Ecology Division

The Ecology research division has five research units, each with deep knowledge of the functioning of high latitude ecosystems: on land, in the fjords and in oceanic waters.

The multidisciplinary research activities of the ecology division utilises new methods and technologies to enhance the understanding of ecosystem responses to environmental changes, with an overarching goal of producing a better understanding of how to manage natural resources in an environmentally sustainable way.

Topics of interest include functioning of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, population genomics and evolutionary biology, geographical patterns of biodiversity, fjord ecosystem dynamics, carrion ecology, host-parasite interactions, taxonomy and biosystematics, nature conservation and management as well as climatic and anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity.

Organisms studied include vascular plants, mosses and lichens, insects, various birds and terrestrial mammals, marine mammals and fish, benthic species, zooplankton and seagrass and other key species in terrestrial and marine habitats. Studies of food web and other inter-relationships between these species are of interest.

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Monitoring programmes

  • Almost every year since 1983, the Ecology Division has collected Juday net zooplankton samples and hydrographic profiles twice a year in the two fjords Saltfjord and Mistfjord, and since 2011, also in Skjerstadfjord.

    All the zooplankton samples are stored locally, five replicates in formalin and in recent years also one replicate in ethanol for DNA analysis.

  • In deep basins of the Saltfjord-Skjerstadfjord system, the benthic fauna at six stations has been sampled annually since 2013 to reveal the interannual variation of these communities.

    Every year in late spring samples are taken at two stations in Saltfjord (at around 350 m depth), three stations in Skjerstadfjord (550 m) and station outside the fjord systems at around 470 m.

    In addition, we started seasonal sampling in 2025 to study the seasonality in benthic communities at deep (>350 m) and shallow (100 m) sites in these fjords.

Team members

Manet


Head of research division

Research units

Benthic Ecology
Terrestrial Ecology
Biophysical Interactions
Marine Molecular Ecology
Biodiversity and Biogeography

Selected research projects

  • The quality of the seafloor habitat is an important barometer for marine ecosystem health. In order to accurately measure the quality, GEANS (Genetic tools for Ecosystem health Assessment in the North Sea region) has mainstreamed implementation of fast, accurate and cost-effective DNA-based assessments. This can be used by national authorities to improve the management of human activities and protection of the marine environment across the North Sea Region in a transnational coherent way.


    GEANS has conducted pilot studies in close cooperation with stakeholders concerning environmental impact assessments (renewable energy, aquaculture and sand extraction and suppletion), and concerning monitoring in relation to European directives (non-indigenous species and hard substrates).


    GEANS was a European research project (the Interreg North Sea Project GEANS), coordinated by Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO).

    More information: https://northsearegion.eu/geans/

  • The MPA (Marine Protected Areas) Europe is mapping the optimal locations for marine protected areas over all European Seas. Nord University coordinates this Horizon Europe funded project from 2023-2026.

    Using a holistic range of measures that include the range of biodiversity from species to ecosystems, including habitats, areas will be prioritised using systematic conservation planning software.

    This enables alternative weighting of variables and multiple scenarios and thus support wider marine spatial planning. The project is funded by Horizon Europe.

    BioBoost+

    This project is developing automated (AI assisted tools) for monitoring marine zooplankton and benthic macrofauna samples, and fish in live-streamed video.  This is funded by Biodiversa+.

    GuardIAS

    This Horizon Europe project (2025-2028) is developing tools to develop early warning systems for the detection of introduced and invasive species in marine and freshwater environments in Europe.  Nord University leads tasks on the development of the citizen science platform iNaturalist for the AI-aided identification of species, predicting the risk of species becoming invasive, and use of eDNA to detect species.

  • In REINCAR, the project team uses a holistic approach to study how animal carcasses impact their environment (from soil bioCarrion, or dead organic material from animals is an often neglected, but important component of ecosystem functioning. In REINCAR, we use a holistic approach to study how carrion impacts its environment (from soil biogeochemistry to vegetation and vertebrate communities) and ecological processes and mechanisms (e.g. fear ecology, endozoochory) in northern ecosystems.

    We currently have three study areas: a long-term monitoring project of a mass mortality event in the alpine tundra of Hardangervidda, an experimental study in the boreal forest of Trøndelag, and an observational and experimental study in the high Arctic tundra of Svalbard.

  • The Taiga Bean Goose (Anser fabalis fabalis) is protected under several international wildlife protection treaties. Important breeding and moulting areas for a small population of this subspecies are found in the northern part of Trøndelag County. In collaboration with the conservation authorities, we have since 2010 studied this population using GPS-based radio-transmitters and genetic markers. The main goal is to gather information that can be used in a conservation perspective. The project is a collaboration with researchers at NINA Trondheim and SLU in Sweden.

  • Early life of marine fishes: Can pelagic larvae of benthic invertebrates buffer climate-driven match–mismatch dynamics?


    In this project we are investigating the seasonal and long-term dynamics of meroplankton (larvae of benthic invertebrates) in order to understand its role in the pelagic food web.
    Funded by Harbour Energy (2023-2026)


    More information: https://site.nord.no/benthic-ecology/181-2/

  • The project ‘VDWS Transitioning – from a precautionary to a science-based approach for managing fish farms close to vulnerable deepwater species’ is studying the impact of aquaculture on cold-water sensitive habitats and attempts to find indicators for ecological health condition of such habitats. It is led by IMR and comprises different research approaches ranging from molecular eDNA indicators to video analysis of ROV footage.
    Funded by FHF and Nord


    More information: https://site.nord.no/benthic-ecology/vdws/

  • This Marine Biodiversity Observation Network is a long-term working group with EuroMarine, the European network of marine organisations. It is led by Nord University and is developing a core group of organisations committed to long-term annual monitoring of aspects of marine biodiversity beyond short-term project funding IT is part of the world MBON community of practice.

  • This comprehensive project is a close collaboration between Nord University and the Norwegian Institute of Nature Research (NINA). Our research spans a wide range of topics in both basic and applied ecology, with a primary focus on population dynamics and trophic interactions of iconic vertebrates in Scandinavian mountain ecosystems. Focal species for our research include iconic bird species such as willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) and rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta), raptors like the gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) and golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), and migratory species such as the taiga been goose (Anser fabalis). We are also involved in research on a range of other avian and mammalian species and systems, both in mountain ecosystems and other ecosystems. Much of our research grounded on long-term monitoring series.
    Contact
    Erlend B. Nilsen & Jan Eivind Østnes
    Visit our research lab: https://mountainicons.github.io/lab/