MSc Magnus Andersen

Career

Education:

1988-1991. High School (videregående skole): Realfaglinjen, Hamar Katedralskole.

1991-1994. University of Bergen, Norway (biology, chemistry and mathematics)

1994-1995. University Centre of Svalbard (UNIS). Arctic marine and terrestrial biology, environmental and resource management in the Arctic.

1995 - 1997. University of Tromsø and Norwegian Polar Institute, cand. scient student.

1998. Graduated (cand. scient) in marine biology/zoology (marine mammals) at the University of Tromsø, Norway.

Jobs:

April - October 1999. Scientific assistant at the Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, Norway.

November 1999. Permanent position at the Norwegian Polar Institute. From October 2007 Chief Engineer (biologist) within the Biodiversity Section, Research Department.

References/Bibliography

Papers in peer review journals:

1. Andersen, M., Hjelset, A.M., Gjertz, I., Lydersen, C., and Gulliksen, B. 1999. Growth, age at sexual maturity and condition in bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) from Svalbard, Norway. Polar Biology 21: 179-185

2. Hjelset, A.M., Andersen, M., Gjertz, I., Lydersen, C., and Gulliksen, B. 1999. Feeding habits of bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) from the Svalbard area, Norway. Polar Biology 21: 186-193

3. Andersen, M., Lie, E., Derocher, A.E., Belikov, S.E., Bernhoft, A., Boltunov, A.N., Garner, G.W., Skaare, J.U., Wiig, Ø. 2001. Geographic variation of PCB congeners in polar bears (Ursus maritimus), from Svalbard to the Chukchi Sea. Polar Biology 24: 231-238

4. Derocher, A.E., Wiig, Ø., and Andersen, M. 2002. Diet composition of polar bears in Svalbard and the western Barents Sea. Polar Biology 25: 448-452

5. Carroll, J., Wolkers, H., Andersen, M., and Rissanen, K. 2002. Bioaccumulation of radiocaesium in Arctic seals. Marine Pollution Bulletin 44: 1366-1371

6. Grahl-Nilsen, O., Andersen, M., Derocher, A.E., Kovacs, K.M., Lydersen, C., Wiig, Ø. 2003. Fatty acid composition of the blubber of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and of their prey, ringed seals (Phoca hispida), bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) and harp seals (Phoca groenlandica). Marine Ecology Progress Series 265: 275-282

7. Verreault, J., Gabrielsen, G.W., Chu, S., Muir, D.C.G., Andersen, M., Hamaed, A., and Letcher, R.J. 2005. Brominated Flame Retardants and Hydroxylated Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers two Arctic Top-Predators: Glaucous Gulls and Polar Bears. Environmental Science and Technology 39: 6021-6028

8. Derocher, A.E., Andersen, M. and Wiig, Ø. 2005. Sexual dimorphism in polar bears. Journal of Mammalogy 85: 895-901

9. Bjørn A. Krafft, Kit M. Kovacs, Magnus Andersen, Jon Aars, Christian Lydersen, Torbjørn Ergon, and Tore Haug. 2006. Abundance of ringed seals in the fjords of Spitsbergen, Svalbard, during the moulting period. Marine Mammal Science 22: 394-412

10. Andersen, M., Gwynn, J.P., Dowdall, M., Lydersen, C. and Kovacs K. 2006. Radiocaesium in marine mammals from Svalbard and the Barents and the Greenland Seas. The Science of the Total Environment 363: 87-94

11. Marques TA., Andersen M., Christensen-Dalsgaard S., Belikov S., Boltunov A., Wiig Ø., Buckland ST., and Aars J. 2006. The use of Global Positioning Systems to record distances in a line-transect survey. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 34: 759-763

12. Andersen, M., and Aars, J. 2008. Short-term behavioural response of polar bears to disturbance by snowmobiles. In press, Polar Biology.

13. Andersen, M., Derocher, A.E., Wiig, Ø., and Aars, J. 2008. Movements of two Svalbard polar bears recorded using Geographical Positioning System satellite transmitters. In press, Polar Biology

14. Aars, J., Marques, T. A., Buckland, S. T., Andersen, M., Belikov, S., Boltunov, A. and Wiig, Ø. 2009. Estimating the Barents Sea polar bear subpopulation size. Marine Mammal Science, 25: 35-52 

15. Oksanen, A., Asbakk, K., Prestrud, K. W., Aars, J., Derocher, A. E., Tryland, M., Wiig, Ø., Dubey, J. P., Sonne, C., Dietz, R., Andersen, M., and Born, E. W. (2009). Prevalence of antibodies against toxoplasma gondii in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard and East Greenland. Journal of Parasitology, 95: 89-94 

16. RW Chesney, GE Hedberg, QR Rogers, ES Dierenfeld, BE Hollis, A Derocher and M Andersen. 2009. Does taurine deficiency cause metabolic bone disease and rickets in polar bear cubs raised in captivity? Taurine 7: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 643: 325-331

17. Christensen-Dalsgaard, S.N., Aars, J., Andersen, M., Lockyer, C., G. Yoccoz, N.G. 2010. Accuracy and precision in estimation of age of Norwegian Arctic polar bears (Ursus maritimus) using dental cement layers from known-age individuals. Polar Biology 33: 589-597

18. Glad, T., Bernhardsen, P., Nielsen, K.M., Brusetti, L., Andersen, M., Aars, J., Sundset, M.A. 2010. Bacterial diversity in faeces from polar bear (Ursus maritimus) in Arctic Svalbard. BMC Microbiology 2010, 10:10, doi:10.1186/1471-2180-10-10

19. Derocher, A.E., Andersen, M., Wiig, Ø. and Aars, J. 2010. Sexual dimorphism and the mating ecology of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) at Svalbard. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 64: 939-946

20. Hedberg, G.E., Derocher, A.E., Andersen, M., Rogers, Q.R., DePeters, E.J., Lonnerdal, B., Mazzaro, L., Chesney, R.W., Hollis, B. 2011. Milk composition in free-ranging polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard, Norway as a model for captive rearing milk formula. Zoo Biology 29: 1–16

21. Derocher, A.E., Andersen, M., Wiig, Ø., Aars, J., Hansen, E., and Biuw, M. 2011. Sea ice and polar bear den ecology at Hopen Island, Svalbard, Norway. Marine Ecology Progress Series 441: 273-279

22. Andersen, M., Derocher, A.E., Wiig, Ø., Aars, J. 2011. Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) maternity den distribution in Svalbard, Norway. DOI 10.1007/s00300-011-1094-y Polar Biology

23. Freitas, C., Kovacs, K.M., Andersen, M., Aars, J., Sandven, S., Mauritzen, M., Pavlova, O., Lydersen, C. 2012. Importance of fast ice and glacier fronts for female polar bears and their cubs during spring in Svalbard, Norway. Marine Ecology Progress Series 447:289-304

Correspondence in peer review journals:

1. Grahl-Nielsen O, Andersen M, Derocher AE, Lydersen C, Wiig Ø, Kovacs KM. Reply to Comment on Grahl-Nielsen et al. (2004): sampling, data treatment and predictions in investigations on fatty acids in marine mammals. MEPS 281:303-306

Reports and working documents:

1. Lydersen, C., Krafft, B., Andersen, M., & Kovacs, K. 2002. Marine Mammals in the Bellsund – Van Mijenfjord – Van Keulenfjord –area. New investigations and status of knowledge. Norsk Polarinstitutt Rapportserier 121. 36 pp.

2. A.E.Derocher, Ø. Wiig, M. Andersen, D. Vongraven, M. Ekker. 2002. Polar bear research and management in Norway 1997 – 2001. In: Lunn, Nicholas J., Schliebe, Scott and Born, Erik W. (2002). Polar Bears: Proceedings of the 13th Working Meeting of the IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group, Nuuk, Greenland. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Vii + 153pp.

3. Bjørn A. Krafft, Christian Lydersen, Magnus Andersen, Kit M. Kovacs. 2004. Aerial survey of ringed and bearded seals in Van Mijen and Van Keulenfjorden, June 2003. Norsk Polarinstitutt Internrapport 16. 17 pp.

4. Gwynn, J., Andersen, M., Fuglei, E., Lind, B., Dowdall, M., Lydersen, C., Kovacs, K. Radionuclides in Marine and Terrestrial Mammals of Svalbard. StrålevernRapport 2005:7. Østerås: Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, 2005.

5. Krafft, B.A.. Kovacs, K.M., Ergon, T., Andersen, M., Aars, J., Haug, T. and Lydersen, C. 2005. Abundance of ringed seals (Pusa hispida) in the fjords of Spitsbergen, Svalbard, during the peak molting period. NAMMCO Scientific Committee Meeting, Reine, Lofoten, Norway, 25-27 October 2005. SC/13/16. 34 pp.

6. Andersen, M. and Aars, J. 2005. Behavioural response of polar bears to disturbance by snowmobiles. Norsk Polarinstitutt Kortrapport/Brief Report Series 2, 12 pp

7. J. Aars, A.E. Derocher, M. Andersen, D. Vongraven, M. Ekker, Ø. Wiig, 2006. Polar bear management and research in Norway 2001–2005.In: Aars J, Lunn NJ, Derocher AE (2006). Polar Bears: Proceedings of the 14th Working Meeting of the IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group, 20–24 June 2005, Seattle, Washington, USA. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

8. Born, E.W., Dietz, R., Wiig, Ø., Aars, J. & Andersen, M. 2009. Polar bear Ursus maritimus. Pp. 91-100 in Boertmann, D., Mosbech, A., Schiedek, D. & Johansen, K. (eds) 2009. The western Greenland Sea. A preliminary strategic environmental impact assessment of hydrocarbon activities in the KANUMAS East area. – NERI Technical report no. 719. 246 pp

9. Aars, J., Derocher, A. E., Jenssen, B. M., Andersen, M. & Wiig, Ø. 2010. Polar bear research in Norway 2005-2009. Pages 157-164 in M.E. Obbard, G.W. Thiemann, E. Peacock, and T.D. DeBruyn (eds.) Polar Bears: Proceedings of the 15th Working Meeting of the IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group, Copenhagen, Denmark, 29 June–3 July 2009. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

International conferences:

1. Andersen, M., Hjelset, A.M., Gjertz, I., Lydersen, C., and Gulliksen, B. 1998. Growth, age at sexual maturity and condition in bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) from Svalbard, Norway. World Mar. Mammal Sci. Conf., Monaco, 20-24 Jan. 1998. p 4. (Poster)

2. Hjelset, A.M., Andersen, M., Gjertz, I., Lydersen, C., and Gulliksen, B. 1998. Feeding habits of bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) from the Svalbard area, Norway. World Mar. Mammal Sci. Conf., Monaco, 20-24 Jan. 1998. p 64. (Poster)

3. Andersen, M., Lie, E., Belikov, S.E., Boltunov, A.N., Derocher, A.E., Garner, G.W., Skaare, J.U., Wiig, Ø. 1999. Geographic variation of selected PCB congeners in polar bears (Ursus maritimus), from Svalbard to the Chukchi Sea. The 13th Bien. Conf. Biol. Mar. Mamm., Hawaii, 29.Nov.-3.Des. 1999. P 5. (Poster)

4. Derocher, A.E., Andersen, M., Grahl-Nilsen, O., Kovacs, K.M., Lydersen, C., Wiig, Ø. 2001. Fatty acid composition of the blubber of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and of their prey, ringed seals (Phoca hispida), bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) and harp seals (Phoca groenlandica). The 14th Bien. Conf. Biol. Mar. Mamm., Vancouver 28. Nov.-3 Dec. 2001. p 57. (Poster)

5. Mauritsen, M., Andersen, M., Belikov, S.E., Boltunov, A.N., Derocher. A.E., Hansen, E., Ims, R.A., Pavlova, O., Wiig, O., Yoccoz, N.G. 2001. Relating polar bear ecology to the dynamics of sea ice. The 14th Bien. Conf. Biol. Mar. Mamm., Vancouver 28. Nov.-3 Dec. 2001. p 138. (Poster)

6. Carroll, J., Wolkers, H., Andersen, M., Rissanen, K. 2002. Radionuclides in Harp, Bearded, and Ringed Seals from Svalbard. AMAP 1-4 October 2002, Rovaniemi, Finland. (Poster)

7. Halvorsen, A-K., Derocher, A.E., Andersen, M., Kovacs, K.M., Lydersen, C., Wiig, Ø. & Grahl-Nielsen, O. 2002: Fatty-acid composition in the blubber of polar bears. 15th Norwegian Symposium of Chromatography, Sandefjord, Norway 6th-8th January.

8. Andersen, M., Goodwin, H., and Aars, J. 2003. GPS-collars: a new tool in polar bear satellite telemetry. The 15th Bien. Conf. Biol. Mar. Mamm. Greensboro, North Carolina, Dec. 14.-19. 2003 (Poster).

9. Krafft, B.A., Lydersen, C., Andersen, M., Haug, T. and Kovacs, K. M. 2003. An aerial survey of ringed seals in Svalbard, Norway, using digital photography The 15th Bien. Conf. Biol. Mar. Mamm. Greensboro, North Carolina, Dec. 14.-19. 2003 (Poster).

10. Aars, J., Andersen, M., Belikov, S.E., Boltunov, A.N., Buckland, S., Marques, T., and Wiig, Ø. 2004. The Barents Sea polar bear (Ursus maritimus) population size estimated by line transects. Marine Mammals of the Holarctic, Koktebel, Ukraine, October 11.-17. 2004. p 19-20 (Spoken presentation)

11. Jonathan Verreault, Shaogang Chu, Robert J. Letcher, Derek C.G. Muir, Magnus Andersen, Ahmad Hamaed, and Geir W. Gabrielsen. 2005. Flame Retardants and Methoxylated and Hydroxylated PBDEs in two Norwegian Arctic Top–Predators: Glaucous Gulls and Polar Bears. Brominated Flame Retardant workshop, Gaithersburg (Maryland, USA) June 13-15, 2005 (Poster).

12. Gwynn J.P., Andersen M., Dowdall M., Lydersen C. and Kovacs K.M. Cesium-137 in Marine Mammals from Svalbard and the Barents and Greenland Seas. In: The 2nd International Conference on Radioactivity in the Environment & the 6th International Conference on Environmental Radioactivity in the Arctic and Antarctic, Nice 2nd to 6th October 2005 (Extended Abstracts).

13. Andersen, M., and Aars, J. Behavioural responses of polar bears to disturbance by snowmobiles. The 16th Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Diego, USA, December 2005

14. Aars, Jon; Andersen, Magnus; Belikov, Stanislav; Boltunov, Andrei; Buckland, Stephen T.; Marques, Tiago A.; Wiig, Øystein. Using line transects to estimate the size of the Polar Bear population in the Barents Sea area.. The 16th Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Diego, USA, December 2005

15. Magnus Andersen, Øystein Wiig, Andrew E. Derocher and Jon Aars Activity patterns of female polar bears (Ursus maritimus) inferred from satellite telemetry motion sensors. Marine Mammal Science Conference, Cape Town, December 2007

16. Bytingsvik, Jenny, Aars, Jon, Andersen, Magnus, Jenssen, Bjørn M. LEVELS OF CLINICAL PLASMA PROTEINS AND ENZYMES IN SVALBARD POLAR BEARS (Ursus maritimus). Marine Mammal Science Conference, Cape Town, December 2007 17. Aars, Jon, Andersen, Magnus, Fedak, Mike. Swimming and diving behavior of female polar bears. Marine Mammal Science Conference, Cape Town, December 2007

17. Aars, J., Andersen, M., Fedak, M. Swimming and diving behavior of female polar bears. 17th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Cape Town, December 2007 (Poster)

18. Glad, T., Bernhardsen, P., Nielsen, K.M., Brusetti, L., Andersen, M., Aars, J., and Sundset, M.A. Microbial diversity and antibiotic resistant bacteria in faeces from polar bear. The 12th International Symposium on Microbial, Cairns, Australia, August 17‑22, 2008 (Poster)

19. Aars, J., Andersen, M., Fedak, M., Hunter, C. Tags revealing swimming, diving and survival in polar bears. Biologging III Conference, Monterey September 2008 (Poster)

20. Dietz, R., Rigét, F., Forchammer, M., Sonne, C., Aubail, A., Born, E., Letcher, R., McKinney, M., Muir, D., Bossi, R., Aars, J., Andersen, M., Wiig, Ø., Caurant, F., Grandjean, P. Contaminant linkages to climate parameters in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Greenland and Svalbard. ArcticNet conference, Quebec City, Canada, 9-12 Dec 2008 (Spoken presentation)

21. Dietz, R., Rigét, F., Forchammer, M., Sonne, C., Aubail, A., Born, E., Aars, J., Andersen, M., Wiig, Ø., Skaare, J.U., Basu, N., Grandjean, P. Temporal and geographical trends of Hg in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) hair linked to health effect levels and climate change parameters. Hg conference, China, June 2009 (Poster presentation)

22. Andersen, M., Derocher, A.E., Wiig, Ø. and Aars, J. Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) maternity denning in Svalbard, Norway. 18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Quebec City, Canada October 2009 (Poster)

23. Dietz, R., Rigét, FF., Forchhammer, MC, Sonne, C., Aubail, A., Born, E.W., Aars, J., Andersen, M., Wiig, Ø., Skaare, JU, Basu, N., Drimmei, R., Grandjean, P. Spatio-temporal trends of Hg in polar bear (Ursus maritimus) hair from Greenland and Svalbard linked to climate change parameters and stable isotopes. The IPY Oslo Science Conference 2010, Oslo (Spoken presentation)

24. Andersen, M., Derocher, A.E., Wiig, Ø. and Aars, J. Denning ecology of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in Svalbard, Norway, and the effect of sea ice change. Marine Mammals of the Holarctic, Kaliningrad, Russia, October 11.-15.2010 (Spoken presentation)

25. Andersen, M. and Aars, J. Polar bears in Svalbard, Norway: population biology and linkages to contaminants, human disturbance and sea ice changes. 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Tampa, Florida, USA November 2011 (Poster presentation).

Other publications:

1. Andersen, M. 1998. Growth, age at sexual maturity and condition in bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) from Svalbard. Hovedfagsoppgave, Norges Fiskerihøgskole, Universitetet i Tromsø.

2. Zeyl, E., Aars, J., Andersen, M., Ehrich, D., Bachmann, L., Wiig, Ø. Different space-use strategies do not lead to genetic subdivision of the Barents Sea polar bear population. In: Eve Zeyl. 2010. Population genetics of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) PhD Thesis, University of Oslo, Norway

Field reports (not published):

1. Andersen, M. og Strøm, H. 2001. Feltrapport fra overvåkningsprogram på sjøfugl, Vest Spitsbergen sommeren 2001. NP Upublisert feltrapport.

2. Bjørn A. Krafft, Magnus Andersen, Ludvig Krag, Morten W. Riser, Brage Hansen, Pernilla Hansson and Tommy Sandal (2001). A census of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) in Adventdalen, Svalbard, during the summer of 2001. NP Unpublished report, 4. September 2001.

3. Andersen, M. og Hjelset, AM. 2002. Feltrapport – Overvåking av sjøfugl på Fuglehuken, Ossian Sars og Ingeborgfjellet 2002. NP Upublisert feltrapport.

4. Andersen, M. og Hjelset, AM. 2003. Feltrapport – Overvåking av sjøfugl på Fuglehuken og i Ossian Sarsfjellet 2003. NP Upublisert feltrapport.

5. Andersen, M. og Hjelset, AM. 2004. Feltrapport – Overvåking av sjøfugl på Fuglehuken og i Ossian Sarsfjellet 2004. NP Upublisert feltrapport.