My research focuses on ecological and evolutionary responses to environmental change at the base of the food web—involving macroalgae and seagrass, both of which play a prominent ecological and economical role in the fjords of Norway.

My long-term research goal is to understand functional-trait variation at the molecular level and to apply this knowledge towards sustainable growth of economically important algae, and towards the management of kelp forests and seagrass meadows under the impact of climate change.

 Epigenetic research allows to understand trait variation and biodiversity from an entirely new perspective. I aim to apply this knowledge towards societally relevant questions related to coastal ecosystem management and protection in light of increasing human impact and to sustainable cultivation of kelp along Arctic shores

Publications: https://scholar.google.no/citations?user=uQOuuGUAAAAJ&hl=en

Website: www.marinetics.org

Teaching

Course responsible

• Bio 2002 (Bachelor) Marine Macrophytes

• PhD Epigenetics for developmental and metabolic regulation in plants and algae (https://photosyntech.no/course/1667/) - part of the Photosyntech graduate school

Contributions to

• DR425F (PhD) High throughput sequencing

• Bio9001 (PhD) Population genomics
  

Selected projects

2022 Research council of Norway – Havbruk project 334327: Priming as a kelp engineering technology to enhance yield and secure production under environmental challenges. Partners: Mark Cock (Roscoff Research Station, France), Inka Bartsch (Alfred Wegener Institute Bremerhaven, Germany), Nikolai Buer (Lofoten Blue Harvest AS, Norway). Awarded 10.6 Million NOK

2022 EASI Genomics grant (PID: 20809 - Kelp Epigenetic Engineering through Priming induced stress MEMORY - to enhance yield and secure production under environmental challenges. Partners: Mark Cock (Roscoff Research Station, France), Inka Bartsch (Alfred Wegener Institute Bremerhaven, Germany), Nikolai Buer (Lofoten Blue Harvest AS, Norway). Awarded fund to sequence 80 WGBS libraries

2022 EEA grant - ISEA: Initiative towards sustainable macroalgae farming along European shores, co-applicant/national PI. Partners: Bernardo Duarte (MARE, Portugal), Ester Serrao (CCMAR, Portugal), AlgaPlus (Portugal), Ralf Rautenberger (NIBIO, Norway), Heidi Meland (Algenettverk, Norway) Awarded 12 600 Euros.

2021 Priming as a novel bio-engineering technique in sugar kelp aquaculture. MABIT grant for research in marine biotechnology. Partners: Ralf Rautenberger (NIBIO, Norway), Nikolai Buer (Lofoten Blue Harvest AS, Norway). Awarded 496 110 NOK.​

2015 Bioinformatics on epigenetic variation in seagrass clones. The Research Council of Norway (Personal overseas research grant – HAVKYST/MARINFORSK) Awarded 31 300 NOK.