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  4. Lara Maleen Beckmann

Lara Maleen Beckmann

Doctoral Student

Department of Marine Sciences
Mail
lara.maleen.beckmann@gu.se
Visiting address
Tjärnö marina laboratorium, Laboratorievägen 10
45296 Strömstad
Postal address
452 96 Strömstad

About Lara Maleen Beckmann

My research focuses on the biodiversity, reproductive biology, and ecology of cold-water and deep-sea corals and sponges. These habitat-forming animals create complex three-dimensional ecosystems that support a remarkable diversity of marine life and play a fundamental role in maintaining healthy deep-sea environments. Despite their ecological importance, many aspects of their life histories remain poorly understood.

I combine histology, microscopy, molecular techniques, environmental DNA/metabarcoding, non-destructive imaging, and quantitative video analyses to investigate reproductive strategies, development, biodiversity, and community structure in cold-water coral and sponge ecosystems. By integrating these complementary approaches, I aim to better understand how deep-sea populations reproduce, disperse, and persist over time.

Understanding the life histories of deep-sea species is becoming increasingly important as these ecosystems face growing pressures from climate change and human activities. My research addresses fundamental questions about reproductive strategies, recruitment, dispersal, and population connectivity, providing knowledge that contributes to the conservation and management of vulnerable marine ecosystems and the development of effective marine protected areas.

Before joining the University of Gothenburg, I completed my master's research at the University of Bergen, Norway, where I studied the diversity and ecology of hydrozoans, a group of cnidarians that have a remarkable diversity of life cycles. Using an integrative taxonomic approach combining morphology and molecular data, I investigated species diversity and made previously unknown life-stage connections.