NorCBE project is funded

The NorCBE project, led by Mari Heggernes Eilertsen from the Centre for Deep Sea Research at the University of Bergen, has secured 3.5 million NOK in funding from Artsdatabanken’s Species Project (2025–2029) to strengthen knowledge about little-known species groups.

NorCBE is a collaboration between the University of Bergen (BIO and Universitetsmuseet i Bergen) and UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, with contributions from an international network of taxonomists.

The project will explore chemosynthesis-based ecosystems (CBEs) — hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, and organic falls such as sunken wood or whale remains. Unlike most of the deep sea, which is food-limited and sparsely populated, CBEs are oases of life. Here, microbial primary production is fuelled by chemical energy, providing the foundation for dense animal communities. Many organisms in these habitats have evolved remarkable adaptations: they can tolerate steep temperature and pH gradients and survive in the presence of toxic compounds, all to take advantage of the abundant food supply. The fauna of CBEs in Norwegian waters is highly distinct from other ocean regions — and rich in species new to science.

Project goals
✔️ Document and describe new species from Norwegian waters
✔️ Build a DNA barcode library for deep-sea fauna
✔️ Generate new data to expand knowledge of distribution and habitat-specificity of specialised CBE fauna
✔️ Provide insights into how vulnerable these ecosystems and species are to human impacts

With this funding, NorCBE will shine a light on the least explored region of our planet — the deep sea — and the extraordinary life it harbours.

The CBE Arctic research group can be found online here (external link).