New research project maps organisms around Gotland

Since the summer of 2023, Sara Kurland has been working as a postdoctoral researcher at Uppsala University. Her “ Blue Food ” project aims to map the web of organisms along the coast of Gotland and their interactions throughout the year. She uses eDNA technology to detect traces of DNA from organisms in the water.

By regularly taking water samples at a number of sites, she also collects information on environmental variables such as salinity and temperature, which together can show when different organisms are present in different locations and how this varies with changing conditions throughout the year. With more knowledge about the relationship between species, it will also be possible to better adapt fishing and harvesting to local conditions. Sara Kurland's project shows conditions in the Baltic Sea, but the model can be used anywhere.

"High-resolution temporal monitoring of marine biodiversity in Gotland"