NTNU Environmental Interactions of Aquaculture (PhD program)

Head of program: Kjell Inge Reitan (NTNU)

The carrying capacity of fish production of Norwegian coastal waters is fundamental for how salmon aquaculture can develop, and the aquaculture interaction with the environment must form the basis for aquaculture management in Norway as well in Europe and on a global scale. The pilot program will increase the knowledge base of how aquaculture affects the environment and how the environment can affect aquaculture.

Project end date: 2022

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MICROFIBRE

Local contact: Andrew Booth (SINTEF)

Evaluating the fate, effects and mitigation measures for microplastic fibre pollution in aquatic environments

Project duration: 2017 - 2021

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Project information and results from Research Council of Norway

GRACE: Integrated Oil Spill Response Actions and Environmental Effects

Local contact person: Bjørn Munro Jenssen (NTNU)

The project focuses on developing, comparing and evaluating the effectiveness and environmental effects of different oil spill response methods in a cold climate. In addition, a system for the real-time observation of underwater oil spills and strategic tools for choosing oil spill response methods will be made.
The results of the project will be made available for use to international organizations that plan and carry out cross-border oil spill response cooperation in Arctic sea areas.

Project duration: 2016 - 2019

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Project information and results from European Commission

MACROSEA ‐ kunnskapsplattform for industriell dyrking av makroalger

Project leader: Alexander Handå (SINTEF)  

MACROSEA aims to establish an interdisciplinary knowledge platform for industrial cultivation of macroalgae under a range of climatic, ecological and physical conditions. This will increase knowledge about the productivity of different algal species, as well as the importance of environmental and geographical conditions for the quality of the produced biomass. 

Project duration: 2016-2019

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Project information and results from Research Council of Norway

PLASTOX

Local contact: Iurgi Salaverria (NTNU)

The PLASTOX project will investigate the ingestion, foodweb transfer, and ecotoxicological impact of microplastics, together with persistent organic pollutants (POPs), metals and plastic additive chemicals associated with them, on key European marine species and ecosystems.

Project duration: 2016 - 2019

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Project information and results from Research Council of Norway

TrykkCO2

Local contact: Ana Borrero (NTNU)

Environmental impact of leakage from sub-seabed CO2 storage.

Project duration: 2016 - 2019

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Project information and results from Research Council of Norway

PWC Arctic

Project leader: Anders J. Olsen (NTNU)

Effects of dispersed oil droplets and produced water components on growth, development and reproduction in Arctic pelagic copepods.

Project duration: 2015 – 2018

Project information and results from Research Council of Norway

CO2MARINE

Local contact: Murat V. Ardelan (NTNU)

Impact of potential leakage from the sub-seabed CO2 storage site on marine environment at relevant hydrostatic pressure

Project duration: 2014 – 2017

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A dynamic energy budget approach to understand and predict potential long-term effects of produced water on copepods in the Barents Sea

Project leader: Bjørn Henrik Hansen

The project addresses potential effects of produced water on the copepod Calanus finmarchicus, which has a key role in transferring energy from primary production to higher trophic levels in the North Atlantic and Barents Sea. The main approach is to measure changes energy allocation (growth and reproduction) during a normal life cycle in C. finmarchicus and record how these parameter changes during exposure to produced water under controlled laboratory conditions. 

Project duration: 2013 – 2016    

Project information and results from Research Council of Norway 

Effects of ocean acidification scenarios and combined stress on the copepod Calanus finmarchicus

Project leader: Bjørn Munro Jenssen (NTNU)

A multi-disciplinary collaborative experimental project that will examine possible negative consequences of near future ocean acidification scenarios on the copepod Calanus finmarchicus. Since this species constitutes a key component of the pelagic food web in the North Sea and North Atlantic/Barents Sea negative effects could have a massive impact at the ecosystem level, also including commercially important species (e.g. cod and herring). In addition to possible effects of elevated CO2 concentrations combined effects from raising seawater temperature (global warming), different food regimes and oil contamination will be investigated.

Project duration: 2010 - 2014

Project information and results from Research Council of Norway

Understanding fitness-related effects of dispersed oil on Calanus finmarchicus

Project leader: Bjørn Henrik Hansen

This project congregates unique knowledge related to C. finmarchicus. Using a combination of an established culture of C. finmarchicus, custom-made equipment for assessing developmental and reproductive effects of dispersed oil on this species and state of the art screening tools for molecular profiling, this project will generate links between oil uptake, molecular and fitness-related effects, and help predicting population-level impact. 

Project duration: 2010 - 2013

Project information and results from Research Council of Norway

Long-term -chronic - effects of produced water effluents affecting reproduction in marine crustacean plankton. Phase 2.

Project leader: Anders J. Olsen (NTNU)

Four interrelated main research topics are included in this project, representing various water-column oil-pollution scenarios: long term (through large part of the life cycle) exposure of crustacean plankton to low-concentration emissions of oil residuals from oil production or industry and short-term (through only a part of the life cycle) exposure of crustacean plankton to more concentrated emissions (e.g. accidental emissions from shipwreck incidents).

Project duration: 2005 - 2009

Project information and results from Research Council of Norway