The arctic archipelago of Svalbard is already experiencing dramatic effects from climate change. A new study shows how these changes can force wild reindeer to graze on seaweed, a strategy that increases their likelihood of survival— and is recorded in their poop.
Livestock grazing affects the landscape. What effects does it have on the vegetation?
The oceans are teeming with ever-increasing numbers of jellyfish. These squishy sea creatures can ruin fishing and discourage tourists. But one research group wants to turn this nuisance into pay dirt.
The amount of omega-3 fatty acids in farmed salmon is dropping. But a reasonable and affordable solution may make salmon even healthier to eat.
Plants have to defend themselves against drought, enemies and disease. But different threats demand different responses. So how do plants know what’s attacking them?
Picking up a plastic bag from the beach makes a bigger difference than you might imagine.
Almost all research on plastic contamination in water systems focuses on oceans. But the biggest problem is plastic that ends up in freshwater ecosystems, according to an NTNU biologist.
Excess CO2 in the atmosphere is making the oceans more acidic. Some studies show that’s bad news for fish, including commercially important species. But not all fish respond the same way.
A remote field site in the Norwegian mountains is improving our understanding of carbon cycling in high-latitude alpine areas.
They live side by side with the Maasai people and maintain a culture where rituals and music play an important role. The Sonjo people’s harvest ceremony is their most central ritual.
A group of researchers spent twelve seasons making some house sparrows bigger and others smaller. Their experiment yielded some important answers.
Why do some sparrows hatch six chicks while others don’t hatch any? How does upbringing affect the remainder of their lives? Physiological stress in the nest can actually affect birds’ DNA and possibly their lifespan.
Jarle Mork has spent the last 40 years of his career studying Trondheim Fjord and its finned inhabitants. Warmer waters and the arrival of new creatures are bad news for the fjord’s cod population, he says. But other fishing practices are problematic, too.
Global warming means much warmer winters in the Arctic, with more rain and icing. Researchers are working to understand what that will do to plants that have evolved to overwinter under a thick blanket of snow.
The polar night descends on the arctic archipelago of Svalbard for more than 100 days a year. But even in the depths of this darkness, the oceans are churning with activity.
Cuckoo eggs come in a wide variety of colours and patterns, but why?
Every year, an estimated 8 million metric tons of plastic waste blows, falls or flows into the world’s oceans. Earlier this autumn, participants in the annual Svalbard Course plucked up 512 kg of the stuff from just one beach in two hours.
Mature birds are better at surviving the winter than young birds. Older birds have learned a few tricks along the way.
The best weapon in the battle against salmon lice in the Norwegian aquaculture industry has proved to be the use of what are called “cleaner fish”, fish that eat salmon lice. But these fish often die during breeding. Now, researchers have found a way to help the young fish survive.
A new study shows that periods of high UV radiation can affect a population over several generations.
If you have this beautiful flower in your garden, you should uproot it before the seed pods explode, releasing thousands of seeds. It spreads like the black plague.
The Norwegian arctic island archipelago of Svalbard offers scientists the chance to investigate some of the most intriguing – and perplexing – puzzles facing the high north.
Environmental pollution from three continents finds its way to the Arctic – and into the animals that live there.