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New financial tools to fund restoration of contaminated soils and sediments
New financial tools and sources must be harnessed to fund soil restoration and remediation projects to improve communities’ health, according to a new series of reports from a coalition of researchers from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the Norwegian Institute of Water Research and the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning (CAEP).
What you wanted to know about kelp but were afraid to ask
Kelp Forests are underwater ecosystems formed in shallow waters. Although they look very much like plants, kelps are actually large brown algae. Kelp forests have been described as one of the most ecologically dynamic and biologically diverse habitats on the planet. View this short video from the Norwegian Blur Forest Network (NBFN) to be enlightened.
Chemicals are leaching from Norwegian roads and tunnels
Despite national objectives of reduced use and substitution of hazardous substances, more than two hundred tons were still in use in transport related products in Norway in 2012. Which chemicals are they, how exposed are we humans, and do they leak out to the environment? Newly published research provides some answers.
26,9 million NOK to use ships of opportunity for marine and atmospheric research
The Research Council of Norway has allocated almost 27 million NOK to the NIVA-lead project within Research Infrastructure, NorSOOP, for the period 2018-2024. The objective of NorSOOP is to support oceanic and atmospheric research and observations, and to help find ways to detect and manage human impacts on the ocean.
NIVA at SETAC
NIVA scientists will be attending the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (Setac) European meeting in Rome from the 14th until 17th May 2018. A list of the platform presentations and posters being presented by NIVA researchers are given below. If you are attending, please reach out to one of our scientists if you would like to discuss future collaborations with NIVA or if you have any questions about our research.
Vil klimaendringer virke positivt på norske tareskoger?
Klimaendringer, deriblant havforsuring, påvirker mange planter og dyr i sjøen på ulike måter. Fersk forskning tilsier at tare kan nyte fordeler av noen av endringene.
Latest data reveal drug-taking habits in close to 60 European cities
The latest findings from the largest European project in the emerging science of wastewater analysis are presented today by the Europe-wide SCORE group, in association with the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA). The project analysed wastewater in 56 European cities in 19 European countries in March 2017 to explore the drug-taking behaviors of their inhabitants.
Unmanned ocean vehicles: tools for the development of ocean industries
Three unmanned ocean vehicles (gliders) will be deployed outside Bodø during week 10 (5 – 11 March). The vehicles will be operating on the Norwegian shelf, in Vestfjorden and outside the Lofoten and Vesterålen Islands.
Will climate change affect Norwegian kelp forests in a positive way?
Climate change, including acidification of the oceans, will likely affect many of the plants and animals in our sea and oceans. Fresh research results indicate that kelp could be favoured by some of the changes.
Sea ice algae blooms in the dark
Researchers from Aarhus University have measured a new world record: Small ice algae on the underside of the Arctic sea ice live and grow at a light level corresponding to only 0.02% of the light at the surface of the ice. Algae are the primary component of the Arctic food web and produce food far earlier in the year than previously thought.
What time is it? The Arctic charr’s inner clock meets the midnight sun
Below ice and snow, in pitch dark, Arctic charr’s circadian clock still ticks with precision. The exception comes during the darkest and brightest weeks of the year, when daily activity rhythms break down.
How are river ecosystems affected by regulation?
More and more rivers are regulated to serve human needs such as flood protection, transport, irrigation, hydropower generation or drinking water supply. Do altered flow dynamics affect organisms that inhabit the river bottom? And how does river flow interact with other ecosystem stressors like acidification or nutrient enrichment? A recent research project combined a flume experiment with findings from 64 regulated and unregulated river sites in Norway and Germany to find the answers.
Turf Wars: The New Battle Front of Globally Declining Kelp Forests
For decades in Norway, the species rich kelp forests have been grazed down by sea urchins, leaving behind nothing but naked rocks. As a result of climate change, sea urchins along parts of the Norwegian coast are now on retreat, while the same climate changes are probably the cause of the new, big threat towards the global kelp forests: the rise of turf algae.
Turf algae growth in the Sognefjord
NIVA has assessed the environmental status of macroalgae communities in Sognefjorden, Norway. The findings show there is reason for concern.
Used silicone breast implants can reveal our polluted bodies
Researchers from the Norwegian institute for Water Research (NIVA) have discovered that used breast implants can be used to measure persistent environmental pollutants in human bodies.
Despite dead zones and algal blooms – the Baltic Sea is recovering
The improvements are according to a study carried out by Danish, Swedish and Finnish scientists a direct result of reduced inputs of nutrients.
Effects of multiple stresses hydropower, acid deposition and climate change on water chemistry and salmon populations in the River Otra, Norway
In order to predict and manage the long-term health and status of the Otra river's salmon populations, a new study has considered acidification as part of a multiple stress combination affecting the river alongside hydropower and climate change.
A new approach to amplifying DNA; A small paradigm shift within molecular photocopying
Analyzing DNA is useful for a number of vital applications. This includes diagnosis and monitoring of diseases, identification of criminals, and studying the function of a targeted segment of DNA. However, methods used for analyses often require more DNA than may be available in a typical sample. ‘Therefor, amplification is necessary, but not always straightforward. The most widely used amplification or photocopying method is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A new PCR method could help the amplification process, and thus develop robust assays that previously would not have been possible.
Over Half of Fish Stocks Worldwide Are Missing the Opportunity to Maximize Sustainable Yields
New research published today in Conservation Letters finds that over half of fish stocks are below levels that would yield greater long-term catches, enhance food security and avoid overfishing. Of those fish stocks, over a third are at 80 percent below sustainable catch.
A Call for Deep Ocean Stewardship
The world’s deep ocean spans more than half the planet. Humankind needs and depends upon many of the deep ocean’s treasures, and the race is already on to exploit them.
