Hi! My name is Snorre, and I am a master's student in biology at UiT, working within the ptarmigan module of COAT. I am originally from Tønsberg, but I completed my bachelor's degree in biology at UiT and quickly realized that northern populations and ecosystems were what I wanted to specialize in. I grew up with outdoor activities and fishing, and nature has always been an important place for me to spend time. You will often find me out in the forest or in the mountains, preferably with a fishing rod or a camera.

In my master's thesis, I study willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan on the Varanger Peninsula. These ptarmigan species are important in Arctic and sub-Arctic ecosystems, and they hold significant ecological and cultural value in the north. At the same time, they are vulnerable to the climate changes we are facing, which makes it crucial to understand how they adapt to rapid changes in environmental conditions.

I use data from deployed acoustic recorders that capture the ptarmigan’s vocal activity throughout the season, where vocal activity serves as a measure of phenology. I will link these data to climate variables such as snow depth, temperature, precipitation, and wind to investigate how environmental conditions influence activity patterns, and whether the two species respond differently to climatic variations. Additionally, I will use occupancy modeling to explore the interactions between willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan, such as whether competition or other interactions occur in areas where the species overlap.

Ultimately, I hope that the project can provide new insights into how environmental conditions shape the behavior of Arctic bird species and how new bioacoustics methods can be used to monitor the effects of climate change on ground-nesting birds in the northern regions.

Hi, I am Paul. I completed my bachelor’s degree in Innsbruck, Austria. I grew up in the mountains in the Alps and was always fascinated by the seasonal changes, so it was no surprise that after a semester abroad on Svalbard, I fell in love with the Arctic ecosystems.

I soon realized that I wanted to return to the Arctic to study how organisms adapt to such harsh conditions. That’s why I moved to Tromsø to pursue a master’s degree in biology with the focus on northern populations and ecosystems. In my free time, I love being outdoors-cycling, hiking, skiing and enjoying nature.

I have always had a strong interest in ecology, especially migratory birds and the way they affect the ecosystems they travel to. For my thesis, I am studying geese on Svalbard, in particular Barnacle geese and Pink-footed geese in Adventdalen and Endalen close to Longyearbyen. My research focuses on the phenology of the breeding season and how snow conditions influence the timing and success of breeding in these two species.

To investigate this, I deployed cameras at nest sites and conducted surveys throughout the breeding season, such as monitoring nests, observing their foraging habitats, and documenting the progression of snowmelt. In addition, I collected droppings from both species at their foraging habitats to study which plants they feed on before and during breeding. I will analyze how pre-breeding snow cover affects the timing of egg laying, how snow influences nest-site selection, and to what extent the two species overlap in timing and spatial distribution at foraging sites.

Hi! My name is Marianne Log Nyheim, and I am a master's student in biology at UiT, specializing in Northern populations and ecosystems. I have always loved being out in nature, either on foot or on skis, which sparked my interest in biology. Before coming to Tromsø, I studied for a bachelor's degree in ecology and nature management, which particularly ignited my interest in deer species and their management. In my free time, I love spending time with my horse and going on outdoor adventures.

For my master's thesis, I will write about the grazing preferences of reindeer in Finnmark and whether these preferences vary throughout the summer season. To investigate this, we have used data from GPS-collared reindeer in the Rakkonjarga reindeer herding district (2017–2022) to identify the animals' grazing areas during the early and late summer seasons. Data collection involved recording the dominant vegetation types in various grazing plots, as well as in control plots, which represent available habitats. By analyzing this data, I aim to shed light on which vegetation types the reindeer prefer and whether their preferences change throughout the season. In an Arctic environment that is constantly changing, knowledge about the grazing preferences of reindeer will be important for predicting how changes in vegetation may affect reindeer in the future.

Hi! My name is Julie Jacobsen Brekkås. I am a master's student in biology at UiT, specializing in Northern populations and ecosystems. I am a Tromsø native in my twenty-fifth year in Tromsø, still enjoying it here and with no plans to leave anytime soon. In my free time, you’ll find me in the forest or in the mountains with my huskies, whether on foot, skis, or a dog sled. I have been passionate about biology for as long as I can remember. With a bird researcher as a father, I also gained a solid dose of bird-related experience growing up, which, willingly or not, sparked my interest further. During my studies, Arctic terrestrial biology truly resonated with me, and this is the field I wish to delve deeper into. These two interests led to the choice of my master's thesis, which will focus on the gyrfalcon.

I will write about the effect of artificial nests that have been deployed as a management measure for gyrfalcons in West Finnmark. The gyrfalcon begins its breeding season early, while it is still full winter in the Arctic. It does not build its own nests but breeds in stick nests primarily made by ravens. Breeding success is therefore dependent on the presence of raven nests that are well-protected against harsh winter conditions. This has proven to be a limiting factor for territory occupancy, productivity, and breeding success. Since the 2000s, a systematic study of gyrfalcons in West Finnmark has been conducted, including the deployment of artificial nests as a management measure. Annual monitoring of breeding in natural and artificial nests has been carried out over the past 25 years, and I have participated in fieldwork during several seasons. By analyzing this data, I will assess whether the implementation of artificial nests can serve as a measure to increase territory occupancy, productivity, and breeding success in gyrfalcons.

Hello! My name is Christine Apollonia Körner, and I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Biology at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, specializing in northern populations and ecosystems. During my bachelor’s studies, I focused on wildlife management, and I have a strong passion for carnivores, especially canids. I feel most at home in cold environments, and I enjoy spending time outdoors. This is one of the reasons why I have lived for more than ten years in Finnmark where I have been able to experience the Nordic nature close-by, while also gaining valuable insight and understanding of the challenges this environment faces due to climate change.

In my master’s thesis, I am investigating which food resources the red fox relies on during winter on the Varanger Peninsula. I am combining stable isotope analysis, macrowear on teeth, and microwear on the surface of molars to determine whether the red fox primarily exploits natural resources or food waste from houses and cabins. In addition, I will examine whether there are differences between foxes living more inland compared to those staying in coastal areas. Rodents are usually an important resource for red foxes, but their populations fluctuate strongly between years. Therefore, I will analyze red foxes that were culled over the past four winters, in order to gain a comprehensive picture covering an entire rodent cycle. The red fox is a competitor to the critically endangered Arctic fox in Varanger, and a better understanding of the food resources used by red foxes may contribute to more effective management measures for red fox populations in Varanger, while at the same time supporting the conservation of the endangered Arctic fox population.

My name is Magnus Markmanrud, and I am newly enrolled to the Northern Populations and Ecosystems master program at The University of Tromsø. My scientific background comes from the University of Manchester where I did my bachelor’s degree in plant science. A combination of my studies and upbringing in the Norwegian mountains, has made me particularly interested in plants and their ecology. A relation to and knowledge of Norwegian nature is therefore important to me. This makes it especially exciting to be a part of COAT’s tundra-forest ecotone module, through which I am conducting my master thesis. This allows me to study Norwegian nature at its best within my academic interest.

This master thesis is going to focus on the growth of mountain birch in northern Norway. We will study this by using dendrometers which are equipped on the stems of mountain birch in Reinøya and Skogsfjord in the Troms region. Dendrometers are instruments that precisely measures the stem diameter of the trees, which relates to their health and growth. This data can present a unique insight into the growth patterns of mountain birch, which we want to analyse in conjunction with climatic variables and the outbreak of geometrid moths.  

Climate change and geometrid moth outbreaks have previously had large scale consequences for the mountain birch forest. With the emergence of southern geometrid moth species in the north, future outbreaks could become more likely. We believe that this study will contribute to our understanding of how such disturbances affect the growth potential of the mountain birch during the summer months. This knowledge is important for the current and future health of the northern mountain birch forest.

Hey! I am Bastiaan Maarse, a second-year master’s student in Biology at UiT. After completing my bachelor’s degree in Biology in Amsterdam, I moved to Tromsø to pursue a master’s degree focused on ecology, taking courses in both the Ecology and Sustainability and Northern Populations tracks. As my main interest lies in explaining biodiversity, particularly of plants, I am an active board member of Ung Botaniker Tromsø, where I help organize student activities related to botany. I also enjoy photographing the biodiversity of Norway, and so far I have documented over 600 species, including more than 300 plant species.

I am currently writing my master’s thesis within the small rodent module of COAT. My project consists of two parts, both related to the herbivore exclosure experiment that COAT has conducted over the past five years in snowbeds on the Varanger Peninsula (Finnmark). In this experiment, COAT has set up cages where either large herbivores cannot access the vegetation, or where no herbivores can access it, while collecting data on plant biomass under each condition. Biomass is estimated using the point-intercept method, where the number of contacts between plant parts and pins placed in the vegetation is recorded. For my thesis, I first collect calibration data to more reliably convert pin-hits into biomass for low-biomass plants. This involves counting pin-hits, cutting plants, and weighing them in the lab. I then use this calibration data to calculate pin-hit-to-biomass conversion factors, which I apply to assess the effects of herbivory on plant biomass in the COAT experiment.

Hi! My name is Eva Sandersen Hetta. I am currently a master student at UiT, specializing in Northern Populations and Ecosystems. I grew up in Vadsø in Varanger, and I spend most of my holidays in Vadsø and Tana. Having grown up in the arctic, my interests span from Sámi and Kven culture, to the preservation of our unique nature and landscape in Finnmark. I am especially interested in mammals and their behavior, as well as the history of the people in the north. I really enjoy to be outdoors all year round, and my favorite activity is to explore new places in our northernmost counties.

The thesis I am writing is about moose in Finnmark, the world's northernmost moose population. 53 moose were GPS-marked in Tana, Nesseby, Båtsfjord and Porsanger in 2016-2018. Partial migration is common in ungulates, and I want to discover what factors predict migration in the moose population. Using R and GIS, I am determining differences in the space use and the distances the moose move between the seasonal ranges. This can have implications for management and give valuable insights into how the moose will adapt to climate change.

Hello, my name is Jørgen Rettedal Ekeli. I am a master's student at NMBU, and I have been fortunate enough to be allowed to write my thesis with COAT. I am very fond of nature, especially birds, which influenced my choice of topic. Additionally, I find it interesting to delve into ecological issues, particularly those north of the Arctic Circle. It is incredibly fascinating that some species manage to survive in the harsh northern environment! Unfortunately, climate changes are making life even more difficult for many of these species. For example, publications from COAT show that climate changes lead to an increased influx of nest predators such as red foxes and crows in the Arctic, which in turn increases the nest predation rate on ground-nesting birds. Therefore, we need to find a way to monitor how high the nest predation actually is, as well as confirm who the nest predators are.

In my master's thesis, I will examine whether a new camera surveillance method affects the predation rate on artificial quail nests less than previously used methods. The artificial nests are meant to represent the nests of ground-nesting birds such as the willow ptarmigan and the Eurasian dotterel. This is exciting because smart corvids seem to associate more visible camera methods with food! This affects the predation rate, making it unnaturally high. Therefore, we tried a more hidden surveillance method, which should affect the predation rate less. Thus, we placed out 20 fake nests without cameras, and 20 with, to see if there was any difference. This summer, there was actually more predation on the fake nests without cameras. Additionally, I want to see if there is any difference in predation on artificial quail nests and real nests. Artificial nests do not have a brooding bird and have not been chosen as a nesting site by the bird. Whether there are differences or not is interesting for future experiments that wish to use quail eggs, and says something about whether such methods are representative of actual predation on ground nests.

I am currently pursuing a Master of Science in Biology (Northern Populations and Ecosystems) at the University of Tromsø, where my research focuses on understanding the environmental determinants of red fox activity in the Varanger Peninsula, Norway. Supported by Fulbright and NORAM grants, my project uses accelerometer and GIS data to explore how factors such as snow depth, temperature, and anthropogenic influences affect the behavior and energy use of red foxes across different seasons. Additionally, I have conducted ground truthing for our tracking collars at Tangen Dyrpark to establish baselines and thresholds for acceleration data collected from the field.

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Zoology with a minor in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences from Oregon State University. My professional experience has provided me with a diverse skill set, including specimen dissection, tissue sampling, and live trapping of wildlife, alongside more technical lab work such as molecular detection techniques. I’ve worked in both field and laboratory settings, often under challenging conditions and with diverse stakeholders, where adaptability and problem-solving are key to the research process. These roles have helped refine my hands-on skills, which are central to my current research.

In addition to my scientific work, I am passionate about engaging with the public as a nature tourism guide, where I enjoy educating others about biology and ecology in Northern Norway. Sharing knowledge with others, whether in research or through guiding, is something I value deeply as I work towards advancing the conservation of Arctic ecosystems.