What did you do before you joined the Nansen Legacy?
I came to Norway for the first time in 2015 to do the practical work for my bachelor’s thesis. At Nofima in Tromsø I was part of an experiment on cod egg development under future ocean acidification scenarios. In 2016 I returned to Tromsø for an exchange year at UiT during my master’s in biology. I prolonged my stay at UiT for my master’s thesis in which I worked on the influence of the water-soluble fraction of crude oil on polar cod larval behavior at two different temperatures.
What are you looking most forward to in your PhD project?
To gain valuable knowledge on how new and emerging contaminants move through the food web under current conditions and in the different seasons. I am also very much looking forward to meeting inspiring people and to experience the Arctic during the four process cruises.
Which book/film/music has made the largest impression on you lately?
Definitely “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson. The topic of chemical pollution addressed in her book is as topical and important today as it was almost 60 years ago. Carson was the first to highlight and connect the devastating effects of the insecticide DDT, which was heavily used until the early 1990s.The use of DDT and other pesticides lead to a mass die of birds, hence the title “Silent Spring”. Not only the theme Carson addressed in her book is still of great importance, also her writing style was mesmerizing. Besides, this book was a great introduction into my own PhD project.