S E I T I V I T C A L A N O I T A C U D E D N A H C R A E RES
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CENTRE FOR COASTAL RESEARCH (CCR)
HALVOR KNUTSEN
NILS CHR. STENSETH
DAG OLAV ANDERSEN
PAUL AUGESTAD
ERLEND MOKSNESS
LARS KULLERUD
KRISTOFFER NÆS
Head of CCR
Board Chair/CCR
UiA
HiT
IMR
Grid Arendal
NIVA
SOME OF OUR RESEARCHERS
THE BOARD
HALVOR KNUTSEN, UiA/IMR ESBEN MOLAND OLSEN, UiA NILS CHR. STENSETH, UiA ENRIQUE BLANCO GONZALEZ, UiA YNGVAR A. OLSEN, UiA DAG OLAV ANDERSEN, UiA CARLA FREITAS, UiA MARTE SODELAND, UiA ALBERT FERNÀNDEZ CHACÓN, IMR EVEN MOLAND, IMR TONJE KNUTSEN SØRDALEN, UiA KIM HALVORSEN, UiA MATS HUSERBRÅTEN, UiA ØYVIND KASTE, NIVA/UiA KJELL MAGNUS NORDERHAUG, NIVA DAG ØYSTEIN HJERMANN, NIVA CAREN BARCELO, OSU, USA DIANA CATARINO, UA, Portugal AUDUN SLETTAN, UiA JAN HEGGENES, HiT MONA SÆBØ, HiT ESPEN LYDERSEN, HiT
NILS CHR. STENSETH, UiA/UiO/CEES, Chairman CCR HALVOR KNUTSEN, IMR/UiA, Head of CCR DAG GJERLØW AASLAND, UiA ERLEND MOKSNESS, IMR KRISTOFFER NÆS, NIVA PÅL AUGESTAD, HiT LARS KULLERUD, GRID Arendal/University of the Arctic ØYSTEIN DJUPEDAL, County Governor/FMAA TONJE KNUTSEN SØRDALEN, UiA FRANK REICHERT, UiA Observer DAG OLAV ANDERSEN, UiA Observer
CENTRE FOR COASTAL RESEARCH is focusing largely on the ecology and evolution of the biota into the marine coastal zone within a broad societal context.
ABOUT
The Centre for Coastal Research (CCR) is an international and interdisciplinary academic institution. The purpose of CCR is to undertake interdisciplinary research on the effects of human and environmental forcing on coastal living resources. The centre is focusing largely on the ecology and evolution of the biota into the marine coastal zone within a broad societal context.
VISION
The research activities of CCR are primarily, albeit not exclusively, focused on the Skagerrak and neighbouring marine waters, most of which are surrounded by a major fraction of the Scandinavian population. This focus is further emphasized by the fact that these seas provide a unique ‘natural laboratory’ to assess the effects of human and environmental impact on coastal living resources. Although the centre fosters primarily long-term, basic (discovery-oriented) research, applied and innovative activities and programmes are encouraged.
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CENTRE FOR COASTAL RESEARCH focuses on the ecology and evolution of the biota in the marine coastal zone within a broad societal context.
MISSION
CCR is an international and interdisciplinary academic institution. Our research focuses on the ecology and evolution of the biota in the marine coastal zone within a broad societal context. Through its research and educational activities, the CCR plays a fundamentally integral role in bridging gaps between scientific disciplines, geographical boarders and the societies that depend on coastal resources, many of which are of exceptional national, cultural, and economic significance. The CCR’s mission will be realised by:
• addressing local, regional, national and international issues from an interdisciplinary perspective; • implementing field-based, experimental and retrospective analytical approaches to the study of coastal ecosystems including land-ocean interactions; • providing opportunities for bachelor-level, undergraduate students to participate in research projects; • training top-level masters, PhD and post-doctoral investigators; and • providing state-of-the-art field and laboratory equipment and analytical facilities to resident and visiting scientists.
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RESEARCH: MARINE ECOLOGY CCR is to undertake interdisciplinary research on the effects of human and environmental forcing on coastal living resources.
Our understanding of how harvesting may warp the selective landscape is limited, partly due to the difficulty of tracking the fate of individuals, and their genes, in the open sea. Empirical studies on coastal populations may offer great potential for elucidating harvestrelated selective processes. First, realism will be maintained by studying wild animals in their natural habitat. Second, control will be improved due to semi-sheltered study areas ontaining local populations. Our research project is a comparative study on three harvested species: the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), European lobster (Homarus gammarus) and anadromous Brown trout (Salmo trutta). The main goal is to quantify fitness effects of selective harvesting and protection from harvesting. In addition, our research project aims to set up empirical field studies linking life history data, molecular genetic data and behavioural data in order to broadly assess fitness of marine species in their natural environment.Â
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PHD & MASTER STUDIES European Lobster and Corkwing Wrasse
EXAMPLES OF STUDIES
A good management of fisheries is important to keep a healthy ocean and predictable catches. Of special importance is to understand what drives the recruitment of valuable species and how we best can accommodate natural behavior. Much of the work on lobster and wrasse are done in a marine reserve (MPA) versus fished area context, using catch and release records, field experiments and genetics. European lobster fishing has a long tradition in Norway, but since the 1960s catches have dropped to a historical low level. By studying the behavior of free roaming lobster in the reserves and in fished areas, we comes to better understanding of the lobsters natural mating system, and how it may change under the selective pressure of harvesting.
One such approach takes use of qualitative genetics and parental assignment methods to uncover mate choice, a behavior we otherwise would not be able to observe. Millions of wrasses are caught every year and transported to Salmon farms as a biological treatment of lice. Given that this is a rather new fishery, little is known about the exposure and resilience of such large scale harvesting on the populations. Ongoing studies look at the demography and genetic of different populations, fishing pressure and behavioral movement using catch and release data. Other studies are aiming at uncovering the species reproduction and the significance of different reproductive tactics.
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CENTRE FOR COASTAL RESEARCH (CCR)
The Centre for Coastal Research (CCR) is an international and interdisciplinary academic institution. CCR is to undertake interdisciplinary research on the effects of human and environmental forcing on coastal living resources. The centre is focusing largely on the ecology and evolution of the biota into the marine coastal zone within a broad societal context. Our research is also highly relevant for international management and regulations within these areas, through the OSPAR Convention (The Convention for the Protection of the marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic) and EU’s Water Framework Directive. CCR is an initiative hosted by the University of Agder (UiA) in cooperation with University of Oslo, Institute of Marine Research, GRID-Arendal, NIVA and Telemark University College. In less than a year we have managed to create several new part-time and full-time positions within CCR. Currently there are 4 Professors, 4 Associate Professors, 3 Postdoctoral Fellows and 4 PhD students dedicated to this marine group. We further have several associated researchers. UiA will use the growing group to expand the educational list of offers in marine ecology, which is very important for the region.
The Centre for Coastal Research (CCR) is an international and interdisciplinary academic institution hosted by the University of Agder (UiA) in cooperation with University of Oslo, Institute of Marine Research, GRID-Arendal, NIVA and Telemark University College. The goal is that this synergic initiative will strengthen the quality of research and education on marine biology in the Agder region within and among the collaborating institutions.
| 0003 | Photo: Ă˜ystein-Paulsen/IMR/NIVA/UiA
- HOSTED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF AGDER