PFASs meet Arctic and sub-Arctic marine diatoms and their associated symbionts
PH.D. PROJECT
About the project
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are harmful environmental contaminants, released into the environment through various sources. They are carried by ocean currents to Arctic and sub-Arctic waters where they accumulate and have become ubiquitous. While some PFAS have been studied for their bioaccumulative properties, there is limited knowledge about most PFAS. The lack of effects data hinders the assessment of ecological risks for marine life, including crucial organisms like diatoms. The impact of PFAS on diatoms and their symbiotic bacterial communities is unclear, affecting their palatability and detectability by predators and parasitoids. To address this gap, a laboratory trial will investigate the effects of PFAS on diatom biochemistry, considering interspecific interactions. It is hypothesized that exposure to PFAS will reduce the fitness of marine diatoms by altering their physiology and symbiotic bacteria, ultimately compromising their palatability and detectability.
Doctoral Candidate
- Ashani Arulananthan, University of Akureyri and researcher at BioPol – PhD candidate
Doctoral committee and Researchers
- Oddur Þór Vilhelmsson, Professor, School of Health, Business and Natural Sciences-Faculty of Natural Resource Sciences, University of Akureyri, Iceland – Main supervisor
- Bettina Scholtz, PI of the RANNIS project, BioPol ehf. Marine Biotechnology, Skagaströnd, Iceland
- M. Auður Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Associate professor, School of Health, Business and Natural Sciences-Faculty of Natural Resource Sciences, University of Akureyri, Iceland,
- Óttar Rolfsson, Professor at Professor Biochemistry and Molecular biology,Medical School, University of Iceland
- Ulf Karsten, Professor at the Institute of Biological Sciences chair for Applied Ecology & Phycology, University of Rostock, Germany
- Hans-Peter Grossart, Professor and research group leader at the department Plankton and Microbial Ecology of the IGB, Leibnitz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Neuglobsow, Germany