Deep-mining in Arctic waters? This possibility became very real after the Norwegian Parliament approved the exploitation of the seabed between Svalbard and Jan Mayen Island. Image: Michael Wenger Yesterday afternoon, the Norwegian Parliament officially agreed to...
Bottom trawls usually leave deep wounds in the seafloor where sponges and coral skeletons have collected. Photo: Mareano/Havforskningsinstituttet Trawling in general has long been heavily criticized by scientists and environmental groups as an unselective fishing...
Beneath the pack ice of the Arctic Ocean, which is usually only a few meters thick, lies a still relatively unknown world at a depth of several thousand meters. Research cruises help to explore these areas. Image: Dr Michael Wenger One often hears that the polar...
To create the new topographic map of the Antarctic seafloor, countless multibeam measurements were made by research vessels such as Polarstern. Photo: Folke Mehrtens The topography of the ocean floor helps determine how water masses and currents move in the oceans and...
The seabed in the Southern Ocean is a rich habitat with numerous animals that dwell there, many living as filter feeders. But this type of diet leads to a build-up of microplastics in animals. These parts now have been found also in the soft sediment. Photograph:...
