About Ocean Sustainability Bergen

Ocean Sustainability Bergen aims to provide research that deals with the challenges of sharing access and resources of our Ocean.

A thin red line runs from 1609 and the publication of the ground-breaking pamphlet Mare liberum (The Freedom of the Seas) to the present. Today, the freedom extolled in 1609 has given way to more cautionary tales of how this freedom has limits, particularly when it comes to the health of the Ocean. The colonial era freedom that benefitted the few has given way to the idea of global partnerships and a shared understanding of how to beneficially use the Ocean resources that are common to all mankind.

Building on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, one of the key points of debate is Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), which deals with the challenges of sharing access and resources. As part of Ocean Sustainability Bergen, the University of Bergen (UiB) wants to contribute with research and knowledge to provide decision-makers with science based information to make better decisions for our shared future on these vital issues. Taking in a number of disciplines, this is a truly multidisciplinary effort across several faculties.

Ocean Sustainability Bergen wants to provide research-based knowledge on the future for food from the Ocean.

The health of the Ocean and human health are closely interconnected. Various human activities, pollution and climate change impact the well-being of the Ocean. The Ocean is of vital importance for our access to food and clean air. With the establishment of Ocean Sustainability Bergen, the University of Bergen (UiB) wants to provide research-based knowledge on the future for food from the Ocean as part of our engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At UiB the research and education on food from the Ocean cuts across disciplines. Building on the position as Norway's premier SDG-oriented university, UiB wants to be at the forefront of how to provide more sustainable food from the Ocean while preserving important ecosystem services such as ocean uptake of CO₂, mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

Ocean Sustainability Bergen aims to become a hub for scientists worldwide to create and implement the sustainable Ocean technology of the future.

Creating new and sustainable Ocean technology to harvest energy and food while reducing impact of human activities is one of the main challenges facing the world. Pollution from land based and marine sources including shipping needs to be drastically reduced over the coming decade. It is crucial that the global community finds solutions to cut emissions, not the least to save our Ocean.

Ocean Sustainability Bergen brings together scientists from the University of Bergen (UiB) and our partners worldwide to help create and implement the Ocean technology of the future. Marine renewable energy can provide electricity and hydrogen to the shipping industry as well as to shore. The initiative aims to support long-term research through close collaboration between prominent research institutions and R&D intensive companies.