Morgan L Powers, Ph.D.

Fisheries/Aquatic Toxicology Scientist

Citizenship: American Residence: Anchorage, Alaska

Mbender@fjordfishalaska.com www.morganbender.com 

Orcid ID: 0000-0002-7301-613X

As a fisheries biologist based in Anchorage, Alaska, I am interested in marine ecology, Arctic decision-making, aquatic pollution, and ecological topics of the Arctic, especially as they relate to ecosystem health, climate change, and responsible resource development. I have extensive knowledge of oil spill effects in the marine system, hydrocarbon chemistry, oil spill response measures, and arctic ecology from my academic efforts. My previous work underscores the importance of considering the chronic and delayed effects of low levels of petroleum pollution and the unique life history of high-latitude organisms when assessing the impact of pollutants. Over the last 13 years, I have worked with a variety of projects internationally from salmon in Alaska to ecologically important circumpolar forage fish in the European Arctic. I have led and provided technical expertise and scientific communication deliverables for the oil and gas and mining sector, State agencies and departments, NGOs, Alaska Native Regional Corporations, and universities in Alaska and Europe. I have authored numerous publications for scientific journals and a book chapter; taught university-level courses in biology and toxicology; and presented at over 20 conferences. My work as a postdoctoral fellow in Northern Norway focused on oil spill exposure and climate-driven effects on the physiology of marine fish using experimental methods. Professionally, I now provide guidance and support for fisheries and environmental projects, subject matter expert reports, data analysis, science communication, biological monitoring, and permitting around the State of Alaska. My analytical analysis, ecology, and science communication skills combined with my collaboration ability make me and my newly founded company Fjord & Fish Sciences, an ideal asset to any scientific team. 

Published Works

Recent Available Reports

Bender, M.L. 2025. Long-Term Environmental Monitoring Program Summary Report and Technical Supplement. Prepared for the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Council. Anchorage, Alaska. https://www.pwsrcac.org/programs/environmental-monitoring/ltemp/

Bender, M.L. 2024. Long-Term Environmental Monitoring Program Summary Report and Technical Supplement. Prepared for the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Council. Anchorage, Alaska. https://www.pwsrcac.org/programs/environmental-monitoring/ltemp/

Bender, M.L. 2022. Long-Term Environmental Monitoring Program Summary Report and Technical Supplement. Prepared for the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Council. Anchorage, Alaska. https://www.pwsrcac.org/programs/environmental-monitoring/ltemp/

Book Chapters

Le Moullec, M., and Bender, M.L. 2022. “Impacts of Global Warming on Arctic Biota.” In Global Arctic: An Introduction to the Multifaceted Dynamics of the Arctic, edited by Matthias Finger and Gunnar Rekvig, 211–28. Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81253-9_11.

Peer-reviewed published works

Jasmine Nahrgang, Cassandra Granlund, Morgan L Bender, Lisbet Sørensen, Michael Greenacre & Marianne Frantzen. 2023. No observed developmental effects in early life stages of capelin (Mallotus villosus) exposed to a water-soluble fraction of crude oil during embryonic development, Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 86:12, 404-419, DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2023.2209115

Maxime Geoffroy, Caroline Bouchard, Hauke Flores, Dominique Robert, Harald Gjøsæter, Carie Hoover, Haakon Hop, Nigel E. Hussey, Jasmine Nahrgang, Nadja Steiner, Morgan Bender, Jørgen Berge, Giulia Castellani, Natalia Chernova, Louise Copeman, Carmen L. David, Alison Deary, George Divoky, Andrey V. Dolgov, Janet Duffy-Anderson, Nicolas Dupont, Joël M. Durant, Kyle Elliott, Stéphane Gauthier, Esther D. Goldstein, Rolf Gradinger, Kevin Hedges, Jennifer Herbig, Ben Laurel, Lisa Loseto, Sarah Maes, Felix C. Mark, Anders Mosbech, Sara Pedro, Harri Pettitt-Wade, Irina Prokopchuk, Paul E. Renaud, Sarah Schembri, Cathleen Vestfals, Wojciech Walkusz; The circumpolar impacts of climate change and anthropogenic stressors on Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) and its ecosystem. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene 5 January 2023; 11 (1): 00097. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2022.00097

Nahrgang, J., Granlund, C., Bender, M.L., Sørensen, L., Greenacre, M., Frantzen, M. No observed developmental effects in early life stages of capelin (Mallotus villosus) exposed to a water-soluble fraction of crude oil during embryonic development. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2023 Jun 18;86(12):404-419. https://doi.org/10.1080/15287394.2023.2209115. Epub 2023 May 12. PMID: 37171367.

Vieweg, I., Bender, M.L., Semenchuk, P., Hop, H., and Nahrgang, J. 2021. “Effects of Chronic Crude Oil Exposure on the Fitness of Polar Cod (Boreogadus Saida) through Changes in Growth, Energy Reserves and Survival.” Marine Environmental Research 174 (December): 105545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105545.

Bender, M.L., Giebichenstein, J., Teisrud, R.N., Laurent, J. M., Frantzen, M., Meador, J.P., Sørensen, L., Hansen, B.H., Reinardy, H. C., Laurel, B. J., Nahrgang, J. 2021. Combined effects of crude oil exposure and warming on eggs and larvae of an arctic forage fish. Sci Rep 11, 8410. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-87932-2

Nahrgang J., Bender M.L., Meier S., Nechev J., Berge J., Frantzen M. 2019. Growth and metabolism of adult polar cod (Boreogadus saida) in response to dietary crude oil. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 180:53-62. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.04.082 

Bender M.L, Frantzen M., Camus L., LeFloch S., Palerud J., Nahrgang J. 2018. Effects of acute exposure to dispersed oil and burned oil residue on long-term survival, growth and reproductive development in polar cod (Boreogadus saida). Mar. Environ. Res. 140: 468-477. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.09.005. 

Vieweg, I., Bilbao, E., Meador, J.P., Cancio, I., Bender, M.L., Cajaraville, M.P., Nahrgang, J. 2018. Effects of dietary crude oil exposure on molecular and physiological parameters related to lipid homeostasis in polar cod (Boreogadus saida). Comp. Biochem. and Physio. - Part C. 206-207, 54 – 64. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2018.03.003 

Bender, M.L., Frantzen, M., Vieweg, I., Falk-Petersen, Johnsen, H.K., Rudolfsen, G., Tollefsen, K.E., Dubourg, P., Nahrgang, J., 2016. Effects of chronic dietary petroleum exposure on reproductive development in polar cod (Boreogadus saida). Aquat. Toxicol. doi.10.1016/j.aquatox.2016.10.005

Eidesen P.B., Müller E., Lettner C., Alsos I.G., Bender M., Kristiansen M., Peeters B., Postma F. & Verweij K.F. 2013. Tetraploids do not form cushions: association of ploidy level, growth form and ecology in the High Arctic Saxifraga oppositifolia L. s. lat. (Saxifragaceae) in Svalbard. Polar Research 32, 20071, http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/polar.v32i0.20071