| Education and positions: |
- 2024-2026: Early Career Director at the Cushman Foundation for
Foraminiferal Research (USA)
- 2023– present: Assistant Professor at the Institute of
Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences
- 2016–2022: PhD candidate at the Department of
Paleoceanography, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of
Sciences
- 2013–2015: MSc in marine geology at the University of
Gdańsk, faculty of Geography and Oceanography;
- 2011–2012: ERASMUS programme participant in University of
Gothenburg, Sweden;
- 2010–2013: BSc in geological oceanography at the University
of Gdańsk, faculty of Geography and Oceanography.
|
| Main scientific interests: |
- Impact of climate change on past and present foraminiferal
assemblages;
- Role of foraminifera in the global carbon cycle;
- Holocene history of Nordic Seas;
- Modern foraminiferal assemblages of the Central Mid-Atlantic
Ridge.
|
| Doctoral supervision: |
- Assistant supervisor of PhD candidate MSc Mahima Pai.
|
| Project
leadership: |
- CO-FACTOR: Controls On Foraminiferal cArbon Contribution TO
European ARctic Sediments. Project funded by the National
Science Centre (NCN) of Poland. Duration: 2025-2028
- Foraminiferal carbon share in a land to ocean transect
(Everglades). Project funded by the Polish-U.S. Fulbright
Commission. Duration: 06.2021-12.2021;
- Foraminiferal carbon share in sedimentary carbon pool of
Svalbard and Northern European fjords. Project funded by the
National Science Centre of Poland. Duration: 2017-2020.
|
| Project
participation: |
- ICARIS- Impact of calcite overgrowth on radiocarbon and stable
isotope analysis in foraminifera from Nordic Seas sediments.
Project funded by the National Science Centre (NCN) of Poland.
Duration: 2025-2028.
- ACCESS – Assessment of atlantifiCation influenCe on the
migration of the thermophilic foraminifEra SpecieS to the European
Arctic during Holocene. Project funded by the National Science
Centre of Poland. Participation: 2023-ongoing
- NEEDED – Sedimentary ancient DNA – a new proxy to
investigate the impact of environmental change on past and present
biodiversity in Nordic Seas. Project funded by the National
Science Centre of Poland. Participation: 2022-2024
- Holocene history of the Greenland Gyre. Project funded by
the National Science Centre of Poland. Participation: 2017-2020
- Paleogenetic reconstruction of Atlantic water advection into
the Arctic Ocean over the Holocene. Project funded by the
National Science Centre of Poland. Participation: 2016-2019
- DWARF – Declining size – a general response to climate
warming in Arctic fauna? Project funded by EEA/Norway Financial
Mechanism Project. Participation: 2016-2017
- Dinocysts as the paleoceanographic indicator of the sea ice.
Late Holocene history of the sea environment of Hornsund and
Storfjorden (Svalbard). Project funded by the National Science
Centre of Poland. Participation: 08.2017-09.2017
- Face2Face – two faces of the Arctic fjords in the changing
world. Project financially supported by the National Science
Centre of Poland. Participation: 2016
|
| Publications: |
- Szymańska N., Devendra D., Nguyen N.-L., Holzmann M.,
Garbień A., Stachowiak M., Kotwicki L., Lintner M., Keul N.,
Melaniuk K., Łącka M., Zajączkowski M., Pawłowski J., 2025.
First record of the foraminiferal species Ammonia confertitesta
in the southeastern Baltic Sea. Scientific Reports.
- Devendra D., Łącka M., Szymańska N., Nethupul H.,
Pawłowska J., Szymczak-Żyła M., Krajewska M., De Silva P.,
Bondevik S., Gibbons S. J., Zajączkowski M., 2025. Expanding
the footprint of the Storegga tsunami through new evidence from
Arctic marine sediments. Scientific Reports.
- Szymańska N., Pai M., Devendra D., Łącka M.,
Zajączkowski M., 2025. Foraminiferal carbonate production
decrease in a rapidly changing fjord (Hornsund, Svalbard,
2002–2019). Journal of Foraminiferal Research.
- Devendra D., Łącka M., Szymańska N., Szymczak-Żyła
M., Krajewska M., Weiner A. K., De Schepper S., Simon M. H.,
Zajączkowski, M., 2023. The development of ocean currents and
the response of the cryosphere on the Southwest Svalbard shelf over
the Holocene. Global and Planetary Change, p.104213.
- Nguyen N. L., Devendra D., Szymańska N., Greco M.,
Angeles I. B., Weiner A. K., Ray J. L., Cordier T., De Schepper S.,
Pawłowski J., Pawłowska J., 2023. Sedimentary ancient DNA: a
new paleogenomic tool for reconstructing the history of marine
ecosystems. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10, p.1185435.
- Szymańska N., Łącka M., Koziorowska K., Kuliński K.,
Pawłowska J., Telesiński M. M., Zajączkowski M., 2021.
Foraminifera‐derived carbon contribution to sedimentary
inorganic carbon pool: A case study from three Norwegian
fjords. Geobiology, 19(6), 631-641.
- Kujawa A., Łącka M., Szymańska N., Telesiński M. M.,
Zajączkowski M., 2021. Could Norwegian fjords serve as an
analogue for the future of the Svalbard fjords? State and fate of
high latitude fjords in the face of progressive
“atlantification”. Polar Biology, 44, 2217–2233.
- Hänninen J., Weckström M., Pawlowska J., Szymańska N.,
Uurasjärvi E., Zajaczkowski M., Hartikainen S., Vuorinen I. 2021.
Plastic debris composition and concentration in the Arctic
Ocean, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.i> Marine Pollution
Bulletin, 165.
- Łącka M., Michalska D., Pawłowska J., Szymańska N.,
Szczuciński W., Forwick M., Zajączkowski M., 2020. Multiproxy
paleoceanographic study from the western Barents Sea reveals
dramatic Younger Dryas onset followed by oscillatory warming
trend. Scientific Resports 10, 15667.
- Telesiński M., Szymańska N., Pawłowska J. Zajączkowski
M., 2020. Does the foraminiferal test size reflect changes in
palaeoenvironmental conditions? – a case study from the southern
Svalbard shelf. Polar Research, 39.
- Kucharska M., Kujawa A., Łącka M., Pawłowska J., Szymańska
N., Zajączkowski M., 2018. Seasonal variability of benthic
foraminifera assemblages in Adventfjorden, Spitsbergen. Polar
Biology, 42(3), 569–580.
- Szymańska N., Pawłowska J., Kucharska M., Kujawa A.,
Łącka M., Zajączkowski M., 2017. Impact of shelf-transformed
waters (STW) on foraminiferal assemblages in the outwash and
glacial fjords of Adventfjorden and Hornsund, Svalbard.
Oceanology, 59, 525–540.
- Pawłowska J., Łącka M., Kucharska M., Szymańska N.,
Koziorowska K., Kuliński K., Zajączkowski M., 2017. Benthic
foraminifera contribution to fjord modern carbon pools: A seasonal
study in Adventfjorden, Spitsbergen. Geobiology, 15, 704–714.
|
| Awards: |
- The Joseph A. Cushman Award for Student Travel 2021.
- Fulbrigh Junior Research Award 2020-2021.
|
| Selected
conferences: |
- 2025 GSA Connects 2025, San Antonio, USA.
Presentation title: Three Meltwater Pulses and a Tsunami: The
Postglacial History of the Western Barents Sea.
Authors: Natalia Szymańska, Dhanushka Devendra, Magdalena Łącka,
Małgorzata Szymczak-Żyła, Małgorzata Krajewska, Maciej Mateusz
Telesiński, Prasadi De Silva, Marek Zajączkowski
- 2024 GSA Connects 2024, Anaheim, USA.
Presentation title: Postglacial Meltwater Outbursts In The
Northwestern Barents Sea: A 14,700-Year Record).
Authors: Natalia Szymańska, Dhanushka Devendra, Magdalena Łącka,
Małgorzata Szymczak-Żyła, Magdalena Krajewska, Maciej Mateusz
Telesiński, Marek Zajączkowski
- 2023 FORAMS 2023. Perugia, Italy
Presentation title: Climate change induced decrease in foraminifera
abundance in an Arctic fjord (Hornsund, Svalbard). Implications for
carbon burial.
Authors: Natalia Szymańska, Magdalena Łącka, Marek
Zajączkowski.
- 2022 EMBS (European Marine Biology Symbosium), Gdańsk,
Poland
Presentation title: Modern climate change impact on foraminifera
assemblages of Hornsund (Svalbard).
Authors: Natalia Szymańska, Magdalena Łącka, Marek
Zajączkowski.
- 2021 Geological Society of America Annual Meeting (GSA
Connects 2021), Portland, USA
Presentation title: Foraminiferal contribution to sedimentary
carbon pool in high-latitude fjords.
Authors: Natalia Szymańska, Joanna Pawłowska, Magdalena Łącka,
Katarzyna Koziorowska-Makuch, Karol Kuliński, Marek Zajączkowski.
- 2019 EGU (European Geosciences Union) Conference.
Vienna, Austria
Presentation title: Share of foraminifera derived carbon in
sediments of Northern European and Svalbard fjords.
Authors: Natalia Szymańska, Agnieszka Kujawa, Joanna Pawłowska,
Magdalena Łącka, Małgorzata Kucharska, Marek Zajączkowski.
- 2019 13th International Conference on Paleoceanography.
Sydney, Australia
Presentation title: Foraminifera derived carbon in fjord sediments-
implications for the processes of carbon burial.
Authors: Natalia Szymańska, Agnieszka Kujawa, Magdalena Łącka,
Joanna Pawłowska, Marek Zajączkowski.
- 2019 PalaeoArc Conference. Poznan, Poland
Presentation title: Implications for the processes of carbon burial
from δ13C of foraminifera tests and δ13C of sediments in which
they live.
Authors: Natalia Szymańska, Agnieszka Kujawa, Magdalena Łącka,
Joanna Pawłowska, Marek Zajączkowski.
- 2018 FORAMS 2018. Edinburgh, Scotland
Presentation title: Foraminiferal carbon share in sedimentary
carbon pool of Svalbard and Norwegian fjords.
Authors: Natalia Szymańska, Agnieszka Kujawa, Joanna Pawłowska,
Magdalena Łącka, Marek Zajączkowski
- 2017 The Arctic Science Summit Week 2017. Prague, Czech
Republic
Presentation title: The Patterns of Foraminiferal Test Size Change
Along Thermal Gradients.
Authors: Agnieszka Kujawa, Natalia Szymańska, Małgorzata
Kucharska, Magdalena Łącka, Joanna Pawłowska, Marek
Zajączkowski.
- 2017 2nd International Meeting of Early-Stage Researchers
in Palaeontology. Sigri, Greece
Presentation title: The share of foraminiferal carbon in the
sedimentary carbon pool in Adventfjorden (Svalbard).
Authors: Natalia Szymańska, Agnieszka Kujawa, Joanna Pawłowska,
Magdalena Łącka, Małgorzata Kucharska, Marek Zajączkowski.
- 2016 PAST Gateways Conference, Trondheim, Norway
Size matters: the response of foraminfera test size to changing
climate.
Authors: Joanna Pawłowska, Magdalena Łącka, Natalia Szymańska,
Małgorzata Kucharska, Agnieszka Kujawa, Marek Zajączkowski.
|
| Research
stays: |
- 06.2021-12.2021 research stay at Florida International
University, Miami, USA
|
| Invited
talks: |
- 23.09.2025 Univeristy of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka. Lecture title:
Planktic foraminifera: to understand past and present.
- 03.2024 NORCE Norwegian Research Centre seminar entitled:
Novel Methods and Challenges in Paleoceanography. 01.2024
Binghamton University Earth Sciences Department seminar on the
subject of foraminifera, carbon cycle and calcification processes.
- 05.2023 Public lecture at “Where the World is heading?”
conference in Paris.
- 06.2022 Sopot Science fair lecture on the subject of DNA usage
in paleoceanography.
- 10.2021 Guest lecturer at Seminar in College of Arts, Sciences
& Education (Florida International University, Miami, USA).
|
| Local conferences: |
- Szymańska N., Kujawa A., Pawłowska J. Łącka M.,
Kucharska M., Koziorowska K., Kuliński K., Zajączkowski M.,
'Foraminiferal carbon role in carbon pool in sediments of European
Arcitc fjords. 2. Foraminiferal carbon share in the sediments of
Adventfjorden, Svalbard.' poster; Chemistry, Geochemistry and
Protection of Marine Environment Conference, Sopot, 2016.
- A. Kujawa, Szymańska N., Pawłowska J., Kucharska M.,
Łącka M., Zajączkowski M. ''Foraminiferal carbon role in carbon
pool in sediments of European Arcitc fjords. 1. Seasonal
variability of benthic foraminifera assemblages in Adventfjorden,
Svalbard' poster; Chemistry, Geochemistry and Protection of Marine
Environment Conference, Sopot, 2016.
- Szymańska N. „Udział otwornic w puli węgla
organicznego oraz nieorganicznego w osadach fiordu Adventfjorden
(Svalbard)”, presentation, Symposium of Young Oceanographers,
2017.
- Szymańska N., 'Anthropogenic impact registered in the
sediments of Puck Lagoon and the Gulf of Gdańsk based on the
diatom analysis' Symposium of Young Oceanographers, 2016.
|
| Field-work
experience: |
- 2026 Participant in CHARM-2 South Africa
mission onboard the R/V Le Marion Dufresne
- 2024 Participant in RUBBLE research cruise to
Vema Fracture Zone (Central Atlantic Ocean) onboard R/V Meteor
- 2022 Long core sampling during AREX
expedition to the Arctic on-board S/Y Oceania (Svalbard continental
shelf),
- 2017-2026 Participant of Arctic Expedition
(AREX) participation. Long core sampling during
on-board S/Y Oceania (Svalbard continental shelf, Norwegian
continental shelf),
- 2013/14 Short sediment core sampling on-board R/V
Oceanograf II (Gulf of Gdansk, southern Baltic Sea)
|
| Outreach
activity: |
- Participation in the “Nauka ma głos” project led by the
Copernicus Science Centre (2025): delivering lectures and
investigating whether science outreach increases public trust in
science.
- Organizer of Sopot Science Day, a series of public science
outreach events (2022-2026).
- Board member of Sopot Science Association 2020-ongoing.
- President of the student council in the Institute of Oceanology,
PAN, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20.
- Vice president of the student council in the Institute of
Oceanology, PAN, 2016-2017.
- Time-keeper in “World-café” workshops for school children,
2019.
- Organizer of science communication lectures at Sopoteka Library,
2019.
- Exhibitor at the Baltic Science Fair (years: 2013, 2014, 2015).
- Member of the scientific committee and poster session chair in
the international conference "Where the World is Heading?"
(6/7/2019).
- Member of the scientific committee and session chair in the
international conference "Where the World is Heading?" (6/11/2021).
|
| Awards: |
- The Joseph A. Cushman Award for Student Travel 2021.
- Fulbrigh Junior Research Award 2020-2021.
|
| Memberships: |
- Member of the Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal
Research,
- Member of the scientific council in the Institute of
Oceanology, PAN, 2019-2022,
- Member of the European Geological Union,
- Member of the Sopot Science Association,
- Member of the Geological Society of America.
|
| Others: |
- “Climate change communication for general public” workshop for scientists and journalists organised by Nauka o Klimacie
|
