Marine phytoplankton ecology and applications (MPEA)
Our research team works within the complex and fascinating world of phytoplankton, and studies the role of bio- and chemical interactions among marine microbes in shaping plankton food webs.
We recognize the great potential for phytoplankton products to yield renewable energy resources, and the impacts that may have for economic and ecological sustainability. We work not only with academia, but with the community and industry towards shaping a cleaner, safer world.
Our research falls into the following areas
- Phytoplankton ecology and allelopathy
- Microbial food web dynamics
- Impact of cyanobacteria on coastal fishes
- Use of marine resources
- Advanced level programs and employability impacts
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Our research, outreach and education - an illustrated look
Our Algoland project "Cleaning the air," has studied how microalgae can be grown using the carbon dioxide from flue gas at a cement production plant on Öland, Sweden.
Elin Lindehoff
Our partner research group, Algoland, has worked on their project "Cleaning the water" since 2016. In this project, we examine the ability of microalgae to take up excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from leachate water at the Moskogen landfill. Raceway ponds are used to grow algae in the nutrient-rich water, and gas is bubbled into the ponds from the energy plant Kalmar Energi, to help the algae grow.
Lina Mattsson
Collaborating research groups
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Algoland - Algal Solutions for Air, Water, Industry and Society Our research group studies the capacity of microalgae to purify air and water, produce energy and biomass and contribute to sustainable…
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Ecochange: Ecosystem dynamics in the Baltic Sea in a changing climate perspective Ecochange is a research programme, which intends to estimate and predict the climate change responses of the Baltic…
Projects
Ongoing projects
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Doctoral project: Mixotrophic cultivation of microalgae for nutrient and CO2 recovery from waste streams Microalgae can efficiently recover nutrient and CO2 from industrial waste streams. Mixotrophic…
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Project: Algoland – Cleaning the air The Algoland project - Cleaning the air finds sustainable solutions to societal challenges. With Linnaeus University at its core, Algoland encompasses a community…
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Project: Algoland – Cleaning the water The Algoland project finds sustainable solutions to societal challenges. With Linnaeus University at its core, Algoland encompasses a community of knowledge from…
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Project: Algoland – Mussel farming and sustainable feed from algae and mussels The Algoland project "Mussel farming and sustainable feed from algae and mussels" finds sustainable solutions to societal…
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Project: Arctic expedition - Synoptic Arctic Survey-SAS Oden 2021 The expedition Synoptic Arctic Survey will take place onboard the Swedish Icebreaker Oden during August-September 2021. The expedition…
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Project: Biogeochemical controls on primary production, primary producer community assemblage, and photic zone methane and nitrous oxide in northern Greenland fjords Global warming has large…
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Project: Exploring the controls of picophytoplankton in the Arctic Ocean Tiny picophytoplankton are important organisms at the base of the Arctic Ocean marine food web. The rapidly changing Arctic…
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Project: Facilitating blue growth with open courses by utilizing R&D products and virtual mobility (FOCUS) FOCUS aims to enable the exchange of knowledge and transfer of good practice from the R&D…
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Project: Kalmarsund Station (K-station) The Kalmarsund Station (K-station) is a coastal sampling station that is used to study the ecology and seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton in the Baltic Sea. The…
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Project: Multi-Use Offshore Platform This project examines the feasibility of developing a pilot-scale multi-use offshore platform (MUOP) at the wind farm nearshore Kårehamn in the Baltic Sea.
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Project: NIPROFEED - unraveling the nitrogen fixation-primary production feedback loop: implications for carbon cycling and oceanic health The NIPROFEED project explores how diazotrophs, microbes that…
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Project: Nutrient uptake by picoplankton in the Arctic Ocean Picoplankton are the smallest photosynthetic organisms in the Arctic Ocean and the base of the food web. To understand how they will be…
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Project: Picocyanobacteria, significant primary producers but largely overlooked players in coastal waters Tiny single-celled photosynthetic bacteria, picocyanobacteria, contribute significantly to…
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Project: Virus control on Baltic Picocyanobacteria Viruses are the most abundant biological entity in marine environments and influence the abundance and evolution of microbes. Here, we explore the…
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Projekt: Marine snow - microorganisms and biological processes on sinking particles in the ocean In the ocean, particles composed of aggregated biological and inorganic material are continuously…
Past projects
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Project: Allelobact The goal of the project is to identify specific mechanisms of action involving allelochemicals in bacterial-algal interactions to understand their role in harmful algal bloom (HAB)…
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Project: Don-Alex Does dissolved organic nitrogen from decaying vegetation fuel toxic dinoflagellate blooms in coastal waters of the Baltic Sea?
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Project: Focusing on Temperature and Salinity Changes in Cyanobacteria Rising water temperatures, due to global warming, has been suggested to be beneficial for phytoplankton, especially…
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Project: Impact of harmful cyanobacteria on coastal fish recruitment In the project CYANOFISH we hypothesize that fish exposed to high levels of cyanobacteria ( (exposed bays) are more tolerant than…
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Project: Population genetics and diversity of aquatic protists across habitats and eukaryotic clades Our team is a member of this network, which aim is to foster collaboration around the Baltic Sea…
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Project: Wetlands, Algae, Biogas (WAB) The project examines the possibility of producing biogas using macroalgae and beach cast.
Staff
Research in action
Kalmar Algae Collection (KAC)
Welcome to Kalmar Algae Collection (KAC) The research group for Marine Phytoplankton Ecology and Applications (MPEA) at Linnaeus University in Kalmar maintains a collection of phytoplankton isolated mostly from the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak.
The cultures are available for purchase to a cost of 1200 SEK (140 €) for non-profit organizations and 1600 SEK (180 €) for profit organizations, shipping costs are NOT included. When ordered the culture will be sent as low cell concentration dilutes in two 10 ml tubes, to ensure the cells arrive in good condition. The tubes are packed with ice and shipped express with TNT or FedEX, to shorten transport time. If the culture is found dead at arrival a new culture will be sent, solely to the cost of shipping.
For more information contact: Fredrik Svensson
phone: +46 (0)480-447344
Email: fredrik.svensson@lnu.se
Teaching
