People
Contact person
Nina Blöcher
is SINTEF's main expert for marine biofouling and has worked with the Norwegian aquaculture industry since 2009.
Dr Nina Blöcher has a M.Sc. in Biology from the University of Kiel, Germany, and a Ph.D. in Marine Biology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. In her 6 years of working as a researcher, Nina's focus has been on biofouling in aquaculture and on epibiosis (the natural equivalent to biofouling) as well as on species community interactions in relation to environmental impacts. Since 2009 she has been working with different universities as well as the salmon industry to improve biofouling management in Norwegian salmon aquaculture.
Leif Magne Sunde
is SINTEFs research manager for the Aquaculture Operations and Management group.
Leif Magne holds a M.Sc. in General Aquaculture from the University of Bergen. His background as a production biologist in a salmon company gave him firsthand
experience with the practical challenges of biofouling in aquaculture. Leif Magne is the initiator of biofouling research related to fish farming systems at
SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture, and he has a specific interest in the interaction between biology and technology and the synergies this creates for assisting
industry. He has extensive experience as developer of innovative research areas, among others through his work as project leader for TEKMAR, a leading
annual conference focusing on challenges and solutions within sea-based fish farming (tekmar.no).
Oliver Floerl
is an external advisor for SINTEF's biofouling group and has extensive international expertise in biofouling and invasive species research.
Dr Oliver Floerl has a B.Sc. in Marine Biology from the University of Wales and a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from James Cook University, Australia. Oliver has 15 years of experience as a researcher. During this period he developed and led a wide range of projects relating to the survey, characterization and management of biofouling organisms in the aquaculture, shipping and boating, and oil and gas industries. His other main area of expertise is in marine biosecurity, particularly the management of invasive species and disease risks associated with shipping and aquaculture. Oliver has worked with a diverse range of clients including governments, industry, academia and NGOs, and in a variety of geographical regions including Australia, New Zealand, the Indian Ocean, Europe and Norway.
Many of our projects are multidisciplinary and require specialist skills. We customise our project teams using SINTEF's broad in-house expertise and regularly work with experts in hydrodynamic modelling, marine physics, engineering, traceability, plankton biology and microbiology.