Research centre Húsavík

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The University of Iceland's Research Centre in Húsavík was established in fall 2007, followed by the first research. The official opening was on the 4th of December 2008 in a newly renovated house down at the Húsavík Harbour.

The Research Centre directs and supports marine biology research in cooperation with universities and other institutes, in Iceland and abroad, involving both teaching and research projects. Many of the projects focus on cetaceans, but projects also include plankton, seabirds, and climate change research among other marine topics.

The centre is directed by Dr. Marianne Helene Rasmussen, a leading specialist in marine mammal research. Marianne has a PhD. in Science from the University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. Her thesis (2004) was entitled ”A study of communication and echolocation sounds recorded from free-ranging white-beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) in Icelandic waters”.

The dates for the 2025 course are 28 May until 6 June 2025.

Skjálfandi Bay, off Húsavík, Northeast Iceland, is considered as one of the best locations in Iceland to watch and research whales.

Studying marine mammals in the wild is a master's level field course, held in Húsavík, on fundamentals of a suite of field methodologies used in the study of free-ranging cetaceans (whales and dolphins). Students will receive background lectures on the diverse assemblage of dolphins and whales off Húsavik, as well as learn the theory and practice the use of each of the different cetacean research methodologies. In collaboration with the local whale watching companies, students will receive hands-on research skills training and will undertake their own mini research project.

The application deadline is 15 March.

How to apply:

You apply by going to the Communication Portal.
There you start by setting up an account with your student email address and register for the course.
When you have made an account and gained access to the open courses application you can choose the course: LÍF641M and attach two documents:
1. Your transcript of records
2. A copy of your passport.

Students are responsible for their own accommodations but the Research Centre prebooks rooms at the Húsavík Hostel.

Each year the University of Iceland's Húsavík Research Centre hosts internship students from abroad. We primarily encourage students who have the opportunity to undertake internship abroad courses for credit at their home university, and who have a strong interest in marine biology and marine mammal research, to send a CV and cover letter to apply. Internships are between March and November. For more information contact: Charla Basran cjb2@hi.is

Publications by the director and staff in the University of Iceland research portal.

Rasmussen, Marianne Helene, publications

Basran, Charla Jean, publications

Glarou, Maria, publications

Marchon, Tatiana Marie Joséphine, publications

Earlier publications

Akamatsu, T, Rasmussen, MH and Iversen, I (2014). Acoustically invisible feeding blue whales in northern Icelandic waters. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 136, 939 – 944.

Akiyama, Y, Akamatsu, T, Rasmussen, MH, Iversen, MR, Iwata, T, Goto, Y, Aoki, K, Sato, K (2019). Leave or stay? Video-logger revealed foraging efficiency of humpback whales under temporal change in prey density. Plos One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211138

Albrecht, S, Jung, JL, Lémery-Peissik, D, Lazar, L, Baithe, M, Eider, D and Rasmussen, MH (2022). Minke whales’ distribution dependence on food, their small-scale site fidelity in North Iceland and its implications regarding a distribution shift northward in the Atlantic. Marine Biology Research, DOI: 10.1080/17451000.2021.2016839

Alves, F, Towers, JR, Baird, RW, Bearzi, G, Bonizzoni, S, Ferreira,R, Halicka, Z, Alessandrini, A, Kopelman, AH, Yzoard, C, Rasmussen, MH, Bertulli, CG, Jourdain, E, Gullan, Rocha, D, Hupman, K, Mrusczok, MT,Samarra, FIP, Magalhaes, S, Weir,CR, Ford, JKB and A. Dinis, A (2017). The incidence of bent dorsal fins in free-ranging cetaceans. J. Anat. Rec. doi: 10.1111/joa.12729

Atem, AC, Rasmussen, MH, Wahlberg, M, Petersen, HC and Miller, LA (2009). Changes in click source levels with distance to targets: studies of free-ranging white-beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) and captive harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). Bioacoustics 19, 49-65.

Basran, C. J., Bertulli, C. G., Cecchetti, A., Rasmussen, M. H., Whittaker, M. & Robbins, J. (2019). First estimates of entanglement rate of humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae observed in coastal Icelandic waters. Endangered Species Research 38: 67-77. https://doi.org/10.3354/ESR00936

Basran, C. J. & Rasmussen M. H. (2019). Chapter 5: Conflicts Between Arctic Industries and Cetaceans. In: E. Pongrácz, V. Pavlov & N. Hänninen (Eds.) Arctic Marine Sustainability: Arctic Maritime Businesses and the Resilience of the Marine Environment. Springer Polar Series, Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28404-6

Basran C.J. & Rasmussen M.H. (2021). Fishers and whales in Iceland: Whale interactions with fishing gear from the fisher's perspective, with a focus on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 22: 111-128. https://doi.org/10.47536/jcrm.v22i1.218

Basran, C. J., Woelfing, B., Neumann, C., & Rasmussen, M. H. (2020). Behavioural Responses of Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to Two Acoustic Deterrent Devices in a Northern Feeding Ground off Iceland. Aquatic Mammals 46(6): 584-602. DOI 10.1578/AM.46.6.2020.584

Basran, C.J. & Sigurðsson, G.M. (2021). Using Case Studies to Investigate Cetacean Bycatch/Interaction Under-Reporting in Countries With Reporting Legislation. Frontiers in Marine Science 8: 779066. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.779066

Bertulli, CG, Guéry, L, McGinty, N, Suzuki, A, Brannan, N, Marques,T, Rasmussen, MH Olivier Gimenez, O (2018). Capture-recapture abundance and survival estimates of three cetacean species in Icelandic coastal waters using trained scientist-volunteers. Journal of Sea Research 131, 22-31

Bertulli, CG, Galatius, A, Kinze, CC, Rasmussen, MH, Keener, W and Webber, MA (2016a). Colour patterns in white-beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) from Iceland. Marine Mammal Science. DOI: 10.1111/mms.12312

Bertulli, CG, Rasmussen, MH and Rosso, M (2016b). An Assessment of the Natural Marking Patterns used for Photo-Identification of Common Minke Whales and White-Beaked Dolphins in Icelandic Waters." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 96, 807–819

Bertulli, CG, Rasmussen, MH, Rosso, M (2021). Fission-fusion dynamics of a pelagic delphinid in the arctic: the white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) . Integrative Zoology 2021; 0: 1–15

Bertulli, C, Tetley, M, Magnúsdóttir, EE and Rasmussen, MH (2015) Observations of movement and site fidelity of white-beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) in Icelandic coastal waters using photo-identification’. J. Cet. Res. Manage 15: 27-34.

Bertulli, CG, Galatius, A, Kinze, CC, Rasmussen, MH, Deaville, R, Jepson, P, Vedder, EJ, Sánchez, GJ, Contreras8, Sabin, CRC and Watson, A (2015a). Vertebral column deformities in white-beaked dolphins from the eastern North Atlantic. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 116:59-67.

Bertulli, CG, Rasmussen, MH and Tetley, MJ (2013). Photo-identification rate and wide-scale movement of common minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in the coastal waters of Faxaflói and Skjálfandi Bays, Iceland. J. Cetacean Res. Manage. 39 – 45.

Bouchard, B, Barnaguad, J-Y, Glotin, H, Pupard, M, Gauffier, P, Ortiz, ST, Lisney, T, Campagna, S, Rasmussen, M and Célérier (2019). Behavioural responses of humpback whales to food-related chemical stimuli. Plos One, 14. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212515

Christiansen, F, Bertulli, C, Rasmussen, M and Lusseau, Dl (2015). Estimating cumulative exposure of wildlife to non-lethal disturbance using spatially explicit capture recapture models. Journal of Wildlife Management 79, 311-324

Christiansen, F, Rasmussen, M and Lusseau, D (2013). Whale watching disrupts feeding activities of minke whales on a feeding ground. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., 478, 239-251

Christiansen, F, Víkingsson, G, Rasmussen, M and Lusseau, D (2013). Minke whales maximise energy storage on their feeding grounds. J.Exp.Biol., 216, 427-436

Christiansen, F, Víkingsson, G, Rasmussen, M and Lusseau, D (2014). Female body condition affects foetal growth in a capital breeding mysticete. Functional Ecology, 28, 579–588.

Christiansen, F, Rasmussen, M, Lusseau, D (2011). Inferring surface time of Minke whales from inter-surfacing intervals data using a hidden Markov model. SC/63/RMP6

Christiansen, F, Rasmussen, M, Lusseau, D (2011). Whalewatching boats disrupt the foraging activities of Minke whales in Faxaflói bay, Iceland. SC/63/WW2

Dudzinski, KM, Brown, SJ, Lammers, M, Lucke, K, Mann, DA, Simard, P, Wall,CC, Rasmussen, MH, Magnúsdóttir, EM, Tougaard, J, and Eriksen, N (2011). Trouble-shooting deployment and recovery options for various stationary passive acoustic monitoring devices in both shallow and deep water applications. J. Acoustic Soc. Am. 129, 436-448.

Grove, T, Senglat, C, Petiguyot, M, Koshiba, D and Rasmussen, MH (2020). Mass stranding and unusual sightings of northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus) in Skjálfandi Bay, Iceland. Marine Mammal Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12689

Gunnlaugsson, T, Víkingsson, G and Rasmussen MH (2009). Acrial survey in Faxaflói, Southwest Iceland in 2008, Report and comparison to earlier surveys. IWC 2009 SC/61/RMP 11.

Hansen, Andersen, K, Hernandez, A, Wahlberg, M, Mooney, A and Rasmussen, M (2020). The common murre (Uria aalge), an auk seabird, reacts to underwater sound. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 147, 4069-4074.

Hansen RG, Boye TK, Larsen RS, Nielsen NH, Tervo O, Nielsen RD, Rasmussen MH, Sinding MHS and Heide-Jørgensen MP. Abundance of whales in West and East Greenland in summer 2015 (2018). NAMMCO Scientific Publication series

Heide-Jørgensen MP, Laidre, KL, Hansen, RG, Burt, LM, Simon, M, Borchers, DL, Harding, K, Rasmussen, M, Dietz and Teilmann (2012). Rate of increase and current abundance of humpback whales in West Greenland. J. CETACEAN RES. MANAGE. 12: 1-14

Heide-Jørgensen, MP, Burt, LM, Hansen, RG, Nielsen, NH, Rasmussen, M, Fossette, S and Stern, H (2012). The Significance of the North Water Polynya to Arctic Top Predators. AMBIO

Heide-Jørgensen MP, Laidre, KL, Burt, ML, Borchers, DL, Hansen, RG, Rasmussen, M and S Fossette (2010). Abundance of narwhals (Monodon monoceros) in Greenland. Journal of Mammalogy, 91, 1135–1151

Heide-Jørgensen MP, Witting, L, Laidre, KL, Hansen, RG and Rasmussen, M (2010). Fully corrected estimates of common minke whale abundance in West Greenland in 2007. J. CETACEAN RES. MANAGE. 11: 75-82.

Heide-Jørgensen MP, Laidre, KL, Simon, M, Burt, ML, Borchers, D and Rasmussen M (2010). Abundance of fin whales in West Greenland in 2007. J. CETACEAN RES. MANAGE. 11: 83-88.

Klotz, L, Fernández, R and Rasmussen, MH (2017). Annual and monthly fluctuations in humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) presence in Skjálfandi Bay, Iceland, during the feeding season. J. CETACEAN RES. MANAGE 16: 9–16

Koblitz, J, Stilz, P, Rasmussen, MH and Laidre, K (2016). Highly directional sonar beam of narwhals (Monodon monoceros) measured with a vertical 16 hydrophone array. Plos one: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0162069

Laute, A, Grove, T, Rasmussen, MH, Smith, A, Loisa, O, Fournet, MEH (2022). Impact of whale-watching vessels on humpback whale calling behavior on an Icelandic foraging ground during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 701: 159–173, https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14202

Lopes-Marques, M, Machado, AM, Alves, LQ, Fonseca, MM, Barbosa, S, Sinding, MH, Rasmussen, MH, Iversen, MR, Bertelsen, MF, Campos, PF, Fonseca, R, Raquel Ruivo, R, and Castro, FC (2019). Complete Inactivation of Sebum-Producing Genes Parallels the Loss of Sebaceous Glands in Cetacea. Mol. Biol. Evol. 36: 1270–1280

Magnúsdóttir, EE, Rasmussen, MH, Lammers, MO and Svavarsson, J (2014). Humpback whale songs during winter in subarctic waters. Polar Biology 37, 427 – 433

Malinauskaite, L, Cook, D, Davidsdóttir, B, Karami, MP, Koenigk, T, Kruschke, T, Ögmundardóttir, H and Rasmussen, M (2022). Connecting the dots: An interdisciplinary perspective on climate change effects on whales and whale watching in Skjálfandi Bay, Iceland. Ocean and Coastal Management 226:106274 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2022.106274

Mooney, TA, Smith, A, Larsen, ON, Hansen, KA, and Rasmussen, M (2020). A field study of hearing in the Atlantic Puffin, Fratercula arctica. J.Exp. Biol. doi:10.1242/jeb.228270

Mooney, TA, Smith, A, Larsen, O, Hansen, KA, Wahlberg, M and Rasmussen, M (2019). Field-based hearing measurements of two seabird species. J. Exp. Biol.222 (doi:10.1242/jeb.190710).

Mooney, TA, Nachtigall, P, Taylor, KA, Rasmussen, MH and Miller, LA (2009). Auditory temporal resolution of a wild white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris). J. Comp. Physiology. 195, 375-384.

Nachtigall, PE, Mooney, TA, Taylor; KA, Miller, LA, Rasmussen, MH, Akamatsu, T, Teilmann, J, Linnenschmidt, M, and Vikingsson, GA (2008). Shipboard measurements of the hearing of white-beaked dolphins, (Lagenorhynchus albirostris). J Exp Biol 211: 642-647.

Ovide, B.G., Cirino, E., Basran, C.J., Geertz, T., & Syberg, K. (2022). Assessment of prevalence and heterogeneity of meso- and microplastic pollution in Icelandic waters. MDPI Environments 9(12): 150, https://doi.org/10.3390/environments9120150

Pampoulie, C., Gíslason, D., Ólafsdóttir, Chosson, V., Halldórsson S.D., Mariani S., Elvarsson, B.Þ., Rasmussen, M.H., Daníelsdóttir A.K., and Víkingsson G.A. (2020). Evidence of unidirectional hybridization and second-generation adult hybrid between the two largest animals on Earth, the fin and blue whales. Evolutionary Applications: in press. https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13091

Pampoulie, C, Gíslason, D, Ólafsdóttir, G Chosson, V, Halldórsson, SD, Mariani, S, Elvarsson, B, Rasmussen, MH, Iversen, MR, Daníelsdóttir, AK Gísli A. Víkingsson, GA (2021). Evidence of unidirectional hybridization and second-generation adult hybrid between the two largest animals on earth. Evolutionary Applications. 2020;00:1–8.

Rasmussen, MH, Atem, A and Miller, LA (2016). Behavioral Responses by Icelandic White-Beaked Dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) to Playback Sounds. Aquatic Mammals 42, 317-329

Rasmussen, MH, Koblitz, JC and Laidre, KL (2015). Buzzes and High-Frequency Clicks Recorded from Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) at Their Wintering Ground. In: Aquatic Mammals 41(3), 256-264.

Rasmussen, MH (2014). “The Bottlenose Dolphin: biology and conservation”. Book Review. Ecology 95, 790–793

Rasmussen, MH (2014). Chapter 7. A history of whaling and whale watching in Iceland. Whaling-watching, sustainable tourism and ecological management. Editors: J.E.S. Higham, L. Bejder and R. Williams. Cambridge University Press. 400pp.

Rasmussen, MH, Akamatsu, T, Teilmann, T, Víkingsson, G and Miller, LA (2013). Biosonar, diving and movements of two tagged white-beaked dolphin in Icelandic waters. Deep-Sea Research II 88-89, 97-105.

Rasmussen, MH (2011). Discovers of the Census of Marine Life - Making Ocean Life Count. Book Review. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 43, 490-491.

Rasmussen MH, Lammers M, Beedholm K, and Miller LA (2006). Source levels and harmonic content of whistles in white-beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 120: 510-517.

Rasmussen MH, Wahlberg M, and Miller LA (2004). Estimated transmission beam pattern of clicks recorded from free-ranging white-beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 116: 1826-1831.

Rasmussen MH and Miller LA (2004). Echolocation and social signals from white-beaked dolphins, (Lagenorhynchus albirostris), recorded in Icelandic waters. In: Echolocation in bats and dolphins chapter number .5.1. Pp. 0-53 (editor J. Thomas, C. Moss and M. Vater),University of Chicago press, Chicago.

Rasmussen MH and Jacobsen T (2003). Photo-identification of White-beaked dolphins in Icelandic waters. In: ECS proceedings 2003, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.

Rasmussen MH and Miller LA (2002). Whistles and clicks from white-beaked dolphins, (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) recorded in FaxaflóiBay. Aquatic Mammals 28:78-89.

Rasmussen MH, Miller LA and Au WWL (2002). Source levels of clicks from free-ranging white beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris Gray) 1846) recorded in Icelandic waters. J. Acous. Soc. Am. 111: 1122-1125.

Rasmussen MH (2001). Behaviour of free-ranging white-beaked dolphins. In: ECS-proceedings 2001, Rome, Italy.

Rasmussen MH, Miller LA and Au WWL (2000). The sounds and calculated source levels from the white-beaked dolphin recorded in Icelandic waters. In: ECS-proceedings 1999, Valencia, Spain.

Rössler, H, Tougaard, J, Sabinsky, PF, Rasmussen, MH, Granquist, SM, and Wahlberg, M (2021). Are Icelandic harbor seals acoustically cryptic to avoid predation? JASA Express Lett. 1 (3), 1-7.

Samara, FIP, Bassoi, M, Béesau, J, Elíasdóttir, MO, Gunnarsson, K, Mrusczo, M-T, Rasmussen, M, Rempel, JN, Thorvaldsson, B and Víkingsson, GA (2018). Prey of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Iceland. PLOS One 13 (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0207287)

Samara, FIP, Deecke, VB, Vinding, K, Rasmussen, MH, Swift, R and Miller, PM (2010). Killer whales (Orcinus orca) produce ultrasonic whistles. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 128, 205-210.

Selbmann, A, Basran, CJ, Bertulli, CG, Hudson, T, Mruszok, M-T, Rasmussen, MH, Rempel, JN, Scott, J, Svarvarsson, J, Wensveen, PJ, Whitaker, M and Samarra, FIP (2022). Occurrence of long‑finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) and killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Icelandic coastal waters and their interspecific interactions. Acta ethologica, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-022-00394-1

Wahlberg, M, Jensen, FH, Natacha Arguilar Soto, NA, Beedholm, K, Bejder, L, Oliveira, C, Rasmussen, M, Simon, M, Villadsgaard, A and Madsen, P (2011). Source paraments of echolocation clicks from wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus and Tursiops truncatus). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 130, 2263-2274.

Yuan, Y, Zhang, Y Zhang, P, Liu, C, Wang, Gao, J, Lv, M, Lin, M, Dong, L Gao, Yang, Z, Seim, I, Caruso, F, Lin, W, Hoelzel, AR, da Fonseca, RR, Wang, D, Wang, X, Rasmussen, MH, Liu, M, Zheng, J, Zhao, L, Campos, PF, Kang, H Iversen, M, Song, Y, Guo,X, Guo, J, Qin, Y, Pan, S, Xu, Q, Meng, L, Liu, YAS, Lee, SM-Y,Liu, X, Xu, X, Yang, H, Fan, G, Wang, K, Li, S (2021), Comparative analyses of 35 marine mammal genomes provide insights into the evolution of aquatic life. PNAS 2021 Vol. 118 No. 37 e2106080118

Zahn, M, Laidre, KL, Stilz, P, Rasmussen, MH and Koblitz, JC (2021). Vertical sonar beam width and scanning behavior of wild belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) in West Greenland. . PLoS ONE 16(9): e0257054. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257054

Zahn, M, Rankin, S, McCullough, JLK, Jens C. Koblitz, JC, Archer, F, Rasmussen, MH and Laidre, KL (2021). Acoustic differentiation and classification of wild belugas and narwhals using echolocation clicks. Sci Rep 11, 22141. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01441-w

The eWHALE project will optimize the eDNA sampling workflow aboard whale watching platforms and research cruises. This is a first step towards unlocking the enormous potential of participatory marine biodiversity monitoring for the generation of datasets with unprecedented spatial, temporal, and taxonomic resolution.

More about the project on the eWHALE website.

Allometric adaptations of cetaceans in Skjálfandi Bay, Iceland
This PhD. project is conducted by Maria Glarou under the supervision of Dr. Marianne Rasmussen at the University of Iceland and Dr. Fredrik Christiansen at the University of Aarhus.

Cetaceans exhibit an exceptionally wide range of body sizes; from porpoises (the smallest of all cetaceans) to blue whales (the largest animal to have existed on our planet), there is more than a 20-fold increase in body length and a 3500-fold increase in body mass. Despite this significant variation in size, different-sized cetaceans co-exist in certain areas. In Skjálfandi Bay, NE-Iceland, where the average water temperature is around 3.69°C, cetacean species co-occurrence is observed year-round.

Living in such cold climates comes with a fair share of challenges, the biggest one being maintaining a stable body temperature. Particularly in the marine environment, this process requires large amounts of energy as the rate of heat loss in the water is ~23 times higher than in the air. So, how can a <2 m and <70 kg harbour porpoise live in the same cold-water environment as a >30m and >180ton blue whale?

To answer this, we will obtain drone images and videos of five species of cetaceans that are regularly found in NE-Icelandic waters, to link body size with respiration rates, and ultimately determine the energetic requirements for life in a cold-water environment. Obtaining baseline information on these processes is highly relevant in the context of a changing climate, as the progressive sea warming is bound to shift ecosystem balances, and consequently affect species distribution and home range.

Through the collaboration between researchers, students, interns, and local whale watching companies, the Húsavík Research Centre keeps long-term photo-identification catalogues, sightings logs, and behavioural logs of several whale species: humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), white-beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris), and fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus).

The project launched in 2008 by researcher Maria Iversen and Dr. Marianne Rasmussen. Project blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) was based on changes in the species distribution and since 2004, blue whales are sighted in Skjálfandi Bay typically throughout June every year.

The project aims to gain more knowledge about endangered whales by using different techniques e.g. photo-identification of individuals, sound recording, genetic sampling, behaviour and prey logging.

In the summer 2012, a new addition to the project was made: Blue whales were tagged with AUSOMS mini in the cooperation with Dr. Tom Akamatsu and Mikkel Villum. In 2015, we used a large hydrophone array and four boats to measure the source levels of blue whale calls. The project has several other cooperators, among these are Gísli Vikíngsson (MFRI) and the Húsavík Whale Museum.

This project is funded by the German Environmental Agency and is done in collaboration with University of Hannover (Die Stiftung Tierarzliche Hochschule Hannover (Tiho)).

The overall goal is to test a marine vibrator and investigate the reactions of blue whales to load frequency sound.

First, we deployed an acoustic tag with a suction cup on the back of a blue whale. This was done in co-operation with Tom Akamatsu from Japan.

Then, we deployed a hydrophone array with four sound traps to record the underwater sound.

Finally, we play back low frequency sound with a big underwater loud-speaker from a fishing vessel. Data from the experiment is collected in a pre-trial, control and post-trial.

This PhD. project is conducted by Charla Basran under the supervision of Dr. Marianne Rasmussen at the University of Iceland and focuses mainly on the entanglement of humpback whales in the fishing industry.

Firstly, the project assesses scarring on humpbacks that can be attributed to prior entanglement in fishing gear. This is used to determine how many humpback whales in Iceland have been entangled in fishing gear before, through analysis of photographs from around the country taken by researchers, interns, and collected from whale watching tourists.

In addition, both experimental and practical tests of “whale pingers” is conducted in order to assess whether these pingers could minimize humpback whale entanglement in and interaction with fishing gear, with a particular focus on the capelin purse seine fishery which has the most notable issues with gear damage due to whales during their operating seasons.

Finally, a survey of fishermen, collecting eye-witness humpback whale entanglement accounts around Iceland, reports of fishing gear damage attributed to cetaceans, and information on cetacean bycatch reporting compliance, is conducted to learn more about these issues from the fishermen’s first-hand perspective.

Currently the project is also assessing global under-reporting of cetacean entanglement and bycatch using cases studies.

This project has been funded by the National Geographic Explorer Fund, The RANNÍS Icelandic Research Fund, and Gentle Giants Whale Watching.

This PhD. project is conducted by Tom Grove and Whale Wise under the supervision of Dr. Lea-Anne Henry and Dr. Natalie Homer at the University of Edinburgh and Dr. Marianne Rasmussen at the University of Iceland.

Currently, we are investigating the influence of whale-watching vessels (and vessel traffic generally) on humpback whales in Skjálfandi and North Iceland generally. Using methods such as behavioural observation, acoustics and aerial imagery, we hope to deduce the short- and long-term effects of local whale-watching on whale behaviour and population processes. As part of this, we are developing a method to use blow sampling for physiological stress assessment.

Beyond whale-watching, we are also exploring the feasibility of citizen science to monitor whale occurrence and distribution in Icelandic waters.

Tom Grove discusses his research project

This PhD. project is conducted by Tatiana Marchon under the supervision of Dr. Filipa Samarra and Dr. Marianne Rasmussen at the University of Iceland.

The aim the project is to investigate the interplay between ecological specialization, sociality and communication in a marine top predator, the killer whale (Orcinus orca). In the best-studied populations from the North Pacific, strict diet specializations have heavily shaped the respective social organization and vocal behavior of fish vs. mammal eating ecotypes.

In contrast, North Atlantic killer whales have diverse foraging strategies, fluid social structure and interspecific competition for prey resources. Therefore, North Atlantic killer whales pose an interesting case study to investigate how sociality, ecology and competition shape different patterns of acoustic communication in this apex predator.

These factors have been little studied outside the North Pacific ecotypes and thus this project will advance and broaden scientific understanding of the dynamics driving sound production in this species, that heavily relies on acoustic communication for survival.

More broadly, this study will improve knowledge of the acoustic behaviour of the North Atlantic killer whale and increase understanding of their behavioural and social connectivity to other populations.

ARCPATH is funded by Nordforsk.

ARCPATH is part of the Joint Nordic Initiative on Arctic Research. This was established in order to generate new insights into both the challenges and opportunities confronting the Arctic region. The Responsible Development of the Arctic: Opportunities and Challenges – Pathways to Action programme is cross-disciplinary.

Marianne Rasmussen is work-package leader on climate, socio-ecological systems, cetaceans and tourism together with Niels Einarsson from University of Akureyri. PhD. student Olli Loisa is doing his PhD project on this topic and we deployed C-PODS (porpoise detectors) in Eyjafjordur and Skjálfandi bay for one year to describe the annual relative abundance of both harbour porpoises and white-beaked dolphins.

This project is funded by ONR (Office of Navy Research) and the overall goal of this project is to study the hearing in auks. This project is done in collaboration with Aran Mooney from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

We have measured the hearing of puffins at Tjörnes and also had sound recorders inside the puffin burrows to record the sounds of puffins themselves. The next step is to measure hearing of guillemots.

As part of this project, we also have captive guillemots at the Marine Research Center in Kerteminde, Denmark. Underwater sounds have been played back to the captive guillemots and we looked at their behavioural reactions.