People

Dag L. Aksnes
Professor Emeritus
Two of my current research questions are about mesopelagic fishes and their potential role in carbon sequestration and about effects of increased terrestrial greening on marine ecosystems. I am also engaged in science advise on how to achieve more sustainable food and feed production.

Sergey Budaev
Researcher
My current research focuses on individual cognition, decision-making and personality in animals. Although I am interested in any species, most of my work so far has been conducted on fish. I try to integrate both proximate and ultimate causation and use both experimental and modelling approaches.

Andrea Campos-Candela
Postdoc
I am a (theoretical) ecologist enthusiastic in bringing together theoretical ecology and empirical science, by integrating experimental, field and modelling perspectives and methods.

Magda L. Dumitru
Researcher
I draw on my background in cognitive neuroscience to explore consciousness in living organisms. This includes investigating brain anatomy and its relationship to cognition and the environment. I contribute to the Salmon Digital Twin project.

Sigrunn Eliassen
Professor (Pro-Rector with Responsibility for Education)
My current research focus is on the evolution of mating systems. I use theoretical models to study adaptive behavioural decisions in different ecological settings.

Katja Enberg
Professor
My main interest is sustainable fisheries, including the effects of fisheries on genetic and phenotypic traits as well as dynamics of the harvested populations and ecosystems. I am keen on finding sustainable solutions for using our natural resources for feeding the growing human population.

Øyvind Fiksen
Professor
I am particularly interested in behaviour and life-history of marine organisms, and how traits emerge in populations and ecosystems through natural selection.

Jarl Giske
Professor
My main research interest is to model how animals make decisions. Currently I study the proximate architecture for decision-making in animals and the implications of this architecture on individual behaviour and on phenotypic and genetic diversity in populations.

Mikko Heino
Professor
My research focuses on fisheries-induced evolution, applied evolution, fish and fisheries ecology, life history theory, and resource economics, mostly using statistics and numerical modelling but also with experimental evolution in the lab.

Christian Jørgensen
Professor (Group Leader)
I work with adaptation as a tool to build models that scale mechanisms at the individual level to population-level patterns and evolutionary outcomes. Topics of interest include mating systems, fishing-induced evolution, life history theory, and algorithms for modelling evolution.

Stein Kaartvedt
Guest Researcher (Professor Emeritus at University of Oslo)
My interest is pelagic ecology, and how environment, predators, and prey together affect abundance, distribution, and behaviour of zooplankton and fishes.

Tom J. Langbehn
Researcher
I am a quantitative ecologist, or "ocean-going modeller," with a broad interest in global change ecology, evolution, and sustainable fisheries. My primary focus lies in the pelagic ecology of high-latitude oceans and the ocean twilight zone, aiming to understand the mechanisms that link individual behaviours, interactions, and life histories of zooplankton and fishes to large-scale patterns in the environment.

Gabriella Ljungström
Researcher
I am an evolutionary ecologist with an interest in global change ecology. My research has mainly focused on understanding how environmental changes, and particularly climate change, affect animals that live in seasonal environments. I also have a strong interest in sustainable use of marine resources and work on several topics relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Anita Stene Løtvedt
PhD Student
I am an applied mathematician who is especially interested in environmental and dynamical modelling, as well as sensitivity analysis. My PhD project "The Effect of Water Column Dynamics on the Microbial Food Web and Transfer to Higher Trophic Levels" is a part of the project "How can fisheries contribute to a more sustainable future?".

Marc Mangel
Professor Emeritus
Marc was Professor at the University of California Santa Cruz and Adjunct Professor associated with the Theoretical Ecology Group until he retired in 2021 and is now active Professor Emeritus at UiB.

Nadja Meister
PhD Student
I am a marine ecologist with a passion for the intertidal zone and its diverse marine communities. My PhD research aims to disentangle how environmental factors affect blue mussels and their predators along vertical and fjord gradients, as well as their potential as a sustainable and nutritious food source.

Rachael Morgan
Researcher
I am an ecophysiologist interested in understanding the mechanisms by which fish are able to acclimate and adapt to a changing climate. In particular, my research focuses on the effects of hypoxia and high temperature in tropical fish species.

Fulori Vakalutusau Nainoca-Waqairagata
PhD Student
I work on links between locally managed marine areas, herbivorous fish abundance, and the control of algal overgrowth in Fiji. My long-term goal is to foster greater community participation in the sustainable use of the Pacific’s natural resources.

Iliana Vasiliki Ntinou
PhD Student
I will be studying the impact of changing oceanographic conditions on the seasonal and longer-term dynamics of three Calanus species in Disko Bay, Greenland, as part of the interdisciplinary project Climate Narratives.

Anders F. Opdal
Researcher
I am currently very interested in the field of life history evolution, and often find myself somewhere in the interface between long-term data series and theoretical modelling.

Ingunn Stautland
PhD Student

Hélène Thibault
Postdoc
I am a marine ecologist interested in the role of micronekton in pelagic ecosystems, from the mesopelagic zone to continental shelves. My research combines field observations, trait-based ecology, and mechanistic modeling approaches to understand how organism distribution and behaviour interact with physical ocean processes to shape ecosystem dynamics.

Arjen A. W. van der Kamp
PhD student
I focus on how seasonal temperature availability and variation influence bioenergetic trade-offs through the year, and how this may affect gonad maturation and spawning time in cod and herring. My research interests include behavioral and evolutionary ecology, as well as marine systems.

Øystein Varpe
Professor
My research is on why we observe variation in life histories and behaviour, both within and between species. I am also fascinated by seasonality and aim to understand how seasonal environments shape ecological processes and evolutionary adaptations.

Jacqueline Weidner
Guest Researcher (Associate Professor at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences)
I am a biologist with interest in evolution and teaching evolution. During my PhD I was working on theoretical models describing fish growth under hormonal regulation, particularly the impact of predation and parasitism on juvenile growth. During the last years I have focused on teaching and the question of how to make evolution understandable for learners of different ages - from students to children in primary school.

Saron Berhe
Affiliated PhD Student
I study fish behaviour using acoustic telemetry. My research focuses on understanding how rising temperatures and the introduction of invasive species influence habitat use, interactions, and potential competition between the salmonids Arctic charr and pink salmon in the rapidly changing Arctic environment.

Erlend Mjelde Hanssen
Affiliated PhD Student
In my PhD at NORCE, I am focusing on the impact of otter predation on salmon populations, the stakeholder acceptability of various otter deterrents as an alternative to culling, and otter behavior and selectivity during the depredation of adult Atlantic salmon. My supervisors are Robert Lennox (NORCE) and Christian Jørgensen.

Ignasi Nou Plana
Visiting PhD student 2026
I am a PhD student at LaSalle Universitat Ramon Llull in Barcelona, collaborating on the DeuteroNoise JPI Oceans project. My work focuses on the acoustic study and characterization of water tanks used for noise disturbance experiments. Supervisor : Rachael Morgan.

Christina Blekeli
MSc student 2024-2026
In my Master’s thesis, I will examine the suction strength of dogwhelks (Nucella lapillus) by assessing their ability to stay attached to a surface under varying drag forces. During my research I plan to be active in the field and in the laboratory. Supervisors: Nadja Meister and Christian Jørgensen.

Gina Brøten
MSc student 2025-2026
My thesis explores the implementation of machine learning and baited remote underwater videos (BRUV) to improve the monitoring of the data-poor brown crab (Cancer pagurus) stock in Norway. Supervisors: Fabian Zimmermann (IMR), Johanna Bjånes Marcussen (UiA/IMR), Tonje Knutsen Sørdalen (IMR) and Katja Enberg.

Marius Haram Halvorsen
MSc student 2025-2026
My master’s thesis focuses on using models to explore how the hypoxic waters of the inner Oslofjord impacts the physiology and movement of coastal cod. Supervisors: Christian Jørgensen and Stein Kaartvedt (UiO).

Mathilde Haugvaldstad
MSc student 2025-2026
I will investigate how noise disturbance affects fish behaviour in experiments on juvenile two-spotted gobies, both anthropogenic noise and a natural stressor (predator sounds from cod) to assess effects on foraging behaviour. Supervisors: Rachael Morgan, Anne Gro Vea Salvanes, Karen de Jong (IMR) and Anne Christine Utne Palm (IMR).

Ole Henrik Høydal
MSc student 2025-2026
I am studying the behavioural response of two-spotted gobies to real versus virtual cod predators through experiments in a virtual reality setup. Supervisors: Rachael Morgan and Christian Jørgensen.

Sofie Haave
MSc student 2025-2026
My master’s thesis investigates the effects of bottom trawling on deep-water fauna in Raet National Park. Using Baited Remote Underwater Video, I compare a protected area with an actively trawled area. Supervisors: Alf Ring Kleiven (IMR), James David Poling (UIA/IMR), Diana Hammar Perry (SLU) and Katja Enberg.

Ricco Ip
MSc student 2025-2026
In my Master’s thesis, I will compare the acoustic response in capelin (Mallotus villosus) and determine the frequency of the abnormal acoustic response, based on winter and fall data.
Supervisors: Georg Skaret (IMR), Hector Pena (IMR), and Tom J. Langbehn.

Erell Jouneaux
Visitng MSc intern 2026
I am a Master’s student at the University of Marseille doing a 6-month internship to study the ecology of dogwhelks (Nucella lapillus) using field observations, morphological analyses with data from a 3D scanner, and lab experiments to look at behaviour. Supervisors: Nadja Meister and Christian Jørgensen.

Albane Kuchly
Visiting MSc intern 2026
I am a Master’s student at Sorbonne University (France) on a 5-month internship. I will investigates how combined exposure to warming and copper influences the metabolic rate and the anti-predator behaviour in two-spotted gobies using controlled laboratory experiments, including behavioural assays with virtual predator stimuli. Supervisor : Rachael Morgan.

Eirik Laksemo
MSc student 2025-2026
I will asses the long-term effects of sediment-ripping on shelter availability and densities of juvenile salmonids in the rivers Aurlandselvi and Suldalslågen. Supervisors: Ulrich Pulg (NORCE) and Øyvind Fiksen.

Marius Emil Lid
MSc student 2025-2026
I am interested inthe spawning patterns for Norwegian spring-spawning (NSS) herring Clupea harengus. My thesis aims to develop a binomial logistical regression model to estimate spawning time based on a historic dataset of >400.000 individually recorded NSS herring between 1935 and 2019. Supervisors: Anders F. Opdal and Øystein Varpe.

Marie Borge Nørsterud
MSc student 2024-2026
I will examine the relationship between aerobic scope, metabolic trade-offs, and optimal life-history strategies in a bioenergetic model for Atlantic cod to explore how physiological constraints influence choice of thermal habitat and growth opportunities. Supervisors: Christian Jørgensen and Anders F. Opdal.

Sverre Espedalen Punsvik
MSc student 2025-2026
In my Master’s thesis, I compare traditional survey gears such as trammel and fyke nets with newer Baited Remote Underwater Video systems. I examine differences in fish community metrics between the methods and explore how habitat information from BRUV footage can enhance biomass modelling. Supervisors: Brian stock (IMR), Alf Ring Kleiven (IMR) and Katja Enberg.

Hannah Lovise Storesletten Sødal
MSc student 2025-2026
I am interested in understanding how aquaculture-related toxins impact non-target marine species. In my thesis, I am investigating how emamectin benzoate affects the survival, development, and behavior of juvenile European lobsters through different pathways of exposure. Supervisors: Rosa Escobar (IMR), Tom J. Langbehn, and Katja Enberg.

Linnea Thomassen
MSc student 2024-2026
I am studying the effects of salt concentrations and habitats on shell strength and thickness of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis). The study is conducted along a gradient in Hardangerfjorden. Supervisors: Tore Strohmeier (IMR) and Øystein Varpe.

Maika Ugalde
MSc intern 2026
I am a Master’s student at Aix-Marseille University (France), currently on a six-month internship to study coastal water darkening and how reduced visibility affects the relationship between fish and jellyfish in Norwegian fjords (Masfjorden and Lurefjorden), using the Killing the Winner model. Supervisors: Anders F. Opdal and Johanna M. Aarflot (IMR).

Jens Braaten Ustvedt
MSc student 2025-2026
I am investigating coastal populations of European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) in Norway, examining life history traits and population structure in relation to historic fisheries trends to assess the impacts of fisheries on these populations. Supervisors: Kjell Nedreaas (IMR), Katja Enberg, Sofie Gundersen (IMR) and Christine Djønne (IMR).