New things
INTO THE DARK / A documentary film about some of our work in the Arctic. For trailer and more pictures https://www.interdependentpictures.org/intothedark
This eye belongs to a little capelin larvae (Mallotus villosus) waiting to hatch. Capelin are spawned intertidally on gavel beaches around Easter in Northern Norway and are an important forage fish in the North. We are interested in the sensitivity of these little guys to crude oil pollution and so we ran an experiment! See Arctic EcoSens for more information on this work!
Researcher Grand Prix 2018
For the live filming visit - https://tv.nrk.no/serie/kunnskapskanalen/2018/MDDP17002718/avspiller
Gonadal maturity stages in females at end of 7 month experiment following effects of oil spill response actions on growth and reproductive development of adult polar cod
Published work
Sept 2018
Effects of acute exposure to dispersed oil and burned oil residue on long- term survival, growth, and reproductive development in polar cod (Boreogadus saida)
ABSTRACT
The present study investigates the potential long-term physiological effects on maturing polar cod (Boreogadus saida), an Arctic key species, after an acute exposure (48 h) to environmentally realistic concentrations of either mechanically dispersed oil (MDO), chemically dispersed oil (CDO) or burned oil residues (BO) (N = 58–60 per treatment). Following exposure, fish were monitored in a common tank supplied with clean water for a seven- month period coinciding with the period of reproductive development. Females exposed to BO residues were more frequently found in an earlier phase of gonadal maturation compared to unexposed females while no effects of different oil spill response (OSR) actions were seen in the reproductive development of males. Mechanically and chemically dispersed oil induced a transient short-term reduction in growth in the first week post-exposure. Overall, no significant long-term effects of exposure were seen in growth or mortality. Ultimately, this study provides information for the assessment of population consequences of different OSR actions as part of a net environmental benefit analysis.
An Ongoing Project- Sens 2 Change
A study of early life stages of polar cod, an Arctic key species, in the face of crude oil pollution and climate change
Published Work
March 2018
Effects of dietary crude oil exposure on molecular and physiological parameters related to lipid homeostasis in polar cod (Boreogadus saida)
"The dietary crude oil exposure did not show significant effects on the mRNA expression of most genes studied in the present study, which are related to important processes in lipid metabolism"
Click here to view and Download
Polar cod is an abundant Arctic key species, inhabiting an ecosystem that is subjected to rapid climate change and increased petroleum related activities. Few studies have investigated biological effects of crude oil on lipid metabolismin this species, despite lipids being a crucial compound for Arctic species to adapt to the high seasonality in food abundance in their habitat. This study examines the effects of dietary crude oil exposure on transcription levels of genes related to lipid metabolism (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors[ppar-α, ppar-γ], retinoic X receptor [rxr-β], palmitoyl-CoA oxidase [aox1], cytochrome P4507A1 [cyp7α1]), reproduction (vitellogenin [vtg-β], gonadaromatase [cyp19a1]) and biotransformation (cytochrome P4501A1 [cyp1a1], aryl hydrocarbon receptor [ahr2]). Exposure effects were also examined through plasma chemistry parameters. Additional fish were exposed to a PPAR-α agonist(WY-14,643) to investigate the role of PPAR-α in their lipid metabolism. The dose-dependent up-regulation of cyp1a1 reflected the activation of genes related to PAH biotransformation upon crude oil exposure. The crude oil exposure did not significantly alter the mRNA expression of genes involved in lipid homeostasis except for cyp7α1 transcription levels. Plasma levels of cholesteroland alanine transaminase showed significant alterations in fish exposed to crude oil at the end of the experiment. WY exposure induced a down-regulation of ppar-α, an effect contrary to studies performed on other fish species. In conclusion, this study showed clear effects of dietary crude oil exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations on xenobiotic biotransformation but revealed only weak alterations in the lipid metabolism of polar cod.
SY Kiwi
From Brittany France to Tromsø Norway Dec-Jan 2018 with an awesome crew.
Our new research base!
40 ft steel cutter, model Langedrag, color Red!
Arctic Size November Cruise to the Barents Sea
The Arctic Size Gang on deck
"Everything you love about the Arctic comes down to Polar cod"
Amidst questions of why we would chose to leave on a research expedition in the the middle of the dark season in the Arctic- we rather asked how- How do organisms prepare for a long winter in the Arctic? How do biological processes change a this critical point in autumn in relation to light, water temperature, and production?
We might have also been looking for new ice and polar cod hotspots ( well really cold spots since we caught a heap in water -1 C!)
For a german radio story of my work aboard the RV Helmer Hanssen follow this link and click on the rather unabashed piece titled «Alles was man an der Arktis liebt, hängt vom Polardorsch ab» or ">Everything you love about the Arctic comes down to Polar cod> by THOMAS HÄUSLER of SRF
For a photographic journal of the activities onboard by THOMAS HÄUSLER of SRF
Early Life Stages Experimental Planning
Planning until Jan 2018, execution Feb- June 2018
Our research group is excitedly planning for new experiments this spring, cruises in November and January to the European Arctic, and grant writing all focusing on the sensitivity of early life stages of polar cod to changes under increasing temperatures and with exposure to low levels of crude oil.
Marine Clean Up by Kayak
Sept- Oct 2017
The student kayaking club (TSI Trulle) has been part of two operations this Fall cleaning up the seafloor around a busy Tromsø harbor and a remote section of beach along Kvaløya on the outer coast of Northern Norway. Together with many eager paddlers we have managed to collect over a 1000 kg of trash from the sea.
Mikaela Tillman as part of TSI Trulle surface support of TSI SUT actions to clean up the sea floor around a busy harbour in downtown Tromsø
July 2017- A part of the Chugach Children ´s Forest initiative, 9 teens from around Alaska were introduced to our public lands in the closest way possible. Through a 10 day sea kayaking trip in western Prince William Sound, Alaska, a sense of stewardship for this vast wilderness was instilled as well as an appreciation for modern advances like Serentiy shelters and rubber boats.
May 2017- The newest project is finding a suitable Arctic sailing platform for research. Work in progress... Also for the next 10+ years
May 2017- In preparation for a defense I have put together som conceptual models for our groups work on dietary exposure to crude oil in adult polar cod
Please attend Irenes Vieweg ´s doctoral defense on June 22nd 2017 in Tromsø Norway
Fall 2017- A cool film Made by Danny Powers about our student sea kayaking Club in Tromsø
For more information check out the full website at www.trulle.no