Academic Staff

Bjarni Kristófer Kristjánsson
Professor
bjakk(at)holar.is
Camille Leblanc
Associate Professor
​camille(at)holar.is
​David Benhaim
Professor
benhaim(at)holar.is
Einar Svavarsson
Assistant Professor
einsi(at)holar.is
​Paul Debes
Assistant Professor
​debes(at)holar.is
Helgi Thorarensen
Professor
Helgi(at)holar.is
​Skúli Skúlason
Professor
​skuli(at)holar.is
Ólafur I. Sigurgeirsson
Assistant Professor
​olisig(at)holar.is
Stefán Óli Steingrímsson
Professor
​Head of the department
stefan(at)holar.is

Technical & support Staff

Ástríður Einarsdóttir
Project manager
​astridure(at)holar.is
Kári H. Árnason
Station Manager
​kariheidar(at)holar.is
Rakel Þorbjörnsdóttir
In charge of the laboratory & research technician
​rath(at)holar.is
Stephen Price
In charge of the aquaculture research facility & 
​research technician
price(at)holar.is
Guðmundur Björnsson
Research technician
​gummi(at)holar.is
Jóhann Finnur Sigurjónsson
Research technican
johann(at)holar.is

Postdoctoral Researchers

​Name: Jake Goodall  

From: Australia 
 
​Study: Postdoctoral, University of Iceland and Hólar University 
​

​Project: Evolution and regulation of color polymorphism in the subtidal gastropod, Buccinum undatum
Name: Joe Phillips

From: United States

Study: Postdoctoral, Hólar University, Ewag/ETH-Zurich (Switzerland), and University of Wisconsin-Madison (United States)

Project: Ecological and evolutionary dynamics of threespine sticklebacks in Lake Myvatn
​
Name: Kasha Strickland

From: United Kingdom

Study: Postdoctoral, Hólar University, Eawag/ETH-Zurich (Switzerland) and University of Iceland

​
Project: ECO-EVO-DEVO dynamics of biodiversity - Mývatn threespine stickleback as a model
​

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Masters students

Name: Ben Andrews
 
From: Canada 
 
Study: MSc in Aquatic Biology, Hólar University in collaboration with the University of New Brunswick
 
Project: "Comparison of Diel Activity and Growth in Three Species of Stream-Dwelling Salmonids'".
 
Advisor: Stefán Óli Steingrímsson

​
Name: Friðþjófur Árnason
 
From: Iceland
 
Study: MSc in Aquatic Biology, Hólar University, in collaboration with the Marine and Freshwater Institute.
 
Project: "Density-dependent growth in juvenile stream-dwelling salmonids in Iceland".
 
Advisor: Stefán Óli Steingrímsson
Name: Krystal Mannion
​
From: United States of America
 
Study: MSc in Aquatic Biology, Hólar University 
 
Project: "Diel activity in Arctic charr: Phenotypic and ecological determinants". Specifically, my thesis focuses the role of intraspecific competition (i.e. food availability), and individual differences in behavior, on diel activity and foraging patterns of juvenile Arctic charr. 
 
Advisor:  Stefán Óli Steingrímsson
Name: Leanne Alicia Morris Bennett
 
From: District-Spanish Town,
St Catherine, Jamaica

Study:  Aquatic Biology, M.S

Project: Investigating a specific area of the marine aquatic environment of Bowden Bay Saint Thomas Jamaica for indigenous microalgae ideal for feeding Mangrove Oyster Crassostrea Rhizophorae spat under hatchery conditions.
 
Advisor: David Benhaim
 
Name: Margrét Thorsteinsson

From: Iceland

Study: M.Sc. in Aquatic Biology, in collaboration with the University of Iceland's Research Centre of the Westfjords and the Westfjords Iceland Nature Research Centre.

Project: "Habitat dynamics of wild anadromous Arctic charr and brown trout in Iceland, and the potential association with salmon lice infection."
​
Advisors: Stefán Óli Steingrímsson and Guðbjörg Ásta Ólafsdóttir
​
Name: Michael Galloway
 
From: United States of America
 
Study: MSc in Aquatic Biology, Hólar University 
 
Project: "Diel activity in Arctic charr: Phenotypic and ecological determinants". Specifically, my Masters thesis will focus on metabolic rates as a "predictor" of diel activity; linking metabolic rate (and scope) to daily activity of arctic charr in a semi-natural, stream environment. 
 
Advisor: Stefán Óli Steingrímsson
 
Name: Ragna Guðrún Snorradóttir

From: Iceland

Study: MSc in Aquatic Biology, Hólar University

Project: "How the diet differs between individual threespine sticklebakcs in lake Mývatn and how it affects morphology and gill rakers." Also looking at how food availability can differ between stations in the lake. 

Advisor: Bjarni K. Kristjánsson
Name: Spencer William Edwards

From: United States of America

Study: MSc in Aquatic Biology, Hólar University

Project: "Assessing Parental Effects in Mývatn stickleback: Ontogeny, Morphology, and Behavior

Advisor: Bjarni K. Kristjánsson

Doctoral students

Name: Alessandra Schnider

From: Switzerland
 
​Study:  PhD, University of Iceland
 and Hólar University 

​Project: ECO-EVO-DEVO dynamics of biodiversity - Mývatn threespine stickleback as a model

Advisors: Bjarni Kristófer Kristjánsson at Hólar University and Zophonías Jónsson at University of Iceland
​
Name: Bethany Smith 

From: United Kingdom 
 
​Study: Postdoctoral, Hólar University and University of Glasgow

​Project: Evolution and phenotypic plasticity in gene expression in Icelandic geothermal sticklebacks(Gasterosteus aculeatus)
​



​
Name: Christian Beuvard

From: France

Study: PhD student from the University of Iceland

​Project: "The effect of different parameters (oxygen, CO2 and temperature) on growth and metabolism in Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus". 

Advisor: Helgi Thorarensen
​
Name: Dan Govoni

From: United States of America

Study:  PhD , University of Iceland
 and Hólar University
​
Project: Surface and subsurface community and food web dynamics across a thermal gradient in Icelandic streams.
​
Advisor: Bjarni K. Kristjánsson
​
Name: Marion Dellinger

From: France

Study: PhD, University of Iceland
 and Hólar University

Project: The evolution of spatial cognition in the Arctic charr (CharrCO).
​
Advisor: David Benhaïm
​
Name: Rosanne Beukeboom

From: The Netherlands

Study: PhD, University of Iceland

​Project:  The correlation between personality and movement in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus)
​
Advisor: David Benhaïm
Name: Safina Musa

From: Kenya 

Study: PhD 


Project: Effects of feeding rates and fertilazation on water quality dynamics, growth and economic performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). 


​
Advisor: Helgi Thorarensen
Name: Sigurður Árnason

From: Iceland

Study: PhD, University of Iceland
 and Hólar University

Project: Studying the fine scale ecological drivers of phenotypic diversity in populations of Small Benthic Arctic Charr from spring fed streams, ponds, caves, and hydroelectric reservoirs throught the volcanically active zone of Iceland.
​
Advisor: Bjarni K. Kristjánsson
Former Graduate Students ​
​
PhD
2020 - Hildur Magnúsdóttir, University of Iceland 
2020 - Agnes-Katharina Kreiling, University of Iceland 
2019 – Samantha Victoria Beck, University of Iceland
2017 - Godfrey K. Kubiriza, University of Iceland
2016 - Nicolas Larranaga, University of Iceland 
2014 – Antone Millet, University of Iceland


​M.Sc. 
2021 - Amber Monroe, Hólar University
2021 - Joris Philip, Hólar University
2019 - Eva Dögg Jóhannesdóttir. Hólar University
2018  - Marlene Kundruhn, University of Cologne Germany
2018 - Doriane Combot, Hólar University
2016 - Coralie Delarue, Hólar University
2015 - Jónína Herdís Ólafsdóttir, Hólar University
2015 - Jóhann Garðar Þorbjörnsson, Hólar University
2014 - Amy Fingerle, Hólar University 
2013 - Filipe A.M. De Figueired, Hólar University
2013 - Sarah J. Kennedy, University Centre of the Westfjords
​2012 - Soizic NLM Le Deuff, Hólar University
2012 - Tamara Diethelm, ETH, Switzerland
2011 - Mathew Stephen Seymour, Hólar University
2011 - Daniel P. Govoni, Hólar University
2010 - Andrea Koopmans, ETH, Switzerland
2010 - Mike Senn, University of Zurich
2009 - Guðmundur S. Gunnarsson, University of Iceland
2008 - Tyler D. Tunney, University of Iceland