MSc thesis project advertisement
Names of the supervisors: Alexander Eiler (UiO), Eivind Stensrud (eDNA solutions AB)
Collaborators: Karl Lundstr?m (SLU, Sweden)
Preferred project period: September 2024 – June 2026
Background
Anthropogenic drivers such as climate change, eutrophication, and overfishing, are putting coastal marine systems under pressure. While changes in biodiversity have been observed they are difficult to predict and prevent, most likely due to our knowledge gaps of species interactions. We believe that a detailed understanding of how the food webs are structured is a vital piece of information to establish ecologically and economically effective countermeasures.
Project description
In this project, the student(s) will carry out experiments to characterize the gut content of harbor seals from the Skagerrak and Oslofjord by reconstructing the food web utilization of these top predators by targeting both their prey, and the prey of the prey through DNA metabarcoding. Furthermore, the students will perform stable isotope analyses to obtain the trophic state and origin of primary production underlying the food web by the analysis of seal tissue. In the Oslofjord, primary production on land has been suggested to become a more and more important component of the marine food web.
There will be two projects with one student focusing on the analysis of existing gut samples from seals obtained by SLU and UiO labs using metabarcoding. In the second project, the student will perform stable isotope analyses on tissue samples. The students will have access to existing data including toxicological tests, biometrics, and otoliths for putting their data into a broad ecological context.
Learning outcomes
In addition to critical thinking and report writing, the student will develop skills in experimental design and laboratory work, particularly, DNA metabarcoding or stable isotope, bioinformatics, and multivariate analysis. The project includes laboratory work at UiO and potential work visits to the SLU marine laboratory in Lysekil/Sweden and eDNA solutions laboratory in Gothenburg/Sweden. The project will include occasional car trips to ?stfold, to deliver sampling equipment and collecting sampling material from the local hunters.
What we offer
We offer an inclusive and stimulating research environment where the student is encouraged to join the research group activities and engage with other students and researchers in the group. This work will be part of the project “Coastal Ecosystem Dynamics under Anthropogenic Pressures” https://www.mn.uio.no/ibv/english/research/sections/aqua/research-projects/coastal-ecosystems/index.html
If you are interested
Please send us a brief description of yourself and of your motivation for this project (max 500 words).
alexander.eiler@ibv.uio.no or eivind@ednasolutions.se