Research

• Developing reliable biological and chemical methods for studying temporal changes in the degree of contamination and their spatial variation.
• Studying the toxic effects of environmental contaminants on the wild fauna. Changes in the population status of certain highly exposed species are studied. These changes are then compared to reliable descriptions of bioavailable amounts of contaminants and their temporal and spatial variation stretching over more than three decades. Special attention is devoted to well-known toxic mechanisms. At present these effects are studied on species such as grey seals, harbour seals, ringed seals, otters, porpoises, white-tailed sea eagles, ospreys and guillemots. Many of these projects are carried out in collaboration with other research groups.
• Developing statistical methods and models for the critical analysis of environmental conditions and changes in the degree of contamination. The Group´s own data base of concentrations of environmental contaminants in biota is used to check the reliability of the models. The results of studies on temporal and spatial changes in contaminant levels are used to check whether the local models (biota-water-sediment), as well as regional transportation (equator-Palearctic-Arctic) can be verified by reliable data from the national monitoring of contaminants. The Group collaborates with institutions responsible for the chemical analysis of biota.

The work is financed by grants from governmental and private research funds.