Fram Centre

“Skottelus” – the smaller relative of the salmon sea louse

In Norway, salmon farming is considered to threaten wild salmonids mainly in two ways. First, fish that escape from captivity might crossbreed with wild salmon. Second, farmed fish often carry a parasite – the salmon sea louse. But salmon farms are also plagued by another sea louse…
April 13, 2021

Polar bears: delight and nuisance

A polar bear in the wild is a delight to behold. A polar bear gnawing on the seat of a snowmobile, or demolishing costly equipment, or breaking into a cabin is more nuisance than delight. Norway’s policies in Svalbard aim to minimise the risk of undesirable encounters between humans and polar bears.
April 06, 2021

Addressing multiple stressors: Arctic science and the Stockholm Convention

The process of translating scientific knowledge into policy is not straightforward. In the Arctic, the speed of change and the complexity of multiple environmental stressors makes this process particularly challenging. The science on multiple stress is growing, but has it been translated into policy?
March 29, 2021

Birds of a feather flock together

It’s never good to talk about someone behind their back, but it can be especially perilous where researchers in Tromsø are concerned. There’s a substantial risk that the person you’re gossiping about is the significant other of one of your listeners.
March 22, 2021

Profile: The team player

For 25 years, Eldbjørg Sofie Heimstad has been the foremost champion of cooperation at the Fram Centre. And if the occasion demands, she will go to great lengths for her team.
March 15, 2021

"Larger areas of ocean in the Arctic must be protected"

Climate change and increased human activity are threats to marine mammals living in the Arctic.
February 24, 2021

Pink salmon: problem or resource?

Although we humans have blacklisted them, a number of animals benefit from the fact that they swim up Norwegian rivers. Perhaps pink salmon are not the villains you thought they were?
December 22, 2020

The melting Arctic: how algal blooms change in rapidly warming seas

Arctic environments are changing rapidly. Clearly this poses challenges to ecosystems, but we do not yet understand the consequences in their full complexity. However, we know that the first response to sea ice decline, ocean acidification, and warmer waters happens at the level of unicellular algae.
October 02, 2020

A toxic cocktail in the ocean – chemicals from car tyre granules

Norwegian playgrounds and artificial turf pitches are a source of pollution in the sea. Scientists have now worked out how much and how toxic rubber granules can be.
September 02, 2020

Climate-Ecological Observatory for Arctic Tundra—Status 2020

The Arctic tundra is challenged by climate change — more so than most other ecosystems on Earth. The rapid shifts to new climate regimes may give rise to new ecosystems with unknown properties. These dramatic changes call for ecosystem-based monitoring of climate impacts on Arctic food webs.
August 25, 2020

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