Our employees are constantly working on providing and performing the best solutions for a given task in the field. Assignments are carried out by advisers, researchers, technicians, industrial divers and laboratory staff – depending on the scope of the assignment. We strive to always be involved in the latest research, and we contribute to developing different technical equipment to meet the necessary requirements. For example, this applies to tasks related to data collection, ethics concerning animal management, safety and efficiency. We have participated in many international projects and through these have acquired special competencies and the necessary certification to perform tasks within passive acoustic monitoring, monitoring from aircraft and boats, tagging and much more.
Aircraft are used in several surveillance projects. We do not have our own pilots, but we have a good working relationship with several external pilots. We are in the air when searching for tags on marine mammals. Situational images from the seals ' haul out sites can be used to count populations.
Aircrafts are also used for air counts of migratory birds, see e.g.: https://novana.au.dk/fugle/.
We have a number of employees with extensive experience in scuba diving. For example, dives are performed on stone reefs, either as part of the monitoring, as part of nature restoration projects or in connection with other projects that document the ecological features of the reefs. Here, competencies within the taxonomy of macroalgae and hard bottom fauna are important.
Among other things, we have developed special trapping methods for seals and free-swimming porpoises, and we are experts in tagging the animals using different methods, e.g. rods, arm breasts, rifles and manual tagging. For example, we carry out acoustic monitoring of marine mammals and investigate of marine mammals’ reaction to underwater noise. We use underwater microphones (hydrophones) and acoustic data loggers, such as T-PODs, C-PODs, Wildlife Acoustics SM2M + and SM3M broadband loggers and Soundtraps. The setup depends on the environment, where the sounds are to be recorded, and the project in question. This is why we sometimes use devices with acoustic releasers and small sandbags, and at other times we use large setups with 500-700 kg large anchor systems with buoys to keep the equipment in the desired position.
GPS marking is carried out, for example, with the aim of quantifying the movement patterns of terrestrial mammals. In a recent project, a group of red deer were tagged with collars to map their movement. Read more about the project here.
Several projects involved catching and ringing of birds. We are experienced in various methods of trapping and many different types of tagging. For many years, we have been trapping geese using large nets that are shot or dragged out over the birds. Other species are caught in different types of traps, or they are tagged before they become fledglings.
The birds can be tagged with GPS transmitters, data loggers, colour rings or traditional metal rings. The marking method is selected according to the purpose of the marking. GPS transmitters provide detailed information about the migratory movements of birds and their use of the landscape, while colour and metal tagging is more suitable for long-term studies, for example if you want to estimate survival in a population over a number of years.
AlgeCenter Danmark is a platform for research, dissemination and business collaboration regarding the cultivation and use of seaweed as a new sustainable bio-resource. AlgeCenter Danmark is a collaboration between Aarhus University, the Danish Technological Institute and the Kattegat Centre.
AlgeCenter Danmark has a land-based cultivation facility with 12 tanks of 2 m3 and a 20-hectare seaweed cultivation area in Kattegat near Grenå. Each year, the centre hosts the Nordic Seaweed Conference, where approximately 100 international participants from research, business and public authorities exchange knowledge and knowledge needs with the common goal of creating momentum in the production and use of seaweed for food, feed and high-value products, and as a marine tool to counteract eutrophication and climate change.
