Biology — Arctic Animal Physiology

The Master`s discipline in Arctic animal physiology focuses on physiological adaptations to life at high latitudes in fishes, birds and mammals. Particular emphasis is placed on how these animals cope with the climatic variability, extreme light-dark cycles and large seasonal fluctuations in food availability that are all typical of their environment. Physiological adaptations of diving birds and mammals, which are abundant at high-latitudes, also represents an important topic.

Students will be introduced to and given the opportunity to specialize within many aspects of animal physiology (e.g., chronobiology, endocrinology, reproductive physiology, thermoregulation, nutrition/digestion, cardiovascular physiology), with approaches spanning from studies of molecular and cellular/subcellular mechanisms, to integrative, whole-animal studies that may be conducted in the field or as experimental studies in the laboratory (or as a combination of these). For this purpose, specialized laboratories and approved research animal facilities, where several relevant species of fishes, birds and mammals are maintained, are available.

Admission to the Master`s programme in biology requires a Bachelor`s degree (180 ECTS) in biology or equivalent qualification in biology. An average grade of equivalent to C or better in the Norwegian grading system is required.

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