Akvaplan-niva in polar areas and the Barents Region

Based in the Polar Environmental Centre in Tromsø Norway (at 69° N, several hundred kilometres north of the Polar Circle), Akvaplan-niva employees both live and work in the European Arctic, making this our core geographic area of investigation and expertise.

The company is a leader in cold water aquaculture , both within research and in development of commercial concepts. Atlantic cod is at present the most interesting species, but our expertise also comprise rearing of halibut, wolffish and arctic char. In the clean waters of the high north there is a great concern on man's impact to the environment. Our staff has specialised on industrial (including aquaculture) and municipal waste impacts in high latitude coastal areas in compliance with the European Union Water Framework Directive,  and on coastal zone management. Our research include studies of benthic ecosystems , how to preserve the highly productive coastal and Barents Sea ecosystems, as well as research and consultancy addressing risk assessments and potential impacts   for arctic ecosystems from petroleum development ,   We give advice on the industry's and municipality's development of environmental strategy  as well as emergency preparedness  for accidents. 

Akvaplan-niva utilizes an extensive network of collaborating partners to preserve our knowledge-base and integrate the latest advancements into our core research and consultancy activities. Partners include regional, national and international experts from academia, government and the private sector. Our arctic activities extend across the northern border of Norway along our shared coastline and marginal seas with Russia. In 2006, Akvaplan-niva Barents, based in the northern port city of Murmansk, was launched as a new company. This new company provides research and consultancy services tailored for the Russian market.

Akvaplan-niva is co-organiser and sponsor of Arctic Frontiers, a series of annual conferences focusing simultaneously on the development potential facing the Arctic region and the environmental challenges it presents.

Some example research and consultancy projects:

• Monitoring of disposal sites, sewage outlets and harbours

• Joint Assessment and Monitoring Program in Russia

• Development of environmental impact assessments for petroleum in the arctic

• Combined ecological and ecotoxicological studies of the ice edge ecosystem

• Akvaplan-niva in the International Polar Year (IPY)

• Aquaculture production of spotted wolfish

• Benthic responses to carbon inputs in the Canadian and Norwegian Arctic
  

More information can be found by entering the keyword ‘ARCTIC’ into the web-site search engine, or by searching our database with Publications and reports on polar issues

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