At the Pelagic Division the focus is on research on pelagic fish species, zooplankton and marine mammals. Our projects includes research on biology and ecology of different species, long-term monitoring of the ecosystem and stock assessment in relation to advice on sustainable use of marine resources.
Zooplankton plays a critical role in the marine environment and is a prey for all fish stocks at least at the early stages of their life. Pelagic fish stocks and baleen whales prey almost entirely on zooplankton, though some species feed on other prey for part of the year. Studies on zooplankton aim to improve the biological understanding of different species as well as to determine the spatial and temporal variability in density and species composition. In addition, we work on developing methods to improve use of echosounders to quantify the larger krill species (euphausiids).
Studies on pelagic fish species are extensive in the division. The main emphasis is on estimating stock size and fishing opportunities of capelin, summer-spawning herring, Norwegian spring-spawning herring, blue whiting, mackerel, and lumpfish. The goal of sustainable use of marine resources demands also various research on biology, distribution, migrations, and ecological connectivity among these fish stocks, including the connectivity with the environment, zooplankton and marine mammals. Furthermore, there is an increasing focus on studies on mesopelagic fish (e.g., lanternfish and Mueller’s pearlside) due to possible exploitation of those species.
The focus of the marine mammal’s research is, as with fish stocks, the estimation of stock size of the various mammals found in Icelandic waters, including all whale species and the two seal species that bear their young in Iceland. Various studies on biology, ecology, migrations, and behaviour of marine mammals take also place.
The overarching objective of all research in the Pelagic Division is to give advice to government on sustainable use of marine resources, to study ecological connections of the diverse species and the effects of environmental variability there on.
Name | Job Title | ||
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Anna Heiða Ólafsdóttir | Fisheries Biologist | 5752044 | anna.olafsdottir[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Anna Heiða Ólafsdóttir
Fisheries Biologist
Specialisation: pelagic ecosystem - mackerel - blue whiting - somatic growth - fisheries acoustics |
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Arnþór Bragi Kristjánsson | Technician | 5752305 | arnthor.bragi.kristjansson[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Arnþór Bragi Kristjánsson
Technician
Specialisation: underwater cameras |
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Birkir Bárðarson | Fisheries Biologist | 5752087 | birkir.bardarson[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Birkir Bárðarson
Fisheries Biologist
Specialisation: capelin |
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Björn Sigurðarson | Electronics Engineer | 5752158 | bjorn.sigurdarson[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Björn Sigurðarson
Electronics Engineer
Starfssvið: Rafeindavirkjun |
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Eric dos Santos | Biologist | 5752648 | eric.santos[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Eric dos Santos
Biologist
Specialisation: Seal research and general sampling and data collection about Icelandic marine mammals Education: MSc in biology from the Universtiy of Iceland |
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Guðjón Már Sigurðsson | Fisheries Biologist | 5752113 | gudjon.mar.sigurdsson[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Guðjón Már Sigurðsson
Fisheries Biologist
Specialisation: flatfish - bycatch - discard estimation - stock assessment |
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Guðmundur Óskarsson | Head of Division | 5752121 | gudmundur.j.oskarsson[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Guðmundur Óskarsson
Head of Division
Specialisation: herring - pelagic biota |
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Hildur Pétursdóttir | Marine Ecologist | 5752059 | hildur.petursdottir[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Hildur Pétursdóttir
Marine Ecologist
Specialisation: zooplankton |
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Höskuldur Björnsson | Engineer | 5752106 | hoskuldur.bjornsson[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Höskuldur Björnsson
Engineer
Specialisation: stock assessment (saithe, catfish) |
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James Kennedy | Fisheries Biologist | 4522977 | james.kennedy[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() James Kennedy
Fisheries Biologist
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Jón Ásgeir Jónsson | Tæknimaður | 5752157 | jon.asgeir.jonsson[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Jón Ásgeir Jónsson
Tæknimaður
Stafssvið: Rafeindavirknun |
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Kristinn Guðnason | Engineer | 5752105 | kristinn.gudnason[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Kristinn Guðnason
Engineer
Starfssvið: Líkanagerð |
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Lísa Anne Libungan | Marine Ecologist | 5752130 | lisa.libungan[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Lísa Anne Libungan
Marine Ecologist
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Sandra Magdalena Granquist | Animal Behaviour Scientist and Ecologist | 8472188 | sandra.magdalena.granquist[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
Sandra Magdalena Granquist
Animal Behaviour Scientist and Ecologist
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Sigurður Þór Jónsson | Fisheries Biologist | 5752093 | sigurdur.thor.jonsson[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Sigurður Þór Jónsson
Fisheries Biologist
Specialisation:: capelin |
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Sigurvin Bjarnason | Biologist | 5752000 | sigurvin.bjarnason[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Sigurvin Bjarnason
Biologist
Specialisation: Capelin- Biology and acoustics Education: MSc in Marine biology from the University of Iceland 2016 |
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Sólrún Sigurgeirsdóttir | Biologist | 5752055 | solrun.sigurgeirsdottir[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Sólrún Sigurgeirsdóttir
Biologist
Specialisation: zooplankton |
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Sverrir Daníel Halldórsson | Biologist | 5752079 | sverrir.daniel.halldorsson[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Sverrir Daníel Halldórsson
Biologist
Specialisation: whales |
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Teresa Sofia Giesta da Silva | Researcher | 5752078 | teresa.silva[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Teresa Sofia Giesta da Silva
Researcher
Specialisation: zooplankton |
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Thassya Christina dos Santos Schmidt | Fiskifræðingur | 575 2073 | thassya.dos.santos.schmidt[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Thassya Christina dos Santos Schmidt
Fiskifræðingur
Starfssvið: Sjávarvistfræði, æxlunarlíffræði, nýliðun, lífssaga uppsjávarfiska, stofnstærðabreytingar Menntun: |
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Valerie Chosson | Biologist | 5752119 | valerie.chosson[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Valerie Chosson
Biologist
Specialisation:: genetics - whales - whale photo ID |
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Warsha Singh | Ecologist | 5752004 | warsha.singh[hjá]hafogvatn.is |
![]() Warsha Singh
Ecologist
Starfssvið: Vistfræði |