Masteroppgåver ved Havforskingsinstituttet f.o.m hausten 2026

FG Bunnfisk – Demersal fish

Kontaktperson: Jane Godiksen (jane.godiksen@hi.no)

Retrospective forecasts 

In evaluating stock assessments, we run a “retrospective analysis” which checks how stable a model is as you add new years of data. This is a key part of evaluating if a given assessment model should be accepted for giving management advice. However, we only ever evaluate the hindcast part of the model, looking at how stable our estimates of historic stock status, historic fishing levels, and recruitment. We do not conduct this retrospective analysis for how stable the actual quota advice is to new years of data. Given that the advice is the one model output which is used in actual management, the fact that we do not evaluate stability here is highly unfortunate. So, this masters project will do exactly this. 

The project will work on constructing the “retrospective forecasts” of advice for a number of key stocks, and compare the dynamics of these to our typical retrospective diagnostics to evaluate if we a living with a false sense of security in the stability of our advice. 

Skills: R, basic statistics, desire to stock stress test assessments and produce results which can feed directly into fisheries management. 

Kontaktperson: Daniel Howell (daniel.howell@hi.no), John Trochta (john.tyler.trochta@hi.no). 

Can we stop giving quotas on fish that no-one wants to catch? 

When we give quota advice we forecast the numbers at age in the stock, and then apply recent selectivity at age to get a catch distribution. This is then scaled such that we meet the target fishing mortality. But there is a problem here whenever a large yearclass of young fish enters the population. We will then give quota advice based on these young fish – even though they may well be under the legal minimum catching size, or be legal but largely too small to be desirable to the fishery. This results in many fish being caught at small size, which reduces overall yield. And we have seen that in many cases fishers take part of that quota issued due to large numbers of small fish, and use it to fish down the adult populations. If we could delay including incoming fish in the quota calculations until they are larger then we should, in principle, get higher catches, more rapid increase from low stock size, and potentially more stable caches. 

This project will use existing Management Strategy Simulations for a range of stocks to investigate the benefits of limiting the biomass basis of quota setting to only those ages of fish which are of desirable size for catching. 

Skills: R, basic statistics, desire to stock stress test assessments and produce results which can feed directly into fisheries management. 

Kontaktperson: Daniel Howell (daniel.howell@hi.no) 

Variasjon i vekst hos Nordøst Arktisk hyse og torsk: variarsjon i rom, tid og mellom årsklasser 

Bakgrunn 

Hovedformålet til bestandsvurderinger er å beregne størrelsen til en bestand, så vi kan bestemme hvor mye vi kan fiske av bestanden. Når vi setter kvoten trenger vi å forutsi størrelse ved alder som igjen bestemmes av hvor fort fisken vokser. Vekst hos fisk kan være veldig variabel og avhenger av miljøforhold slik som temperatur, mattilgang og genetiske faktorer. Ofte vil fisk fra samme årsklasse oppleve like miljøforhold og derfor ha et likere vekstmønster, og derfor likere størrelse ved alder sammenlignet med andre årsklasser. I tillegg kan størrelsesavhengig dødelighet påvirke gjennomsnittlig størrelse ved alder i bestanden. Torsk og hyse i Barentshavet er fordelt utover store områder og opplever stor variasjon i miljøforhold, mellom områder, mellom år og over sesongen. I tillegg varierer årsklassestyrken mye, særlig for hyse. Derfor kan størrelse ved alder varierer mye, noe som har betydning for kvotefastsettelse og høstningsnivå.  

Mål med oppgaven 

Havforskningsinstituttet samler inn årlige data på vekt ved alder hos Nordøstarktisk torsk og hyse fra to årlige tokt. Data er tilgjengelige fra 1994 /2004 til 2025 og skal i denne oppgaven analyseres for å svare på følgende spørsmål: 

• Hvor mye varierer vekten og lengden mellom individer av samme alder? 

• Har individer fra sterke årsklasser et annet vekstmønster enn individer fra svake årsklasser? 

• Vokser fisken ulikt i områder med ulike miljøforhold i Barentshavet? 

Spesifikke forskningsspørsmål og hypoteser utarbeides av studenten i samråd med veileder. 

Metodikk 

Dataanalyse i R – tilrettelegging av data og statistisk analyse. 

Det er mulighet for å delta på forskningstokt som samler inn data brukt i oppgave («økosystemtoktet» som går i august-oktober eller «Vintertoktet» som går i januar-mars hvert år). Studenten må selv (ev. via UiB) sørge for reisefinansiering. HI dekker kost og losji om bord. 

Kompetanse 

Studenten bør ha grunnleggende kunnskaper i programmeringsspråket R og et ønske om å arbeide med store datasett. Vi anbefaler at studenten tar kurset Biostatistikk II (https://www.uib.no/emne/BIO302) før oppstart av masteroppgaven. 

Kontaktperson/veiledere Havforskningsinstituttet: Edda Johannesen (edda.johannesen@hi.no) og Johanna Fall (johanna.fall@hi.no) 

Intern veileder UiB:  Ikke avgjort 

Oppstart: 2026 

How do assumptions in our fisheries models and advice affect our ability to manage fish stocks 

No currently listed specific projects. Dr. Howell is interested in examining how our stock assessments models perform, and investigating how the assumptions behind our models might cause problems for fisheries advice and management. Or, in plain English, poking the assessment models in different ways to check if anything is broken in the way we give quota advice. If you are interested in a project involving fish stock dynamics and models, with a focus on improving practical fisheries management, then please contact daniel.howell@hi.no . 

FG Bunnsamfunn - Benthic communities  

Contact person: Sigurd Heiberg Espeland  (sigurd.heiberg.espeland@hi.no)  

Various opportunities linked to the vast MAREANO benthic fauna visual and physical sampling dataset 

The MAREANO program now has over 3000 videos of the seafloor around offshore Norway, and over 300 full sampling stations on soft bottoms with video, beam trawl, rothilsberg-percy sled, and grab data. All are spread across space but there are no repeat visits at present. This gives many opportunities for Masters projects, with the risk of the data collection stage removed. 
 
Options include various ecological studies focussing on specific taxa or habitats, mapping studies defining biotopes or biogeography, research relating to vulnerable habitats of management interest, and taxonomic studies working with physical samples or imagery or linking the two. We can give support in aspects including traditional ecology, modelling (including some training), video analysis, artificial intelligence applications, and taxonomy. Please contact us to hear our latest ideas or discuss your own. 
Contact person: Rebecca Ross (rebecca.ross@hi.no) 

FG Fiskeri – Fisheries  

Contact person: Guldborg Søvik (guldborg.soevik@hi.no) 

Can better control of trawl position relative to target fish improve catch success in acoustic trawl surveys? 

Knowledge of fish stock sizes is a key element in sustainable fisheries management. The knowledge is needed to assess the state of the stock, investigate the effects of fisheries and to set future harvest levels. A common way of estimating fish stock size is by acoustic trawl surveys where acoustic energy is converted to fish abundance, with the help of samples of species composition and size distributions from trawl hauls. When schools or aggregations of fish are registered on the vessel mounted echosounder a sample of the fish is usually obtained by trawling. However, it can be difficult to catch the fish with the trawl several hundred meters behind the vessel, especially when fast swimming fish are targeted. Missed catches result in wasted effort and uncertainty in the trawl samples. In this project the aim is to investigate whether catch success can be improved by better control of the trawl position relative to the targeted fish. Fish abundance estimated from acoustic data will be compared with catch size and related to trawl position. For better temporal and spatial resolution catch data will be obtained from a stereo-camera system mounted inside the trawl. The aim is also to investigate whether catch success is affected by species or school specific behaviour. The project is part of a research-based innovation center, CRIMAC (www.crimac.no) financed by the Norwegian Research council. The student will collaborate with other MSc and PhD students in the center. Data for the project were collected in the Norwegian sea ecosystem survey in May 2022 and there will be an opportunity to participate in a future survey for further data collection and for better understanding of the fishing operation and the monitoring methods. 

Are you interested - contact: 
Maria Tenningen (maria.tenningen@hi.no) og/eller Nils Olav Handegard (nilsolav@hi.no). 

FG  Fôr og ernæring - Research group Feed and Nutrition 

Contact person: Nina Liland (nina.liland@hi.no)  

We study the uptake and utilization of nutrients and effects of diets on health and performance in aquaculture fish. In principle, all our running research projects in the research program can be available for master student studies. 

Investigating the requirements for micronutrients in Lump sucker (Cyclopterus lumpus). 

IMR-supervisor: Øystein Sæle (oystein.saele@hi.no) 

Investigating the requirements for micronutrients in Ballan wrasse (Labrus berggylta). 

IMR-supervisor: Øystein Sæle (oystein.saele@hi.no) 

Applying a gut sac model (from salmon) to investigate the impact of undesirables in feed, such as pesticides, on intestinal integrity.

 IMR-supervisor: Øystein Sæle (oystein.saele@hi.no)  

Developing an extraction protocol of prostaglandins and leukotrienes from fish plasma and quantification by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry 

Prostaglandins and leukotrienes, such as PGE2 and LTB4, respectively, are members of the lipid class of biochemicals derived from arachidonic acid by means of the cyclooxygenase enzyme. These substances are known for their varying physiological properties, pathological effects and association with inflammation and pain in human and animal models. Immunological assays (e.g., ELISA) are the most widely used methods for the estimation of prostaglandins due to their inherent sensitivity, inexpensiveness, and simplicity. The main drawbacks of these assays are their lack of specificity for complex biological fluids, such as plasma, trend to overestimate the levels of metabolites due to cross-reactivity and limitation to the detection of a single product at the time.  

The present research project aims at developing a rapid, simple, and efficient method for the extraction of PGE2 and LTB4 from fish plasma and subsequent quantification using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS). In this context, the determination relevant performance parameters such as selectivity, specificity, accuracy, precision, linearity, range, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, ruggedness, and robustness will be an essential part of the project. The developed extraction and quantification protocols will be included in the existing battery of analytical methods of the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) at Bergen. The student will gain theoretical and practical experience in experimental design, sample treatment, LCMS, analytical validation, and data analysis. 

Contact researcher:  Pedro Araujo, Pedro.Araujo@hi.no. 

FG Fremmed- og smittestoff – Contaminants and biohazards   

Kontaktperson: FG-leder Monica Sanden (Monica.Sanden@hi.no) 

Want to do your master’s thesis on antibiotic resistance? In collaboration between Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and University of Bergen (UiB).  

We have a master’s project in microbiology connected to the Res-Marine project funded by the Norwegian Research Council (NRC) funded , that aims at understanding the role of the marine environment in dissemination and emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The student will carry out isolation of bacterial pathogens from waste water, marine sediments and water samples, and carry out antibiotic susceptibility testing. The tasks would also include learning DNA sequencing and analysis of whole genome sequences (bioinformatic analysis).  

If interested contact Nachiket Marathe (nachiket.marathe@hi.no). 

Master’s opportunity on Microplastic and antibiotic resistance. 

Plastic pollution is a global environmental problem that is projected to increase in upcoming decades because of the upward trend in global production and consumption. MPs provide surficial substrates for the microorganisms to attach and form biofilms. Fish pathogens such as Aeromonas spp., Vibrio spp. and opportunistic human pathogens like E. coli are present in biofilms from marine plastics. Recently, previous master student on the project has characterized multidrug resistant pathogens and environmental bacteria present on marine plastics from western Norway, using whole genome sequencing. This work has led to 2 publications (Radisic et al., 2020; Radisic et al., 2021). The master’s project will focus on the role of microplastics in dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes and resistant pathogens in the marine environment. The student will carry out isolation of pathogens, DNA extraction and Whole genome sequence analysis.  

If interested contact Nachiket Marathe (nachiket.marathe@hi.no). 

FG Marin toksikologi – Marine toxicology 

Contact person: forsker Marc Berntssen (marc.berntssen@hi.no)  

In recent years, in the global food market fraud and adulteration is increasing, violating consumers' safety. The food products available in the market are highly processed; therefore, it is difficult to identify the species or tissue origin by visual inspection. Molecular tools, i.e., PCR, genome sequencing, barcoding, and proteomics can be used to identify species from highly processed samples. Among the established methods, DNA methods are accurate and precise but unable to identify the tissue origin of the food sample. In addition, DNA-based methods are widely used for species identification from environmental samples such as fish guts. An additional method such as the spectral library method indicates potential to be used along with the e-DNA approach.  

Our study will implement an untargeted shotgun proteomics approach for species and tissue authentication and environmental monitoring using spectral library method. The approach is independent of any genomic information and is easy to implement on non-model species lacking such information. To implement this method for routine analyses across various laboratories, we want to create a standard operating procedures (SOP) using spectral library approach with compareMS2.  Besides food authentication, the untargeted approach will be implemented to identify species from fish gut samples by implementing the spectral library approach. compareMS2 software will be tested intensively using food, feed, and environmental samples to validate spectral library approach .  

Are you interested - contact: Madhushri Shrikant Varunjikar (madhushri.shrikant.varunjikar@hi.no) 

Implementing Proteomics to Assess Ecotoxicological Responses in Marine Fish from the North Sea and Barents Sea 

Marine ecosystems are increasingly exposed to multiple environmental stressors, including chemical contaminants and climate-driven changes. Traditional contaminant monitoring provides valuable information about chemical exposure but often offers limited insight into the biological mechanisms underlying adverse effects. 

Proteomics has emerged as a powerful omics approach capable of identifying molecular pathways and biological processes affected by contaminant exposure. Recent studies on Arctic fish species, including polar cod, have demonstrated proteomic responses involving xenobiotic metabolism, oxidative stress, cellular stress responses, immune regulation, and defense mechanisms. Integrating proteomics with contaminant measurements can therefore improve our understanding of mechanisms linking exposure to biological effects and support the development of Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs). The Institute of Marine Research archive fish samples (Atlantic cod and haddock) collected from the North Sea, and Barents Sea, providing sample sets to implement proteomics for ecotoxicological assessment in environmentally relevant monitoring samples. Aim of the study will be to implement and evaluate proteomic approaches for assessing contaminant-associated biological responses in marine fish collected from Norwegian monitoring programmes. 

Are you interested - contact: Madhushri Shrikant Varunjikar (madhushri.shrikant.varunjikar@hi.no) 

FG Marin økosystemakustikk – Ecosystem acoustics 

Contact person: Rolf Korneliussen (rolf.korneliussen@hi.no)  

Image analysis of echosounder and sonar data.

 Machine learning initiatives have been initiated at the IMR for categorizing images of fish, seals and other organisms, and similar approaches are intended for acoustic data. Alternatively, traditional image analysis can be applied.  

Suggested contact: Nils Olav Handegard (nilsolav@hi.no). 

Detecting internal waves in echosounder data 

Waves in the ocean does not only occur at the surface. They are also commonly observed in the ocean interior as internal waves and are considered important features for vertical mixing of water masses. 

For internal waves to exist, the ocean must be stratified. As such, the density must change with depth due to changes in temperature and/or salinity. If the density changes over a small vertical distance (as in the case of the thermocline) the waves propagate horizontally like surface waves, although at slower speeds due to the density difference across the thermocline interface. If the density changes continuously, the waves can also propagate vertically as well as horizontally through the ocean. 

Uniformly scattered organisms and particles in the water column can be observed using scientific echosounders. If these scatters are located where internal waves occur, the wave patterns become visible on the echograms. Conversely, if no waves are present, the scatterers will be evenly distributed. The scatterers can then be used to detect internal waves in the water column. 

The objective of the project is to develop a data mining algorithm that automatically locate the presence of internal waves from acoustic data.  

The One Ocean expedition are collecting acoustic data around the world, and this data set will be used as test case. IMR has also a large database of historical acoustic data that also can be mined for these features and can be used as a complementary option.  

The project is associated with the One Ocean expedition (https://oneoceanexpedition.com/), the Center for Research-based Innovation in Marine Acoustic Abundance Estimation and Backscatter Classification (https://crimac.no/)  and the Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center. 

Are you interested - contact: Nils Olav Handegard (nilsolav@hi.no) and/or Johnny A. Johannessen (johnny.johannessen@nersc.no). 

FG Kystoseanografi – Coastal oceanography 

Kontaktperson: Ingrid A. Johnsen (ingrid.johnsen@hi.no) 

Alle oppgavene på Kystoseanografi innebærer programmering. Du bør ha noe erfaring i å bruke python/MatLab eller lignende, og ha interesse for å sette deg inn i programmering og modeller for å kunne søke oppgavene. Videre opplæring gis selvsagt. 

Det er en stor fordel med grunnleggende kunnskap om sirkulasjon langs med kysten og inn i fjordene.  

Vurdering av egnethet for ulike produksjonsteknologier 

Tradisjonelt lakseoppdrett foregår i åpne merder, men grunnet ulike problemer som lakselus er det et stort fokus på alternative produksjonsteknologier, særlig lukkede og nedsenkede merder. Det er derimot ikke alle steder som egner seg for slike produksjonsteknologier, grunnet strømforhold, dybde med mer. I forbindelse med etablering av lokaliteter blir det gjort lokalitetsanalyser med utvalgte målinger, og basert på disse er en del lokaliteter blitt vurdert om de er egnet for ulike produksjonsformer. En kan derimot gjøre mye av den samme analysen basert på data fra hydrodynamiske strømmodeller. 

Med denne oppgaven vil en benytte data fra eksisterende strømmodeller til å beregne ulike relevante miljøparametre som gjennomsnittlig strøm, bølgehøyde etc. som kan brukes for å analysere egnetheten til ulike produksjonsteknologier. Analysen kan gjøres enten for utvalgte lokaliteter/posisjoner, eller for et område. Verdiene kan så kombineres med ulike grenseverdier for ulike teknologier for å si noe konkret om egnetheten. Om ønskelig kan det være aktuelt å ta kontakt med teknologileverandører for å innhente grenseverdier. Det kan også være aktuelt å koble resultatene til andre data eller simuleringer, som for eksempel om egnede lokaliteter samsvarer med strategiske lokaliteter for å sette inn tiltak mot lakselus. 

Temperaturendring og egnethet for akvakultur 

Klimaendringer kan føre til økende temperaturer langs norskekysten og i norske fjorder, noe som kan få betydelige konsekvenser for fremtidig havbruksaktivitet. Atlantisk laks viser redusert trivsel og økt stress ved temperaturer over ca. 18 °C, og langvarig eksponering for slike forhold kan påvirke både vekst, helse og dødelighet. Et sentralt spørsmål er derfor hvor ofte og hvor lenge slike temperaturer vil forekomme i viktige havbruksområder i fremtiden. 

I denne masteroppgaven skal det analyseres hvordan projiserte temperaturendringer vil påvirke miljøforholdene for lakseoppdrett. Arbeidet baserer seg på en ny nedskalering av havmodellen Norkyst for et mulig framtidig klimascenario rundt år 2080. Modellresultatene sammenlignes med observerte og modellerte temperaturforhold ved eksisterende akvakulturlokaliteter i dagens klima. 

Ved å analysere temperaturutviklingen i ulike dyp og sesonger, og relatere disse til kjente terskler for laksens trivsel ved ulike størrelser og miljøforhold, kan vi vurdere hvor egnet eksisterende og foreslåtte akvakulturområder kan være for fremtidig havbruk. Studien kan dermed bidra til bedre kunnskap om klimatilpasning, lokalisering av anlegg og risiko knyttet til temperaturstress i oppdrettsnæringen. 

Modellvalidering av strøm 

Havforskningsinstituttet kjører hydrodynamiske modeller for å få informasjon om miljøet i havet. Modellene dekker hele kysten og går inn i fjordene. Modellene blir kjørt med ulik oppløsning. Vi har også tokt hvor vi observer fysiske forhold både på kysten og inne i fjordene.  

I denne oppgaven foreslår vi å benytte data fra eksisterende strømmålinger for å validere modellresultater og å vurdere samsvaret mellom observasjon og modell. Videre vil vi kartlegge om det er systematiske forskjeller ved: 

• Ulik horisontal oppløsning i modellen 
• Ulike vertikale lag 
• Ulike årstider 
• I ulike fjorder 

Foreslår å benytte metoden utviklet i Dalsøren m.fl. 2020 for å få en overordnet oppsummering av samsvar mellom observasjon og hydrodynamisk modellresultat. 

Utslipp fra rør til det marine miljø: Lage en matematisk modell for spredning av utslipp fra renseanlegg og industri til det marine miljø, basert på kjente empiriske formler. Modellen kan testes mot profiler i det eksisterende modellarkivet NorKyst800 for å diskutere konsekvenser av f.eks. storskala utbygging av landbaserte oppdrettsanlegg. 
Kontaktperson: Pål Næverlid Sævik (paal.naeverlid.saevik@hi.no) 
Arbeidssted: Bergen 

FG Oseanografi og klima – Oceanography and climate 

Contact person: Randi Ingvaldsen (randi.ingvaldsen@hi.no) 

Koblinger mellom atlanterhavsinnstrømning og de dype Amundsen- og Nansenbassengene i Polhavet 
Connecting the Atlantic Water inflow with the deep Amundsen and Nansen Basins of the Arctic Ocean 

Atlantic Water constitutes the main source of heat for the Arctic Ocean and enters the region via the Barents Sea and through Fram Strait. In recent years, an increasing impact of Atlantic Water has been observed on the water column structure, the Arctic halocline, and the sea ice cover, especially along its inflow pathway along the Eurasian shelf. Within the national Arctic Ocean 2050 project, we aim to investigate if and how the Atlantic Water inflow affects water column stratification and Atlantic Water properties in the Nansen and Amundsen Basins. This masters project will analyse existing data from ship surveys in 2022-2026 and moored instruments to look into propagation of signals from the Atlantic Water boundary current north of Svalbard towards the deep Nansen Basin. This will be combined with atmospheric and sea ice data from reanalysis and satellite to look into drivers and impacts. 

Contact: Angelika Renner (angelika.renner@hi.no) 

Hydrografi og interaksjoner med land, havbunn og økosystem ved Bouvetøya, Søratlanterhav 
Hydrography and interaction with land, seafloor and ecosystem around Bouvet Island, South Atlantic Ocean 

Bouvet Island is a small, remote island in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. The region hosts a rich marine ecosystem but very little is known about oceanographic conditions in this highly dynamic region. In a recently funded, large interdisciplinary project, we will conduct a ship-based survey around the island and deploy two moorings in February/March 2027. Multiple opportunities exists for master projects, e.g.: 

• Describing and analysing the basic oceanography around Bouvetøya based on ship-based observations, with focus on water mass properties, water column structure, and regional circulation. For larger spatial and temporal context, data from numerical models, reanalysis and satellite observations will be used. 
• Investigating interaction of currents with topography and implications for upward transport of material from the seafloor to the surface layer. This will be done by combining the hydrographic data collected during the ship survey with numerical model output and experiments. 
• Assessing the potential for impact of land-derived freshwater, nutrient and sediment input on the coastal ocean and ecosystem around Bouvet Island. This project will use observations from the ship survey in conjunction with satellite ocean colour observations and numerical modelling. 

Depending on the topic, project partners will join as co-supervisors (Andreas Klocker, NORCE; Sebastian Moreau, NPI). 

Contact: Angelika Renner (angelika.renner@hi.no) 

FG Pelagisk fisk – Pelagic fish 

Contact person: Espen Johnsen (espen.johnsen@hi.no)   

Acoustic-based abundance estimation of demersal gadoids in Oslofjord 

Project description 

Estimating fish abundance is crucial for sustainable management and ecosystem-based decision-making. Acoustic surveys provide a powerful tool to monitor fish populations efficiently. In Oslofjord, extensive acoustic data were collected between 2024 and 2026 along standard transects. Analyses so far have focused on pelagic species, while demersal gadoids (e.g., cod, whiting, saithe) remain largely unstudied. 

The aim of this project is to estimate the abundance of demersal gadoids in Oslofjord using these acoustic survey data. The student will process and analyze acoustic data using the LSSS software, exploring methods for identifying and quantifying demersal fish targets. With new fishing restrictions coming into effect in Oslofjord in 2026, monitoring gadoid abundance will be particularly important for evaluating the effects of management measures and supporting sustainable fisheries. 

The project offers the opportunity to participate in the “Ecosystem cruise” in Oslofjord in November 2026, providing hands-on experience with survey techniques and data collection. 

During this project, the student will gain practical skills in acoustic data analysis, target identification, abundance estimation, and statistical analysis of fish populations. This work will contribute directly to understanding the status of key fish species in Oslofjord and informing ecosystem-based management strategies. 

Keywords: Oslofjord, demersal gadoids, acoustic survey, abundance estimation, LSSS, fishing restrictions, ecosystem-based management 

Main-supervisor: Florian Berg, Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Bergen, Norway; telephone: +47 94209887; e-mail: florian.berg@hi.no 

Co-supervisor: Espen Johnsen, Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Bergen, Norway; e-mail: espen.johnsen@hi.no 

Co-supervisor: Arild Folkvord, Department of biological science, University Bergen, Norway; e-mail: arild.folkvord@uib.no 

FT-NIR spectrometry age reading of blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) 

Project description 

Reliable age reading is a cornerstone of fish stock assessment, but traditional otolith reading is time-consuming and subject to reader uncertainty, particularly for older or difficult age classes. Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectrometry has emerged as a promising tool for predicting fish age from the chemical composition of otoliths, offering a faster and potentially more objective alternative to conventional methods (Helser et al., 2019). IMR has recently acquired an FT-NIR spectrometer, and there is a need to establish and test its application on otolith material. 

Blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) is particularly well suited for this purpose, as an extensive archive of aged otoliths dating back to 1970 is available at IMR and can be scanned without further preparation. This project will use these otoliths to build and test FT-NIR based age prediction models, comparing them against traditionally read ages, and evaluating the associated uncertainty. Depending on interest, the project could also explore whether NIR spectra carry information on stock origin, growth, or other biological traits, in addition to age. 

During this project, you will learn how to apply FT-NIR spectrometry to otoliths, including scanning technique and the statistical methods (e.g., chemometrics, machine learning approaches) used to establish and validate age prediction algorithms. You will have the possibility to participate in a survey to gain insight into how the material you work with is collected. 

References:  

Helser T.E., Benson, I., Erickson, J., Healy, J,. Kastelle, C., and Short, J.A. 2019. A transformative approach to ageing fish otoliths using Fourier transform near infrared spectroscopy: a case study of eastern Bering Sea walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 76(5): 780-789. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2018-0112 

Keywords: blue whiting, FT-NIR spectrometry, otolith, age reading, chemometrics, age uncertainty 

Main-supervisor: Florian Berg, Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Bergen, Norway; telephone: +47 94209887; e-mail: florian.berg@hi.no 

Co-supervisor: Arild Folkvord, Department of Biological Sciences, University Bergen, Norway; e-mail: arild.folkvord@uib.no 

FG Økosystemprosesser – Ecosystem processes 

Contact person: Contact person: Morten D. Skogen (morten.skogen@hi.no) 

Arktiske Calanus-arter i norske fjorder  

Dyreplankton har en viktig rolle som link mellom primærprodusenter og høyere trofiske nivå i marine næringskjeder. Kopepoder i Calanus-slekten er særlig tallrike dyreplankton i nordiske hav og arktiske økosystem, og med høyt fettinnhold anses de gjerne som nøkkelarter bl.a. for planktivore predatorer som sild, makrell og lodde. Historisk sett har man koblet utbredelsen av Calanus-arter med ulik kroppsstørrelse til ulike temperaturforhold: store arter (C. glacialis og C. hyperboreus) i kaldt, arktisk vann og den mindre C. finmarchicus i atlantisk vann med høyere temperaturer. Flere nyere modell- og genetikk-studier har imidlertid utfordret denne oppfatningen og vist at arktiske arter også transporteres til, og kan overleve i atlantiske forhold, samt at de arktiske artene er mer utbredt i norske fjorder med atlantiske forhold enn tidligere antatt. 

I denne masteroppgaven er formålet å studere fjordpopulasjoner av arktiske Calanus-arter. Vi vil ta utgangspunkt i fjorder med forekomster av C. glacialis og/eller C. hyperboreus og bruke eksisterende resultater fra en økosystemmodell (NORWECOM.E2E) for å se på om disse er isolerte fjordpopulasjoner, samt kvantifisere utvekslingen med mer oseaniske Calanus-populasjoner. Dette er viktig for å øke forståelsen av lokale økosystemer i norske fjorder, samt den overordnede forståelsen for utbredelsen av Calanus på våre breddegrader. Mastergradsstudenten må beherske bruk av R, Python eller Matlab, samt ha interesse for økologisk modellering.

Kontaktpersoner: Morten D. Skogen (morten.skogen@hi.no) og Johanna M. Aarflot (johanna.aarflot@hi.no)

Bruk av modeller for å vurdere prøvetakning etter EUs vannrammedirektiv 

Norge er etter innføringen av EUs vannrammedirektiv forpliktet til å overvåke miljøtilstanden i kystvann og fjorder, for å dokumentere klimaendringer og fange opp uønskede menneskelige påvirkninger som eutrofiering. Prøvetakningen omfatter blant annet målinger av fysiske (temperatur, salinitet) og biokjemiske parametere (næringssalter, oksygen, planteplankton), og prøvene tas ved faste stasjoner inntil 12 ganger per år. En generell utfordring med in situ prøvetakning er at det er kostbart og har lav oppløsning i rom og tid. Til eksempel så omfatter Økokyst, det nasjonale overvåkningsprogrammet for kystvann, totalt 253 stasjoner som skal informere om miljøtilstanden langs en kystlinje på om lag 25 000 km. Samtidig så vet vi lite om hvor gode enkeltobservasjoner er til å informere om miljøtilstanden i et større område eller faktiske endring over tid – dvs. hvor representative dataene er for det vi ønsker å måle. 

Modeller har høyere oppløsning både i rom og tid, og kan derfor brukes som et verktøy til å vurdere kvaliteten på enkeltobservasjoner, samt levere utfyllende informasjon som naturlige variasjoner for de ulike måleparameterne. I denne masteroppgaven er formålet å bruke tilgjengelige modelldata til å vurdere representativitet av in situ-målinger som benyttes i rapportering på miljøtilstand bl.a. til EU og OSPAR. Masterkandidaten må beherske bruk av R, Python eller Matlab og håndtering av større datasett. Kunnskap om statistikk er en fordel, men ikke en forutsetning.

Kontaktpersoner: Johanna M. Aarflot (johanna.aarflot@hi.no) og Morten D. Skogen (morten.skogen@hi.no) 

See also https://www.hi.no/hi/forskning/student-som-vil-bli-havforsker 

Study programme: Fisheries biology and Management / Marine biology

Energy and lipids in capelin 0-group fish in the Barents Sea: Study the spatial variations and the role the zooplankton distribution has for the energy status and lipid composition in different ocean currents (Atlantic, mixed sone and Arctic waters).

Supervisor University of Bergen:

• Prof. Arild Folkvord (BIO), email: arild.folkvord@uib.no, phone: 55584456
• Supervisor Institute of Marine Research:
• Georg Skaret (Institute of Marine Research), IMR: georg.skaret@hi.no, phone 65161038
• Sonnich Meier (Institute of Marine Research, IMR): sonnich.meier@hi.no, phone 47272166
• Other Collaborations at IMR (Elena Eriksen, Erling Kåre Stenevik, Geir Odd Johansen).

Objective:

To compare the energy status and fatty acid composition of capelin 0-group fish caught in different areas of the Barents Sea and relate it to the zooplankton distribution.

Background:

The Barents Sea is an important nursery area for many of the commercial important fish in Norwegian water. In 2022 high numbers of fish larvae and early juveniles were observed in the Barents Sea. However, there was also observed low abundances of large Calanus copepods, and it is therefore a question if there will be enough high-quality prey for the fish larvae/early juvenile to build up a good energy storage to survive the first winter.  

The aim of this study is to compare the energy status measured by energy density and lipid content of 0-group capelin. In addition will the fatty acids composition be analyzed in 0-group capelin and different zooplankton as biomarkers of prey selection.

Climate changes are affecting the recruitment of the fish in the Barents Sea (Skjoldal et al., 2022), and we wish to establish a baseline study on energy content in different 0-group fish that can be used for measure potential changes with changing in water temperature in the future.

During the ecosystem cruises in autumn 2022 have there been collected a large sample material of 0-group fish: Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua), Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), Saithe (Pollachius virens), Caplin (Mallotus villosus) and Polar cod (Boreogadus saida). In addition, have there been collected samples of important prey organism (copepods and other zooplankton). We aim for several master theses analyzing different species.

Method: Capelin 0-group fish shall be measured (length, body weight), and after being freeze dried the lipid amount will be quantified, and the fatty acid composition will be analyzed by gas chromatography (Meier et al., 2006). Energy density will be analyzed by calorimetry.

Prerequisites:

An interest in ecology of fish at early life stages and interactions between environment, fisheries, and other human activities. The work will involve combining marine biology with analytical chemistry. The candidate will work in a team together with technician from the chemistry laboratory at IMR and will be given training in different lipid detecting methods (direct metanolysis and gas chromatography, lipid extraction and lipid classes analysis by HPLC), as well as multivariate data exploration and analysis.

 

References
Meier, S., S. A. Mjøs, H. Joensen and O. Grahl-Nielsen (2006). "Validation of a one-step extraction/methylation method for determination of fatty acids and cholesterol in marine tissues." Journal of Chromatography A 1104(1-2): 291-298.

Skjoldal, H. R., E. Eriksen, H. Gjosaeter, O. Skagseth, D. Prozorkevich and V. S. Lien (2022). "Recruitment variability of fish stocks in the Barents Sea: Spatial and temporal variation in 0-group fish length of six commercial species during recent decades of warming (1980-2017)." Progress in Oceanography 206.

Energy and lipids in cod 0-group fish in the Barents Sea: Study the spatial variations and the role the zooplankton distribution has for the energy status and lipid composition in different ocean currents (Atlantic, mixed sone and Arctic waters).

Study programme: Fisheries biology and Management / Marine biology
Supervisor University of Bergen: Prof. Arild Folkvord (BIO), email: arild.folkvord@uib.no, phone: 55 58 44 56
Supervisor Institute of Marine Research:
Elena Eriksen (Institute of Marine Research), IMR: elena.eriksen@hi.no, phone 908 13 570
Sonnich Meier (Institute of Marine Research, IMR): sonnich.meier@hi.no, phone 472 72 166
Other Collaborations at IMR (Georg Skaret, Erling Kåre Stenevik, Geir Odd Johansen)

Objective: To compare the energy status and fatty acid composition of cod 0-group fish caught in different areas of the Barents Sea and relate it to the zooplankton distribution.
Background: The Barents Sea is an important nursery area for many of the commercial important fish in Norwegian water. In 2022 high numbers of fish larvae and early juveniles were observed in the Barents Sea. However, there was also observed low abundances of large Calanus copepods, and it is therefore a question if there will be enough high-quality prey for the fish larvae/early juvenile to build up a good energy storage to survive the first winter.  

Climate changes are affecting the recruitment of the fish in the Barents Sea (Skjoldal et al., 2022), and we wish to establish a baseline study on energy content in different 0-group fish that can be used for measure potential changes with changing in water temperature in the future.

The aim of this study is to compare the energy status measured by energy density and lipid content of 0-group cod. In addition will the fatty acids composition be analyzed in 0-group cod and different zooplankton as biomarkers of prey selection.

During the ecosystem cruises in autumn 2022 have there been collected a large sample material of 0-group fish: Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua), Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), Saithe (Pollachius virens), Caplin (Mallotus villosus) and Polar cod (Boreogadus saida). In addition, have there been collected samples of important prey organism (copepods and other zooplankton). We aim to have several master theses analyzing different species.

Method: 0-group Cod shall be measured (length, body weight and liver weight), and the otolith shall be removed for age measurement. After being freeze dried, the lipid amount will be quantified, and the fatty acid composition will be analyzed by gas chromatography (Meier et al., 2006). Energy density will be analyzed by calorimetry.

Prerequisites: An interest in ecology of fish at early life stages and interactions between environment, fisheries, and other human activities. The work will involve combining marine biology with analytical chemistry. The candidate will work in a team together with technician from the chemistry laboratory at IMR and will be given training in different lipid detecting methods (direct metanolysis and gas chromatography, lipid extraction and lipid classes analysis by HPLC), as well as multivariate data exploration and analysis.

References

Meier, S., S. A. Mjøs, H. Joensen and O. Grahl-Nielsen (2006). "Validation of a one-step extraction/methylation method for determination of fatty acids and cholesterol in marine tissues." Journal of Chromatography A 1104(1-2): 291-298.

Skjoldal, H. R., E. Eriksen, H. Gjosaeter, O. Skagseth, D. Prozorkevich and V. S. Lien (2022). "Recruitment variability of fish stocks in the Barents Sea: Spatial and temporal variation in 0-group fish length of six commercial species during recent decades of warming (1980-2017)." Progress in Oceanography 206.

Energy and lipids in Herring 0-group fish in the Barents Sea: Study the spatial variations and the role the zooplankton distribution has for the energy status and lipid composition in different ocean currents (Atlantic, mixed sone and Arctic waters).

Study programme: Fisheries biology and Management / Marine biology
Supervisor University of Bergen:Prof. Arild Folkvord (BIO), email: arild.folkvord@uib.no, phone: 55584456

Supervisor Institute of Marine Research:
Erling Kåre Stenevik (Institute of Marine Research), IMR: erling.stenevik@hi.no, phone 4790813570
Sonnich Meier (Institute of Marine Research, IMR): sonnich.meier@hi.no, phone 47272166
Other Collaborations at IMR (Georg Skaret, Elena Eriksen, Geir Odd Johansen).

Objective: To compare the energy status and fatty acid composition of herring 0-group fish caught in different areas of the Barents Sea and relate it to the zooplankton distribution.

Background:The Barents Sea are an important nursery area for many of the commercial important fish in Norwegian water. In 2022 high numbers of fish larvae and early juveniles were observed in the Barents Sea. Especially were the 0-group of Atlantic herring very abundant and distributed over most of the Barents Sea. This may be promising for recruitment of new strong year classes of herring (Hi.no).  However, there was also observed low abundances of large Calanus copepods, and it is therefore a question if there will be enough high-quality prey for the fish larvae/early juvenile to build up a good energy storage to survive the first winter.  

Climate changes are affecting the recruitment of the fish in the Barents Sea (Skjoldal et al., 2022), and we wish to establish a baseline study on energy content in different 0-group fish that can be used for measure potential changes with changing in water temperature in the future.

The aim of this study is to compare the energy status measured by energy density and lipid content of o-group herring collected in the Barents sea in August/Semptember2022. In addition will the fatty acids composition be analyzed in o-group herring and different zooplankton as biomarkers of prey selection.

The energy and lipid composition of o-group Herring collected in November 2022 and (1 year-old) herring collected in February will also be analysed to establish the “energy coast of overwintering.

Method: Herring o-group fish shall be measured (length, body weight), and the otolith shall be removed for age measurement. After being freeze dried, the lipid amount will be quantified, and the fatty acid composition will be analyzed by gas chromatography (Meier et al., 2006). Energy density will be analyzed by calorimetry.

Prerequisites: An interest in ecology of fish at early life stages and interactions between environment, fisheries, and other human activities. The work will involve combining marine biology with analytical chemistry. The candidate will work in a team together with technician from the chemistry laboratory at IMR and will be given training in different lipid detecting methods (direct metanolysis and gas chromatography, lipid extraction and lipid classes analysis by HPLC), as well as multivariate data exploration and analysis.

References
Meier, S., S. A. Mjøs, H. Joensen and O. Grahl-Nielsen (2006). "Validation of a one-step extraction/methylation method for determination of fatty acids and cholesterol in marine tissues." Journal of Chromatography A 1104(1-2): 291-298.
Skjoldal, H. R., E. Eriksen, H. Gjosaeter, O. Skagseth, D. Prozorkevich and V. S. Lien (2022). "Recruitment variability of fish stocks in the Barents Sea: Spatial and temporal variation in 0-group fish length of six commercial species during recent decades of warming (1980-2017)." Progress in Oceanography 206.

Økotoktet: Er en ny sterk sildeårsklasse på vei? | Havforskningsinstituttet (hi.no)

FG Plankton 

Kontaktpersoner: Gayantonia Franzè email franze@hi.no ph. 48099230 

Project: Imaging the Invisible: Time-Series Analysis of Coastal Plankton Dynamics 

Advisors: Dr Gayantonia Franzè and Dr Tone Falkenhaug 

The plankton group at the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) has been collecting plankton samples for several decades at a long-term monitoring site known as Station 2, located just 1 nautical mile outside the Flødevigen Research Station. This location is ecologically unique: it sits at the dynamic interface between coastal and open-ocean water masses, where water properties shift continuously in response to ocean currents, tides, and prevailing winds. These physical drivers play a major role in structuring plankton communities, influencing trophic pathways and ultimately affecting ecologically and commercially important fish species in the region. 

In this project, we aim to explore how mesozooplankton communities have changed over time in response to environmental forcing. To do this, we will utilize FlowCam imaging technology—an innovative tool that automatically photographs, measures, and classifies plankton particles with high throughput. Historical samples collected with a WP2 plankton net will be imaged on the FlowCam to build a retrospective time series of plankton composition and size structure. By combining this with long-term environmental data (temperature, salinity, wind forcing, current data), the student will investigate how physical variability shapes plankton community dynamics through space and time. 

The selected candidate will gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art imaging instruments, learn laboratory techniques for zooplankton processing, and develop skills in data handling, statistics, and ecological modelling. This includes classification of plankton groups, extraction of morphometric traits (size, shape, biovolume), community analysis, and visualization of ecological patterns. The project offers an excellent entry point to quantitative marine ecology, time-series analysis, and the application of machine-assisted image recognition in ocean science. 

Beyond technical training, the student will contribute to our ability to monitor coastal ecosystem health, detect early signs of change in food-web structure, and better understand how environmental pressure, from climate variability to coastal winds, propagates up the pelagic food chain. 

This thesis is well-suited for students interested in marine ecology, oceanography, climate effects, ecological modelling, and modern digital plankton analysis. No prior experience with FlowCam is required, training will be provided. Curiosity, motivation, and a willingness to learn are the key requirements 

Project: Effects of Coastal Darkening on Plankton Food-Web Structure 

Advisor: Dr Gayantonia Franzè  

A Master’s thesis project is available to investigate how coastal darkening influences plankton communities and trophic interactions in coastal ecosystems. The project will use controlled mesocosm experiments to examine how changes in underwater light and dissolved organic matter affect phytoplankton composition, microbial pathways, and energy transfer to higher trophic levels. 

The project will run during autumn and will involve active participation in the setup and maintenance of mesocosm experiments, as well as field-style sampling and laboratory analyses. Sampling will include phytoplankton, microzooplankton, and mesozooplankton, along with measurements of chlorophyll concentration, light attenuation, and particle composition. Plankton community structure will be analyzed using FlowCam imaging. 

The student will also conduct quantitative data analysis to assess ecosystem responses to darkening and its implications for coastal food-web dynamics and carbon transfer. 

Skills gained 

• Experimental mesocosm design and ecosystem manipulation 
• Plankton sampling and taxonomic/size-structure analysis 
• Optical and chlorophyll measurements 
• Image-based plankton analysis (FlowCam) 
• Ecological data analysis and visualization 

Experience with R for statistical analysis and data visualization is advantageous but not required. 

This project is suitable for students interested in marine ecology, plankton dynamics, experimental ecosystem research, and environmental change in coastal systems.