Ocean

Marine research at the University of Bergen spans from molecules and marine organisms to global climate systems and sustainable ocean governance. Our researchers work in the Arctic, Antarctica, the deep sea, the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and the fjords of Western Norway. This research is conducted both within dedicated research centres and across a wide range of academic disciplines and departments.

Bergen has been a hub for marine research since the nineteenth century, and today UiB is Norway’s largest marine university. With that position comes responsibility. The United Nations and the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) network have entrusted UiB with coordinating universities’ efforts related to Sustainable Development Goal 14, which focuses on conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.

We still know less about large parts of the deep ocean than we do about the surface of the Moon. At the same time, marine and coastal environments face complex challenges that threaten both biodiversity and human health and well-being. Through its broad commitment to marine research and education, supported by numerous world-class research environments, UiB contributes knowledge that the world needs.

The UiB Ocean initiative brings together marine expertise from across the University, spanning disciplines such as biology, geophysics, earth sciences, law, economics, and technology. It also connects this expertise with Bergen’s research institutes, innovation clusters, and industry partners.

The goal is to leverage the full breadth of UiB’s expertise to address questions that no single discipline can answer alone: How can we better understand the ocean’s role in the climate system? How can we harvest and manage marine resources sustainably? And how can we safeguard marine ecosystems for future generations?