Cervid herpesvirus 2 (CvHV2) is an alphaherpesvirus found in Rangifer subspecies throughout most of the circumpolar Arctic and the causative agent of infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) in semi-domesticated Eurasian tundra reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus). IKC occurs as regular outbreaks, affecting dozens of reindeer in a herd, and is most common and severe among calves and young animals. IKC ...

Climate warming induces poleward distributional shifts of boreal species in Arctic regions resulting in compositional changes with poorly understood consequences for Arctic food-webs. This thesis addresses the spatial variation in Barents Sea food-webs using previously compiled distributional data in polygons specified for the Nowegian and Barents Sea NoBa Atlantis model and a highly resolved Barents ...

Flavonoids are a group of phenolic compounds produced in plants. They have many biological functions in plants and also beneficial bioactivities in human’s health. Light quality is one of the major environmental factors regulating the accumulation of flavonoids in plants. Understanding plants accumulation of secondary metabolites in response to light qualities is important in order to optimize plants ...

Teams of Alaskan huskies and Siberian Huskies are used to pull sleds and compete in long-distance races such as Finnmarksløpet (1200 km) and the Iditarod (1600 km). That is an elite athlete performance, and their ability to conduct such extreme endurance challenges under arctic conditions is poorly understood. A previous study has shown that Alaskan huskies possibly have the highest values of ...

Climate change in polar regions will likely disrupt the fine-tuned trophic interactions among organisms in Arctic marine ecosystems. Modifications in prey phenology and composition as well as increased competition and predation from boreal species expanding their range northward are expected to affect the key Arctic fish species polar cod (Boreogadus saida) and thus have important repercussions on ...

Almost all species on Earth possess circadian rhythms that align their physiological processes with suitable times of day and year based on predictable changes in the light cycle. While it is known that natural variations exist in photoperiodic responses regulated by the circadian clock, there are currently no studies assessing the effect of latitudinal variations in daylength on the properties of ...

This thesis evaluates the effect of vegetation type and increased snow depth on soil temperature and annual CO2 efflux in an arctic tundra region. Snow fences were set up to manipulate snow accumulation in heath and meadow vegetation on Spitsbergen. Field campaigns lasted from July 2007 - July 2008. CO2 efflux, measured by means of a dark and closed-dynamic soil flux chamber, showed seasonal variation ...

The effects of 48 hours exposure to mechanically and chemically dispersed oil on juvenile lumpsuckers, as well as the use of gill EROD activity and bile PAH metabolites as potential biomarkers were assessed in this study. This was done by measuring the gill EROD activity, bile PAH metabolites, plasma osmolality, plasma chloride concentration, and gill Na+/K+ATPase activity. The mechanical and ...

The growth and important structures development in different temperature regime histories were studied during mid-metamorphosis stage of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) larvae. In order to see the growth and the organ development differentiation due to different temperatures at a given stage, we exposed the larvae into 4 different temperature regimes; L-L (low temperature at incubation, low temperature ...

The current population-based food consumption models assume that harp seals are swallowing fish whole. However, behaviours such as belly-biting and rejection of fishes’ heads has been observed, possibly biasing diet analysis based on hard parts such as otoliths, and consequently underestimating the total food consumption of fish by harp seals. The purpose of this study was to examine whether individual ...