MSc in Biology Joel Vikberg Wernström at the Department of Arctic and Marine Biology (AMB) will Wednesday 11 March 2026 hold his trial lecture and defend his thesis for the PhD degree in Natural Science.
Trial lecture on assigned topic will take place at 10.15: "From microscopy to omics, new methods for massive meiofauna surveys"
Later, at 12.15 he will defend his thesis entitled: "A worm’s eye-view of meiobenthic metazoans
Evolutionary patterns, ecological dynamics and biodiversity explored through an integrative approach"
Head of Department at the Arctic University Museum of Norway Geir Rudolfsen will lead the disputation.
Popular Science Summary
Meiofauna are a group of tiny, bottom-dwelling invertebrate animals with an outsized importance to global aquatic ecosystems. For instance, they oxygenate sediments through their burrowing, and recycle nutrients and energy by eating microorganisms and organic matter. Despite their importance, little is known about meiofauna biodiversity, and many species are threatened by ongoing climate change. In my doctoral research, I aimed to understand the foundations of meiofauna biodiversity using methods such as comparative morphology, DNA sequencing, and statistical analysis of datasets of species which cover large areas and timespans. My results indicate that meiofauna feeding structures have evolved over time as they have adapted to new niches, that some groups likely spread across the Arctic recently as a result of glacial retreat at the end of the last Ice Age, and that communities in the Barents Sea are strongly structured by local habitat differences. My research provides new insights into meiofauna biology which may be of value if these tiny invertebrates are to be considered in matters of marine conservation, management and resource extraction.
Evaluation Committee
Supervisors
Streaming
Both the trial lecture and defense and will be streamed and recorded:
Thesis
The thesis is available in Vitenarkivet