Jonas Sundberg
Presentation
Ecologist working at the interface of pelagic fish ecology, seabird ecology, fisheries and ecosystem-based management, with a particular focus on developing new ways of observing marine ecosystems. My research combines long-term ecological observation, hydroacoustics, autonomous platforms and AI-based analysis to resolve ecological processes at the spatial and temporal scales at which they occur and to inform ecosystem-based management.
I'm studying seabirds at Stora Karlsö in the Baltic Sea, where I have conceived and built a unique automated observatory, the Karlsö Auk Lab. Advanced installations allow for the use of sensors and AI to monitor the birds' daily life. Knowledge stemming from my long-term empirical studies of seabird demographics, foraging and behaviour allow for the integration of seabird conservation in ecosystem and fisheries management. See more here and here.
I'm leading the development and application of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for hydroacoustic data collection. Currently, I'm running four Sailbuoys across the Baltic Sea, Hudson Bay and Australia. Read more about this here.
I'm the Scientific Leader of an annual hydro-acoustic expedition with R/V Svea, Sweden's principal offshore research vessel. This involves responsibility for scientific planning and execution. I am also involved across the annual Svea research programme, including through the ship’s IT reference group. Read more about Svea here: here
Forskning
Research projects:
Vetenskapsrådet. Research grant. Prey requirements of the world’s seabirds. Individual application, 4000 kkr, 2022 – 2025.
Marcus and Marianne Wallenberg foundation, Project: “Sustainability Science, Dialogues, ad novel technologies for understanding and managing ocean ecosystem trade-offs”. Project lead: Henrik Österblom, Stockholm University. 7800 kkr, 2020 - 2025.
FORMAS. Blue Innovation planning project. Innovative technology for sustainable management of complex marine ecosystems, Main applicant. 1458 kkr, 2021 – 2023.
Vinnova, Project: "AI for Sustainable Management of Marine Ecosystems", 266 kkr, 2022 - 2023
FORMAS communication project. Klimatläroportalen ’Vårt Varmare Hav’ för gymnasielärare och -elever: kunskap och verktyg för framtidens Östersjömedborgare. Main applicant: Sophie Lewenhaupt, Skansen. Total project budget 1635 kkr, 2020 - 2023.
Miljöanalys
Akustisk identifiering av storspigg, projekt för Miljöanalysprogrammet Kust och Hav 2022, 130 kkr.
Undervisning
Teaching 2017 - 2026:
- SLU Sustainability perspectives on contemporary fisheries. Where have all the fishes gone? (MX0143)
- Uppsala University, Global Challenges and Sustainable Futures (1MV071), 2019
- SLU Ecology, basic course (BI1039).
- SLU Ecology for Fish Management and Conservation (BI1269)
- SLU Principles of Fisheries Science (BI1270)
- SLU Prospects and Challenges for Sustainable Food Systems (LV0103)
- Gothenburg University. Open Water - Sampling Techniques (MAV104).
- University of Bologna (Italy). Marine monitoring and spatial planning (MSc level)
Background
Awards
Awarded the silver medal for Distinguished services by SLU in 2023:
Collaboration
Work Package leader for fisheries acoustics in the EFICA consortium (European Fisheries Inventory in the Central Arctic Ocean), which was a EU-funded consortium to investigate fish biodiversity, abundance and distribution in the Central Arctic Ocean (CAO). The consortium has participated in two expeditions to the Central Arctic Ocean, the Mosaic expedition with R/V Polarstern October 2019 - October 2020 and with R/V Oden July - October 2020.
Supervision
Supervision, PhD
2026- Shijun Sun, co-supervisor, Lund University
2024- Alana Krug-MacLeod, co-supervisor, McGill University
2023- David Stone, co-supervisor, University of Glasgow
2026 Lilia Guillet, co-supervisor, University of Strasbourg
2025 Astrid Carlsen, main supervisor, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
2020 Blanca Sarzo, co-supervisor, University of Valencia
2020 Emma Björvik, co-supervisor, Stockholm University
Supervision, MSc
2026 Kamaleswar Urranki & Vineeth Dhagey (joint project), co-supervisor, RISE
2026 Guðmundur Guttormsson & Le Gallo Léa (joint project), co-supervisor, RISE
2026 Ida Heijmink, co-supervisor, RISE
2026 Sara Marolt, main supervisor, SLU
2026 Saga Kynman, main supervisor, SLU
2024 Mica Bohacek, main supervisor, SLU
2023 Erika Haug, main supervisor, SLU
2023 Elin Sjöholm, co-supervisor, SLU
2022 Matilda Hanes, co-supervisor, Chalmers University of Technology
2022 Shreyash Kad, co-supervisor, Chalmers University of Technology
2021 Camilla Menestrina, co-supervisor, University of Bologna
2021 Silvia Melchiori, co-supervisor, University of Bologna
2018 Emelie Delphin, main supervisor, Stockholm University
2016 Per-Arvid Berglund, co-supervisor, Stockholm University
2015 Jessica Spijkers, co-supervisor, Stockholm University
2013 Emma Björkvik, co-supervisor, Stockholm University
2013 Maja Berggren, co-supervisor, Stockholm University
Supervision, BSc
2026 Filippa Paperin, main supervisor, SLU
2025 Edith Engqvist, main supervisor, SLU
2025 Felicia Israelsson, main supervisor, SLU
2025 Agnes Källström, main supervisor, SLU
2023 Saga Kynman, main supervisor, SLU
2023 Anna Olsson, main supervisor, Uppsala University
2022 Mica Bohacek, co-supervisor, SLU
2021 Elin Rydevik, main supervisor, Umeå University
2020 Emma Engwall, co-supervisor, Linneaus University
2020 Erika Karlsson, main supervisor, Umeå University
2018 Elida Lundgren, main supervisor, Uppsala University
2014 Katharina Fryers-Hellqvist, main supervisor, Stockholm University
Selected publications
48. Melchiori S, Hentati-Sundberg J, Santini G & Guzmán HM. (2026). Factors influencing the productivity of cocos booby Sula brewsteri in the Gulf of Panama. Marine Ornithology, accepted 2026-04-24
47. Hentati-Sundberg J., Gastauer S, Carlsen AA, Larson N, Svenson A & Nilsson HC. (2026). Reassessing acoustic target strength to improve remote classification of Baltic Sea small pelagic fish. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 83(4), fsag053.
46 . Ammar Y. Olsson J, Gorokhova E, Sköld M, Faxneld S, Hentati-Sundberg J & Soerensen AL. (2026). The effect of shifts in fish community structure on PCDD/F temporal variability in common guillemot (Baltic Sea). Ambio: 1-15.
45. Radchuk V., Jones CV., McLean N., Charmantier A., Teplitsky C., Alisauskas R., Ancona S., Anker-Nilssen T., Arcese P., Arlt D., Aubry LM., Bailey L., Barbraud C., Berg KS., Berteaux D., Blumstein DT., Bouwhuis S., Brose U., Brouwer L., Catry P., Chero G., Chiaradia A., Courtiol A., Daunt F., Delord K., Dobson FS., Drummond H., Eeva T., Fauteux D., Gauthier G., Genovart M., Granadeiro JP., Hentati-Sundberg J., Harris M., Igual JM., Janzen F., Keogan K., Korpimäki E., Kramer-Schadt S., Kruuk LEB., Lewis S., Mallory M., Martin J., Massot M., Matthysen E., Mihoub J-B., Møller AP., Nater CR., Newell M., Oppel S., Oro D., Ortega S., Parejo D., Pärt T., Payo-Payo A., Pemberton J., Phillips RA., Pillay N., Avilés JM., Rödel HG., Sanz-Aguilar A., Saraux C., Schielzeth H., Schradin C., Schroeder J., Sheldon BC., Tavecchia G., Tarwater CE., Veiberg V., Viblanc VA., von Holst D., Vriend SJG., Wanless S., Wheelwright N., Wood AG., Sæther B-E., Jenouvrier S., Clobert J., Beissinger SR., Visser ME., Reed TE., van de Pol M. (2026). Changes in phenology mediate vertebrate population responses to temperature globally. Nature Communications, accepted 2025-12-19.
44. Guillet L, A Chiaradia, N Joly , B Dupuis, A Kato, Y Ropert-Coudert, M Chimienti, Y Hu, R D Reina, Hentati-Sundberg J, C Saraux. (2025) Navigating unpredictable oceans: Mapping fine-scale temporal and spatial variability in little penguin foraging areas. Marine Ecology Progress Series. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps15047
43. Jan, Kinlan MG, Hentati-Sundberg J., Niklas Larson, and Monika Winder. (2025) Limited resource use overlaps among small pelagic fish species in the central Baltic Sea. ICES Journal of Marine Science 82, no. 9: fsaf122.
42. Killeen H., Sydeman W.J., Hoover B., Thompson S.A., Kristiansen T., García-Reyes M., Koval G., Ceballos E., Heal M., Anker-Nilssen T., Barrett R., Becker P., Berglund P.-A., Birkhead T., Boulinier T., Bouwhuis S., Daunt F., Dehnhard N., Diamond A., Elliott K., Erikstad K.E., Fayet A.L., Flint E., Furness R., Golubova E., Hansen E.S., Harris M., Hatch S., Hedd A., Hentati-Sundberg J., Jahncke J., Kitaysky A., Lorentsen S.-H., Lyons D., Major H., Mazurkiewicz D., Miles W., Newell M., Orben R., Oro D., Parker M., Plissner J., Rail J.-F., Reiertsen T.K., Renner H., Rock J.C., Strøm H., Suryan R.M., Thayer J., Trowbridge J., Velarde E., Wanless S., Warzybok P., Watanuki Y., Whelan S., Young L. (2025) Ecosystems mediate climate impacts on northern hemisphere seabirds. Communications earth & environment 6.1: 804.
41. Melchiori S., Hentati-Sundberg J., Santini G., Steeves C.K., Guzman H.M. (2025). Seabirds breeding census and phenology at Bona Island, Gulf of Panama: an updated characterization using drone surveys. Ethology Ecology & Evolution 37.4: 487-499.
40. Hentati-Sundberg J., Berglund P-A, Olin AB, Hejdström A, Österblom H, Carlsen AA, Queiros Q & Olsson O. (2025) Technological evolution generates new answers and new ways forward: a progress report from the first decade at the Karlsö Auk Lab. Marine Ornithology 53: 21-34
39. Carlsen, A. A., Casini, M., Masnadi, F., Olsson, O., Hejdström, A., & Hentati-Sundberg, J. (2024). Autonomous data sampling for high-resolution spatiotemporal fish biomass estimates. Ecological Informatics, 84, 102852.38. Hentati-Sundberg, J., Melchiori, S., Berglund, P. A., & Olsson, O. (2023). Eagle effects on seabird productivity: Effects of a natural experiment. Biological Conservation, 284, 110145.
38. Hentati-Sundberg, J., Melchiori, S., Berglund, P. A., & Olsson, O. (2023). Eagle effects on seabird productivity: Effects of a natural experiment. Biological Conservation, 284, 110145.
37. Hentati-Sundberg J. et al. Seabird surveillance: combining CCTV and Artificial Intelligence for monitoring and research. Remote Sensing for Ecology and Conservation, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.329
36. Olin A., Dück L., Berglund P-A., Karlsson E., Bohm M., Olsson O. Hentati-Sundberg J. 2023. Breeding failures and reduced nest attendance in response to heat stress in a high-latitude seabird. MEPS, forthcoming.
35. Patterson, A., Grant Gilchrist, Sigurd Benjaminsen, Mark Bolton, Anne Sophie Bonnet-Lebrun, Gail K. Davoren, Sébastien Descamps, Kjell Einar Erikstad, Morten Frederiksen, Anthony J.Gaston, Julia Gulka, Jonas Hentati-Sundberg, Nicholas Per Huffeldt, Kasper Lambert Johansen, Aili Lage Labansen, Jannie Fries Linnebjerg, Oliver P.Love, Mark L.Mallory, Flemming Ravn Merkel, William A.Montevecchi, Anders Mosbech, Olof Olsson, Ellie Owen, Norman Ratcliffe, Paul M.Regular, Tone Kristin Reiertsen, Yan Ropert-Coudert, Hallvard Strøm, Thorkell Lindberg Thórarinsson & Kyle H.Elliott. Foraging range scales with colony size in high latitude seabirds. Current Biology In press, available online 22 July 2022
34. Keogan, K; Daunt, Francis; Wanless, Sarah; Phillips, Richard; Alvarez, David; Anker-Nilssen, Tycho; Barrett, Robert; Bech, Claus; Becker, Peter; Berglund, Per-Arvid; Bouwhuis, Sandra; Burr, Zofia; Chastel, Olivier; Christensen-Dalsgaard, Signe; Descamps, Sébastien; Diamond, Tony; Elliott, Kyle; Erikstad, Kjell Einar; Harris, Mike; Hentati-Sundberg, Jonas; Huebeck, Martin; Langset, Magdalene; Lorentsen, Svein; Major, Heather; Mallory, Mark; Mellor, Mick; Miles, Will; Moe, Børge; Mostello, Carolyn; Newell, Mark; Nisbet, Ian; Reiertsen, Tone; Rock, Jennifer ; Varpe, Øystein; Lewis, Sue; Phillimore, Albert. Variation and correlation in the timing of breeding of North Atlantic seabirds across multiple scales. Journal of Animal Ecology, in press, published online 8 June 2022
33. Engwall E, Waldenström J och Hentati-Sundberg J. 2022. Prey preference in razorbills Alca torda breeding at Stora Karlsö, Sweden. Ornis Svecica 32: 87-98: . https://doi.org/10.34080/os.v32.22615
32. Snoeijs-Leijonmalm, P. Flores H., Sakinan S., Hildebrandt N. Svenson A. Castellani G., Vane K., Mark FC, Heuzé C, Tippenhauer S, Niehoff B, Hjelm J, Hentati-Sundberg J, Schaafsma FL, Engelmann. R, The Efica-mosaic Team 2022. Unexpected Fish and Squid in the Central Arctic Deep Scattering Layer. Science Advances 8: eabj7536.
31. Bates, A.E., Primack, R.B., ... Hentati-Sundberg J.* ... Duarte C. 2021. Global COVID-19 lockdown highlights humans as both threats and custodians of the environment. Biological Conservation, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109175. *In total, 346 authors
30. Hentati-Sundberg J., Berglund P-A., Hejdström A. & Olsson O. 2021. COVID-19 lockdown reveals tourists as seabird guardians. Biological Conservation 254: 108950.
29. Sarzo B., King R., Conesa D. & Hentati-Sundberg J. Correcting bias in survival probabilities for partially monitored populations via integrated models. Journal of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Statistics accepted 29 Oct 2020.
28. Saraux C., Sydeman W., Piatt J., Anker-Nilssen T., Hentati-Sundberg J., Bertrand S., Cury P., Furness R.W., Mills J.A., Österblom H., Passuni G., Roux J-P., Shannon L.J., Crawford R.J.M. (2020) Seabird-induced natural mortality of forage fish varies with fish abundance: evidence from 5 ecosystems. Fish & Fisheries, accepted 10 sept 2020
27. Maggini I., Cardinale M., Hentati-Sundberg J., Spina F., Fusani L.Recent phenological shifts of migratory birds at a Mediterranean spring stopover site: species wintering in the Sahel advance passage more than tropical winterers. (2020) Plos One, accepted 10 sept 2020
26. Hentati-Sundberg J., Raymond C., Sköld, M., Svensson O., Gustafsson, B & Bonaglia, S. (2020) Fueling of a marine-terrestrial ecosystem by a major seabird colony. Scientific Reports, accepted 25 aug 2020
25. Hentati-Sundberg J., Olin A., Evans T., Isaksson N, Berglund, P-A., Olsson O. (2020) A mechanistic framework to inform the spatial management of conflicting fisheries and top-predators. Journal of Applied Ecology, accepted 13 aug 2020.
24. Weidner L., Stranne C., Hentati-Sundberg J. Weber T.C., Mayer L. & Jacobsson M. (2020) Tracking the spatiotemporal variability of the oxic-anoxic interface in the Baltic Sea with broadband acoustics. ICES Journal of Marine Science, accepted 29 July 2020.
23. Wijermans, N., Boonstra WJ, Orach K, Hentati-Sundberg J. & Schlüter M. (2020) Careful what you fish for: Addressing behavioural diversity in fishery models. Fish & Fisheries, published online 29 June 2020. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12466
22. Caswell B., Klein E., Alleway H., Ball J., Botero J., Cardinale M., Eero M., Engelhard G., Fortibuoni T., Giraldo A-J., Hentati-Sundberg J., Jones P., Kittinger J., Krause G., Lajus D., Lajus J., Lau S., Lescrauwaet A-K., MacKenzie B., McKenzie M., Ojaveer H., Pandolfi J., Raicevich S., Russel B., Sundelof A., Thorpe R., zu Ermgassen P. & Thurstan R. (2020) Something old, something new: historical perspectives provide lessons for blue growth agendas. Fish & Fisheries, accepted 6 March 2020.
21. Björkvik, E., W. J. Boonstra, and J. Hentati-Sundberg. 2020. Why fishers end up in social-ecological traps: a case study of Swedish eel fisheries in the Baltic Sea. Ecology and Society 25(1):21.
20. Hentati-Sundberg J. Fryers-Hellqvist K. & Duit A. (2019) Iron-triangles and subsidies. Understanding the long-term role of the government on Swedish commercial fisheries. Ecology & Society 24 (4): 18.
19. Sarzo B., Armero C., Conesa D., Hentati-Sundberg J. & Olsson O. (2019) Bayesian Immature Survival Analysis of the Largest Colony of Common Murre (Uria aalge) in the Baltic Sea. Waterbirds 42: 304-313
18. Hamann M., Berry K., Chaigneau T., Curry T., Heilmayr R., Henriksson P.J.G., Hentati-Sundberg J., Jina A., Lindkvist E., Lopez-Maldonado Y., Nieminen E., Piaggio M., Qiu J., Rocha J.C., Schill C., Shepon A., Tilman A., van den Bijgaart I. & Wu T. (2018) Inequality and the Biosphere. Annual Review of Environment and Resources43: 61-83.
17. Yletyinen, J., J. Hentati-Sundberg, T. Blenckner, and Ö. Bodin. (2018). Fishing strategy diversification and fishers' ecological dependency. Ecology and Society 23(3):28.
16. Hentati-Sundberg, J., Evans, T., Österblom, H., Hjelm, J., Larson, N., Bakken, V., Svenson, A. & Olsson, O. (2018). Fish and seabird spatial distribution and abundance at the largest seabird colony in the Baltic Sea. Marine Ornithology 46 (1): 61-68
15. Haider L. J., Hentati-Sundberg J., Giusti M., Goodness J., Hamann M. Masterson V. A. Meacham M., Merrie A. Ospina D., Schill C. & Sinare H. (2018) The undisciplinary journey: early-career perspectives in sustainability science. Sustainability Science 13: 191-204.
14. Olsson O. & Hentati-Sundberg J. (2017) Population trends and status of four seabird species (Uria aalge, Alca torda, Larus fuscus, Larus argentatus) at Stora Karlsö in the Baltic Sea. Ornis Svecica 27: 64-93.
13. Österblom H., Hentati-Sundberg J., Nevonen N. & Veem K. (2017) Tinkering with a tanker – slow evolution of a Swedish ecosystem approach. ICES Journal of Marine Science 74: 443-452
12. Hentati-Sundberg J. & Olsson O. (2016) Amateur photographs reveal population history of a colonial seabird. Current Biology 26: 226-228. This paper was featured in international media in many countries, including Der Speigel, the Economist and Toronto Star.
11. Boonstra W. J. & Hentati-Sundberg J. (2016). Classifying fishers’ behaviour. An invitation to fishing styles. Fish and Fisheries 17 (1): 78-100.
10. Kadin M., Olsson O., Hentati-Sundberg J., Willerström Ehrning E. & Blenckner T. (2016) Common Guillemot Uria aalge parents adjust provisioning rates to compensate for low food quality. Ibis 158: 167-178.
9. Crona B., Daw T.M., Swartz W., Norström A.V., Nyström M., Thyresson M., Folke C., Hentati-Sundberg J., et al. (2016) Masked, diluted and drowned out: how global seafood trade weakens signals from marine ecosystems. Fish and Fisheries 17 (4): 1175-1182
8. Lade S.J., Niiranen S., Hentati-Sundberg J., Blenckner T., Boonstra W.J., Orach K., et al. (2015) An empirical model of the Baltic Sea reveals the importance of social dynamics for ecological regime shifts. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 112: 11120–11125
7. Hentati-Sundberg, J., Hjelm, J., Boonstra, W. J., & Österblom, H. (2015). Management Forcing Increased Specialization in a Fishery System. Ecosystems 18 (1): 45-61
6. Hentati-Sundberg, J., Hjelm, J., & Österblom, H. (2015). Does fisheries management incentivize non-compliance? Estimated misreporting in the Swedish Baltic Sea pelagic fishery based on commercial fishing effort. ICES Journal of Marine Science 71: 1846-1853
5. Hentati-Sundberg J., & Hjelm J. (2014). Can fisheries management be quantified? Marine Policy 48, 18–20.
4. Cross, A. D. P., Hentati-Sundberg, J., Österblom, H., McGill, R. A. R., & Furness, R. W. (2014) Isotopic analysis of island House Martins Delichon urbica indicates marine provenance of nutrients. Ibis 156, 676–681.
3. Hentati-Sundberg J., Österblom H., Kadin M., Jansson Å. & Olsson O. (2012) The Karlsö Murre Lab methodology can stimulate innovative seabird research. Marine Ornitology 40: 11–16.
2. Kadin M., Österblom H., Hentati-Sundberg J. & Olsson O. (2012) Contrasting effects on food quantity and quality on a marine top predator. Marine Ecology Progress Series 444: 239-249
1. Österblom H., Sumaila U.R., Bodin Ö., Hentati-Sundberg J., Press A.J., (2010) Adapting to Regional Enforcement: Fishing Down the Governance Index. PLoS ONE 5(9): e12832.