Mari Heggernes Eilertsen is a researcher at the Department of Biological Sciences where she leads the CBE Arctic Team, which is part of the Deep-Sea Biology research group and associated to the Centre for Deep Sea Research. Eilertsen studies animals living in chemosynthesis-based ecosystems, such as hydrothermal vents, cold seeps and organic falls in the deep sea. These ecosystems have a high degree of specialized oranisms that are not found elsewhere, and may thus be particularly sensitive to impacts from human activities. Eilertsens research includes describing new species, biogeography and genetic connectivity, evolutionary history and adaptation.

In 2024 Eilertsen was awarded a research project on "Worm forest ecosystems in Arctic hydrothermal vents and cold seeps" (WormFEST) from the Research Council of Norway (FRIPRO program). Since 2020, Eilertsen has been managing the project "Vent & Seep Fauna in Norwegian Waters", funded by the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre. The project aims to provide taxonomically updated species lists from hydrothermal vents and cold seeps in the Norwegian deep sea, and DNA barcodes from the registered species. Eilertsen is also work package leader for connectivity in the competence building project EcoSafe, which aims to fill critical knowledge gaps to understand potential environmental impacts of deep sea mining.

Eilertsen is dedicated to communicating knowledge about life in the deep sea, both to deciton makers and to the general public. The last years she has contributed to several consultation inputs related to national processes on marine protected areas and the opening process for deep sea mining, and she also co-authored a scientific background document decribing the natural environment around the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge. 

One example of outreach activites for the general public was OPPLEV Marineholmen in April 2022, where Eilertsen and colleagues from the Centre for Deep Sea Research had a stand with an interactive simulation of deep sea ROV-sampling (see blogpost on OPPLEV Marineholmen here).

At the moment, Eilertsen teaches in the courses BIO212 - Marine community ecology og BIO318 - Current geobiological topics, and in addition she contributes to the field course in faunistics in BIO325 - Ocean Science.

Eilertsen has previously taught in several other courses at the Department of Biological Sciences, for example BIO101 and BIO102 (Organism biology 1 og 2), BIO300B - Biostatistics and BIO232 - Systematic zoology.

2024

• Eilertsen, Mari Heggernes; Kongsrud, Jon Anders; Tandberg, Anne Helene S. et al. (2024). Diversity, habitat endemicity and trophic ecology of the fauna of Loki’s Castle vent field on the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge. (external link)
• Ramirez-Llodra, Eva; Meyer, Heidi Kristina; Bluhm, Bodil Annikki Ulla Barbro et al. (2024). The emerging picture of a diverse deep Arctic Ocean seafloor: From habitats to ecosystems. (external link)

2023

• Panieri, Giuliana; Argentino, Claudio; Ramalho, Sofia P. et al. (2023). An Arctic natural oil seep investigated from space to the seafloor. (external link)

2022

• Ramirez-Llodra, Eva; Argentino, Claudio; Baker, Maria et al. (2022). Hot Vents Beneath an Icy Ocean: The Aurora Vent Field, Gakkel Ridge, Revealed. (external link)

2020

• Eilertsen, Mari Heggernes; Dahlgren, Thomas Gunnar; Rapp, Hans Tore (2020). A New Species of Osedax (Siboglinidae: Annelida) From Colonization Experiments in the Arctic Deep Sea. (external link)

2018

• Eilertsen, Mari Heggernes; Georgieva, Magdalena N.; Kongsrud, Jon Anders et al. (2018). Genetic connectivity from the Arctic to the Antarctic: Sclerolinum contortum and Nicomache lokii (Annelida) are both widespread in reducing environments. (external link)
• Alvizu, Adriana; Eilertsen, Mari Heggernes; Xavier, Joana R. et al. (2018). Increased taxon sampling provides new insights into the phylogeny and evolution of the subclass Calcaronea (Porifera, Calcarea). (external link)

2017

• Eilertsen, Mari Heggernes; Kongsrud, Jon Anders; Alvestad, Tom et al. (2017). Do ampharetids take sedimented steps between vents and seeps? Phylogeny and habitat-use of Ampharetidae (Annelida, Terebelliformia) in chemosynthesis-based ecosystems. (external link)
• Queirós, José Pedro; Ravara, Ascensao; Eilertsen, Mari Heggernes et al. (2017). Paramytha ossicola sp. nov. (Polychaeta, Ampharetidae) from mammal bones: reproductive biology and population structure. (external link)

2016

• Kongsrud, Jon Anders; Eilertsen, Mari Heggernes; Alvestad, Tom et al. (2016). New species of Ampharetidae (Annelida: Polychaeta) from the Arctic Loki Castle vent field. (external link)

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.