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Collaboration with eider farmers

Number of eider duck nests

Since February 2007, the UI Research Centre in Snæfellsnes has been studying the population ecology of the eider duck: the impact of climate change and habitat quality on population changes and the stability of farming. The study was originally funded by the Icelandic Centre for Research (RANNÍS), the Agricultural Productivity Fund and the Eider Farming Association of Iceland 2007-2009. It is currently managed by the director of the Research Centre as part of our regular research work.

Tagging eider ducks

Work is underway on mapping the variations in size and appearance in eider ducks in Iceland. The inspiration came from several sources, e.g. clues suggesting that eider ducks in Iceland vary in size and DNA data indicating that in Skerjafjörður and Akureyri there are two separate subspecies with different origins (Furness et al. 2010 Bird Study 57: 330-335). The plan is to tag and measure female eider ducks in North Iceland, Melrakkaslétta and the East Fjords.