jonasgt

Research interests:
My current research focus on eelgrass (Zostera marina) ecosystems:
- ecosystem function, with special emphasis on crustacean and gastropod mesograzers
- biodiversity of meio- and macrofauna within the sediment and epiphytes and epifauna on the leaves.
- molecular characterization of meiofauna in eelgrass bed
These studies involves field experiments with grazer exclusion and habitat manipulations, molecular barcoding and environmental sequencing, as well as a lot taxonomic identification by stereo-, light- and scanning electron microscopy.
I furthermore have a background working with very different groups of marine life:
- Kinorhyncha (muddragons) - taxonomy, systematics, and selected external and internal ultrastructures within this meiofaunal marine phylum.
- Ice-associated (sympagic) amphipods - taxonomy and ecology
- Hagfish taxonomy
- Rhodoliths (unattached calcified red algae) – formation, ecology and faunal biodiversity
These studies have involved a large amount of Arctic field work, and provided me with extensive skills in microscopical methods (Stereo, Light, Scanning Electron, and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy), taxonomy, systematic and ecology.
Teaching
-
BIO1000 Elementary Biologi, lab and colloqia
-
BIO1200 Biodiversity, lab and field exercises
-
BIO2140 Molecular biology and Biological Methods, lab and field exercises
-
BIO4301 Marine benthic ecology, lab and field exercises
-
Co-supervisor of Master student Marc Silberberger 2010-2012 ”The influence of mechanical habitat disturbance on the infauna of Zostera marina L. meadows”
-
Co-supervisor of Master student Espen Strand 2012-2014 "The Kinorhyncha of Southern Norway"
Higher education
- 2010 M.Sc. in Marine Biology, Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen.
Grants
- “Dyppvannsfauna i norske farvann" from The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. For barcoding of polychaetes (2011)
- “Carlsbergs Mindelegat” for participation in the Danish Galathea 3 expedition (2006)
- “Hotelejer Anders Månsson og Hustrus mindelegat” for studies at James Cook University, Australia (2005).
- “Internationaliseringsstipendium”, University of Copenhagen, for studies at James Cook University, Australia (2005)
- “Nordlys Stipendium” for studies at UNIS – the University Centre in Svalbard (2004)
Collaboration
- Zostera Experimental Network – NSF Funded project 2010-15
- Nordic Seagrass Network – Nordforsk funding 2010-2012
- Kinorhyncha - a poorly and neglected animal phylum – Funded for 2013-2014 by artsprosjektet managed by Artsdatabanken (The Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre)
Publications
Silberberger M, Thormar J, Fredriksen S (2016) Small scale removal of seagrass (Zostera marina L.): Effects on the infaunal community. Marine Biology Research. DOI:10.1080/17451000.2016.1225959
Thormar J, Hasler-Sheetal H, Baden S, Boström C, Clausen KK, Krause-Jensen D, Olesen B, Rasmussen JR, Svensson CJ, Holmer M (2016) Local environmental state regulates eelgrass (Zostera marina) food web structure. PLoS ONE 11(1): e0146479 DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0146479
Duffy JE, Reynolds P, Boström C, Coyer J, Cusson M, Donadi S, Douglass J, Engelen A, Eriksson BK, Fredriksen S, Gamfeldt L, Gustafsson C, Hoarau G, Hori M, Hovel K, Iken K, Lefcheck J, Moksnes P‐O, Nakaoka M, O'Connor M, Olsen J, Richardson JP, Ruesink J, Sotka E, Thormar J, Whalen M, Stachowicz J. (2015) Biodiversity mediates top‐down control in eelgrass ecosystems: A global comparative‐experimental approach. Ecology Letters 18:696-705 DOI:10.1111/ele.12448
Herranz M, Thormar J, Benito J, Sánchez N, Pardos F (2012) Meristoderes gen. nov., a new kinorhynch genus, with the description of two new species and their implications for echinoderid phylogeny (Kinorhyncha: Cyclorhagida, Echinoderidae). Zoologischer Anzeiger 251:161-179 DOI:10.1016/j.jcz.2011.08.004
Sørensen MV & Thormar J (2010) Wollunquaderes majkenae gen. et sp. nov. - a new cyclorhagid kinorhynch genus and species from the Coral Sea, Australia. Marine Biodiversity, 40:261-275. DOI:10.1007/s12526-010-0048-x
Thormar J & Sørensen MV (2010). Two new species of Echinoderes (Kinorhyncha: Cyclorhagida) from the Solomon Islands. Meiofauna Marina 18:67-96.
Falk-Petersen S, Leu E, Berge J, Kwasniewski S, Nygård H, Røstad A, Keskinen E, Thormar J, Quillfeldt C, Wold A, Gulliksen B (2008) Vertical migration in high Arctic waters during autumn 2004. Deep Sea Research Part II - Topical Studies in Oceanography 55:2275–2284. DOI:10.1016/j.dsr2.2008.05.010
Thormar J (2008) The Rhodoliths of Disko Fjord, Greenland: First visual record of the Litothamnion glaciale/tophiforme (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) aggregation in Disko Fjord, 69°N, Greenland“ In: Halberg KA (ed) Arctic Biology Field Course, Qeqertarsuaq, 2006. Institute of Biology, University of Copenhagen. ISBN 87-87519-67-4.
Macnaughton MO, Thormar J, Berge J (2007) Sympagic amphipods in the Arctic pack ice: redescriptions of Eusirus holmii Hansen, 1887 and Pleusymtes karstensi (Barnard, 1959). Polar Biology, 30:1013-1025. DOI: 10.1007/s00300-007-0260-8
Møller PR, Feld TK, Poulsen IH, Thomsen PF, Thormar JG (2005) Myxine jespersenae, A New Species of Hagfish (Myxiniformes: Myxinidae) from the North Atlantic Ocean. Copeia (American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists), 2005(2):274-285
Christoffersen K, Thormar J, Bille-Hansen R (2005). Biological state of arctic lakes and ponds on Disko Island, Greenland. In: Arctic fieldcourse 2004. Institute of Biology, University of Copenhagen. ISBN 87-987317-2-6.
Keskinen E, Leu E, Nygård H, Røstad A, Thormar J (2004). New findings of diel vertical migration in high Arctic ecosystems. In: Berge J (ed) AB320-2004. UNIS Publication Series ISSN 1503-4410.
Books:
Macnaughton, Thormar, Kielland (2012). Livet under overfladen. Gyldendal. ISBN: 9788702098945. 288p.
-
Norderhaug, KM; Filbee-Dexter, K; Freitas, Carla; Birkely, Sten Richard; Christensen, Lene & Mellerud, Ida Kristin [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2020). Ecosystem-level effects of large-scale disturbance in kelp forests. Marine Ecology Progress Series. ISSN 0171-8630. 656, p. 163–180. doi: 10.3354/meps13426. Full text in Research Archive
-
Filbee-Dexter, Karen; Wernberg, Thomas; Grace, S.P.; Thormar, Jonas; Fredriksen, Stein & Narvaez, C.N. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2020). Marine heatwaves and the collaps of marginal North Atlantic kelp forests. Scientific Reports. ISSN 2045-2322. 10. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-70273-x. Full text in Research Archive
-
Reynolds, Pamela L.; Stachowicz, John J.; Hovel, Kevin; Boström, Christoffer; Boyer, Katharyn & Cusson, Mathieu [Show all 33 contributors for this article] (2018). Latitude, temperature, and habitat complexity predict predation pressure in eelgrass beds across the Northern Hemisphere. Ecology. ISSN 0012-9658. 99(1), p. 29–35. doi: 10.1002/ecy.2064.
-
Thormar, Jonas; Hasler-Sheetal, Harald; Baden, Susanne; Boström, Christoffer; Clausen, Kevin Kuhlmann & Krause-Jensen, Dorte [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2016). Eelgrass (Zostera marina) food web structure in different environmental settings. PLOS ONE. ISSN 1932-6203. 11(1). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146479.
-
Silberberger, Marc Jürgen; Thormar, Jonas & Fredriksen, Stein (2016). Small-scale removal of seagrass (Zostera marina L.): effects on the infaunal community. Marine Biology Research. ISSN 1745-1000. 12, p. 993–1002. doi: 10.1080/17451000.2016.1225959.
-
Duffy, J. Emmett; Reynolds, Pamela L.; Boström, Christoffer; Coyer, James A.; Cusson, Mathieu & Donadi, Serena [Show all 28 contributors for this article] (2015). Biodiversity mediates top-down control in eelgrass ecosystems: a global comparative-experimental approach. Ecology Letters. ISSN 1461-023X. 18(7), p. 696–705. doi: 10.1111/ele.12448.
-
Herranz, María; Thormar, Jonas; Benito, Jesús; Sánchez, Nuria & Pardos, Fernando (2012). Meristoderes gen. nov., a new kinorhynch genus, with the description of two new species and their implications for echinoderid phylogeny (Kinorhyncha: Cyclorhagida, Echinoderidae). Zoologischer Anzeiger. ISSN 0044-5231. 251(3), p. 161–179. doi: 10.1016/j.jcz.2011.08.004.
-
Falk-Petersen, Stig; Leu, Eva; Berge, Jørgen; Kwasniewski, Slawomir; Nygård, Henrik & Røstad, Anders [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2008). Vertical migration in high Arctic waters during autumn 2004. Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography. ISSN 0967-0645. 55(20-21), p. 2275–2284. doi: 10.1016/j.dsr2.2008.05.010. Show summary
-
Macnaughton, Martin; Thormar, Jonas & Berge, Jørgen (2007). Sympagic amphipods in the Arctic pack ice: redescriptions of Eusirus holmii Hansen, 1887 and Pleusymtes karstensi (Barnard, 1959). Polar Biology. ISSN 0722-4060. 30(8), p. 1013–1025. doi: 10.1007/s00300-007-0260-8. Show summary
-
Deininger, Anne; Martin, Angela Helen; Pardo, Juan; Berg, Paul Ragnar; Bhardwaj, Jyotirmoy & de Oliveira Catarino, Diana Sofia [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2021). Coastal Research Seen Through an Early Career Lens—A Perspective on Barriers to Interdisciplinarity in Norway. Frontiers in Marine Science. ISSN 2296-7745. 8. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.634999. Full text in Research Archive
-
Frigstad, Helene; Gundersen, Hege; Hancke, Kasper; Andersen, Guri Sogn; Bekkby, Trine & Lutz, Steven [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Policy brief on Nordic Blue Carbon.
-
Dolan, Margaret; Bekkby, Trine; Buhl-Mortensen, Pål; Andersen, Guri Sogn; van Son, Thijs Christiaan & Thormar, Jonas [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2019). Phasing in use of the “Nature in Norway” (NiN) system for classification and description of nature in the marine environment – experiences, challenges and international relevance. .
-
Dolan, Margaret; Bekkby, Trine; Espeland, Sigurd Heiberg; Rinde, Eli; Moy, Frithjof Emil & Elvenes, Sigrid [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2018). Pilot Project for Mapping Marine Nature Types within the NiN Framework, Coastal Norway.
-
Thormar, Jonas; Steen, Henning; van Son, Thijs Christiaan; Bosgraaf, Sebastian; Christensen, Lene & Mellerud, Ida Kristin [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2017). Fish Assemblages in Coastal Vegetation.
-
Andersen, A; Thormar, Jonas; Norderhaug, KM & Fredriksen, Stein (2013). Benthic communities at the opera in Bjørvika.
-
Falk-Petersen, Stig; Wold, A; Røstad, A; Leu, E; Nygård, H & Gulliksen, Bjørn [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2004). Intense feeding of Calanus hyperboreus on Arctic Autumn Bloom Propagated by a Record Minimum Sea Ice Extent in 2004.
-
Naustvoll, Lars Johan; Thormar, Jonas; Lundsør, Elisabeth; Falkenhaug, Tone; Kroglund, Tone & Moy, Frithjof Emil (2021). ØKOKYST – sub-program Climate. Annual report 2020. Miljødirektoratet. Show summary
-
Bekkby, Trine; Rinde, Eli; Oug, Eivind; Buhl-Mortensen, Pål; Thormar, Jonas & Dolan, Margaret [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2021). Forslag til forvaltningsrelevante marine naturenheter. Norsk institutt for vannforskning. ISSN 978-82-577-7408-0. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
-
Frigstad, Helene; Gundersen, Hege; Andersen, Guri Sogn; Borgersen, Gunhild; Kvile, Kristina Øie & Krause-Jensen, Dorte [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2021). Blue Carbon – climate adaptation, CO2 uptake and sequestration of carbon in Nordic blue forests. Results from the Nordic Blue Carbon Project. . Nordic Council of Ministers. ISSN 978-92-893-6861-2. Show summary
-
Moland, Even; Synnes, Ann-Elin; Naustvoll, Lars Johan; Freitas, Carla; Norderhaug, Kjell Magnus & Thormar, Jonas [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2021). Krafttak for kysttorsken - Kunnskap for stedstilpasset gjenoppbygging av bestander, naturtyper og økosystem i Færder- og Ytre Hvaler nasjonalparker. Havforskningsinstituttet. ISSN 1893-4536. Full text in Research Archive
-
Naustvoll, Lars Johan; Thormar, Jonas; Lundsør, Elisabeth; Kroglund, Tone; Norderhaug, Kjell Magnus & Moy, Frithjof Emil (2020). ØKOKYST – sub-program Climate. Annual report 2019. Miljødirektoratet. Show summary
-
Norderhaug, Kjell Magnus; van Son, Thijs Christiaan; Nikolioudakis, Nikolaos; Thormar, Jonas; Moy, Frithjof Emil & Knutsen, Jan Atle [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2020). Biomassemodell for stortare - Ressursmodell for fremtidens forvaltning. Havforskningsinstituttet. ISSN 1893-4536. Full text in Research Archive
-
Bekkby, Trine; Rinde, Eli; Espeland, Sigurd Heiberg; Olsen, Heidi Anita; Thormar, Jonas & Grefsrud, Ellen Sofie [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2020). Nasjonal kartlegging – kyst 2019. Ny revisjon av kriterier for verdisetting av marine naturtyper og nøkkelområder for arter. Norsk institutt for vannforskning (NIVA). ISSN 978-82-577-7189-8. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
-
Naustvoll, Lars Johan; Lundsør, Elisabeth; Thormar, Jonas; Norderhaug, Kjell Magnus; Kroglund, Tone & Moy, Frithjof Emil (2019). ØKOKYST - sub-program Climate. Annual report 2018. Miljødirektoratet. Show summary
-
Andersen, Guri Sogn; Bekkby, Trine; Dolan, Margaret; Bøe, Reidulv; Thormar, Jonas & Buhl-Mortensen, Pål [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2019). Feltveileder for Kartlegging av marin naturvariasjon etter NiN (2.2.0). Artsdatabanken. ISSN 978-82-92838-49-5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
-
Bekkby, Trine; Espeland, Sigurd Heiberg; Dolan, Margaret; Rinde, Eli; Moy, Frithjof Emil & Elvenes, Sigrid [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2018). Pilotprosjekt - Kartlegging av marin natur i Møre og Romsdal: Årsrapport 2017. Norsk institutt for vannforskning. Full text in Research Archive
-
Thormar, Jonas (2017). Disturbance and trophic interactions in Scandinavian eelgrass ecosystems. University of Oslo. ISSN 1501-7710.