Ola Svensson

I am an associate professor (docent) in evolutionary ecology and primarily teach biology, including ecology, genetics, and evolution.

My research focuses on fish reproduction, with particular emphasis on sexual selection, local adaptation, and speciation. I study processes ranging from mate choice and reproductive isolation to sperm competition and parental care, combining field experiments, aquarium studies, and molecular approaches.

Much of my work has centred on the sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus) and the common goby (Pomatoschistus microps), two of the most widespread fish species in Sweden. In both species, males build nests under mussel shells and attract females to spawn. The male then cares for the eggs alone until they hatch. My research has examined how nest-holding males balance parental care with defence against intruding males that attempt to fertilise eggs, a system that provides clear experimental access to sperm competition and reproductive trade-offs.

In recent years, I have increasingly focused on locally adapted populations and early stages of speciation. In Swedish sand gobies, we investigate genetic divergence and local adaptation between marine populations on the west coast and brackish-water populations in the Baltic Sea. Within the Linnaeus Centre for Marine Evolutionary Biology at the University of Gothenburg, we have sequenced the complete sand goby genome and use genomic approaches to understand how reproductive success is shaped by environmental gradients. The nuclear genome is available via Dryad and the mitochondrial genome via GenBank.

I also conduct research on cichlids from Lake Malawi and Lake Victoria. These species-rich systems provide exceptional opportunities to study speciation driven by mate choice, and I have used experimental crosses and behavioural assays to investigate the genetic basis of reproductive isolation.

My research is primarily curiosity-driven basic research, but it is closely linked to contemporary environmental change. The sand goby is among the most common fish species in Swedish coastal waters and an important prey species for cod. Studying local adaptation in this species provides insight into how populations may respond to future environmental and climate change. I am also involved in projects examining the effects of boat traffic, pharmaceuticals, and other pollutants in aquatic environments, as well as research on the invasive round goby. These studies represent applied extensions of my work with relevance to sustainable development.

Selected publications

• Blom E-L, Dekhla IK, Bertram MG, Manera JL, Kvarnemo C, Svensson O (2024). Anthropogenic noise disrupts early-life development in a fish with paternal care. Science of the Total Environment 935: 173055 doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173055
• Leder EH, André C. Le Moan A, Töpel M, Blomberg A., Havenhand JN, Lindström K, Volckaert FAM, Kvarnemo C, Johannesson K, Svensson O (2021). Post-glacial establishment of locally adapted fish populations over a steep salinity gradient. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 34: 138–156. doi:10.1111/jeb.13668
• Svensson O, Woodhouse K, Smith A, Seehausen O, Turner GF (2024). Sympatry and parapatry among rocky reef cichlids of Lake Victoria explained by female mating preferences. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 37: 51–61 doi:10.1093/jeb/voad006
• Svensson O, Gräns J, Celander MC, Havenhand J, Leder EH, Lindström K, Schöld S, van Oosterhout C, Kvarnemo C (2017). Immigrant reproductive dysfunction facilitates ecological speciation. Evolution 71: 2510–2521.
  doi: 10.1111/evo.13323
• Svensson O, Woodhouse K, van Oosterhout C, Smith A, Turner GF, Seehausen O (2017). The genetics of mate preferences in hybrids between two young and sympatric Lake Victoria cichlid species. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 284: 20162332.
  doi: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2332
• Svensson O, Kvarnemo C (2007). Parasitic spawning in sand gobies: an experimental assessment of nest-opening size, sneaker male cues, paternity, and filial cannibalism. Behavioral Ecology 18: 410–419. doi:10.1093/beheco/arl098

Visit my Researchgate page

Researcher's publications in DiVA (Digitala Vetenskapliga Arkivet)