About

NorMER (Nordic Centre for Research on Marine Ecosystems and Resources under Climate Change) is a Nordic Centre of Excellence.

NorMER brings together the expertise of leading research groups from all Nordic countries, and several North American institutions, to implement a collective and multidisciplinary research strategy to explore the biological, economic, and management consequences of global climate change on fisheries resources. It will achieve this through a unique program of primary research, implemented by PhDs and Postdocs in a system of collaborative projects, with a focus on the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Though our Nordic focus is on cod, this research is intended to be a platform to extend this knowledge to other marine systems.

The aims and corresponding actions of NorMER are:

  1.  Perform effect studies to: (1) evaluate climate effects on Nordic marine ecosystems, (2) Build new tools for predicting biological consequences of climate change, and (3) quantify impacts on profit, employment, and harvesting.
    Actions: PhDs are co-supervised internationally. Postdocs collaborate internationally. Leading senior scientists and climate researchers provide expert input.
     
  2. Create an effective training environment for young researchers.
    Actions: Annual meetings, graduate courses, and special workshops focus on transferable and interdisciplinary skills. Regular interaction between students and international experts in climate- and marine ecosystem-related fields further strengthen the training program in NorMER.
     
  3. Develop a team of outstanding global quality.
    Actions: Research institutions from every Nordic country are partners. International researchers and industry representatives are invited to annual meetings. A 7-member Centre Advisory Panel (CAP), consisting of an interdisciplinary mix of globally leading researchers participate at all annual meetings. Annually, one internationally distinguished researcher is selected as the honored Johan Hjort Chair to participate at the annual meeting to share expertise with NorMER partners and students.
     
  4. Link to industry and policy managers.
    Actions: Industry and Policy representatives from each of the Nordic countries are encouraged to attend annual meetings for discussing societal/economic effects of climate change, and to learn more about NorMER work. PhD students will be encouraged to visit marine industries or participate in commercial fishing. A strong bio-economic focus within NorMER will facilitate transferance of results to fisheries managers.
     
  5. Update marine ecosystem management policies to sustain healthy fisheries.
    Actions: NorMER is a research based program to evaluate the effects of climate variability on marine ecosystems and how fisheries management can be adapted to maintain sustainable harvest levels. We hope to produce strong results, built on solid fundamental science, that will be applied to real systems in the Nordic region.


NorMER is primarily supported with funding from Nordforsk, on behalf of the Top-level Research Initiative (TRI), and from each of the main partners. The Centre is administered by the CEES in the Department of Biology at the University of Oslo, but this is a pan-Nordic collaborative project, which includes research teams led by Nils Chr. Stenseth at the University of Oslo, Carl Folke of the Stockholm Resilience Centre in Sweden, Erik Bonsdorff at Åbo Adakemi University in Finland, Marko Lindroos at the University of Helsinki in Finland, Markus Meier at the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute in Sweden, Guðrún Marteinsdóttir at Marine Academic Research in Iceland, Eyðfinn Magnussen at the University of Faroe Islands, Helle Siegstad at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Øyvind Fiksen at the University of Bergen in Norway, and Thomas Kiørboe at the Technical University of Denmark.