Research Centre Suðurnes

About the Research Centre

Ecotoxicology is one of the main focuses of the Research Centre. Extensive studies are conducted into the impact of pollutants, such as heavy metals and PAH compounds from oil, on marine organisms. Various research projects are currently underway, for example looking at the impact of pollutants on blue mussels, crustaceans and fish in Icelandic waters and further afield in the North Atlantic Ocean. Projects in this field are and have been conducted in collaboration with many Icelandic and foreign parties.

The Research Centre oversees and participates in various projects related to pollution monitoring in Icelandic waters. For example: oversight of mussel gathering across Iceland as part of the Environment Agency of Iceland's pollution monitoring programme, AMSUM; research into imposex disorder in dog whelks caused by organic tin compounds from the paint on the underside of ships; and observation of microplastics in marine organisms in Icelandic waters. Other projects include the monitoring of blue mussels near industrial plants and research into bottom feeders and the biosphere of beaches in connection with fish farming.

In 2006, the Atlantic rock crab (Cancer irroratus) was discovered in Icelandic waters. This was the first sighting of the crab outside North America; its natural range is along the Eastern coast of North America, from South Carolina to Labrador. In all likelihood, the rock crab was carried to Iceland as larvae in ship ballast water; it is therefore considered a non-native species in the Icelandic biosphere. Since the rock crab was discovered here in Icelandic waters, the UI Research Centre in Suðurnes has been researching the species. The main collaborating partner in rock crab research has been the Southwest Iceland Nature Research Centre.

The Centre's research into non-native species in Iceland is conducted in collaboration with Dr Sindri Gíslason and the Southwest Iceland Nature Research Centre. The primary goal of the research is to evaluate the range and number of new species in Iceland, with a focus on marine invertebrates. Our research has revealed that several non-native species have been transported to Iceland in recent years, which most likely can be attributed to increased shipping (species transported in ballast water) and warmer oceans.

International collaboration is extensive. For the past 10 years, for example, the Research Centre has been part of a team in the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) looking at the impact of pollutants on organisms. For the past 2 years, we have been members of NordMar and the Environment Agency of Iceland's AMAP team looking at plastic pollution in the Arctic region. The Research Centre is also involved with the SureAqua project led by IRIS in Stavanger, Norway.

We have at our disposal a well-equipped research vessel, Sæmundur fróði RE 32 (9 metres long with capacity for 8 people), which is extremely useful for a variety of studies and contract research projects.

Research

Publications

2021

AMAP. 2021. Grösvik, B.E., Granberg, M.E., Kögel, T., Lusher, A.L., Gomiero, A., Halldorsson, H.P., Guls, H.D., Rochman, C.M., Magnusson, K. 3.1 Invertebrates (benthic and pelagic), pp. 116–129. Kafli í: AMAP Litter and Microplastics Monitoring Guidelines. Version 1.0. Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), Tromsø, Norway, 257 pp.

Bellas, J., Brooks, S., Anderson, H., Assuncao, M., Bignell, J., Guls, D., Halldórsson, H.P., Nyberg, E., Burgeot, T., Mauffrett, A., Raimundo, J., Hylland, K., Martinez-Gomez, C., Sánchez-Marín, P., Cobelo, A., Sturve, J., Catalano, B., Moltedo, G., Vethakk, D., Moran, C., Campbell, M., Martuccio, G., Tjensvoll, I., Kotterman, M., Kreitsberg, R., Lehtonen, K., Giltrap, M., McHugh, B., Pampanin, D., Tairova, Z. ICES. 2021. Working Group on Biological Effects of Contaminants (WGBEC). ICES Scientific Reports. 3: 65. 90 pp. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.8222ICES

Halldór Pálmar Halldórsson. „Hvernig geta krabbar andað bæði í sjó og á landi?“ Vísindavefurinn, 02.11.2021. http://visindavefur.is/svar.php?id=82285.

Halldór Pálmar Halldórsson, Hermann Dreki Guls, Joana Micael, Sindri Gíslason. 2021. Styrkur ólífænna snefilefna, PAH efna og lífrænna tinsambanda í kræklingi í höfnum á Suðurnesjum haustið 2020. . May 2021, 13 pp.

ICES. 2021. Working Group on Biological Effects of Contaminants (WGBEC). ICES Scientific Reports. 3:65. 90 pp. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.8222. ISSN number: 2618-1371. International Council for the Exploration of the Sea - Conseil International pour l’Exploration de la Mer. © 2021 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.

Sindri Gíslason, Hermann Dreki Guls, Joana Micael og Halldór Pálmar Halldórsson. 2021. Grjótkrabbavöktun 2020. Náttúrustofa Suðvesturlands and Rannsóknaseturs HÍ á Suðurnesjum. January 2021, 18 pp.

Sindri Gíslason, Joana Micael, Hermann Dreki Guls, Sölvi Rúnar Vignisson, Halldór Pálmar Halldórsson. 2021. Rannsókn á lífríki Kalmanstjarnar. Report by Náttúrustofu Suðvesturlands, Rannsóknaseturs HÍ á Suðurnesjum and Þekkingarseturs Suðurnesja, for Benchmark Genetics Iceland hf. June 2021, 42 pp.

Svavarsson, J., Guls, H.D., Sham, R.C., Leung, K.M.Y., Halldórsson, H.P. 2021. Pollutants from shipping - new environmental challenges in the subarctic and the Arctic Ocean. Marine Pollution Bulletin 164: 112004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112004

Staff

Director