FRAM – High North Research Center for Climate and Environment
Digital edition 2025
Research notes
Profile
When Norwegian journalists need an expert statement about any species of seabird, they are likely to call Tone Reiertsen.
Arctic cities experience long winters with heavy snowfalls. Every year, tonnes of urban snow contaminated with microplastics from tire wear and other traffic-related environmental pollutants are dumped into the sea.
Science and Society
Sustainable food systems can deliver food security, nutrition and revenues for generations to come, but how do we know how much the environment we depend on for food production is impacted by our activities?
“This is kind of like building Lego, only more fun.” High school students are learning how to solder Wave-measuring buoys.
Food production in northern Norway is important for food security, livelihoods and the population, but also poses environmental and other challenges. Can societal ambitions to increase regional food production be fulfilled while also considering sustainability, coexistence, and circularity?
The Arctic tundra has no trees, but lush underwater kelp forests are present from the water surface down to 15–25 m, where low light limits growth. In 2024, the BlueARC project conducted a scientific diving campaign to study kelp forests in Kongsfjorden, revisiting locations sampled 26 years ago.
Glaciers and sea ice are declining, impacting marine biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, tourism and Arctic livelihoods. Here we present some results from the EU-funded research project FACE-IT: The Future of Arctic Coastal Ecosystems–Identifying Transitions in fjord systems and adjacent coastal areas.
Marine scientists have investigated how coastal fish communities are changing with climate change and higher temperatures along the Norwegian coast.
For over 30 years, NIVA and Akvaplan-niva have collaborated on monitoring contaminants along the Norwegian Arctic coastline. In areas where trends could be detected, the levels and negative effects of most contaminants decreased over time. In cod, however, levels of some contaminants have risen.
Beneath the ocean’s surface lives a huge diversity of animals smaller than a grain of rice. This is the world of the copepods, the most abundant animals on Earth. Every night, billions of copepods rise to the sea surface to feed. This daily migration is the largest animal movement on our planet.
Retrospective
Northern Norway’s unique conditions support large-scale cultivation of root brassicas despite short seasons and low temperatures. However, climate change, pest problems, and logistical hurdles present challenges.
In the words of the Bob Dylan song, the times they are a-changin’. The Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average and in Svalbard, average air temperatures have increased about 3°C over the past 30 years. What is causing these changes and what changes will they cause in turn?
The fact that it’s freezing cold on your doorstep cannot be taken as proof that global warming has stopped. The Arctic is undergoing dramatic changes, but regional differences mean highly varied local and regional climate change impacts on people, vegetation, and wildlife.
Growth of the blue economy will affect coastal ecosystems, altering human impacts, biodiversity, and ecosystem functions—transforming coastal societies in the process. The Coastal Barometer is intended to help find a good balance between growth, environmental conservation, and community well-being.
The Central Arctic Ocean is undergoing rapid climate change. As the region warms and sea ice retreats, previously inaccessible areas are opening up, and new economic prospects are being unveiled, paving the way for increased commercial activity.
In northern Norway, a significant ecological transformation is underway, drawing attention from scientists and local communities alike. Crowberry, a native evergreen plant, is spreading throughout the region, significantly altering the landscape and the ecosystem services it provides.
The spotted wolffish feeds on bottom-dwelling organisms like echinoderms, mollusks, and crustaceans. Its natural diet is varied, rich in easily digestible protein and low in lipids. In aquaculture, wolffish are typically fed commercial fish feeds. Are there better ways to feed a marine wolf?
Understanding how ongoing rapid changes affect Arctic marine ecosystems requires harmonised sampling and integrated analyses across disciplines. This international science-driven network aims to enhance observational capacity by increasing collaboration in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic Ocean.
The northern Barents Sea region has experienced rapid warming and increased advection of warm Atlantic water in recent decades resulting in winter sea ice loss larger than in any other part of the Arctic Ocean. Scientists want to know what these changes mean for Barents Sea ecosystems.
This is how Leonhard Seppala became the world's most famous dogsled musher. He was known for his excellent handling of dogs, and he was adamant that you could never force a dog to work for you.
The growing seasons in the past two years were long and warm enough to allow growth of trees both on Svalbard’s high-Arctic and on barren mountaintops in East Finnmark. High temperatures combined with low precipitation also led to drought with implications for reindeer herding in East Finnmark.
In the vast, icy expanse of Antarctica, a surprising discovery is challenging our understanding of life in extreme environments. Blue ice areas, once thought to be barren stretches of ice sheet, are now revealed as thriving hotspots of essential nutrients, diverse microbial activity and complex hydrology.
Once upon a time, scientists had a broad, holistic approach to research. They might explore everything from animals and plants to minerals, water and air currents. As scientific knowledge expanded and grew increasingly complex, generalist researchers became specialists—and the broad view was lost.
Did you know that the Fram Centre in Tromsø houses a unique research facility? The Torgny Vinje Ice and Climate Laboratory, run by the Norwegian Polar Institute, is often used in collaboration with other research partners. How did it all start?
It all started with a group project during the National Science Week in Norway in the autumn of 2012, when the idea of a scientists-on-tour event was first aired. Fast-forward to today, and there’s no doubt that this was a great idea.
In January 2025, the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) became a member of FRAM—High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment (Fram Centre).
Editorial
