Seasonal Ecology Group
Seasonal Ecology
Seasonality is a central template in nature and an important selective force. We aim to understand how seasonal environments shape ecological processes and evolutionary adaptations and how human stressors impact these processes. Most of our research questions have an annual cycle perspective to them. We run both theoretical and empirical studies. Coastal and marine organisms form the main part of our work, but with some studies also in terrestrial systems including links between sea and land.
The Seasonal Ecology Group is a research lab led by Øystein Varpe and based at Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen. It is embedded in the larger multi-lab unit Theoretical Ecology Group
Coasts - where sea and land meet
Summer on the rocky shores
Two generations - and spectators
Research
Our field is evolutionary ecology, with particular attention to how seasonality shapes ecological processes and evolutionary adaptations.
Central topics in our lab:
Life history theory
Phenology
Population biology
Predator-prey interactions
Foraging ecology
Ecosystem connections & meta-ecosystems
Sea - land interactions
Marine and coastal ecology
Ecological modelling
Some current projects
ClimateNarratives Varpe is WP-leader and adviser for two PhD-candidates. Funded by the Research Council of Norway (RCN).
The Nansen Legacy Varpe is sub-task leader and PhD adviser. Funded by RCN.
Migratory Crossroads Akvaplan-NIVA leads. Funded by RCN.
CASCADES Understanding human-induced trophic cascades in coastal ecosystems. NINA leads. Funded by RCN.
The impact of artificial light on arctic marine organisms and ecosystems during the polar night (Deep Impact). UiT leads. Funded by RCN.
Øystein Varpe - Professor. Evolutionary ecology, Population biology, Marine ecology
Juan Manuel Valero Rodríguez - Postdoc. Macroalgae ecology
Robynne Nowicki - PhD candidate. Energy content in Arctic zooplankton and fish
Iliana-Vasiliki Ntinou - PhD candidate. Plankton ecology
Steven Guidos - PhD candidate. Trophic cascades in coastal systems
Rebecca Duncan - PhD candidate. Sea ice algae and trophic interactions
Tom Langbehn - affiliated researcher. Zooplankton-fish interactions
Martyna Syposz - affiliated researcher. Seabird ecology
Zofia Burr - affiliated researcher. Seabird breeding timing
Frida Hinna - MSc student, Seabird breeding timing
Marte Åsmul - MSc studnet, Sea grass ecology
Gabriele Tosetti - MSc studnet, Seabird foraging ecology
Laís Perini - MSc studnet, Seabird ecology
Three recent publications:
Langbehn et al. 2023. Visual predation risk and spatial distributions of large Arctic copepods along gradients of sea ice and bottom depth. Limnology and Oceanography open access
Nowicki et al. 2023. Energy content of krill and amphipods in the Barents Sea from summer to winter: variation across species and size. Polar Biology open access
Varpe & Gabrielsen. 2022. Aggregations of foraging black guillemots (Cepphus grylle) at a sea-ice edge in front of a tidewater glacier. Polar Research open access
and some "classics":
Varpe 2017. Life History Adaptations to Seasonality. Integrative & Comparative Biology full text
Varpe, Daase, Kristiansen 2015. A fish-eye view on the new Arctic lightscape. ICES Journal of Marine Science full text
Ji, Jin, Varpe. 2013. Sea ice phenology and timing of primary production pulses in the Arctic Ocean. Global Change Biology abstract
Varpe 2012. Fitness and phenology: annual routines and zooplankton adaptations to seasonal cycles. Journal of Plankton Research full text
Varpe et al. 2007. Early is better: seasonal egg fitness and timing of reproduction in a zooplankton life-history model. Oikos pdf
Collaborators and networks
bioCEED - Centre for Excellence in Biology Education. ARCTOS - Arctic marine ecosystem research network. Section for Aquatic biology and toxicology (AQUA), University of Oslo. Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, NTNU. DEEP - Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University. The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS). Farallon Institute, California. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).
Theoretical Ecology Group, University of Bergen - where many in the group also belong.
Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) - where Øystein has an adjunct position.
Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research - where some of us are also affiliated.
Inspiration
Reflections on Papers Past - revisiting old papers in ecology and evolution through interviews.
Life history evolution. Online lecture by Steven Stearns, Yale University.
We have at all times acknowledged seasons. Vivaldi's musical conception in The Four Seasons (Le quattro stagioni) is a splendid artistic reminder - here an amazing performance of Winter (L'inverno).