Currently Funded Research Projects


Fine-scale interactions in the plankton - empirical observations to parameterize trophodynamic models (FINE-SIP)

Funding agency: Institute of Marine Research
Project period: 2011 - 2014
Project Leader: Howard Browman
Co-principle investigators: Howard Browman, Anne Berit Skiftesvik, David Fields, Caroline Durif


Effects of climate change on the Calanus complex (ECCO)

Funding agency: The Research Council of Norway
Project period: 2010 - 2014
Project Leader: Webjørn Melle
Co-investigators: Espen Bagøien, Howard Browman, Geir Huse et al.

Project summary

Understanding and being able to quantify dynamics of the Calanus species complex are crucial for producing realistic forecasts of the climate change effects on the north-east Atlantic ecosystem, including fish stocks. The Calanus complex contains four species (Calanus helgolandicus, C. finmarchicus, C. glacialis, C. hyperboreus) that dominate both warm and cold water herbivore communities along the North Sea to Arctic Ocean axis. Despite their morphological similarities, these species exhibit important differences in behaviour, size, fat metabolism and deposition, reproduction, overwintering, diapause, diet, susceptibility to predation, etc. It is not known precisely why a given Calanus species succeeds in one environment and not in another - arriving at a better understanding of this will allow us to better predict how the herbivorous communities of the northeast Atlantic will change in response to global warming. We propose to examine the underlying mechanisms and potential long term impact of changes in the Calanus complex at the three predefined adult and larval fish feeding grounds, and in the north-east Atlantic in general. We will do so by using historical data, process studies, experimental studies and ecosystem modelling.

This Strategic Institute Program will enable IMR to give better advice on the ecosystem effects of climate change. In particular changes in the dynamics at lower trophic levels, being the part of the ecosystem where the most pronounced climate induced changes are expected. New knowledge on Calanus species interactions and climate effects will improve our abilities to give advice under the ecosystem approach to fisheries management. Improved model simulation capabilities will enable forecasts of Calanus distribution and production in their present and new areas under a changing climate, with particular focus on feeding areas and spawning sites of commercial fish stocks. 

June 2012: After a National competition in which over 100 projects were evaluated, the Research Council of Norway, in cooperation with the Norwegian Design Council, has awarded its first major "Industrial Design Project" to Howard Browman, Anne Berit Skiftesvik and David Fields' salmon lice trap. The award is intended to facilitate and translate basic research findings into a device that is designed, tested and marketed by a leading industrial design firm. The company that was selected to work on this project is Eker Design. The salmon lice trap is intended for use by the salmon farming industry and by resource managers of wild salmon stocks to reduce sea lice infestations. The device could also potentially be used to monitor the number of lice in the sea near farms or sea runs.

Optimizing intensive culture of ballan wrasse and field tests of the role as cleanerfish on salmon farms

Funding agency: The Research Council of Norway
Project period: 2010 - 2012
Project Leader: Pelle Kvenseth
Co-principle investigators: Anne Berit Skiftesvik, Howard Browman

Effects of ocean acidification on the early life stages of fishes, Calanus spp. and krill

Funding agency: Institute of Marine Research
Project period: 2010 - 2015
Project Leader: Howard Browman
Co-principle investigators: Howard Browman, Anne Berit Skiftesvik, David Fields, V. Thiyagarajan, Richard Cloutier 




Research Projects to be Submitted for Funding
(during 2013)

Marine habitat and movements of European eel

Funding agency: The Research Council of Norway
Project period: 2014 - 2017
Co-investigators: Anne Berit Skiftesvik, Caroline Durif, Asbjørn Vøllestad, Howard Browman

Project summary

We propose to investigate the habitat preferences (bottom characteristics, depth, distance from the coast) of marine resident eels according to body size, life stage and seasonal dynamics. Using mark-recapture at selected locations (in fjords and around islands in the Bergen area) we will investigate density according to habitat at these selected locations. Seasonal movements of marine eels will be investigated using telemetry (Austevoll, Flødevigen) yielding information on foraging and behavior as well as timing of spawning migration. In addition some sampling will be carried out in a freshwater lake in Austevoll (where population dynamics of eels were studied by Anne Berit Skiftesvik and data is available for comparison) will allow us to directly compare biometric characteristics of marine and freshwater eels occupying geographically close but chemically different areas. Microchemistry analyses of otoliths will be carried out on sub-samples from the different locations to determine the proportion of marine residents. A new laser-ablation technique will be used to determine precisely Sr/Ca and 87Sr/86Sr measurements along a transect on the otolith. This technique was successfully used on dentine-enamel to precisely reconstruct diet and migration patterns in mammals with a resolution of a tenth of days. Application to the fish otolith would be extremely valuable. This project has a high priority in the context of the Fishery Minister’s recent decision to protect eel in Norway from commercial fishing and to assess the status of eel populations in Norway.


In situ swimming and orientation ability of larval Atlantic cod – parameterizing models of population dispersal and connectivity

Funding agency: The Research Council of Norway
Project period: 2014 - 2016
Project Leader: Howard Browman
Co-investigators: Anne Berit Skiftesvik and Claire Paris (University of Miami)

Project summary

The pelagic phase of marine organisms is at minimum a two-stage process including dispersion (moving away from the birth place) and recruitment (moving towards nursery habitat). For larval fish and invertebrates, finding a good place to recruit is essential for survival. The probability of finding such a place can be improved by behavioral decisions guided by sensory systems. Although modeled extensively, behavioral rules and swim speeds and endurance estimates applied to larval “particles” during transport are drawn from an extremely limited set of empirical observations on a small number of species, or are based entirely on assumptions. Here we propose to combine unique field and laboratory observation platforms that, together, will add substantially to our knowledge of these critical aspects of the early life history of a keystone fish species in Norwegian waters – cod. Specific objectives are to (1) provide and analyze in situ measurements of swimming and orientation of larval cod throughout early ontogeny and (2) elucidate their in situ behavioral responses, as individuals and groups, to a combination of proximal cues. Questions to be addressed: Are cod larvae orienting vs. swimming at random when in open water; If larvae do orient, when during development does this begin; Where do they orient, i.e. towards what location; Are multi-modal stimuli providing useful information for detection, navigation and nursery habitat localization; What are these stimuli; How do swim speed and swim time (duration and endurance of swimming) compare in the field vs. laboratory observations?




Last updated: 30 March 2013