Meet the Team
The NorsKelp team is a group of international scientists dedicated to advancing our understanding of Norwegian kelp forests. We focus on quantifying the importance, status and threats to kelp forests to inform sustainable management and conservation strategies
Professor
Thomas Wernberg
Senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research and Professor of Marine Botany at UWA, Thomas's primary research interests are ecological interactions in temperate seaweed-dominated habitats including kelp forests and the impact of environmental change on these ecosystems.
Professor
Sissel Rogne
Former Director of the Institute of Marine Research (2016-2021), Sissel was previously Director of the Biotechnology Council and has worked for ten years in medical research and ten years in agricultural and aquaculture research. She is a cell biologist with a PhD in molecular genetics. Sissel has extensive experience from boards and councils in research and development, both nationally and internationally.
Dr
Henning Steen
Researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, Henning's work focuses on mapping and monitoring kelp forests in Norway and assessing the impacts of harvesting. He is also experienced in mapping eelgrass and cod spawning areas, as well as conducting life cycle studies and cultivating sugar kelp.
Dr
Sophie Corrigan
Postdoctoral researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, Sophie's work focuses on assessing the environmental impacts of the seaweed harvesting and farming industries to increase sustainability and mitigate negative effects on biodiversity.
Dr
Hannah Earp
Postdoctoral researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, Hannah's research interests are the structure of kelp forest ecosystems and how they are changing in response to climate and human stressors, alongside developing/testing restoration techniques.
Dr
Karen Filbee-Dexter
Researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research and Australian Research Council Future Fellow at UWA’s School of Biological Sciences, Karen is a marine ecologist studying the drivers and patterns of long-term change in coastal ecosystems. Her expertise centers on carbon cycling by kelp forests and restoration approaches.