Molecular Ecology and Paleogenomics - MEP

The Molecular Ecology and Paleogenomics research group (MEP) aims at enhancing the knowledge about aquatic communities and processes.

• We work to increase the understanding of interactions between organisms making up aquatic food webs and investigate how they respond to environmental changes.
• By using a combination of state-of-the-art environmental DNA (eDNA) methodology and morphological taxonomy, we investigate seafloor and water column organism, communities and ecosystems for biodiversity patterns and trace human impact from oil and gas extraction, aquaculture, marine minerals, and climate change.
• We apply ancient DNA from sediments (sedaDNA) to reconstruct past biodiversity changes and, in combination with polar paleo-oceanography, for sea ice reconstructions.

Habitats

Most of MEP´s projects are connected to marine environments including fjords, coastal waters, open oceans, and deep seas. Our activities range from low (Pacific Ocean) to high (Arctic, Antarctic) latitudes and we operate in the pelagic as well as in sediments. We also apply our competences to explore fish communities in lakes and rivers.

Experts on the use of molecular tools

MEP has expertise in applying molecular tools to describe community composition and food web interactions. The tools comprise qualitative (metabarcoding) and quantitative (qPCR, ddPCR, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics) methodologies and various flow cytometric techniques (analytical, sorting, and imaging flow cytometry).

We have expertise in morphological taxonomy and use this in combination with state-of-the-art eDNA to investigate seafloor and water column organism communities and ecosystems for biodiversity patterns.

The group have expertise in marine palynology (dinoflagellate cysts), and work with inorganic (stable isotopes and Mg/Ca of foraminifers) and organic (biomarkers) geochemistry.

The research group comprises paleo-oceanographers as well as ecologists.

Pelagic Food Webs

MEP investigates interactions in the marine pelagic food web (fish, zoo- phytoplankton (algae), heterotrophic flagellates, bacteria, virus) and apply molecular tools to detect and quantify organisms and processes.

We explore ecological implications of zooplankton grazing on algal viruses and try to understand how mixotrophy (phytoplankton eating bacteria) is affected by current climate changes. We have demonstrated how DNA based methodology can be used to detect and quantify grazing at different levels of the marine food web.

We take part in interdisciplinary projects with the overall aim to comprehend consequences of changes in sea ice conditions for the entire ecosystem.

We apply our e-DNA expertise to investigate seasonal and production-dependent variability of salmon pathogens in waters around fish farms in Western Norway.

Community Composition in Sediments – Modern and Historical Times

We work together with industry partners to find out how we can apply molecular methods such as metabarcoding and quantitative PCR to improve impact assessments around oil-, gas- and offshore wind installations and activity. We are a preferred partner for several consortia when it comes to baseline studies of the deep-sea biodiversity aimed at assessing the long-term impacts of mining on the deep-sea environment.

We use similar approaches for investigating the genetic signature from surface water and sea ice organisms that are archived in sediments to develop environmental ancient DNA (sedaDNA) as a novel proxy for sea ice cover reconstructions and past biodiversity patterns. This has placed us at the forefront of marine paleogenomics and we have established a state-of-the-art laboratory in Bergen for this purpose. We work along the same lines investigating the Nordic Seas and Norwegian fjords to assess their resilience to climate change (local impact).

eDNA for environmental management purposes

Besides developing molecular tools improve impact assessments around oil-, gas- and offshore wind installations, MEP is actively taking part in the development of environmental DNA (eDNA) for fish stock assessment, invasive species detection (like the American lobster (Homarus americanus) and round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) and monitoring vulnerable habitats (like the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusaand the relict Salmo salar Byglandsbleke).

We interact with the Norwegian Environment Agency and contribute to relevant reports and White Papers.