Sine-Sara Astad Email & Phone Number

My interest in biodiversity and ecology bloomed while a was working in Thailand as a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer #360613. Earlier studies in Business and Economics from BI Norwegian Business School (Master's degree) had broadly focused on business growth and profits, and as I wanted to gain more knowledge about Conservation and Economic profitability, I left Thailand to further develop my career path. The journey started by being enrolled at two Norwegian Universities doing a double degree in different Biology related research fields. The Bachelor's degree in Biomarin Innovation at NTNU Ålesund focuses on commercial breeding of marine species while the Bachelor's degree in Biology (Natur- og miljøforvaltning) at USN - University of South-Eastern Norway provides a more ecology- and biology-based view on biodiversity. As a part of my degree at USN, I have had the opportunity to spend a semester at The University of Sunshine Coast (USC) in Australia. There I participated in laboratory work, field studies, writing scientific reports, and gaining more in-field training. Then I spent six months in Svalbard (Spitsbergen) studying Arctic Environmental Management and working as a lab technician assistant. Experiencing the contrasts between the Gondwana fauna in warm dry conditions and the Arctic fauna in a cold and dark environment has given me a broad perspective on biodiversity, and I am well familiar with different species across the world. During Spring 2020, due to the Covid pandemic, I got the opportunity to go to Ny-Ålesund (80 degrees North) and work for the Norwegian Polar Institute sampling the marine spring bloom. Then during the summer and fall, I continued working with marine sampling in Longyearbyen for the "Ecosystem monitoring in coastal waters of Svalbard" project and also joined During a three-week science cruise in the Barents Sea funded by the Nansen Legacy project. In January 2021, I start my second Master`s degree in Marine Biology at UIT, and in December 2022 I successfully defended my Master`s Thesis with the title "A spatial and temporal study of Psudocalanus acuspes, P. minutus, and P. moultoni in the Svalbard- Barents Sea region, and their potential as environmental indicator species in the changing Arctic". This experience has given me experience in working with molecular methods and specializing in copepod ecology. It has also challenged me to work more analytically and to improve my troubleshooting skills. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or are interested in my profile: sinesara@gmail.com.

Listed skills include Business Strategy, Strategy, Social Media, Leadership, and 16 others.