout Northern Europe. Among this gregarious, seafaring bunch, the University of Oslo was well-represented.

Three ongoing classes this Spring, BIO4400, BIO4320 & MBV4110, expose students to tiny marine critters, or provide a closer look at macroscopic organisms, (e.g. my study organism: kelp!). "Marine Pelagic Oceanography" introduces students to the processes of the sea, including three expeditions out on the water in Oslofjorden. "Systematics and Ecology of Marine Algae" provides on overview of the global diversity of algal species, with a special focus on Norway's intriguing flora. The "Electron Microscopy" course provides a tool to view any organism in finer detail, marine or terrestrial. Take at look for yourself to see some examples of what Master students at IBV are viewing  under the microscope.

For the final class of my Masters, I applied to Arctic Marine Molecular Ecology at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS). UNIS offers classes for undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students in biology, geology, geophysics and technology. Once accepted, I booked tickets to the land of polar bears, northern lights, and the nautical polar night for an exciting five week educational adventure.

It's official. Yesterday was the World's Coolest Day in Oslo. The DNB Savings Bank Foundation hosted a free day of activities at the Akershus fortress. I volunteered with a group of spunky students from IBV at the mobile touch tanks from Drøbak Akvarium. Check out the marine stars of Oslofjord!

Some of the species we work with are easiest attained before onset of winter. With summer rapidly coming to an end, Jan and I went to Drøbak this week to sample copepods and threespine sticklebacks.

I took part in the Johan Hjort Symposium (and even gave a dinner speech and wrote a paper later on, with Gudmund Hermansen and Olav Kjesbu). Kjesbu at the Hjort Centre for Marine Ecosystem Dynamics asked me to write up some personal reflections on this. This blog post is a mildly extended version of that note.