I am a marine biologist working on phytoplankton and sea ice algae. These organisms form the base of marine food webs and are therefore important to study and monitor. I combine bio-optical and ecological approaches in the attempt to better understand primary production and consequences of the rapid environmental changes happening in the polar areas. These areas still have large knowledge gaps.

My research is mainly based on field work and ship-based observations, but I am also interested in autonomous monitoring possibilities, like gliders and ice-tethered buoys (in addition to satellite remote sensing). These applications are becoming increasingly important in ice-covered seas, complementing traditional data collection, which is logistically challenging.

I am originally from Finland, but I live in Tromsø, northern Norway, working at the Norwegian Polar Institute. My PhD work was based on a multidisciplinary drift study of the Arctic pack ice region north of Svalbard (www.npolar.no/n-ice2015).

I am starting a post doc on Southern Ocean biological oceanography, including a research cruise to the coast of Dronning Maud Land in March-April 2019. Besides being fascinated by the vast and beautiful polar areas, I love touring the North Norwegian nature with my husband on skis, hiking boots or kayak.

You can find out more about me and my research at:

Website: hannakauko.wordpress.com

Twitter: @HannaKauko  

PhD thesis: “Light response and acclimation of microalgae in a changing Arctic” https://brage.bibsys.no/xmlui/handle/11250/2566401

My publications include the follow open access articles:

Kauko, Hanna M, L.M. Olsen, P. Duarte, I. Peeken, M.A. Granskog, G. Johnsen, M. Fernández-Méndez, A.K. Pavlov, C.J. Mundy, and P. Assmy. (2018) “Algal colonization of young Arctic sea ice in spring.” Frontiers in Marine Science 5:199. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2018.00199. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00199/full.

Kauko, Hanna M, T. Taskjelle, P. Assmy, A. Pavlov, C.J. Mundy, P. Duarte, M. Fernández-Méndez, L.M. Olsen, S.R. Hudson, G. Johnsen, A. Elliott, F. Wang, M.A. Granskog. (2017) “Windows in Arctic sea ice – light transmission and ice algae in a refrozen lead.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 122(6): 1486–1505. doi:10.1002/2016JG003626. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016JG003626.

(Photo taken by Ole Patrick Larsen and provided by Hanna Kauko)

Published by Women in the Arctic and Antarctic