DiverSea expedition sets sail

Part of the expedition team packing gear outside of the sailing vessel Hrimfare - five people on a harbor pier surrounded by a very large pile of organized equipment

Hrimfare in the water in the harbor of Smögen, with crew onboard, preparing for public events and setting sail

DiverSea research expedition sets sail along Norwegian and Swedish coasts

DIVERSEA RESEARCH EXPEDITION SETS SAIL ALONG NORWEGIAN AND SWEDISH COASTS

A new scientific expedition under the DiverSea project launched with a "Sail off Ceremony" on July 22 in Smögen, Sweden, aiming to monitor and analyse the decline in coastal biodiversity and the changing colour of Norwegian and Swedish coastal waters. The expedition is a collaboration with Sailing4Science and its mothership Hrimfare – a 67-foot steel yacht hosting 12 people onboard.

The expedition's group of scientists, students, and sailors are in for a five-week expedition along the coast up to Trondheim, Norway, which will include sampling the south of the Norwegian border and capturing the signal of the Baltic surface current and the Danish Jutland current. A number of visits and showcase events will be arranged in coastal locations, such as Fredrikstad, Oslo, Arendal, Stavanger, Bergen, Ålesund, and finally Trondheim. The purpose is to raise awareness on biodiversity loss and other ocean-related challenges and engage with the local communities.

Using a combination of satellite imaging, underwater sensors, and other groundbreaking technologies and techniques, the expedition will:

• Track biodiversity loss in marine Nordic ecosystems
• Monitor changes in the color of coastal water, which can indicate broad ecological shifts
• Train artificial intelligence to interpret satellite images of coastal waters, creating a better understanding of the ongoing “darkening” of our ocean

The results will play an important role for the DiverSea project and the Norwegian “Grønn platform” and other European efforts with the ambition to create and develop predictive scenario-building content as tools for policymakers’ planning and decision making. Through these results and in-person engagements, the expedition aims to advance ocean science, deepen biodiversity knowledge, and foster cross-sector collaboration among researchers, sailors, policymakers, and engaged citizens alike.

DiverSea expedition sets sail - DiverSea news

DiverSea expedition sets sail

DiverSea research expedition sets sail along Norwegian and Swedish coasts

​DIVERSEA RESEARCH EXPEDITION SETS SAIL ALONG NORWEGIAN AND SWEDISH COASTS

DIVERSEA RESEARCH EXPEDITION SETS SAIL ALONG NORWEGIAN AND SWEDISH COASTS