Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB)

My research interests

Having a background in biological oceanography, I am generally interested to understand which animals occur in a marine environment and how the community changes with environmental parameters. Quite recently, molecular species detection evolved as a promising method to better track animals in the water. This does not require targeting the animal itself but only its genetic material (e.g. eggs, scales) in the water (environmental DNA). Applying this method, we gain barcodes, similar to those found on products in supermarkets. We hope to assign these eventually to the species that were located in the ocean.

How is my work linked to the Beagle Channel area?

Along the Beagle Channel, I am curious to see in which parts we find species that typically occur in the Pacific or Atlantic i.e. how the community changes from west to east. Maybe we even see a few freshwater taxa in areas that are shaped by melting of adjacent glaciers.