Associate Professor of Coastal and Marine Science Dr. Emma Cross was recently featured in Austurfrétt, a leading East Icelandic news outlet, for her collaborative research on water quality and biodiversity in Seyðisfjörður, where potential fish farming developments are under discussion.
Working alongside the Skálanes Nature and Heritage Centre and SCSU student researchers, Cross is using environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling and water-quality monitoring technologies to establish a baseline understanding of the fjord’s ecosystem. Early research findings show strong vertical water mixing, high salinity due to open ocean influence, and notable seasonal shifts in species diversity.
The project is intended to provide transparent, science-based data that can support community decision-making around sustainable aquaculture development. As Cross explains in her conversation with Austurfrétt, “We are grateful to be able to have a conversation with the locals. We are doing this to try to help them and ensure that they understand what is happening around them. For this, it is necessary to have good data that can be used to formulate rules or management plans.”
This project is one of many supported by Project Blue, a Southern Connecticut State University initiative that offers students immersive, hands-on research opportunities focused on sustainability and ocean futures.
