Hello!
My name is Christian and I’m a new PhD student at the Department of Biological Sciences and the Centre for Deep-Sea Research. I’ve just moved to Bergen from the city of Gothenburg, Sweden and will now embark on my 4-year PhD journey as part of the newly formed CBE (Chemosynthesis-Based Ecosystems) Arctic team. Here, under the supervision of Dr. Mari H Eilertsen I aim to describe the community structure and functioning of worm-forest ecosystems in Arctic hydrothermal vents and cold seeps.
In these unique ecosystems, worms act like trees in a forest, both by providing habitat for other animals, but also by acting as a source of primary production. The worms act as producers by hosting some of the many bacteria that generate energy from compounds emitted from hydrothermal vents that are toxic to most animals! However, due to their unusual environmental conditions, hydrothermal vents have unique communities that may be especially vulnerable to disturbances. Therefore, it’s important to understand these communities to minimize damage done to them and to preserve both sensitive and unique species for the future.
Despite growing up by the shallow seas of Sweden, I have had a long-lasting fascination of the strange life found in the deep sea. In the past I have both described a novel polychaete species from a deep-sea mining exploration area, and also trained a deep-learning model to highlight fauna for ecological analyses from 26 years of underwater footage in a marine national park. Besides my research interests, I also have a great appreciation for science communication and have worked both as a guide and a science communicator at various science/visitor centres in Sweden.
With all this being said, I’m more than excited to start a PhD where I can both apply my experience in taxonomy and ecology, as well as spread the word of a unique and unknown habitat!
Looking forward to meeting you all at BIO!
/Christian