An Arctic Marine Researcher

Morgan Lizabeth Bender

Research Interest

Arctic ecology; Ecotoxicology - Petroleum toxicology; Physiology; Reproductive physiology; Fish biology; Early life stages of fish; Experimental work; Field work: sea ice, research cruises, sailing; Science Communication and Outreach

Recent Projects

ArcticEcoSens (Akvaplan-niva and UiT) - <Environmental Monitoring of Arctic Coastal Ecosystems: Sensitivity to Petroleum Pollution>, funding from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and the Research Council of Norway

Sens 2 Change ( Funded by EWMA and Fram center flagship MIKON)

Polarisation (Funded by the Research Council of Norway)

Arctic Oil Spill Response Technology Joint Industry Programme (JIP)- oil spill preparedness technologies 

Environmental Waste Management (EWMA)- funded by the Norwegian research Council and Eni Norge

Published work

Bender, M.L., Giebichenstein, J., Teisrud, R.N. et al. Combined effects of crude oil exposure and warming on eggs and larvae of an arctic forage fish. Sci Rep 11, 8410 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-87932-2

Nahrgang J, Bender ML, Meier S, Nechev J, Berge J, Frantzen M. 2019. Growth and metabolism of adult polar cod (Boreogadus saida) in response to dietary crude oil. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.04.082

Bender et al., 2018. Effects of acute exposure to dispersed oil and burned oil residue on long-term survival, growth, and reproductive development in polar cod (Boreogadus saida). Marine Environmental Research. 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.09.005

Vieweg, et al., 2018. Effects of dietary crude oil exposure on molecular and physiological parameters related to lipid homeostasis in polar cod (Boreogadus saida). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part C. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpc.2018.03.003

Bender, et al., 2016. Effects of chronic dietary petroleum exposure on reproductive development in polar cod (Boreogadus saida). Aquatic Toxicology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aquatox. 2016.10.005.

Presented work

Where and what I have presented

Alaska Marine Science Symposium in Anchorage Alaska, January 2020. “Effects of increased water temperature and water-soluble crude oil exposure on early life stages of polar cod (Boreogadus saida)“ Platform Presentation. awarded Student Presentation Award

Future Oceans 2 Conference in Brest, France, June 2019. "How sensitive are Polar cod early life stages to a changing Arctic?” Platform presentation

Pollutant Responses in Marine Organisms (PRIMO) Conference in Charleston SC, USA May 2019. “How sensitive are Polar cod early life stages to a changing Arctic?” Platform presentation, awarded Student Travel Grant and Student Presentation Award

ARCEx- The Research Centre for Arctic Petroleum Exploration Annual Conference. “Effects of increased water temperature and water-soluble crude oil exposure on early life stages of polar cod (Boreogadus saida)“. Oct 9-11 Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Presentation

Ecosystem Studies of the Sub Arctic Seas (ESSAS) Conference. “Effects of increased water temperature and water-soluble crude oil exposure on survival, growth, and feeding success of early life stages of polar cod (Boreogadus saida)“. Fairbanks Alaska USA June 10-12th. Platform Presentation

Framdagen. "How sensitive ar polar cod to a changing Arctic?” Tromsø Norway August 2018. Poster. (Poster below)

ARCTOS Research School August 2018, Presentation. “How sensitive are polar cod to oil pollution?”

Ecosystem Studies of the Sub Arctic Seas (ESSAS) Conference. " Potential effects of petroleum pollution and increasing water temperature on life-history traits in polar cod (Boreogadus saida). Tromsø, Norway June 11-14th 2017. Poster in session: Multiple Stressors (see below)

Norwegian Environmental Toxicology Symposium 2016 "Effects of chronic dietary petroleum exposure on reproductive development in polar cod (Boreogadus saida)" Oct 24th 2016. Oslo, Norway. platform presentation (received Award for best student presentation)

Pollutant Responses in Marine Organisms (PRIMO). "Effects of chronic dietary petroleum exposure on reproductive development in polar cod (Boreogadus saida)".  Trondheim, Norway May 15th 2015. Poster

Outreach

Researcher Grand Prix 2018 Representative from Tromsø , broadcast on NRK Kunnskap channel

Popular science article in Nordlys Sept 2018 “Polartorskens sikre oppveksten i fremtidas Arktis”

Fritt Fram presenter 2018

Prince William Sound Conservation Crew Leader 2018

Radio interview for Swiss public Radio Nov 2018

PhD Project

PhD Project title:

Reproduction in Polar Cod: a study of the potential effects of anthropogenic activity on the reproductive success of an Arctic keystone species.

PhD Project description:

The first part of my study will primarily investigate reproductive strategy of polar cod, a key species in the Arctic ecosystem, and characterize physiological changes and reproductive development of polar cod in relation to their environment.  The second part will be expanded to a circumpolar scale as polar cod are found in every shelf sea of the Arctic, clearly demonstrating a successful strategy for Arctic domination. The ability of polar cod to reproduce during the cold, dark and food limited Arctic winter is believed to be a major factor in their success. This begs the question of how polar cod and their reproductive success will fair as the Arctic ecosystem is under pressure from climate change, human activities, and poleward moving competitors. This study will be focused in the Arctic and Atlantic influenced waters around Svalbard and expand to the American and Canadian Arctic waters.

An ecotoxicological component will also be included to explore the sensitivity of early life stages chronic levels of waterborne petroleum on important developmental checkpoints. This work expands upon two studies on adult polar cod sensitivity to acute and chronic exposure to crude oil, dispersed oil and burned oil residues.

Start date: September 2016
Planned submission date. Nov 2020