Projects
Our scientists are involved in a diverse array of research projects that span Norwegian kelp ecology, genomics, and the seaweed industry, to inform sustainable management, conservation and climate change projections for kelp forests. Read more about each project below.
PROTEUS - kelP side stReam valOrisaTion to dEvelop new biobased valUe chainS
The wider PROTEUS project aims to develop Europe’s first fully integrated industrial biorefinery for brown macroalgae in Norway. By pioneering eco-friendly methods, including formaldehyde-free harvesting and extraction techniques, the project aims to create greener alternatives for everyday products in food, animal feed, personal care, and industrial products. This cutting-edge biorefinery will also support sustainable development and advance the circular bioeconomy.
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​Within the Proteus project, we investigate the ecological impacts of kelp harvesting across Norway, specifically in terms of the effects on biodiversity, kelp life histories, and recovery rates under varying abiotic conditions. Our multidisciplinary approach will integrate underwater video surveys, acoustic mapping, eDNA analyses, and traditional taxonomic sampling to compare harvested and control sites and monitor recovery between harvesting periods. This work will advance understanding of kelp forest resilience and inform evidence-based strategies for the sustainable management of seaweed resources.
GEcoKelp
BlueARC - The impact of climate change on Arctic blue carbon
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The primary objective of BlueARC is to assess the impact of climate change on Arctic carbon cycling by closing key knowledge gaps in our understanding of the carbon sink capacity of Arctic kelp forests. Our project poses 3 research questions:
1. How do subarctic to Arctic biophysical gradients shape kelp standing biomass, detritus production and fate?
2. How will climate driven shifts in biological processes impact kelp carbon dynamics in the Arctic?
3. How will changing Arctic conditions alter the importance of Arctic kelp forests as blue carbon sinks?
KELPEX - Kelp export: fuel for adjacent communities in changing arctic ecosystems (2016-2018)
KELPEX was a multidisciplinary project integrating research in kelp forest biodiversity, coastal and deep-sea ecology and modelling, to determine the role played by kelp export in shaping the structure (abundance, biodiversity) and function (trophic webs) of adjacent ecosystems. KELPEX aimed to:
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Experimentally quantify kelp production and export
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Assess the effect of kelp export in shallow-water and deep-sea communities in arctic Norway
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Integrate all results from the field and lab experiments into newly developed ecological models
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KELPEX took an important bulk step forward to determine the role played by kelp export in fueling adjacent habitats, including effects on benthic ecosystem services (e.g., sustaining commercially exploited species) and developed a predictive tool to assess ecosystem change associated with kelp regime shifts. Results from the KELPEX project provide robust scientific knowledge to support decision-making and management of arctic ecosystems under different natural and climatic stressors, addressing Norway's strategic priorities for the Arctic.
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