Erla Björk Örnólfsdóttir
Director of Vör

Education
Ph.D. 2002 Texas A&M University, Department of Oceanography, College Station, Texas, USA.
M.S. 1994 University of Iceland, Department of Biology. Reykjavík, Iceland.
B.S. 1990 University of Iceland, Department of Biology. Reykjavík, Iceland.


Employment
2006 – Director at Vör Marine Research Center at Breiðafjörður, Snæfellsbær, Iceland.
2006 Post Doc. University of Maryland, Center of Marine Biotechnology. Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
2004–2005 Post Doc. Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), Beaufort, North Carolina, USA.
2001–2003 Researcher at Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, Reykjavík, Iceland.
2001 Graduate Student Assistantship recipient. Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
1996–2000 Research and Teaching Assistant at the Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.


Publications
Magnúsdóttir, H., Z.O. Jónsson, S. Þórðardóttir and E.B. Örnólfsdóttir. Population genetics of the common whelk (Buccinum undatum L.) in Iceland and the Faeroe Islands. (in prep.)


Magnúsdóttir, H., K. Olsen, J. Svavarsson and E.B Örnólfsdóttir. The common whelk (Buccinum undatum L.) in Breiðafjörður, W-Iceland: Life history traits and morphology. (in prep.)

Örnólfsdóttir, E.B., S.E. Lumsden og J.L. Pinckney. 2004. Phytoplankton community growth-rate response to nutrient pulses in a shallow turbid estuary, Galveston Bay, Texas. J. Plankt. Res. 26: 325-339. Pdf here

Örnólfsdóttir, E.B. og Á. Einarsson. 2004. Spatial and temporal variation of benthic Cladocera (Crustacea) studied with activity traps in Lake Myvatn, Iceland. Aquatic Ecology, 38: 239-251. Pdf here

Örnólfsdóttir, E.B., S.E. Lumsden og J.L. Pinckney. 2004. Nutrient pulsing as a regulator of phytoplankton abundance and community composition in Galveston Bay, Texas. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol, 303:197-220. Pdf here

Einarsson, Á. og E.B. Örnólfsdóttir. 2004. Long-term changes in benthic Cladocera populations in Lake Myvatn, Iceland. Aquatic Ecology 38: 253-262. Pdf here

Örnólfsdóttir, E.B., J.L. Pinckney og P.A. Tester. 2003. Quantification of the relative abundance of the toxic dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis (Dinophyta), using unique photopigments. J. Phycol. 39: 449-457. Pdf here

Pinckney, J.L., E.B. Örnólfsdóttir og S.E. Lumsden. 2002. Estuarine phytoplankton group-specific responses to sublethal concentrations of the agricultural herbicide, atrazine. Marine Pollution Bulletin 44: 1109-1116. Pdf here

Örnólfsdóttir, E.B. 2002. The ecological role of small phytoplankton in phytoplankton production and community composition in Galveston Bay, Texas. Texas A&M University, Ph.D. Dissertation. 172 p.

Simon, N., L. Campbell, E. Örnólfsdóttir, R. Groben, L. Guillou, M. Lange og L.K. Medlin. 2000. Oligonucleotide probes for the identification of three algal groups by dot blot and fluorescent whole-cell hybridization. J. Eukaryot. Microbiol. 47: 76-84. Pdf here

Paul J.H., A. Alfreider, J.B. Kang, R.A. Stokes, D. Griffin, L. Campbell og E. Örnólfsdóttir. 2000. Form IA rbcL transcripts associated with a low salinity/high chlorophyll plume ('GreenRiver') in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 198: 1-8.

Flinn, M.H., E. Harris, R. Cady, C.S. Johnson, E.B. Örnólfsdóttir, L.Campbell og D.C. Biggs. 1998. Comments on “Carbon cycling in a shallow turbid estuary of Southeast Texas: The use of plant pigment biomarkers and water quality parameters” by Bianchi, Baskaran, DeLord and Ravichandran, Estuaries 20: 404-415. Estuaries 21: 837-838.


Grants and Awards
2010-2012 VSR (Verkefnasjóður Sjávarútvegsins, Samkeppnisdeild). Blue mussel and Iceland scallop: Identification of food sources using metagenomic approach.
2009-2010 VSR (Verkefnasjóður Sjávarútvegsins, Samkeppnisdeild). Zooplankton in Breiðafjörður: Feeding rate and production.
2008 The Icelandic Research Fund (Rannsóknasjóður). Passive acoustic detection of zooplankton. Preparatory Grant. Collaborative study with Húsavík Research Center, University of Iceland.
2008 The Icelandic Fund for Research Equipment. Equipment for photopigment quantification.
2007-2009 The Icelandic Research Fund (Rannsóknasjóður). Long time study of phytoplankton succession and environmental parameters in Breiða-fjörður. Collaborative study with Sólveig Ólafsdóttir and Agnes Eydal at The Marine Research Institute.
2007-2009 AVS. Sustainable yield and increased profit of waved whelk catches from Breiðafjörður. Research conducted in association with Sægarpur EHF, Grundarfjörður, Iceland.
2007 The Icelandic Fund for Research Equipment. Grant for laboratory and field equipment for study of environmental parameters, phytoplankton and zooplankton at Vör.
2006-2008 NORA (Nordic Atlantic Co-operation). The biology of the common whelk (Buccinum undatum) in Icelandic and Faroe Islands waters. Research conducted in association with Sægarpur EHF., Grundarfjörður, Iceland, Fiskirannsóknarstovan, Faroe Islands and P/F O.C. Joensen, Faroe Islands.
2006 VSR (Verkefnasjóður Sjávarútvegsins, Samkeppnisdeild). Distribution and abundance of the common whelk (Buccinum undatum) in Breiðafjörður and Faxaflói: Search for new fishing grounds. Research conducted in collaboration with Sægarpur EHF, Grundarfjörður, Iceland.
2004–2005 PostDoc. Associateship. National Research Council (USA), Research Associats.

Presentations
2009 Erla Björk Örnólfsdóttir and Agnes Eydal. Kalksvifþörungablómi í Breiðafirði. Afmælisráðstefna Líffræðifélagsins. Reykjavík, November.
2009 Erla Björk Örnólfsdóttir, Sólveig Rósa Ólafsdóttir and Agnes Eydal. Phytoplankton in relation to physical and chemical drivers in Breiðafjörður. Afmælisráðstefna Líffræðifélagsins. Reykjavík, November.
2009 Örnólfsdóttir, E.B., S.R. Ólafsdóttir and A. Eydal. Sjór og svifþörungar í Breiðafirði. Marine Research Institute Conference, Ocean and Marine Biota in Iceland. Loftleiðir Hotel, Reykjavík. February 20-21.
2009 Örnólfsdóttir, E.B., S.R. Ólafsdóttir and A. Eydal. Phytoplankton diversity in relation to physical drivers in a sub-Arctic fjord. ASLO, Nice, France, January 25-30.
2006 Örnólfsdóttir, E.B., P.A. Tester and W.R. Litaker. Richness of dsDNA phytoplankton viruses during an estuarine winter bloom of an algae community. ASLO, Victoria, Canada, June 4.-9.
2004 Örnólfsdóttir, E.B. Phytoplankton abundance and growth in Galveston Bay, Texas: Who is in the lead and why? DIALOGVI, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Dauphin Island, Alabama, October 30. - November 6.
2004 Örnólfsdóttir, E.B. Heterocapsa triquetra bloom dynamics – do viruses play a role? DIALOGVI, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Dauphin Island, Alabama, October 30. - November 6.
2004 Örnólfsdóttir, E.B., P.A. Tester and R.W. Litaker. Heterocapsa triquetra bloom dynamics in Newport River, NC, during winter. The Phycological Society of America, Williamsburg, Virginia. August 7-12.
2004 Örnólfsdóttir, E.B. and P.A. Tester. The dynamics of phytoplankton, bacteria and viruses during a winter bloom in a subtropical estuary, Newport River, NC. ASLO, Savannah, Georgia. June 13-18.
2003 Örnólfsdóttir, E.B. and R.Þ. Magnúsdóttir. Smádýr í vatnakerfi Skaftár og Kúðafljóts sumarið 2002. Kirkjubæjarklaustri, March 8-9. 2003 Örnólfsdóttir, E.B. Smádýr í straumvatni. Hvar stöndum við og hvert skal stefnt? Fagfundur Veiðimálastofnunar, Borgarnesi, March 2003.
2001 Örnólfsdóttir, E.B. and J.L. Pinckney. Phytoplankton growth rate responses to nutrients and light in Galveston Bay, Texas. Estuarine Research Federation, St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. November.
2001 Örnólfsdóttir, E.B., J.L. Pinckney and P.A. Tester. Detection and quantification of gyroxanthin-diester from Texas red tide: Quantification of Gymnodinium breve using HPLC and CHEMTAX. ASLO, Albuquerque, New Mexico. February 10-16. 2001 Andrésson, Ó.S., G. Stefánsdóttir, E.B. Örnólfsdóttir and S. Hjartardóttir.
2001. Örverur með nafnspjöld - Dreifkjörnungar og örþörungar í hafinu umhverfis Ísland. Conference on Marine Biology on behalf of Lýðveldissjóðs, Hótel Loftleiðum, Reykjavík, February 23. 2001.
1996 Örnólfsdóttir, E.B. and Ó.S. Andrésson. Phytoplankton in Icelandic waters: Analysis of diversity by partial sequencing of rbcL genes. ICES-ráðstefna, Reykjavik, Iceland. September 27. – October 1.

Graduate Student Presentations
2009 Hildur Magnúsdóttir, Zophonías O. Jónsson and Erla Björk Örnólfsdóttir. Genetic structure of common whelk (Buccinum undatum L.) populations in Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Molluscan Forum, London, November.
2009 Hildur Magnúsdóttir, Zophonías O. Jónsson and Erla Björk Örnólfsdóttir. Genetic structure of common whelk (Buccinum undatum L.) populations in Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Afmælisráðstefna Líffræðifélagsins. Reykjavík, November.
2009 Vigdís Sigurðardóttir, Erla Björk Örnólfsdóttir and Ástþór Gíslason. Frjósemi krabbaflóa í Breiðafirði. Afmælisráðstefna Líffræðifélagsins. Reykjavík, November.
2009 Hildur Magnúsdóttir, Erla Björk Örnólfsdóttir and Zophonías Oddur Jónsson. The common whelk (Buccinum undatum) in Breiðafjörður: One or more populations? Ráðstefna Hafrannsóknastofnunarinnar, Sjór og sjávarlífverur. Reykjavík, February.
2009 Vigdís Sigurðardóttir, Erla Björk Örnólfsdóttir and Ástþór Gíslason. Dýrasvif í Breiðafirði sumurin 2007 og 2008. Ráðstefna Hafrannsóknastofnunarinnar, Sjór og sjávarlífverur. Reykjavík, February.
2008 Hildur Magnúsdóttir, Karen Olsen and Erla Björk Örnólfsdóttir. Growth and reproduction of the common whelk Buccinum undatum L. In Breiðafjörður. Molluscan forum, London, November.
2008 Hildur Magnúsdóttir and Erla Björk Örnólfsdóttir. Growth and reproduction of the common whelk (Buccinum undatum L.) in Breiðafjörður. Raunvísindaþing, Háskóli Íslands, Reykjavík, March.

Graduate Students Major Advisor
Hildur Magnúsdóttir, M.Sci. University of Iceland
Vigdís Sigurðardóttir, M.Sci. University of Iceland

Graduate Students Committee Member
Warsha Singh, Ph.D. University of Iceland