Members
Here you can find a list of all ARCTOS members and PhD students. In the drop-down menu you can either select the member status or the institution the member belongs to.
Marianne Frantzen
Department Director
Geir Wing Gabrielsen
Senior Scientist & Research Department Leader
Eva Chamorro Garrido
PhD Candidate
PhD project title:
High resolution spatial-temporal variability of Calanus spp. and its relationship with hydrographic variables in the Norwegian Sea.
PhD project description:
I am interested in physical-biological interactions in the ocean environments most affected by climate change such as high latitude ecosystems. My PhD work focuses on the study of the spatial and temporal distribution of zooplankton, particularly Calanus finmarchicus in the Norwegian Sea. I am using underwater acoustics, numerical modelling and statistical methods to increase the present knowledge of zooplankton ecosystem dynamics in order to understand it, preserve it and being able to face future earth global challenges.
Start date: April 2021
Planned submission date: April 2024
Supervisors:
Sünnje Basedow (UiT, Tromsø, Norway)
Ingrid Ellingsen (SINTEF, Trondheim, Norway)
Kanchana Bandara (UiT, Tromsø, Norway)
Christine Gawinski
PhD candidate
PhD project title:
Seasonal production and community composition of mesozooplankton in the northern Barents Sea.
PhD project description:
I am a PhD student within the research project ‘The Nansen Legacy’ (https://arvenetternansen.com/) that works towards a better understanding of the changing climate and ecosystem of the northern Barents Sea and adjacent Arctic Ocean. My thesis investigates secondary production in the Barents Sea during different seasons and in relation to physical and biological drivers. A special focus lays on the previously overlooked group of copepods of a size < 2 mm, which will help to evaluate their importance for secondary production in Arctic marine ecosystems.
Start date: August 2019
Planned submission date: November 2023
Supervisors:
Camilla Svensen (UiT, Tromsø, Norway)
Malin Daase (UiT, Tromsø, Norway)
Slawomir Kwasniewski (IOPAN, Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Science, Sopot, Poland)
Julia Giebichenstein
PhD candidate
PhD project title:
Effects of changes in species composition and distribution on contaminant accumulation in an Arctic marine food web.
PhD project description:
Arctic marine organisms are susceptible to multiple stressors, including climate change, increased human activities such as fisheries and tourism and pollution. Combined, these stressors are expected to alter food web composition and the transport, fate, and effects of pollutants within it. But, seasonal changes in pollution dynamics have rarely been studied in Arctic marine food webs, leaving a big knowledge gap. Therefore, I want to identify and compare seasonal bioaccumulation and biomagnification processes of legacy (phased-out) and new pollutants related to energy use and availability in a Barents Sea food web. To do so, I am joining four research cruises in different seasons, and am sampling key species of zooplankton and fishes. With the help of chemical and dietary descriptors I want to determine how seasonal changes in energy acquisition and allocation affect the annual dynamics of species composition, pollutant accumulation and transfer in the food web.
Start date: 01.05.2019
Planned submission date: 30.04.2022
Supervisors:
Katrine Borgå (UiO, Oslo, Norway)
Geir W. Gabrielsen (NPI, Tromsø, Norway)
Øystein Varpe (UiB, Bergen, Norway)
Tom Andersen (UiO, Oslo, Norway)
Outreach:
- Nansen legacy stand at Forskningstorget 2019, Oslo
- Contributions to research group blog
- Co-manager @nansenlegacyresearch Instagram account
Nicolas Gosset
PhD candidate
PhD project title:
Large-scale zooplankton patchiness in relation to physical processes – eddies and frontal systems – with a special focus on Calanus sp. and euphausiids in the Barents and northern Norwegian Sea.
PhD project description:
Plankton represents the base of the oceanic food web pyramid and is a key indicator of environmental changing conditions. Among others, harvested fish species depend consequently on the distribution and composition of the zooplankton population. In this way, to grasp the impacts of the current issues around climate change and changing ocean environment, the study of plankton communities is vital.
My research interests are directing on zooplankton ecology, physiology, taxonomy, and zooplanktonic biogeography (spatial and temporal distributions) in terms of polar regions as well as the main questions linked to global climatic issues that take place in the oceans. My four-year-long PhD position focused on zooplankton patchiness observation in the Norwegian Sea and questions about spatial and temporal variability of zooplankton population.
Start date: May 25, 2021
Planned submission date: May 2025
Supervisors:
Sünnje Basedow (UiT, Tromsø, Norway)
Boris Espinasse (UiT, Tromsø, Norway)
Rolf Gradinger
Professor
- sea ice ecology
- marine protists
- microbial food web
- climate change. …
Research interests:
- sea ice ecology
- marine protists
- microbial food web
- climate change.
Running national and international projects:
- Arctic SIZE: Seasonal Ice Zone Ecology
Completed national and international projects:
- Diversity, seasonality and function of parasitic fungi in Arctic Sea ice (PI), 2013-2016, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)
- BEST: Sea ice algae, a major food source for herbivorous plankton and benthos in the eastern Bering Sea (PI), 2007-2014, funded by NSF
- Tracking the seasonal contribution of algal fatty acids to the Arctic marine system (Co-PI), 2009-2013, funded by NSF
Relevant scientific publications (last 5 years):
- Hassett, Brandon T.; Gradinger, Rolf. Chytrids dominate arctic marine fungal communities. Environmental Microbiology 2016. ISSN 1462-2912.s doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.13216.
- Hassett, Brandon T.; Lopez, J. Andres; Gradinger, Rolf. Two new species of marine saprotrophic sphaeroformids in the mesomycetozoea isolated from the sub-arctic Bering Sea. (fulltekst) Protist 2015; Volum 166 (3). ISSN 1434-4610.s 310 – 322.s doi: 10.1016/j.protis.2015.04.004.
- Szymanski, Anna; Gradinger, Rolf. The diversity, abundance and fate of ice algae and phytoplankton in the Bering Sea. Polar Biology 2015; Volum Published ahead of print. ISSN 0722-4060.s doi: 10.1007/s00300-015-1783-z.
- Grebmeier, Jacqueline M.; Bluhm, Bodil; Cooper, Lee W.; Danielson, Seth L.; Arrigo, Kevin R.; Blanchard, Arny L.; Clarke, Janet T.; Day, Robert H.; Frey, Karen E.; Gradinger, Rolf; Kędra, Monika; Konar, Brenda; Kuletz, Kathy J.; Lee, Sang H.; Lovvorn, James R.; Norcross, Brenda L.; Okkonen, Stephen R.. Ecosystem characteristics and processes facilitating persistent macrobenthic biomass hotspots and associated benthivory in the Pacific Arctic. Progress in Oceanography 2015; Volum 136. ISSN 0079-6611.s 92 – 114.s doi: 10.1016/j.pocean.2015.05.006.
- Leu, Eva; Mundy, Christopher John; Assmy, Philipp; Campbell, Karley; Gabrielsen, Tove M.; Gosselin, Michel; Juul-Pedersen, Thomas; Gradinger, Rolf. Arctic spring awakening – Steering principles behind the phenology of vernal ice algal blooms. Progress in Oceanography 2015; Volum 139. ISSN 0079-6611.s 151 – 170.s doi: 10.1016/j.pocean.2015.07.012.
- Nelson, R. John; Ashjian, Carin; Bluhm, Bodil; Conlan, Kathleen E.; Gradinger, Rolf; Grebmeier, Jacqueline M.; Hill, Victoria J.; Hopcroft, Russell R.; Hunt, Brian P.V.; Joo, Hyoung M.; Kirchman, David; Kosobokova, Ksenia N.; Lee, Sang H.; Li, W; Lovejoy, Connie; Poulin, Michel; Sherr, Evelyn; Young, Kelly W.. Biodiversity and Biogeography of the Lower Trophic Taxa of the Pacifi c Arctic Region: Sensitivities to Climate Change. Springer 2014 ISBN 978-94-017-8862-5.s 269 – 336.s doi: 10.1007/978-94-017-8863-2_10.
- Bluhm, Bodil; Michel, C; Gallucci, V.; Gaston, A. J.; Gordillo, F; Gradinger, Rolf; Hopcroft, R; Jensen, N.; Mustonen, T; Niemi, A.; Nielsen, T.G.. Biodiversity of Arctic marine ecosystems and responses to climate change. Biodiversity 2012. ISSN 1488-8386.s 200 – 214.s doi: 10.1080/14888386.2012.724048.
- McConnell, Brenna; Gradinger, Rolf; Iken, Katrin; Bluhm, Bodil. Growth rates of arctic juvenile Scolelepis squamata (Polychaeta: Spionidae) isolated from Chukchi Sea fast ice. Polar Biology 2012; Volum 35 (10). ISSN 0722-4060.s 1487 – 1494.s doi: 10.1007/s00300-012-1187-2.
- Bluhm, Bodil; Gebruk, A; Gradinger, Rolf; Hopcroft, Russell R.; Huettmann, Falk; Kosobokova, Ksenia N.; Sirenko, Boris; Weslawski, Jan Marcin. Arctic Marine Biodiversity: An Update of Species Richness and Examples of Biodiversity Change. Oceanography 2011; Volum 24 (3). ISSN 1042-8275.s 232 – 248.s doi: 10.5670/oceanog.2011.75.
- Gradinger, Rolf; Bluhm, Bodil; Iken, Katrin. Arctic sea-ice ridges—Safe heavens for sea-ice fauna during periods of extreme ice melt?. Deep-sea research. Part II, Topical studies in oceanography 2010; Volum 57 (1-2). ISSN 0967-0645.s 86 – 95.s doi: 10.1016/j.dsr2.2009.08.008.
- Gradinger, Rolf; Bluhm, Bodil. Timing of Ice Algal Grazing by the Arctic Nearshore Benthic Amphipod Onisimus litoralis. Arctic 2010; Volum 63 (3). ISSN 0004-0843.s 355 – 358.s doi: 10.14430/arctic1498.
Mats Granskog
Senior Research Scientist
- Physical-chemical-biological coupling in Arctic sea ice and upper ocean
- Marine optics (sea ice and upper ocean) especially inherent optical properties
- Spectroscopic characterization of dissolved organic matter (CDOM and FDOM)
- Arctic sea ice mass balance. …
Research interests:
- Physical-chemical-biological coupling in Arctic sea ice and upper ocean
- Marine optics (sea ice and upper ocean) especially inherent optical properties
- Spectroscopic characterization of dissolved organic matter (CDOM and FDOM)
- Arctic sea ice mass balance.
Running projects:
- 2018-2022: Ridges – Safe havens for ice-associated flora and fauna in a seasonally ice-covered Arctic Ocean (HAVOC/MOSAiC), RCN, PI
- 2019-2020: DEvelopment of snow/ice/ecosystem models using winter-to-summer ARctic observations of coupled snow, ice, and ecosystem processes (DEARice), EU H2020, co-PI
- 2019-2022: The Coordinated Arctic Acoustic Thermometry Experiment (CAATEX), RCN project, co-PI
- 2016-2020 Developing and Advancing Seasonal Predictability of Arctic Sea ice (SPARSE), (RCN project), co-PI
- 2017-2023: The Nansen Legacy (RCN project), Research Foci 1, partner
Completed projects:
- 2015-2020: Norwegian young sea ICE expedition (N-ICE), Chief Scientist
- 2015-2018: Boom or Bust – Ice-algal and under-ice phytoplankton bloom dynamics in a changing Arctic icescape (RCN project), Co-PI
Publications:
Ulrike Grote
ARCTOS secretary
- Calanoid copepod ecology and physiology with focus on Arctic species
- Impact of climate change especially increasing temperature on calanoid copepods
- Phenotypic plasticity and its importance for adaptation to climate change
- Grote U, Pasternak A, Arashkevich E, Halvorsen E, Nikishina A (2015) Thermal response of ingestion and egestion rates in the Arctic copepod Calanus glacialis and possible metabolic consequences in a warming ocean. …
Research interests:
- Calanoid copepod ecology and physiology with focus on Arctic species
- Impact of climate change especially increasing temperature on calanoid copepods
- Phenotypic plasticity and its importance for adaptation to climate change
Relevant scientific publications:
- Grote U, Pasternak A, Arashkevich E, Halvorsen E, Nikishina A (2015) Thermal response of ingestion and egestion rates in the Arctic copepod Calanus glacialis and possible metabolic consequences in a warming ocean. Polar Biology 38: 1025-1033. doi: 10.1007/s00300-015-1664-5
- Alcaraz M, Felipe J, Grote U, Arashkevich E, Nikishina A (2014) Life in a warming ocean: thermal thresholds and metabolic balance of arctic zooplankton. Journal of Plankton Research 36: 3-10. doi: 10.1093/plankt/fbt111
- Pasternak A, Arashkevich E, Grote U, Nikishina A, Solovyev K (2013) Different effects of increased water temperature on egg production of Calanus finmarchicus and C. glacialis. Oceanology 53: 547-553. doi: 10.1134/s0001437013040085
Popular science and outreach:
- Spring 2015: visit by 4-6 year-old children from Bymyra kindergarten – living benthic and pelagic animals to observe and touch
- Spring 2015: visit of 11th grade German school class – lecture ‘Arctic biology studies in Tromsø and the Arctic marine ecosystem’ and little excursion of the NFH building including looking at living benthic and pelagic animals
- Autumn 2011: visit of 11th grade German school class – lecture ‘Calanus in the Arctic’ and lab work ‘identifying zooplankton’.
Ingeborg Gammelsæter Hallanger
Researcher
- Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of contaminants in Arctic marine organisms
- Impact of climate on accumulation of contaminants in Arctic food webs
- Contaminants in lower trophic level organisms
- “New” and emerging organic contaminants to the Arctic region
- Plastic and microplastic in the Arctic environment. …
Research interests:
- Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of contaminants in Arctic marine organisms
- Impact of climate on accumulation of contaminants in Arctic food webs
- Contaminants in lower trophic level organisms
- “New” and emerging organic contaminants to the Arctic region
- Plastic and microplastic in the Arctic environment.
Completed national and international projects:
- The combined effects of radionuclides, metals and organic contaminants in produced water on early life stages of Calanus finmarchicus
Scientific publications:
- Xiaozhong Gao, Peng Huang, Qinghui Huang, Kaifeng Rao, Zhibo Lu, Yiping Xu, Geir Wing Gabrielsen, Ingeborg Hallanger, Mei Ma, Zijian Wang, 2019. Organophosphorus flame retardants and persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic contaminants in Arctic seawaters: On-board passive sampling coupled with target and non-target analysis. Environmental Pollution, 253, 1-10.
- Hallanger I.G., Fuglei E., Yoccoz N.G., Pedersen Å.Ø, König M., Routti H., 2019. Temporal trend of mercury in relation to feeding habits and food availability in arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) from Svalbard, Norway. Sci. Total Environ. Online.
- Jensen L.K., Halvorsen E., Song Y., Hallanger I.G., Hansen E.L., Brooks S., Hansen B.H., Tollefsen K.E., 2016. Individual and molecular level effects of produced water contaminants on nauplii and adult females of Calanus finmarchicus. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health, Part A 79:13-15, 585-601.
- Evenset A., Hallanger I.G., Tessmann M., Warner N.A., Ruus A., Borgå K., Gabrielsen G.W., Christensen G.N., 2016. Seasonal variation in accumulation of persistent organic pollutants in an Arctic marine benthic food web. Sci.Total Environ. 542, 108-120.
- Hallanger I.G, Sagerup K., Evenset A., Kovacs K.M., Leonards P., Fuglei E., Routti H., Aars J., Strøm H., Lydersen C., Gabrielsen G.W., 2015. Organophosphorous flame retardants in biota from Svalbard, Norway. Marine Pollution Bull
- Carlsson P., Warner N.A., Hallanger I.G., Herzke D., Kallenborn R., 2014. Spatial distribution of chiral pesticides in Calanus spp. from three Arctic fjords. Environ Pollution 192, 154-161.
- Nahrgang J., Varpe Ø., Korshunova, E., Murzina S., Hallanger I.G., Vieweg I., Berge J., 2014. Gender specific reproductive strategies of an Arctic key species (Boreogadus saida) and implications of climate change. PLoS one, 9(5), e98452.
- Hallanger, I.G., Jørgensen E.H, Fuglei, E., Ahlstrom, O., Muir, D., Jenssen, B.M., 2012. Dietary contaminant exposure affects plasma testosterone, but not thyroid hormones, vitamin A and vitamin E in male juvenile arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus). J. Toxicol. Environ. Health, Part A 75:21, 1298-1313.
- Renaud, P., Berge, J., Varpe, Ø., Lønne, O., Nahrgang, J., Ottesen, C., Hallanger, I., 2012. Is the poleward expansion by Atlantic cod and haddock threatening native polar cod, Boreogadus saida? Polar Biol 35, 401-412.
- Hallanger, I.G., Ruus, A., Warner, N.A., Evenset, A., Herzke, D., Heimstad, E.S., Gabrielsen, G.W., Borgå, K., 2011. Influence of sampling period, geography, species and diet on bioaccumulation of halogenated organic contaminants in Arctic marine zooplankton. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 30, 77-87.
- Hallanger, I.G., Ruus, A., Warner, N.A., Herzke, D., Evenset, A., Schoyen, M., Gabrielsen, G.W., Borga, K., 2011. Differences between Arctic and Atlantic fjord systems on bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in zooplankton from Svalbard. Sci. Total Environ. 409, 2783-2795.
- Hallanger, I.G., Warner, N.A., Ruus, A., Evenset, A., Christensen, G.N., Herzke, D., Gabrielsen, G.W., Borgå, K., 2011. Seasonality in contaminant accumulation in Arctic marine pelagic food webs using trophic magnification factor as a measure of bioaccumulation. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 30, 1026-1035.
Popular science and outreach:
- Antarktis –kort fortalt, 2015, Balto, A.K., Hallanger I., Vinje Jenssen, E. (red.), Norsk Polarinsitutt. Book
- Participated on “Forskerne kommer” tour at “forskningsdagene” in 2013 in cooperation with Fram Centre with lectures “Miljøgifter og elvemuslinger” and “Hva er miljøgifter?” and at “forskningstorget” at in 2008, 2009, and 2011 for Norwegian Polar Institute and Fram Centre.
- Organized 4 and hosted 3 out of 6 web based seminars introducing the Fram Centre and its five flagship research programmes for Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) in 2012 and 2013 (http://apecs.is/careers/career-development-webinars/fram-webinars)
- Invited speaker “Ung miljøforsker I IPY”, IPY, Internasjonale polaråret: Sluttkonferanse for Polaråret, Tromsø