Institute of Marine Research Flødevigen was founded in 1882, and is celebrating its 125 years anniversary in 2007.  IMR Flødevigen is one of the oldest marine research institutions in this country, and indeed in Europe. The station has been active in a wide range of marine research topics, and in particular, has played a leading role in aquaculture and releases of marine fish to the sea.

The Institute of Marine Research (IMR) Flødevigen is situated on Hisøy island outside Arendal. It is a multidisciplinary research institute, established in 1882 as a private cod hatchery, and one of Norway's – and Europe's – oldest institutions in marine research and the marine environment. IMR Flødevigen contributes to the national effort to strengthen the basis for advice and management of resources and environment both along the coast and in the sea. Future-oriented laboratory and field research in cooperation with national and international institutions is essential to increase our knowledge and provide advice to the authorities and industry.

IMR Flødevigen has throughout the years been a platform for a wide range of research activities both on land and at sea. The old station may have formed the basis for Norwegian aquaculture with cod hatching and lobster rearing. The activities have always been sea oriented, and combine field surveys along the coast and at sea with experiments in the laboratory. Today our work focuses on management advice and research within the following fields:

·         Coastal zone ecology and mapping of biological resources

·         Environmental conditions on the coast and in the North Sea-Skagerrak

·         Phyto- and zooplankton on the coast and in the North Sea-Skagerrak, including harmful algae

·         Shrimp, herring, sprat and industrial fishery resources in the North Sea-Skagerrak

·         Deep-sea resources and ecology in the Northeast Atlantic

·         National centre for age determination of fishes

The facilities consist of office and laboratory buildings/aquarium halls of 3000 m2, two outdoor basins of 2000 and 4400 m3, and a new 1000 m2 quay, which is the port for the research vessel G.M. Dannevig. The facilities holds laboratories for fish sampling, nutrient analyses, genetic analyses, algae culture and plankton analyses, age determination of fish, various chemical activities, and flow cytometer

Flødevigen has the Norwegian secretariat for MAR-ECO, an international research project on the animal community along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.