Karl Lundström

PhD from University of Gothenburg, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences 2012. PhD-thesis title: Assessment of dietary patterns and prey consumption of marine mammals: Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Baltic Sea.

Provides biological support to the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency regarding seal management and ecosystem-based management of seal populations and fish stocks, 2021-2022. Project leader.

Develops methods for assessments of predator-prey interactions and monitoring of marine mammals and seabirds.

Member in The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Working group on marine mammal ecology (WGMME), and in Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) Expert group on marine mammals (EG MAMA).

Research interests

• Ecology of aquatic top predators
• Predator-prey dynamics
• Interactions between fish-eating mammals, seabirds and fish stocks and fisheries
• Development of methodologies for dietary assessments and monitoring of marine mammals and seabirds
• Ecosystem-based management

Research projects

Scandinavian harbour seal research network. Nordic Council of Ministers. 2022-2023. Main applicant and project leader.

DS-BOTH: From ecosystem modelling to Decision Support for fisheries and marine wildlife management in the Gulf of Bothnia. Formas research grant. 2022-2025. Main applicant: Valerio Bartolino.

Next generation metabarcoding for environmental and dietary DNA. Formas research grant. 2022-2024. Main applicant: Alexander Eiler.

Ringed seal impact on fish and fish stock assessments. European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. 2019-2022. Main applicant and project leader.

Can harbour seals prevent a recovery of the cod stock in Kattegat? European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. 2019-2023. Main applicant and project leader.

The role of harbour seals and great cormorants in marine protected areas in the Skagerrak. European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. 2020-2022. Work package leader. Main applicant: Stenungsunds kommun.

The invasive round goby in the southern Baltic Sea: Distribution and ecosystem impact. European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, 2019-2022. Main applicant and project leader.

PhD students
Tverin, M. 2020. Helsinki University. Factors affecting the fatty acid profile of adipose tissues used to assess individual dietary history of grey seals and great cormorants in the Baltic Sea. Assistant supervisor. Published in: Dissertationes Scholae Doctoralis Ad Sanitatem Investigandam Universitatis Helsinkiensis, No. 40/2020.

Wallin Kihlberg, I. Ongoing. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). Ecological effects and local adaptations of invasive species. Assistant supervisor. Ongoing.

Graduate students
Arnet, G. 2021. Lund University. 60 hp. Diet of perch in the Baltic Sea – could the European perch (Perca fluviatilis) be used to combat round goby (Neogobius melanostomus)? Master of Science. Main supervisor.

Fleet, F. 2021. University of Gothenburg. 60 hp. Diet composition of great cormorants in the 8-fjord area and Gullmarsfjord – Prey choice and potential impact on fish stocks. Master of Science. Main supervisor.

Hökby, L. 2021. Uppsala University. 45 hp. Hökby 2021 - Harbour seal predation and fishery effects on Kattegat-Skagerrak cod abundance - in the aftermath of Phocine distemper virus. Master of Science. Main supervisor.

Svensson, R. 2021. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). 60 hp. Development of northern pike (Esox lucius) populations in the Baltic Sea, and potential effects of grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) predation. Master of Science. Assistant supervisor.

Hansen, O. K. 2021. Uppsala University. 45 hp. Can cormorants be used as indicators of local fish abundances? A diet study of cormorants on Gotland. Master of Science. Main supervisor.

Fritscher, D. 2019. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). 60 hp. Plastic ingestion and diet composition in two common fish species from the Swedish Skagerrak. Master of Science. Main supervisor. 

Carlsson, D. 2018. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). 15 hp. Haul-out behaviour of harbour seals in the 8-fjords area (Knubbsälens användning av viloplatser i 8-fjordarområdet – en bildanalys). Bachelor of Science. Main supervisor.

Gavell, C. 2018. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). 30 hp. Impact of Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) on post-smolt survival of hatchery reared salmon (Salmo salar) and sea trout (Salmo trutta). Master of Science. Assistant supervisor.

Jõgi, O. 2017. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). 60 hp. Analysing the seal-fishery conflict in the Baltic Sea and exploring new ways of looking at marine mammal data. Master of Science. Assistant supervisor.

Larsson, A. 2017. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). 30 hp. A diet study of post-breeding great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) on Gotland. Master of Science. Main supervisor.

Ljunggren, E. 2017. Uppsala university. 45 hp. Prey choice of great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) in a marine protected area - Potential impact on collapsed fish stocks and implications for future monitoring. Master of Science. Main supervisor.

Wallin, A. 2017. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). 15 hp. Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) predation on cod (Gadus morhua) in the Kattegat – A review of current knowledge and implications for stock assessments. Bachelor of Science. Main supervisor.

Ahola, M., Authier, M., Brasseur, S., Carlström, J., Chaudry, F., Culloch, R., Evans, P., Galatius, A., Geelhoed, S., Gilles, A., Hammond, P., Kavanagh, A., Lundström, K., Macleod, K., Neer, A., Nilssen, K., Pierce, G., Ransijn, J., Rumes, B. and Santos, B. 2022. Working Group on Marine Mammal Ecology (WGMME). ICES Scientific Reports. 4: 91 pp.

Berkström, C., Florin, A. B., Fredriksson, R., Lundström, K., and Bergström, U. 2021. Rapid effects of a fishing closure on whitefish (Coregonus maraena) in the northern Baltic Sea. Boreal Environment Research, 26: 89-104.

Ahola, M., Authier, M., Brasseur, S., Carlström, J., Chaudry, F., Culloch, R., Evans, P., Galatius, A., Geelhoed, S., Gilles, A., Hammond, P., Kavanagh, A., Lundström, K., Macleod, K., Neer, A., Nilssen, K., Pierce, G., Ransijn, J., Rumes, B. and Santos, B. 2021. Working Group on Marine Mammal Ecology (WGMME). ICES Scientific Reports, 3: 155 pp.

Tverin, M., Granroth, J., Abrahamsson, A., Tang, P., Pihlström, H., Lundström, K., and Käkelä, R. 2021. Adipose tissue fatty acids suggest spatial and temporal dietary differences in great cormorants of the Baltic Sea area. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom: 1-15.

Ahola, M., Authier, M., Brasseur, S., Carlström, J., Chaudry, F., Culloch, R., Evans, P., Galatius, A., Geelhoed, S., Gilles, A., Hammond, P., Kavanagh, A., Lundström, K., Macleod, K., Neer, A., Nilssen, K., Pierce, G., Ransijn, J., Rumes, B. and Santos, B. 2020. Working Group on Marine Mammal Ecology (WGMME). ICES Scientific Reports, 2: 85 pp.

Costalago, D., Bauer, B., Tomczak, M. T., Lundström, K., and Winder, M. 2019. The necessity of a holistic approach when managing marine mammal–fisheries interactions: Environment and fisheries impact are stronger than seal predation. Ambio, 48: 552-564.

Eero, M., Andersen, N. G., Berg, C. W., Christensen, A., Hansen, J. H., Kjær Hansen, K., Hüssy, K., Kristensen, K., Kroner, A.-M., Kindt-Larsen, L., Lund, H., Lundström, K., Mortensen, L. O., Neuenfeldt, S., Olsen, M. T., Ravn, P., and Tomkiewicz, J. 2019. Eastern Baltic cod—New knowledge on growth and mortality. Institut for Akvatiske Ressourcer, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet. DTU Aqua Report, No. 341-2019. 82 pp.

Ahola, M., Authier, M., Brasseur, S., Carlström, J., Chaudry, F., Culloch, R., Evans, P., Galatius, A., Geelhoed, S., Gilles, A., Hammond, P., Kavanagh, A., Lundström, K., Macleod, K., Neer, A., Nilssen, K., Pierce, G., Ransijn, J., Rumes, B. and Santos, B. 2019. Working Group on Marine Mammal Ecology (WGMME). ICES Scientific Reports, 1: 133 pp.

Scharff-Olsen, C. H., Galatius, A., Teilmann, J., Dietz, R., Andersen, S. M., Jarnit, S., Kroner, A.-M., Botnen, A. B., Lundström, K., Møller, P. R., and Olsen, M. T. 2018. Diet of seals in the Baltic Sea region: a synthesis of published and new data from 1968 to 2013. Ices Journal of Marine Science, 76: 284-297.

Tverin, M., Esparza-Salas, R., Strömberg, A., Tang, P., Kokkonen, I., Herrero, A., Kauhala, K., Karlsson, O., Tiilikainen, R., Vetemaa, M., Sinisalo, T., Käkelä, R., and Lundström, K. 2019. Complementary methods assessing short and long-term prey of a marine top predator ‒ Application to the grey seal-fishery conflict in the Baltic Sea. PLoS ONE, 14: e0208694.

Tverin, M., Westberg, M., Kokkonen, I., Tang, P., Lehmann, P., Lundström, K., and Käkelä, R. 2019. Factors affecting the degree of vertical stratification of fatty acids in grey seal blubber. Marine Biology, 166: 105.

Bryhn, A.C., Lundström, K., Johansson, A., Stabo, H.R. & Svedäng, H. 2017. A continuous involvement of stakeholders promotes the ecosystem approach to fisheries in the 8-fjords area on the Swedish west coast. Ices Journal of Marine Science, 74: 431-442.

Hansson, S., Bergström, U., Bonsdorff, E., Härkönen, T., Jepsen, N., Kautsky, L., Lundström, K. et al. 2017. Competition for the fish – fish extraction from the Baltic Sea by humans, aquatic mammals, and birds. Ices Journal of Marine Science: fsx207-fsx207.

Lundström, K. 2017. Mortality due to seal predation. In ICES. 2017. Report of the Workshop on Biological Input to Eastern Baltic Cod Assessment (WKBEBCA), 1–2 March 2017, Gothenburg, Sweden. ICES CM 2017/SSGEPD:19:14-16.

Lundström, K., Lövgren, J. & Eero, M. 2017. Kattegat cod numbers at age eaten by harbor seals. In ICES. 2017. Report of the Benchmark Workshop on Baltic Stocks (WKBALT), 7–10 February 2017, Copenhagen, Denmark. ICES CM 2017/ACOM:30: 97-107 (WD11)

Neimanis A.S., Moraeus C., Bergman A., Bignert A., Höglund J., Lundström K. et al. 2016. Emergence of the Zoonotic Biliary Trematode Pseudamphistomum truncatum in Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Baltic Sea. PLoS ONE 11(10): e0164782. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0164782

Casini, M., Käll, F., Hansson, M., Plikshs, M., Baranova, T., Karlsson, O., Lundström, K. et al. 2016. Hypoxic areas, density-dependence and food limitation drive the body condition of a heavily exploited marine fish predator. R. Soc. open sci. 3: 160416.

Florin, A.-B., Bergström, U., Ustups, D., Lundström, K. & Jonsson, P.R. 2013. Effects of a large northern European no-take area on flatfish populations. Journal of Fish Biology, DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12097.

Gårdmark, A., Östman, Ö., Nielsen, A., Lundström, K., Karlsson, O., Pönni, J. & Aho, T. 2012. Does predation by grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) affect Bothnian Sea herring stock estimates? . Ices Journal of Marine Science, doi:10.1093/icesjms/fss099.

Lind, Y., Bäcklin, B.-M., Lundström, K., Budge, S., Walton, M. & Karlsson, O. 2012. Stability of fatty acid composition in seal blubber during long-term storage. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 461: 283-291.

Lundström, K., Lunneryd, S.-G., Königson, S., & Hemmingsson, M. 2011. Interactions between harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and coastal fisheries along the Swedish west coast: an overview. NAMMCO Scientific Publications, 8: 329-340.

Lundström, K., Hjerne, O., Lunneryd, S.-G., & Karlsson, O. 2010. Understanding the diet composition of marine mammals: grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Baltic Sea. Ices Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1230-1239.

Lundström, K., Hjerne, O., Alexandersson, K., & Karlsson, O. 2007. Estimation of grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) diet composition in the Baltic sea. NAMMCO Scientific Publications, 6: 177-196.

Königson, S. J., Lundström, K. E., Hemmingsson, M. M. B., Lunneryd, S. G., and Westerberg, H. 2006. Feeding preferences of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) specialised in raiding fishing gear. Aquatic Mammals, 32: 152-156.

https://www.slu.se/institutioner/akvatiska-resurser/forskning/ekosystem/toppredatorer/