The marine communities inhabiting our coastal systems are changing in line with climate warming and human pressures. One such example is Atlantic cod. This iconic species in Norway was once abundant in Sørlandet and local people enjoyed fishing and eating this fish during family dinners. However, recent scientific reports evidenced the decline of the natural populations in Agder and the Skagerrak coast. Urgent actions are needed to preserve and rebuild the population.
In this context, I had the opportunity to actively participate in one such local initiative aiming to rebuild fjord cod populations in Agder by adopting a restorative aquaculture approach. Restorsk is a multidisciplinary project lead by Prof. Enrique Blanco Gonzalez at UiA and involving many regional stakeholders concerned about the status of cod in the fjords. As part of this project, I had the opportunity to join the fieldwork activities to monitor the presence and dynamics of cod in the west part of Agder. I participated in the collection of fish samples and environmental data to perform seascape ecology studies. Later on, in the laboratory, I worked preparing the samples for molecular analyses, sorting out the biological material for taxonomic identification and processing the data in the pc. I enjoyed this experience and I am happy to make my small contribution to recover cod populations.