New UiB Flagship
The new K.G. Jebsen Centre for Deep Sea Research will open 9 February 2017.
Main content
A generous contribution by the Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation has made it possible to establish a new, state-of-the-art research centre for deep sea research at the University of Bergen (UiB).
The new centre will build on and expand some of the developments begun at the Centre for Geobiology (CGB), a Research Council of Norway’s Centre of Excellence at UiB (2007-2017):
- Further investigate some of the promising research directions begun at CGB
- Expand the successful model for integrating basic and applied research
- Bolster the training of interdisciplinary geobiology researchers by continuing to develop a geobiology curriculum
CGB exits but competency remains
It will ensure CGB’s legacy and form an integral part of its exit strategy. However, the new centre will move beyond CGB in terms of scope and sustainability. It will be a flagship for UiB and a cornerstone in the plans for Ocean City Bergen – an integrated cluster for ocean-related education, research and innovation.
In Norwegian
- Government Report on establishment of an Integrated Marine Cluster in Bergen
- UiB News about Marine Cluster
Importance of deep sea research for Norway
Much of Norway’s territory is actually marine – and much of that is poorly explored deep sea. Better understanding of these regions is critical for meeting Norway’s future needs in the “blue” and “bio” economies of the future and for ensuring a leadership role for Norway internationally. Without more knowledge Norwegian leaders and stakeholders cannot make informed decisions about sustainable exploration and exploitation of deep sea resources.
The new centre will be responsible for the Norwegian Marine Robotics Facility (NORMAR), which will develop and operate the underwater vehicles and observational tools for Norway’s fleet of research vessels.
The primary basic research foci for the new centre will be
- insights into the origins of life and
- better understanding of how deep sea floor dynamics impact the Earth.
The research activity will be divided into a number of work packages, each with differing degrees of basic and applied activity.
the Deep Sea
- covers 50% of Earth – average depth 4000m
- most poorly explored realm on Earth
- 60 000km long ocean ridge is one striking feature
- 90% of Earth’s volcanic activity occurs on deep sea floor
- 80% of Earth’s biodiversity found in deep sea – estimated at over 20 million different organisms
- Mineral reserves in deep sea sediments unknown but potentially large (particularly relevant: iron, manganese, copper, phosphate)
- Ocean waters recirculate through the sea-floor approximately every 1 million years
- Hydrothermic sea-floor circulation
- alters the volcanic crust,
- forms massive mineral deposits
- influences the chemical composition of the oceans
- accounts for 20% of Earth’s heat loss
