 |
Name: | Renee Katrin Bechmann |
| Position: | Senior Research Scientist |
| Research group: | Marine Environment |
| Email: | Renee.Bechmann@iris.no |
| Phone: | (+47) 51 87 55 10 |
Personal information:
| Curriculum Vitae
Updated: 06.06.2011 |  |
| Name: | RENÉE KATRIN BECHMANN |  |
| Date of birth: | 15th May 1965 |
| Nationality: | Norwegian |
| Languages: | Norwegian, English, some French |
Key qualifications
Experimental marine ecotoxicology. I have broad experience from planning, conducting and reporting long-term continuous flow experiments studying reproductive effects and biomarker responses in invertebrates and fish exposed to a range of compounds mainly related to discharges from the offshore oil and gas industry.
Our Research on Ocean Acidification
I am presently working with the effects of ocean acidification in two projects; NORKLIMA/HAVKYST no#200800/S40 "Combined effects of ocean acidification, climate change and oil related discharges" (where I am project leader) and the Institute anchored Strategic Project (ISP) “Effects of ocean acidification on invertebrate calcifying larvae” led by Ingrid C. Taban. We have built up an exposure system for continuous flow exposure to seawater with reduced pH (increased pCO2). This year the system was extended and optimized for doing flow-through experiments with sea urchin larvae. In the period from 2009-2011 we have performed long term experiments with shrimps, mussels, deep water corals and sea urchin early life stages. Part of this work has been published and presented at international conferences (see details below). Preliminary results from a sea urchin larvae experiment we performed this spring will be presented at the 7th Alexander von Humboldt International Conference in Malaysia, June 20-24, by Sam Dupont, who is partner in our RCN 200800/S40 project. Our PhD student Maj Arnberg is co-author on this presentation. In addition to this Ingrid C. Taban (project leader for the ISP on ocean acidification) and I wrote two articles about ocean acidification for the newspapers; ”Det andre CO2 problemet” published in Stavanger Aftenblad in 2009 and ”Klimaskader på reker og blåskjell” published in Dagens Næringsliv in 2010. There was also and article about our RCN project in CICERO’s journal Klima - Norsk magasin for klimaforskning (http://www.cicero.uio.no/Klima/10/3/Klima10-03.pdf). In addition to the conference presentations I have presented our ocean acidification research to CICERO (invited lunch presentation); in a meeting at the Fram Centre in Tromsø (Flaggskip Havforsuring i nordlige farvann); to the North Sea Commission, General Assembly when they visited Stavanger in 2010 and to several oil companies (2009-2010).
Present work position
| 1997-present | Senior Research Scientist, International Research Institute of Stavanger AS (IRIS) |
Academic degrees
| PhD/Dr.scient. Dept. of Marine Chemistry and Marine Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Oslo, Norway. Thesis: “Responses to toxic stress: life tables and reproductive parameters”. Dr. scient. thesis, University of Oslo, Norway, 1997. |
| Master/Cand.scient. Dept. of Marine Chemistry and Marine Zoology, Institute of Biology, University of Oslo, Norway. Main subject candidate thesis: “Evaluering av subletale og akutte effekter av kobber på Tisbe furcata (Baird) (Copepoda) ved bruk av livstabeller og LC50-tester”. Cand. scient. thesis, University of Oslo, Norway, 1990. |
Research project leadership experience
2009
-present | "Combined effects of ocean acidification, climate change and oil related discharges". Sponsor: Research Council of Norway (NORKLIMA/HAVKYST, project no. 200800/S40). Project budget: 7669 kNOK. |
| 2008 | “BioSea II – phase 2. Effects of oil on shrimp larvae – part 2”. Sponsor: TOTAL E&P Norge AS and ENI Norge. Project budget: 1470 kNOK. |
| 2006-2008 | “Drilling mud follow up study - Input data and validation experiments for ERMS”. Sponsor: Research Council of Norway (HAVKYST, project no. 173418). Project budget: 4345 kNOK. |
| 2006 | “BioSea II – phase 1. Effects of produced water on wolffish larvae.” Sponsor: TOTAL E&P Norge AS and ENI Norge. Project budget: 1181 kNOK. |
| 2006-2008 | “ISP – Histology and genotoxicity”. Sponsor: IRIS/NFR: Internal Strategy Program. Project budget: 3750 kNOK |
| 2004-2005 | “Impacts of drilling mud discharges on water column organism and filter project no Norwegian Research Council (PROOF, project no. 159183). Project budget: 3500 kNOK. Stig Westerlund was project leader towards RCN , I was project leader towards IRIS. |
| 2002-2003 | “BioSea I. Echinoderms”. Sponsor: TOTAL E&P Norge AS and ENI Norge. Project budget: 1043 kNOK. |
| 2002-2003 | “DREAM validation”. Sponsor: TOTAL E&P Norge AS. Project budget: 1600 kNOK. |
| 1997-2001 | Ingrid C. Taban & I were responsible for planning, running and reporting exposure studies with fish (sheepshead minnows/Cyprinodont variegatus) exposed to dispersed oil (the IDREMER project), naphthalene, chrysene, a mixture of PAH, a mixture of alkylphenols (the DREAM project). The objective was to study responses in biomarkers and effects on reproduction and larvae. Steinar Sanni was project leader for all these Akvamiljø experiments/projects. |
Peer reviewed publications
| | Times cited |
| 2011 | Baussant, T., M. Ortiz-Zarragoitia, M.P. Cajaraville, R.K. Bechmann, I.C. Taban, S. Sanni. 2011. Effects of chronic exposure to dispersed oil on selected reproductive processes in adult blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and the consequences for the early life stages of their larvae. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 62:1437–1445. | 0 |
| 2011 | Aarab, N., B.F. Godal, R.K. Bechmann. 2011. Seasonal variation of histopathological and histochemical markers of PAH exposure in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis L.). Marine Environmental Research. 71: 213-217. | 0 |
| 2011 | Bechmann, R.K., I.C. Taban, S. Westerlund, B.F. Godal, M. Arnberg, S. Vingen, A. Ingvarsdottir, T. Baussant. 2011. Effects of ocean acidification on early life stages of shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and mussel (Mytilus edulis). Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health-Part A-Current Issues. 74: 424-38. | 0 |
| 2010 | Bechmann, R.K., B.K. Larsen, I.C. Taban, L.I. Hellgren, P. Moller, S. Sanni. 2010. Chronic exposure of adults and embryos of Pandalus borealis to oil causes PAH accumulation, initiation of biomarker responses and an increase in larval mortality. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 60: 2087-2098. | 0 |
| 2010 | Nahrgang, J, L. Camus, M.G. Carls, P. Gonzalez, M. Jonsson, I.C. Taban, R.K. Bechmann, J.S. Christiansen, H. Hop. 2010. Biomarker responses in polar cod (Boreogadus saida) exposed to the water soluble fraction of crude oil. Aquatic Toxicology 97: 234-42. | 2 |
| 2009 | Baussant, T., R.K. Bechmann, I.C. Taban, B.K. Larsen, A.H. Tandberg, A. Bjørnstad, S. Torgrimsen, A. Nævdal, K.B. Øysæd, G. Jonsson, S. Sanni. 2009. Enzymatic and cellular responses in relation to body burden of PAHs in bivalve molluscs: A case study with chronic levels of North Sea and Barents Sea dispersed oil. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 58: 1796-1807. | 4 |
| 2009 | Smit, M.G.D, R.K. Bechmann, A.J. Hendriks, A. Skadsheim, B.K. Larsen, T. Baussant, S. Bamber, and S. Sanni. 2009. Relating biomarkers to whole-organism effects using species sensitivity distributions: A pilot study for marine species exposed to oil. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 28: 1104-1109. | 7 |
| 2008 | Aarab, N., D.M. Pampanin, A. Nævdal, K.B. Øysæd, L. Gastaldi, R.K. Bechmann. 2008. Histopathology alterations and histochemistry measurements in mussel, Mytilus edulis collected offshore from an aluminium smelter industry (Norway). Marine Pollution Bulletin. 57: 569-574. | 3 |
| 2006 | Larsen, B.K., M. Buffagni, U.E. Moltu, T. Baussant, A. Skadsheim, R.K. Bechmann, R. Sundt, J. Beyer, J.F. Børseth, E. Aas, E. Bjørnbom, L. Bracco, L. Pinturier, S. Sanni. 2006. Biosea Joint Industry project - development of a global biomonitoring tool for the petroleum industry offshore. Marine Environmental Research, 62: S407-S408. ISSN: 0141-1136. | 1 |
| 2005 | Mamaca, E., R. K Bechmann, S. Torgrimsen, E. Aas, A. Bjørnstad, T. Baussant, S. Le Floch. 2005. The neutral red lysosomal retention assay and Comet assay on haemolymph cells from mussels (Mytilus edulis) and fish (Symphodus melops) exposed to styrene. Aquatic Toxicology. 75: 191-201. | 26 |
| 2004 | Jonsson G, R.K. Bechmann, S.D. Bamber, T. Baussant. 2004. Bioconcentration, biotransformation, and elimination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) exposed to contaminated seawater. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 23: 1538-1548. | 28 |
| 2004 | Taban, I.C., R.K. Bechmann, S. Torgrimsen, T. Baussant, S. Sanni. 2004. Detection of DNA damage in mussels and sea urchins exposed to crude oil using comet assay. Marine Environmental Research. 58: 701-705. | 14 |
| 2000 | Skadsheim, A., T. Baussant., R.K. Bechmann, A. Bjørnstad, B. Gaudebert, C. Labes-Carrier, I.C. Jensen, G. Jonsson. 2000. Density and size dependent uptake of various PAC in organisms of a model food chain. Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds. 18: 161-175. | 3 |
| 1999 | Bechmann, R.K. 1999. Effect of the endocrine disrupter nonylphenol on the marine copepod Tisbe battagliai. The Science of the Total Environment. 233: 33-46. | 45 |
| 1994 | Bechmann, R.K. 1994. Use of life tables and LC50 tests to evaluate chronic and acute toxicity effects of copper on the marine copepod Tisbe furcata (Baird). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 13: 1509-1517. | 33 |
International scientific conference papers / presentations
| 2011 | Bechmann, R.K., M. Arnberg, A.H.S. Tandberg, M. Nilsen, I.C. Taban, S. Westerlund. Combined effects of ocean acidification and increased ocean temperature on the northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis). Platform presentation at 2011 ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA 13-18 February 2011. |
| 2010 | Bechmann, R.K., I.C. Taban, S. Westerlund, B.F. Godal, M. Arnberg, S. Vingen, A. Ingvarsdottir, T. Baussant. Effects of ocean acidification on early life stages of shrimps (Pandalus borealis) and mussels (Mytilus edulis). I organized a poster corner discussion (title: Effects of ocean acidification on marine organisms: the lessons of ecotoxicology) and presented our poster at SETAC-Europe 20th Annual Meeting in Seville, Spain, 23-27 May 2010. |
| 2010 | Bechmann, R.K., I.C. Taban, S. Westerlund, B.F. Godal, M. Arnberg, S. Vingen, A. Ingvarsdottir, T. Baussant. Effects of ocean acidification on early life stages of shrimps (Pandalus borealis) and mussels (Mytilus edulis). Platform presentation at the 3rd Norwegian Environmental Toxicology Symposium (3. NETS), Bergen, Norway, 14.-16. April 2010. |
| 2006 | Bechmann, R. K., Taban, I.C., Larsen, B.K., Baussant, T. Skadsheim, A., Sanni, S. and Smit, M. Monitoring of modelled environmental risk; Experimental basis to establish a “biomarker bridge”. Platform presentation at the 9th International Marine Environmental Modelling Seminar. IMEMS 2006 Rio de Janeiro, October 9-11. |
| 2005 | Bechmann, R.K., T. Baussant, A. H. Tandberg, R C. Sundt, S. Westerlund. 2005. Muddy waters; blues for filter feeding organisms exposed to drilling mud discharges? Poster at SETAC Europe 15th Annual Meeting. The Raison d'être of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 22 - 26 May 2005. Lille, France. |
| 2004 | Bechmann, R. K., Taban, I.C., Jonsson, G., Sanni, S., Reichert, W.L. Plisson-Sauné, S. and Buffagni, M. Bioaccumulation, Biomarker Responses, and Effects on Reproduction in Fish Exposed to a Mixture of PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) and to Dispersed Oil. Conference paper (available on the SPE web-site and platform presentation at the Seventh SPE International Conference on Health, Safety, and Environment in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 29–31 March 2004. |
| 2003 | Bechmann, R. K., Taban, I.C., Jonsson, G., Øysæd, K.B., Sanni, S., Plisson-Sauné, S. Effects of two North Sea crude oils on reproduction in Cyprinodon variegatus. Platform presentation at the SETAC Europe 13th Annual Meeting in Hamburg, Germany, 27 April – 1 May, 2003. |
| 2002 | Bechmann, R. K., S. Torgrimsen, E. Aas, R. Sundt, I. C. Taban, S. Sanni. DNA damage in mussels and sea urchins exposed to crude oil. Measurement of DNA strand breaks by the Comet assay. Platform presentation at the SETAC 23rd annual meeting in North America, Salt Lake City, USA, 16 – 20 November 2002. |
| 2000 | Bechmann, R.K., I.C. Jensen, A. Skadsheim, S. Sanni, A. Cova, B. Gaudebert. Effects of a mixture of PAHs on the reproduction of a model fish. Poster presented at the Third SETAC World Congress, Brighton, UK, 21-25 May 2000. |
| 1998 | Bechmann, R.K. Effects of the endocrine disrupter nonylphenol on the marine copepod Tisbe battagliai. Platform presentation at the 8th Annual Meeting of SETAC-Europe in Bordeaux, France. 14-18 April 1998. |
| 1992 | Bechmann, R. K. Use of life tables and LC50 tests to evaluate chronic and acute toxicity effects of copper on the marine copepod Tisbe furcata (Baird). Poster presented at the SETAC-Europe conference in Potsdam, Germany 21-24 June 1992. |
I have participated in many projects financed by the oil industry, and most of these projects have been confidential. Hence the results have only been presented in research reports. I have not included these reports in the CV. |
More details about our work with
ocean acidification will come soon!
Reproduction experiments, life table experiments
and early life stage tests with crustaceans
Reproduction experiments and early life stage tests with fish
Sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus)
Long-term continuous flow experiments studying reproductive effects and biomarker responses in fish exposed to:
- Dispersed oil
- Naphthalene
- Chrysene
- A mixture of PAHs
- A mixture of alkylphenols
These experiments have been planned, conducted and reported in cooperation with Ingrid C. Taban, and with Steinar Sanni as project leader.
Parameters:
- PAH metabolites in bile
- DNA adducts
- VTG and Zrp
- Condition factor
- Egg production
- Hatching success
- Survival of larvae
Spotted wolffish (Anarhicas minor)
Survival and growth of spotted wolffish larvae exposed to off-shore produced water.
Cod (Gadus morhua)
Survival, growth and feeding of cod larvae exposed to suspended particles of used water based drilling mud with barite as the weighting material.
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DNA strand breaks measured by the Comet assay
I have used comet assay to study DNA damage in cells from animals exposed to potentially genotoxic compounds.
I have experience from the following species/cell types:
Haemocytes from mussels (Mytilus edulis) and scallops (Pecten maximus and Chlamys islandica)
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Muddy Waters;
Blues for water column organisms exposed to drilling mud discharges?
The 2004-2005 project:
“Impacts of drilling mud discharges on water column organism and filter feeding bivalves”.
Norwegian Research Council project no. 159183
The two main objectives were to study:
1. If exposure to suspended drilling mud particles affected
- Cod (larvae and juveniles)
- Blue mussels (larvae and adults)
- Scallops (adults)
2. If metals accumulate in tissues of bivalves and fish after exposure to drilling mud
The 2006-2008 project:
“Drilling mud follow up study - Input data and validation experiments for ERMS”.
Norwegian Research Council project no. 173418
In PROOF project (159183) negative effects of barite and used water based drilling mud with barite were detected in cod, mussels and scallops. We will do follow-up experiments to:
- contribute to the understanding of the metal vs particle effects of barite by comparing effects and metal concentration in mussels exposed to barite with high and low metal content
- find out if the observed histological damage to cod and mussels exposed to barite is irreversible
- test if cod fed barite exposed mussels accumulate metals
Because of its lower metal content ilmenite is considered to be a more environmentally friendly alternative to barite as a weighting material in drilling mud.
- Adult scallops and mussel larvae will be exposed to ilmenite and used drilling mud with ilmenite to find out if ilmenite cause less effect than barite, and if the potential effects of ilmenite are irreversible.
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04/07/2011