EvoCal
Arctic Marine Evolution: using local adaptation to infer future evolutionary responses of Calanus copepods to a changing environment (EvoCal)
The EvoCal project investigates whether two key copepod species, Calanus finmarchicus and Calanus glacialis, can adapt to future climate change through acclimatization or genetic adaptation. These species are vital to Arctic and North Atlantic food webs.
We study populations along the Norwegian coast—from temperate waters to the High Arctic—by:
- Measuring environmental variability using advanced sensors,
- Mapping genetic population structure with new genomic tools, and
- Testing physiological tolerance to temperature, pH, and salinity.
By combining field data, lab experiments, and evolutionary theory, EvoCal aims to improve predictions of how these species will respond to a changing ocean.