Polar BiologySemester Course

Program
Environmental Science of the Arctic
Week-Long Study Tour
Iceland or Arctic Norway
Core Course Week Study Tour
Denmark
Major Discipline(s)
Biology, Environmental Science, Sustainability
Type
Core Course
Available
Fall/Spring semester
Credit(s)
3

In this course, gain an understanding of biology of the polar areas, with a special emphasis on the Northern Hemisphere. Learn how organisms of the Polar Regions are evolutionarily adapted to cold terrestrial or marine habitats with strong seasonality. By studying theoretical and practical case studies, gain insight into population dynamics and species richness within Denmark, and of the Arctic regions in Iceland and Norway.

Faculty

Jannik Hansen

DIS Copenhagen Semester Faculty

M.Sc. (Wader/shorebird breeding ecology and behavioural ecology), Dept. of Animal Behaviour, Copenhagen University, 2001. Scientific officer at Arctic Ecosystem Ecology, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University (2004-2021), incl. monitoring field work at Zackenberg Research Station, Northeast Greenland (2005-2021). Project officer (2014- ) for and board member (2007- ) of the International Wader Study Group. Has worked with terrestrial animals, primarily shorebirds, in the field in, Denmark, Sweden, Northeast Greenland, central Norway, and Svalbard.  With DIS since 2021.

Katja Vinding Petersen

DIS Copenhagen Semester Faculty

Ph.D. (Distribution, habitat use, behavior, and sound communication), Zoology Dept., Whale Unit, University of Pretoria, 2016. M.S. (Biology and Didactics), University of Copenhagen, 2007. Research associate at Statens Serum Institute, Denmark (2012-2016). TV presenter at “Physics at sea”, Galathea 3 Expedition (2008). Has worked with marine mammals in the field in, Iceland, Northern Norway, Greenland, and South Africa. Local stranding responsible In the Overstrand Region, South Africa (2010-2012). Founder of the Danish Maine Mammal Society (2003). With DIS since 2019.

ESA - katja vinding petersen

Trine Perlt

DIS Copenhagen Semester Faculty

M.Sc. in Biology, University of Copenhagen. Employed at Dept. of Biology, University of Copenhagen since 2003. Secretary at Polar Science Centre UCPH (2010-2013). Research and teaching interests include Arctic ecosystems (in particular freshwater ecosystems), phytoplankton, and ice algae. Has over the years worked on several large international research projects and monitoring programs concerning climate change in the Arctic (most recently CBMP-freshwater, ARCTIC-BIODIVER, and Greenland Ecosystem Monitoring). With DIS since 2021.