The substantial influx of freshwater to High Arctic coastal ecosystems influences nutrient, organic matter, and sediment dynamics, stratification, and light availability throughout the melt season. These changes shape pelagic microbial community composition and functioning, though little is known about impacts on nearshore benthic bacteria. Globally, mudflats are hotspots for biogeochemical cycling, ...

The brain is highly dependent on oxygen for its metabolism and, in most mammals, major brain dysfunction occurs already within minutes of insufficient oxygen supply (hypoxia). Oxygen is the final electron acceptor in the electron transport system that drives the production of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondria. The rate at which oxidative phosphorylation produces ATP is dependent ...

Cyanobacteria are an excellent source of bioactive natural products that can be used in the development of new medicinal drugs. The cyanobacterial genus Nostoc have proven to be prolific producers of molecules with exciting bioactivities, including anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-cancerous. This feature combined with the Nostoc’s complex life cycle and sizeable genomes make them interesting ...

Microbial fermentation in the world domesticated ruminant populations is thought to be responsible for as much as 13.5-33% of the global anthropogenic methane (CH4) emissions (World Resources Institute 2005, EPA 2004, Bodas et al., 2012). However, methane also represents a loss of 2-15% of the gross energy intake in these animals (Blaxter and Clapperton 1965, Holter and Young 1992, Johnson and Ward ...

It has in recent years been a shift in the land-based aquaculture production from flow through systems (FTS) to recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). With emerging use of RAS, it is necessary with knowledge regarding potential issues, whereas one potentially increasing problem is accumulation of microplastics (MP) in the RAS water. The objects of this study were to determine MPs concentration in ...

The Greenland shark (Squaliformes, Somniosus microcephalus) is the largest fish living in Arctic waters, but little is known about its biology. This species lives for at least 272 years and is listed as a near threatened species on the IUCN´s Red list of Threatened Species. As S. microcephalus is the oldest living vertebrate species, it is important to strive for its conservation. The aim of the ...

This study aimed to elucidate cryptic trematode diversity across multiple life stages in aquatic organisms. I collected samples from first intermediate hosts (bivalves), second intermediate hosts (amphipods and insect nymphs), and definitive hosts (fish), and identified them by use of molecular methods. Phylograms based on molecular markers from 28S and COI genes were used to identify nine species ...

Sympatric polymorphisms are found in many freshwater fish taxa, including the salmonid Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus (L.)). Polymorphism is often expressed as differences in morphology, behaviour and life-history strategies, and may be driven by alternative phenotypic adaptations to resource use such as habitat and prey preferences. Morphological divergence is usually linked to different functions ...

With a rapidly changing climate in the arctic there is concern that specialized species, such as caribou (Rangifer tarandus), may not be able to adapt. Currently, the importance of climatic changes for North-American caribou herds is unclear. In an effort to reduce this knowledge gap I have analysed the movement behaviour of caribou in the Qamanirjuaq herd, in the central Canadian Arctic, in relation ...

Colony nesting is thought to be an example of the selfish herd strategy, where aggregating behaviour may be an evolutionary adaptation to reduce the risk of predation. The common eider (Somateria mollissima) is a ground nesting sea bird susceptible to high nest predation rates through the nesting period. They often nest in groups, yet some also choose to nest solitarily. I examined whether group ...