Climate change, habitat destruction, invasive species, and emerging pathogens threaten both aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. My research in evolutionary biology, genomics, and ecology aims to uncover evolutionary processes in a changing world for sustainable fisheries management and conservation. Most of my work focuses on studying the genetic variation and genes of fish and their parasites to develop strategies for maintaining healthy fish populations. Through the application of advanced genomic methodologies and environmental DNA tools, my research group seeks to build a deeper understanding of population vulnerability and ecosystem resilience. Our goal is to develop practical solutions that support healthy fish populations, safeguard aquatic biodiversity, and promote the long-term sustainability of ecosystems in the face of global environmental challenges.
My ongoing research projects fall into four areas:
1) Population genomics –analysis of biodiversity, demography and footprints of selection
2) Environmental DNA – moving from detection towards quantification
3) Ecological genomics – linking genes and traits to populations, environment and ecosystems
4) Host-parasite genomics & interactions
We focus on various model systems including myxozoan parasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, trematode eye flukes belonging to the Diplostomidae family, sea lice Caligus elongates and microbial pathogens.
Postdocs
K. Panksep, University of Tartu/SLUAqua (2025-2027)
M. E. López (2019-2022)
K. Noreikiene (2018-2020)
P. Debes (2014-2016)
M. Ozerov (2013-2018)
A. Wibowo (2014)
D. Philippenko (2013-2014)
PhD Students
2023- Main supervisor of PhD student Duncan Philpott (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, co-supervisors J. Näslund, S. Donadi).
2021- Co-supervisor of PhD student Konrad Taube (Estonian University of Life Sciences, main supervisor R. Gross).
2020- Main supervisor of PhD student Vitaly Lichman (Estonian University of Life Sciences, co-supervisors R. Gross, M. Ozerov).
Finished PhD thesis
2019-2025 Main supervisor of Alfonso Diaz Suarez (Estonian University of Life Sciences, co-supervisor V. Kisand). PhD thesis ‘Population genetics of host and parasites at different scales: from individuals to populations and communities’.
2020-2025 Co-supervisor of Jingyao Niu (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, main supervisor A. Gårdmark, co-supervisor M. Huss). PhD thesis ‘Ecological and evolutionary consequences of ecosystem warming in fish’.
2019-2024 Main supervisor of Erik Karlsson (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, co-supervisor M. Ogonowski, G. Sundblad, J. Sundin). PhD thesis ‘Evaluation of the potential of environmental DNA for quantitative monitoring of populations of pike (Esox lucius)’.
2018-2024 Main supervisor of Magnus Lauringson (Estonian University of Life Sciences, co-supervisor P. Päkk).
2015-2023 Main supervisor of Freed Ahmad (University of Turku, co-supervisor P. Debes).
2013-2017 Co-supervisor of Tiia Forsström funded by University of Turku graduate school (main supervisor V. Jormalainen).
2010-2016 Main supervisor of Lilian Pukk (Co-supervisors R. Gross, T. Paaver, Estonian University of Life Sciences).
2009-2015 Co-supervisor (main supervisor J. Sorvari) of Salla-Riikka Vesterlund (University of Turku).
2006-2009 Co-supervisor of Akarapong Swaditpong (University of Turku, Finland). Main supervisor Prof. C. Primmer.
127 peer-reviewed scientific articles, 3 book chapters. Check Researchgate & Google Scholar for more information.
Recent publications:
127) Taube K, Noreikiene K, Lopez M-E, Gross R, Vasemägi A (2026) Chromatin accessibility reveals adaptive regulatory variation in a keystone freshwater fish. Molecular Ecology, in press.
126) Lauringson M, Pukk L, Raundrup K, Vasemägi A (2026) First report of the proliferative kidney disease (PKD) agent, Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, in freshwater salmonids of Greenland. Polar Biology, 49, 86.
125) Diaz-Suarez A, Pukk L, Lauringson M, Hansen LJ, Raundrup K, Huffeldt NP, Vasemägi A (2026) Not-so-frequent flyers? Restricted avian dispersal of Diplostomum parasites across North Atlantic islands. Journal of Helmintology, 100, e58, 1–14 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X26101631
124) Lichman V, et al. Vasemägi A (2026) Pan-continental genomic analysis of Eurasian perch uncovers global diversity hotspots and postglacial recolonization patterns. Ecology & Evolution, 16:e73502. doi: 10.1002/ece3.73502
123) Diaz-Suarez A, Eugenia López M, G Sundblad, Vasemägi A (2026) Contrasting population genomic structuring of northern pike (Esox lucius L.) in fresh- and brackish water environments - implications for management and conservation. Journal of Fish Biology, https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70417
122) Niu J, Vasemägi A, López M-E, Pukk L, Huss M, Gårdmark A (2026) DNA extracted from boiled archival fish bones yields high quality whole genome sequencing data. Journal of Fish Biology, 1-11. DOI: 10.1111/jfb.70359
121) Lauringson M, Pukk L, Hansen LJ, Vasemägi A (2026) First report of the malacosporean parasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae in the Faroe Islands reveals widespread distribution and high prevalence in brown trout. Journal of Fish Diseases, e70134. doi: 10.1111/jfd.70134.
120) Philpott D, Näslund J, Donadi S, Lindmark M, Vasemägi A (2026) Large-scale spatial analyses reveal hotspots of proliferative kidney disease in brown trout and interactive effects of temperature and parasite load. Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems, 427, 8.
119) Rivera P, Rueda-Calderón MA, Delgado N, Eugenia López M, Vasemägi A, Soto C, Romero A, Gallardo-Matus J (2026) GWAS on early sexual maturation freshwater and seawater environments in domesticated Lochy strain of Atlantic salmon. Genetics Selection Evolution, in press https://doi.org/10.1186/s12711-025-01026-5
118) Lauringson M, Näslund J, Pukk L, Kahar S, Gross R, Vasemägi A (2026) Dams threaten salmonids by triggering temperature-dependent proliferative kidney disease. Communications Biology, https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-09470-1
117) Saks L, Pukk L, Kahar S, Lauringson M, Vasemägi A (2026) Rapid clearance of Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae spores by freshwater sponge Ephydatia muelleri: potential implications for controlling proliferative kidney disease in salmonids. Journal of Fish Diseases, 0:e70102 https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.70102
116) Bohman, P., K. Andersson, D. A. Strand, et al. (2026) First European interlaboratory ring test study to detect DNA of crayfish and the crayfish plague pathogen from water samples. Environmental DNA 8, no. 1: e70238. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.70238.
115) Lauringson M, Pukk L, Kahar S, Burimski O, Gross R, Kisand V, Vasemägi A (2026) Spleen as an alternative tissue for estimating Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae load, prevalence and its relationship with proliferative kidney disease in brown trout. Journal of Fish Diseases, 49(1):e14148.
114) López M-E, Ozerov M, Noreikiene K, Pukk L, Gross R, Vasemägi A (2025) Dynamic outlier slicing allows broader exploration of adaptive divergence: a comparison of individual genome and pool-seq data linked to humic adaptation in perch. Molecular Ecology, in press. DOI: 10.1111/mec.17659
113) Diaz-Suarez A, Kisand V, Kahar S, Gross R, Vasemägi A, Noreikiene K (2025) Parasite spillover rather than niche expansion explains infection of host brain by diplostomid eye flukes. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, in press.
112) Niu J, Huss M, Garnier A, Vasemägi A, Gårdmark A (2024) Multi-decadal warming alters predator’s effect on prey community composition. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 291:20240511
111) Lichmann V, Ozerov M, López M-E, Noreikiene K, Kahar S, Pukk L, Burimski O, Gross R, Vasemägi A (2024) Whole-genome analysis reveals evolutionary and demographic history of Eurasian perch. Journal of Fish Biology, doi: 10.1111/jfb.15821.
110) Layton K, Brieuc M, Castilho R, Díaz-Arce N, Estévez-Barcia D, Fonseca V, Fuentes-Pardo A, Jeffery N, Jiménez-Mena B, Junge C, Kaufmann J, T Leinonen, S Maes, P McGinnity, T Reed, C Reisser, Celine, G Silva, A Vasemägi, I Bradbury (2024) Predicting the future of our oceans – evaluating genomic forecasting approaches in marine species. Global Change Biology, 30(3):e17236.
109) Vasemägi A, Ozerov M, Noreikiene K, López M-L, Gårdmark A (2023) Unlocking the genome of Eurasian perch – from genes to ecology and back again. Ecology of Freshwater Fish. Ecology of Freshwater Fish. 00, 1-26.
108) Theissinger. et al. (2023) How genomics can help biodiversity conservation. Trends in Genetics, 39(7):545-559.
107) Lopez M-E, Bergenius Nord M, Kaljuste O, Wennerström L, Hekim Z, Tiainen J, Vasemägi A (2022) Lack of panmixia of Bothnian Bay vendace -implications for fisheries management. Front. Mar. Sci., Sec. Marine Fisheries, Aquaculture and Living Resources Volume 9 - 2022. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.1028863
106) Formenti et al. (2022) The era of reference genomes in conservation genomics. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2021.11.008
105) Ogonowski, M., Karlsson, E., Vasemägi, A., Sundin, J., Bohman, P., Sundblad, G (2023) Temperature moderates eDNA-biomass relationships in northern pike. Environmental DNA, 5, 750-765.
104) Karlsson E, Ogonowski M, Sundblad G, Sundin J, Svensson O, Nousiainen I, Vasemägi A (2022) Strong positive relationships between eDNA concentrations and biomass in juvenile and adult pike (Esox lucius) under controlled conditions: implications for monitoring. Environmental DNA. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.298
103) Gilbey J, Carvalho G, Castilho R, Coscia I, Coulson MW, Dahle G, Derycke S, Francisco SM, Helyar SJ, Johansen T, Junge C, Layton KKS, Martinsohn J, Matejusova I, Robalo JI, Rodríguez-Ezpeleta N, Silva G, Strammerj I, Vasemägi A, Volckaert FAM (2021) Life in a drop: sampling environmental DNA for marine fishery management and ecosystem monitoring. Journal of Marine Policy, 124, 104331.
102) Noreikiene K, Aavik K-E, Kahar S, Lauringson M, Taube K, Diaz-Suarez A, Gross R, Vasemägi A (2024) Eggs on plate: Population-dependent effects of water rich in humic substances on egg size and hatching success in perch. Freshwater Biology, 69(9), 1307-132.
101) Ozerov MY, Noreikiene K, Kahar S, Flajšhans M, Gross R, Vasemägi A (2024) Differential expression and alternative splicing analyses of multiple tissues reveal albinism-associated genes in the Wels catfish (Silurus glanis). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B, 11:271:110941.
100) Ozerov O, Noreikiene K, Kahar K, Huss M, Huusko A, Kõiv T, Sepp M, López M, Gårdmark A, Gross R, Vasemägi A (2022) Whole-genome sequencing illuminates multifaceted targets of selection to humic substances in Eurasian perch. Molecular Ecology 31(8):2367-2383.
99) Ahmad F, Debes PV, Nousiainen I, Kahar S, Pukk L, Gross R, Ozerov M, Vasemägi A (2021) The strength and form of natural selection on transcript abundance in the wild. Molecular Ecology, 30(12), 2724-2737.
98) Noreikiene K, Ozerov M, Ahmad F, Kõiv T, Kahar S, Gross R, Sepp M, Pellizzone A, Vesterinen EJ, Kisand V, Vasemägi A (2020) Humic-acid-driven escape from eye parasites revealed by RNA-seq and target-specific metabarcoding. Parasites & Vectors, 13, 433.
97) Diaz-Suarez A, Noreikiene K, Kahar S, Ozerov MY, Gross R, Kisand V, Vasemägi A (2024) DNA metabarcoding reveals spatial and temporal variation of fish eye fluke communities in lake ecosystems. International Journal for Parasitology, 54(1), 33-46.
96) Taube K, Noreikiene K, Kahar S, Gross R, Ozerov M, Vasemägi A (2023) Subtle transcriptomic response of Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) associated with Triaenophorus nodulosus plerocercoid infection. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 22, 146-154.
95) Lauringson M, Kahar S, Veevo T, Silm M, Philpott D, Svirgsden R, Rohtla M, Päkk P, Gross R, Kaart T, Vasemägi A (2023) Spatial and intra-host distribution of myxozoan parasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae among Baltic sea trout (Salmo trutta) Journal of Fish Diseases, 46(10):1073-1083.
94) Lauringson M, Ozerov MY, Lopez M-E, Wennevik V, Niemelä E, Vorontsova TY, Vasemägi A (2022) Distribution and prevalence of the myxozoan parasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae in northernmost Europe: analysis of three salmonid species. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 151:37-49.