News 2007 

Norwegian waters cover a total of over 2 million km2. As of today, the knowledge about the seabed in our waters is limited. In fact, we know far more about the surface of the planet Mars than about the seabed right outside our coastline! In 2005, the Norwegian government allocated NOK 5 million for the first phase of an interdisciplinary programme, MAREANO, which aims to map and study the seabed in Norwegian waters – initially focusing on environmentally sensitive areas of the Barents Sea. [14 Feb 2006]

Copulating octopuses, feeding hermit crabs, squat lobsters and tiny crustaceans, sponges of all shapes and colours: IMR scientists are ecstatic about the fantastic images their high-definition camera has brought up from the deep during a four week long survey in the Barents Sea. Never before have they been able to watch life unfold on the seabed of the Arctic in such great detail. [23 June 2006]

Getting a bright light in the face and being filmed doesn't happen every day to the creatures at the bottom of the Barents Sea. Here are some highlights from the mapping survey conducted last month by scientists in the MAREANO programme. [27 July 2006]