Elin Dahlgren

My main research focus on the well being of aquatic organisms (in particular fish). I am currently involved in research projects with focus on:

• Production and transport of algal toxins.
• Salmon health in the Baltic Sea

I am engaged in teaching activities within the courses:

• Ecology
• Assessment and Advice on the Principles of Fisheries Science 

 Algal toxins and thiamine deficiency in the marine food web

 With ongoing climate change and lingering effects from eutrophication, an increase in cyanobacterial blooms and growth of filamentous algae is now observed in several places. Our project aims to understand the toxin production processes and how they relate to seasonal changes and environmental parameters. We strive to identify means of monitoring as well as safe periods for harvest of mussels farmed on the southeast coast of Sweden. Financed by the Board of Agriculture 2023-2026, we study spatiotemporal variations of algal toxins in pelagic mussels with the overall ambition to develop new tools for monitoring of concentrations. 

https://www.slu.se/en/departments/aquatic-sciences-assessment/research/forskningsprojekt/active-research-projects/bio/fume/Climate-adaptation-and-mapping-of-algal-toxins-associated-to-mussel-farms/

https://www.slu.se/centrumbildningar-och-projekt/algtox/

Salmon health

The health situation for our native salmon is worrying, both in the Atlantic and in the Baltic Sea.  Disease outbreaks (bleedings, erythema’s and fungal infections) along with well-studied reproductive disorder (M74), is reported by most Nordic countries. The reason(s) behind the failing salmon health are unclear and it is not known how the various symptoms are related. 

Large-scale assessments and monitoring studies are key for research and monitoring efforts to shed light on the magnitude and cause of the deteriorating salmon health. With grants from the Nordic Council of Ministers (2021 – 2024), The Nordic collaboration network on salmon health, aim to strengthen collaboration within salmon health issues among the Nordic countriesromotes through networking and pilot studies.

I coordinate monitoring of reproductive disease, M74 and thiamine concentrations in Baltic salmon.

2022- Member of ICES assessment Working Group on Baltic Salmon and Trout 

2022- Coordinator for BSSC at SLU

2021 - 2023 Member of the Baltic Sea Committee at The Royal Swedish Agricultural Academy 

2019- 2022: Appointed as lay judge within The Land and Environment Court (Mark och Miljödomstolen).

Alternate in SLU Aqua "Gruppen för kvalitet i vetenskapliga kunskapsunderlag"

•  Senior advisor, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA). 2015- 2018.
• Guest researcher (50%), Stockholm University. 2015.
• Guest lecturer (50%), Södertörn University.  2015.
• Toxicologist, Swedish National Food Agency (NFA).  2014.
  Curator/researcher, Swedish museum of Natural history, Stockholm, Sweden. 2012- 2013.
  Post-doctoral researcher, Swedish museum of Natural history, Stockholm. 2012.
  Teaching assistant, Södertörn University. 2008.
  Field assistant, Inventory alpine meadows, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway. 2002.
  Field assistant, behavioural studies of ruffs, Uppsala University, 2001.
  Field assistant, behavioural studies of red squirrels, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. 2000.
  Field assistant, GPS tracking of Lynx, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden. 1999 -2000.

Main supervisor of PhD-student Manne Larsson "Large-scale mapping of
algal toxins and thiamine  in the Baltic Sea for climate adaptation of aquaculture" 2023- ongoing.

Co-supervisor of PhD-student Manuela Seehauser," The effects of climate change on cyanobacterial toxin production associated to mussel aquaculture" 2024-ongoing.

Co-supervisor of PhD-student Vittoria Todisco, “Quantifying the transfer of thiamin (vitamin B1) from producers to top predators”. Linnaeus University. 2020-ongoing

Dahlgren, Elin, et al. "Are there lingering effects of egg thiamine deficiency (M74) in thiamine-treated Baltic Sea salmon (Salmo salar) juveniles?." Aquaculture 595 (2025): 741581.

Larsson, Manne, et al. "Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometric Method and a Fluorometric 96 Well Plate Assay for Determination of Thiamine in Salmonid Eggs." ACS omega 9.40 (2024): 41703-41710.

Todisco, V., Fridolfsson, E., Axén, C., Dahlgren, E., Ejsmond, M. J., Hauber, M. M., ... & Hylander, S. (2023). Thiamin dynamics during the adult life cycle of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Journal of Fish Biology.

Bryhn, A. C., Bergek, S., Bergström, U., Casini, M., Dahlgren, E., Ek, C., ... & Wennhage, H. (2022). Which factors can affect the productivity and dynamics of cod stocks in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak?. Ocean & Coastal Management, 223, 106154.

Jones, D., Dahlgren E., Jacobson, P. and Karlson, A. 2021. Determining Baltic salmon foraging areas at sea using stable isotopes in scales – a tool for understanding health syndromes. Accepted with revisions for publication in ICES Journal of Marine Science. 

Kanwischer, M., Asker, N., Wersnersson, AS., Wirth, M.A., Dahlgren, E., Osterholz, H., Habedank, F., Naumann, M. and Mannio, J. 2021. Substances of Emerging Concern in Baltic Sea Water – Review on Methodological Advances for the Environmental Assessment and Proposal for Future Monitoring. Accepted for publication in Ambio.

Glynn, A., Kotova, N., Dahlgren, E., Lindh, C., Jakobsson, K., Gyllenhammar, I., Lignell, S., Nälsén, C. 2020. Determinants of serum concentrations of perflouroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in school children and the contribution of low-level PFAA-contaminated drinking water. Env. Sci. Processes Impacts. DOI: 10.1039/c9em00497a

Lindqvist, D., Dahlgren, E och Asplund, L. 2017. Biosynthesis of hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers and the correlation with photosynthetic pigments in the red alga Ceramium tenuicorne. Phytochemistry 133, 51-58.

Dahlgren, E., Lindqvist, D., Dahlgren, H. , Asplund, L , Lehtilä, K. 2016. Trophic transfer of naturally produced brominated aromatic compounds in a Baltic Sea food chain.  Chemosphere 144, 1597-1604.

Dahlgren, E., Enhus, C., Lindqvist, D., Eklund, B., Asplund, L. 2015. Induced production of brominated aromatic compounds in the algae Ceramium tenuicorne. Environ Sci. Pollut. res: 22, 18107 - 18114.

Noring, M., Håkansson, C., Dahlgren, E. 2015. Non-market valuation of the costal
environment- ecosystem services and ecotoxicity. Ambio.

Dahlgren, E., and K. Lehtilä. 2015. Tolerance to apical and leaf damage of Raphanus raphanistrum in different competitive regimes. Ecology and Evolution 5:5193–5202.

https://www.slu.se/centrumbildningar-och-projekt/algtox/

https://www.slu.se/centrumbildningar-och-projekt/slu-vattenforum/samverkan/bssc/