Intrastructures for research
The Centre for Deep Sea Research has direct access to a broad range of marine and analytic facilities. These include regular access to the research vessels G.O. Sars and the Norwegian icebreaker FF Kronprins Haakon. The latter is the first icebreaker with the option to deploy a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) through a "moon pool" in the centre of the boat. A moon pool is a vertical shaft (approx 4m x 4m) running through the vessel and open to both the air and sea. This allows the ROV to continue being operational even when the ship is surrounded by sea ice. Through national consortia, the Centre has access to a Hugin-Konsberg AUV deep-sea system, as well as a range of marine geophyscial instruments.
Read more about our facilities here:
Marine Facilities
The Centre collaborates closely with the Norwegian Marine Robotics Facility (NORMAR) which is based at the university. The Centre leads research cruises with the remotely operated vehicle Ægir 6000 as a key work tool. This key piece of infastructure is unique in Norway and is ideally suited to exploring the deep ocean and even under the Arctic sea ice.
ROV & AUV:
Research vessels
UiB and IMR together operate two ocean-going vessels.
- RV “G.O. Sars” has state-of-the-art sonar systems, multibeam mapping capabilities and dynamic position systems ideal for deep sea exploration. As part of the proposed Centre program, there are annual international expeditions to the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge with this vessel.
- RV Kronprins Haakon, a Norwegian polar research vessel with ice-breaking capabilities which was launched in late 2017. This vessel opened up new opportunities for research along some of the ice-covered segments of the AMOR.
NorEMSO
The observatory on Mohns ridge is part of the Norwegian branch of the EMSO project. Read more about the observatory here.
Ægir 6000
Through funding from the Norwegian Research Council, UiB acquired a 6000m-rated ROV system, the Ægir6000. It is a cornerstone of the marine laboratory and the Norwegian Marine Robotics Facility (NORMAR). This complex ROV-system is the Centre's primary tool for exploring, sampling and deploying instruments and experiments at deep-sea study areas - including the ice-covered areas of the Arctic Ocean.
Hugin
JC-DeepSea will also have access to a 3000m-rated Hugin Kongsberg AUV-system. It is equipped with synthetic aperture sonar and multibeam echo sounder systems for high-resolution seafloor imaging and micro-bathymetry. The Norwegian Research Council has signaled that a new, 6000 m rated AUV is on the road map for national research infrastructures, as a step II in the development of the NORMAR-facility.
Norwegian Ocean Observation Laboratory
The Norwegian Ocean Observation Laboratory is a collaboration between The Institute of Marine Research, The University of Bergen, The Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and Christian Michelsen Research. Industrial partners are Statoil, Metas, Argus, Aanderaa Data Instruments, Kongsberg Maritime and GCE Subsea. The Laboratory is funded by the Research Council of Norway.
The lab aims at developing new marine technologies, performing marine research through a combined effort.
Laboratories
The UiB’s Department of Earth Science also hosts modern lab facilities and technical expertise for geochemical, isotopic and microbiological analyses that are available for the Centre.
With our current infrastructure, we are able to measure:
- Major and trace elements in solutions and solids using a range of spectroscopic and mass spectrometry techniques (ICP-OES, ICP-MS, laser ablation ICP-MS, XRF);
- Light stable isotopes (C, N, O) in solids, gasses and fluids using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry, as well as field-based and trace gas isotope measurements;
- Radiogenic (Sr, Nd, Hf, Pb) and heavy stable isotopes (Fe, Cu, Zn) using a multi-collector ICP-MS and TIMS with sample preparation routines in a class 1000 clean laboratory; and
- Diverse dissolved inorganic gases (H2, CO2, CO) and organic compounds (hydrocarbons, NSOs) using gas chromatography.
In addition, we can carry out mineral identification using XRD and electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), and perform sediment studies including XRF and CT core scanning in our Earth Surface Sediment Laboratory. We also have access to the NORDSIM Nordic research facility in Stockholm, where we can carry out in situ microscale analyses of stable (O, S, Fe) and radiogenic isotopes (U, Th, Pb) using an ion microprobe.
Our Geomicrobiology laboratory is specifically developed for offshore sampling, experiments, culturing, metabolic and genomic characterization of marine and hydrothermal systems. It covers all aspects of modern microbiology including PCR, qPCR, various incubators, high-speed ultracentrifuges, advanced microscopes and equipment for protein purification and analysis.
The UiB Department Of Biology hosts modern lab facilities and technical expertise for molecular and morphological analyses as well as seawater facilities for experimental work that are available for the Centre.
In addition, we have access to sequencing facilities at UiB and University of Oslo.
Ocean Observation Laboratory
- The Norwegian Ocean Observation Laboratory is a collaboration between:
- Objective: Development of marine technology
- Industrial partners: Equinor, Metas, Argus, Aanderaa Data Instruments, Kongsberg Maritime and GCE Subsea
- Location: Marineholmen in Bergen