Fram Centre

The Nansen Legacy

Fridtjof Nansen set out to explore the Arctic Ocean with the research vessel Fram 126 years ago. His team of explorers and scientists returned from the ice three years later with new knowledge that changed our concepts and understanding of the Arctic Ocean, and made the Arctic part of Norwegian identity.
February 27, 2020

Carbon emissions have made the world a greener place, which has a cooling effect – but it’s not enough

The very same carbon emissions responsible for harmful changes to climate are also fertilizing plant growth, which in turn is somewhat moderating global warming. This affect also remote places, like the High Arctic.
February 07, 2020

What can 40 years of reindeer monitoring data tell us?

Svalbard reindeer live in the most rapidly changing Arctic environment. The 40-year monitoring shows population growth and increased carrying capacity of the tundra, but also harsher winters, greater isolation, and population reductions. Population developments thus diverge in the two core monitoring regions.
January 27, 2020

Polar bear or “aquabear”

Ursus maritimus – the polar bear’s Latin name clearly identifies it as a marine animal, not a terrestrial one. Recent studies show they deserve this name: not only do they live much of their lives near sea ice; they also spend more time in the water, swim farther and dive deeper than was thought previously.
January 08, 2020

The Arctic at risk from plastic

A new research report shows that the Arctic is under threat and may suffer negative impact if plastic enters the food chain.
November 29, 2019

Johan Hjort: a marine research pioneer whose ideas still hold water

One hundred fifty years have passed since the birth of Johan Hjort (1869-1948). Best remembered for his groundbreaking theory from 1914 on the natural fluctuations of fish stocks, Hjort paved the way for materials and methods that are used to this day, not least in climate studies.
November 15, 2019

A tale of a local fjord – investigating a marine system in our backyard

A cold wind gust hits our small aluminium boat, and we crash into another rolling wave. Spray splashes up but, for once, the cold, salty drops are welcome. Everyone in the fieldwork team is sweaty and breathless but very much alive. That was a close call, but we made it!
November 14, 2019

Passive sampling detects salmon louse pesticides and hydrogen sulphide: 50 shades of grey

If you want to get Norwegians talking, just ask for their opinions on aquaculture. Use of pesticides to combat salmon lice in fish farms is a hotly debated topic all around Norway. But how much pesticide is actually spread in the environment? To find out, we’ve developed a new measurement strategy.
October 08, 2019

Kongsfjorden sea ice development observed from ground, air and space

Sea ice covers parts of fjords in Svalbard for a limited time during winter and spring. The ice plays important roles for climate processes, such as heat and radiation fluxes between atmosphere and fjord water, and for the fjord’s ecosystem. Through the years, many studies have focused on Kongsfjorden.
September 30, 2019

Warm water, fresh water, wind and tides – ice or no ice around Svalbard?

September onboard the research vessel Lance north of Svalbard. Kristen, our mooring engineer, is happy. There is no sea ice to be seen anywhere – ideal conditions to find the instruments we left here two years ago attached to a rope, anchored to the seafloor, and held upright under water by several buoys.
September 12, 2019

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