Cetaceans serve as ecosystem engineers and sentinel species for ocean and human health. They are exposed to various anthropogenic stressors, including pollution, noise, human activities, and climate change which contribute to high levels of stress hormones such as glucocorticoids (e.g. cortisol). While stress response mechanisms are vital in the short term, prolonged exposure to stress can have ...

Long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) are widely distributed and abundant throughout the North Atlantic and sightings have appeared to increase in coastal areas in northern Norway over the past decade. However, little is known about the dynamics and ecological drivers of their movements in this region. Therefore, we deployed 11 satellite-linked tags to determine areas of important habitat, ...

Controlled environment agriculture, such as greenhouses, offers a promising solution to enhance local food production in Nordic regions, where long winters and limited natural light hinder year-round cultivation. This study investigates the effects of a rapid flashing light system on the growth and chlorophyll content of woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca, aiming to optimize energy use in greenhouse ...

Calanus finmarchicus is a key species in the North Atlantic ecosystems that serves as an important link between primary producers and higher trophic levels, including commercially important fish. C. finmarchicus spends the unproductive time of the year overwintering in deep water layers. While it typically overwinters in deep oceanic basins, overwintering populations with high abundances have also ...

Whales have several important ecological functions as top predators in marine ecosystems and may also serve as sentinels of anthropogenic activities that drive ecosystem shifts. It is therefore important to have efficient methods to monitor the spatiotemporal presence of different whale species in the vast ocean realm. Traditionally, visual observations from research vessels have been the method of ...

An increasing anthropogenic stressor in marine ecosystems is artificial light at night. Especially in the Arctic where exposure is increased by extended periods of darkness during the polar night. This study focuses on underwater artificial light used in occasional situations such as scientific sampling and measuring, stock assessment or lights from navigating boats. This study examines the effects ...

Altruistic behaviour is a type of prosocial behaviour which is costly to the actor but beneficial to the recipient. It can, in children, be influenced by numerous factors, including parental political orientation, parental religiousness, and the child's age and gender. This cross-sectional research investigates these parental influences and individual factors on altruistic behaviour of children in ...

Fruit softening is linked to degradation of cell walls by hydrolytic enzymes, such as members of GH9 and XTH family. In this study, we aim to identify the members of the large gene families that cause the cell wall modifying effects, as they can become a target of future research related to food waste prevention and biofuel production. A tool is developed to help in the process of finding qPCR primers ...

Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are expanding into Arctic regions, altering predator-prey dynamics and intensifying competition with native species such as the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). This study examines the activity patterns of red foxes in Varanger, Norway, at the forefront of their Arctic range expansion, focusing on the effects of environmental factors (e.g., snow depth, temperature, precipitation) ...

This thesis analyses the impact of climate change, coupled with inadequate disaster management, on the rising frequency and severity of floods in Pakistan. The thesis focuses on the causes, socioeconomic impact, and government responses to floods by examining the interaction of natural and human elements. Due to the complexity of the research question, we have applied a multidisciplinary ...