Norwegian Institute of Marine Research facts for kids
The Institute of Marine Research (called Havforskningsinstituttet in Norwegian) is a special research center in Norway. It studies the ocean and helps the government make smart choices about our seas. This institute is owned by the Norwegian government, specifically the part that deals with fishing and coastal areas. They do important research and give advice on ocean life and how we raise fish and other sea creatures.
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About the Institute
The Institute of Marine Research is Norway's biggest center for ocean studies. It has almost 750 people working there. Many of them are highly skilled scientists. The institute has modern research stations and labs in places like Austevoll, Bergen (where the main office is), Flødevigen near Arendal, and Matre. They also have an office in Tromsø and several research ships. These ships help them explore the ocean and collect data.
What They Do
The main job of the Institute of Marine Research is to give advice. They help the Norwegian government, businesses, and people understand the ocean. They focus on the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the North Sea, and Norway's long coastline. They also give advice on aquaculture, which is like farming fish and shellfish.
The institute also helps other countries. They work to share their knowledge about fisheries and ocean management. This helps people around the world use ocean resources wisely.
History of Ocean Research in Norway
Ocean research in Norway started a long time ago. It began in Oslo in 1864. Back then, it was called "Norwegian Fisheries Investigations." In 1900, the research moved to Bergen.
Becoming an Independent Institute
In 1947, the research group became its own special institute. It was part of the fisheries department. To make sure it could do its research freely, the institute became fully independent in 1989. This meant it could focus on science without too much outside influence.
Important Discoveries
Scientists at the institute have made many important discoveries.
- In 1914, Johan Hjort wrote a very important book. It was about why fish populations in Northern Europe changed over time. This helped us understand fish cycles better.
- In 1947, Einar Lea found a new way to find herring schools. He used a special sound technology called ASDIC. This made fishing much more efficient.
- Later, in 1962, Midtun and Hoff found a way to count fish using sound waves. This method, called Echo Integration, helps scientists estimate how many fish are in the ocean. These discoveries have been very important for managing fishing and protecting sea life.
