Sam Wenaas Perrin

About

Since May 2023 I've been working on the Hotspots project, which aims to map Norwegian biodiversity in an attempt to figure out which regions of Norway need to be prioritised for conservation. My work has involved the construction of automated data pipelines which download, process and then integrate a wide variety of data sets into species distribution models, as well as coordinating a team of interdisicplinary researchers and communicating our project results.

Before my time on the hotspots project, I completed my PhD on the joint effects of climate change and invasive species on freshwater ecosystems in Scandinavia. The project involved extensive statistical modelling, but also an eco-sociological exploration of what defines an invasive species, and how people feel invasive species should be managed, particularly in light of climate change. I've also been lucky enough to talk and teach about invasive species and biogeography in Master's courses and public events.

I am a keen scientific communicator, and founded and edited the website Ecology for the Masses. I have written a plethora of ecological articles for different publications, including The Niche, The Biologist, Kaiju Ramen and Unite for Nature. I also produced the podcast Biologists of Middle Earth, which interviewed biologists about fictional research projects based in Tolkein's world.

Between my stints at NTNU I also worked at Ducky AS, calculating and communicating how individuals can make a positive impact on Norway's greenhouse gas emissions. I'm also a member of Scientist Rebellion Norway.

Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about:

Invasive species in Norway or Australia
Modelling species distributions using open data
Science communication
The biodiversity or climate crisis - what it means, what we can do

Publications

2026

Kaven, Hannah; Backe, Stian; Perrin, Sam Wenaas; Graabak, Ingeborg. (2026) Power System Impact of Limiting Wind and Solar Deployment in Species-Rich Areas: Norwegian Case Study.
Academic chapter
Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt; Perrin, Sam Wenaas; Mostert, Philip Stanley; Krogstie, Hanne Bjørnås; Togunov, Ron Ronald; Herfindal, Ivar; O'Hara, Robert Brian. (2026) Modellering av heldekkende kart over artsmangfold: Pilotering av romlig-temporære modeller og modeller for ferskvann. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Research report

2025

Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt; Chipperfield, Joseph; Grytnes, John-Arvid; Herfindal, Ivar; O'Hara, Robert Brian; Adjei, Kwaku Peprah; Perrin, Sam Wenaas; Mostert, Philip Stanley; Togunov, Ron Ronald; Töpper, Joachim Paul. (2025) Hotspots for arter. Miljødirektoratet
Map
Paiba Garcia, Laura Catherine; Johnsen, Geir; Perrin, Sam Wenaas; Bakken, Torkild. (2025) Open‐Source Marine Biodiversity Data Quality in the Norwegian Sea Spanning 149 Years: Knowledge Gaps in the Deep‐Sea Mining Opening Area. Ecology and Evolution
Academic article
Herfindal, Ivar; Perrin, Sam; Adjei, Kwaku Peprah; Mostert, Philip Stanley; Togunov, Ron Ronald; Töpper, Joachim Paul; Grytnes, John-Arvid; Chipperfield, Joseph; O'Hara, Robert Brian; Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt. (2025) Modellering av heildekkande kart over artsmangfald – Betre kunnskap for arealbasert forvaltning av natur. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Research report
Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt; Perrin, Sam Wenaas; Adjei, Kwaku Peprah; Mostert, Philip Stanley; Togunov, Ron Ronald; Herfindal, Ivar; Töpper, Joachim Paul; Grytnes, John-Arvid; Chipperfield, Joseph; O'Hara, Bob. (2025) Arbeidsflyt for modellering av heildekkande utbreiingskart for artsmangfald. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Research report
Mostert, Philip Stanley; Bjørkås, Ragnhild; Bruls, Angeline Josephine Hubert Mari; Koch, Wouter; Martin, Ellen Claire; Perrin, Sam. (2025) intSDM: An R Package for Building a Reproducible Workflow for the Field of Integrated Species Distribution Models. Ecology and Evolution
Academic article

2024

Perrin, Sam; Lundmark, Carina; Wenaas, Camilla Perrin; Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt. (2024) Contrasts in perception of the interaction between non-native species and climate change. NeoBiota
Academic article
Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Cline, Timothy J.; Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt; Hessen, Dag Olav; Perrin, Sam; Thaulow, Jens; Whited, Diane; Vøllestad, Leif Asbjørn. (2024) Climate change vulnerability of Arctic char across Scandinavia. Global Change Biology
Academic article

2023

Perrin, Sam; Veylit, Lara; Hakvåg, Sigrid; Piarulli, Stefania. (2023) eDNA & accuracy: overcoming the challenges. The Biologist
Popular science article

2021

Perrin, Sam; van der Veen, Bert; Golding, Nick; Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt. (2021) Modelling temperature-driven changes in species associations across freshwater communities. Global Change Biology
Academic article
Perrin, Sam; Bærum, Kim Magnus; Helland, Ingeborg Palm; Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt. (2021) Forecasting the future establishment of invasive alien freshwater fish species. Journal of Applied Ecology
Academic article

2020

Perrin, Sam Wenaas; Englund, Göran; Blumentrath, Stefan; OHara, Robert Brian; Amundsen, Per-Arne; Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt. (2020) Integrating dispersal along freshwater ecosystems into species distribution models. Diversity and Distributions: A Journal of Conservation Biogeography
Academic article

2019

Perrin, Sam. (2019) Futurum.
Exhibition

2017

Perrin, Sam; Zoysa, Rapti Siriwardane-de. (2017) Women in marine science: The efficacy of ecofeminist theory in the wake of historical critique. Leibniz Centre for Marine Research: Working Paper Series
Popular science article

Journal publications

Paiba Garcia, Laura Catherine; Johnsen, Geir; Perrin, Sam Wenaas; Bakken, Torkild. (2025) Open‐Source Marine Biodiversity Data Quality in the Norwegian Sea Spanning 149 Years: Knowledge Gaps in the Deep‐Sea Mining Opening Area. Ecology and Evolution
Academic article
Perrin, Sam; Zoysa, Rapti Siriwardane-de. (2017) Women in marine science: The efficacy of ecofeminist theory in the wake of historical critique. Leibniz Centre for Marine Research: Working Paper Series
Popular science article
Perrin, Sam; Veylit, Lara; Hakvåg, Sigrid; Piarulli, Stefania. (2023) eDNA & accuracy: overcoming the challenges. The Biologist
Popular science article
Perrin, Sam; van der Veen, Bert; Golding, Nick; Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt. (2021) Modelling temperature-driven changes in species associations across freshwater communities. Global Change Biology
Academic article
Perrin, Sam; Lundmark, Carina; Wenaas, Camilla Perrin; Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt. (2024) Contrasts in perception of the interaction between non-native species and climate change. NeoBiota
Academic article
Perrin, Sam; Bærum, Kim Magnus; Helland, Ingeborg Palm; Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt. (2021) Forecasting the future establishment of invasive alien freshwater fish species. Journal of Applied Ecology
Academic article
Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Cline, Timothy J.; Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt; Hessen, Dag Olav; Perrin, Sam; Thaulow, Jens; Whited, Diane; Vøllestad, Leif Asbjørn. (2024) Climate change vulnerability of Arctic char across Scandinavia. Global Change Biology
Academic article
Perrin, Sam Wenaas; Englund, Göran; Blumentrath, Stefan; OHara, Robert Brian; Amundsen, Per-Arne; Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt. (2020) Integrating dispersal along freshwater ecosystems into species distribution models. Diversity and Distributions: A Journal of Conservation Biogeography
Academic article
Mostert, Philip Stanley; Bjørkås, Ragnhild; Bruls, Angeline Josephine Hubert Mari; Koch, Wouter; Martin, Ellen Claire; Perrin, Sam. (2025) intSDM: An R Package for Building a Reproducible Workflow for the Field of Integrated Species Distribution Models. Ecology and Evolution
Academic article

Artistic productions

Perrin, Sam. (2019) Futurum.
Exhibition

Part of book/report

Kaven, Hannah; Backe, Stian; Perrin, Sam Wenaas; Graabak, Ingeborg. (2026) Power System Impact of Limiting Wind and Solar Deployment in Species-Rich Areas: Norwegian Case Study.
Academic chapter

Report

Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt; Perrin, Sam Wenaas; Mostert, Philip Stanley; Krogstie, Hanne Bjørnås; Togunov, Ron Ronald; Herfindal, Ivar; O'Hara, Robert Brian. (2026) Modellering av heldekkende kart over artsmangfold: Pilotering av romlig-temporære modeller og modeller for ferskvann. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Research report
Herfindal, Ivar; Perrin, Sam; Adjei, Kwaku Peprah; Mostert, Philip Stanley; Togunov, Ron Ronald; Töpper, Joachim Paul; Grytnes, John-Arvid; Chipperfield, Joseph; O'Hara, Robert Brian; Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt. (2025) Modellering av heildekkande kart over artsmangfald – Betre kunnskap for arealbasert forvaltning av natur. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Research report
Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt; Perrin, Sam Wenaas; Adjei, Kwaku Peprah; Mostert, Philip Stanley; Togunov, Ron Ronald; Herfindal, Ivar; Töpper, Joachim Paul; Grytnes, John-Arvid; Chipperfield, Joseph; O'Hara, Bob. (2025) Arbeidsflyt for modellering av heildekkande utbreiingskart for artsmangfald. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Research report

ANNEN

Finstad, Anders Gravbrøt; Chipperfield, Joseph; Grytnes, John-Arvid; Herfindal, Ivar; O'Hara, Robert Brian; Adjei, Kwaku Peprah; Perrin, Sam Wenaas; Mostert, Philip Stanley; Togunov, Ron Ronald; Töpper, Joachim Paul. (2025) Hotspots for arter. Miljødirektoratet
Map

Outreach