Research and mapping
The research at IMR has included:
- Detection and mapping of reefs
- Reef assessment, e.g. impacts from fisheries
- Description of reef morphology
- The biology of Lophelia, e.g. growth
- The ecology of Lophelia reefs, e.g. associated biodiversity
including fish
Research on deep-water coral reefs at the IMR started with a pilot
project in 1997 to test methods for detection and mapping of the
reefs. The acquisition of knowledge and quality of scientific results
largely depends on the development of useful and efficient methods.
IMR has developed and adapted acoustical and visual methods for
coral reef mapping for the careful sampling of living corals for
the purpose of studying the biology and ecology of Lophelia.
Until now we have emphasized the development of mapping techniques
and assessment of the reefs. This has been very urgent because large
reefs have been at risk of extinction due to bottom trawling.
Mapping procedures used by IMR
If information is available from fishermen or literature: |
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If no information is available from one particular area,
a good procedure is: |
Occurrence of corals:
Info from fishermen and literature |
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Verification:
Use of echosounder and appropriate software |
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| Identification of potential coral sites
on maps |
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Ground truthing: visual inspection
of sea bottom (video) |
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| Use of echosounder and ground truthing through visual
inspection |
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Mapping and description are performed on annual cruises.
The coral project was funded by NFR
(the Research Council of Norway), the Directorate
of Fisheries and the Directorate
for Nature Management.
IMR coral research team
Scientists
- Jan Helge Fosså:
project leader
- John Alvsvåg:
mapping, GIS applications, biodiversity,
- Dag M. Furevik:
mapping, reef ecology
- Pål B. Mortensen: coral biology, ecology, biodiversity
Present address: Marine Environmental Sciences Division
Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, Canada
Engineer
Technicians
- Inger Marie Beck: field work, biodiversity
- Karsten Hansen: field work
- Roar Skeide: field work, developement of sampling gear
Co-operating Norwegian institutions
- NGU
- Geological Survey of Norway
- SKSK
- Norwegian Hydrographic Service
- FFI
- Norwegian Defence Research Establishment
- Statoil
- Norwegian state oil company
Related projects
SUSHIMAP Survey Strategy and Methodology for Marine Habitat
Mapping
The continental shelf and slope of the Norwegian Sea and the Barents
Sea are poorly mapped. Only coarse regional scale bathymetry exists
for most areas, and detailed seabed sediment maps exist only for
some small isolated regions.
SUSHIMAP aims to develop a rapid, reliable and cost-efficient procedure
for the mapping and monitoring of seabed habitats by integrating
medium- and fine-scale data using visual and sediment-grab methods
with large-scale bathymetric and backscatter data obtained by multi
beam echo sounding.
SUSHIMAP is coordinated by IMR in cooperation with NGU, NTNU and
Statoil. It is funded by the Research Council of Norway.
MAREANO - Marine Area Database for Norwegian waters with
emphasis on Lofoten and the southern Barents Sea
The Norwegian continental shelf is a commercially important region
for fisheries and the petroleum industry and includes some of the
world’s largest systems of cold-water coral reefs.
The aim of MAREANO is to build a GIS database, which will include
newly collected data as well as historical data so as to elucidate
the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the seabed
along the Norwegian shelf and parts of the deeper Norwegian Sea.
MAREANO is a joint project between IMR, Geological Survey of Norway
and the Norwegian Hydrographic Service. It will provide maps and
information on seabed bathymetry, marine habitats, biological diversity
and resources, mineralogical resources and geological features as
well as habitat contamination. This information will be available
to a variety of groups, such as environmental managers, fisherman,
aquaculture and petroleum industries, through a dedicated Internet
system.
More about MAREANO: MAREANO
– a proposal for an integrated mapping programme for the Norwegian
seas and coastal areas
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