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Norwegian Ships of Opportunity Program for marine and atmospheric research
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This paper describes the Norwegian Ships of Opportunity Program (NorSOOP), which uses commercial vessels to collect marine and atmospheric observations relevant to coastal and ocean ecosystem research. The program provides real-time data on ocean conditions and can be used to measure microplastic concentrations in surface waters across Norwegian shipping routes. Ships of opportunity programs offer cost-effective ways to expand environmental monitoring coverage.
NorSOOP (Norwegian Ships of Opportunity Program) is a national research infrastructure which began in 2018 and is financed by the Research Council of Norway. Its main goal is to build a network of ships of opportunity capable of providing marine and atmospheric observations that are relevant for improving our understanding of coastal and oceanic ecosystems and also covers a subset of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) essential ocean variables. NorSOOP ships of opportunity are part of the European GOOS (EuroGOOS) FerryBox Task Team and have contributed to various projects focused on marine ecosystem change, carbon dioxide/ocean acidification, pollution/microplastics, and remote sensing – at the local/municipality, national, and European level (including Horizon 2020 JERICO-S3, NAUTILOS, MINKE, and EuroSea projects). The objectives of NorSOOP include: (1) upgrade existing FerryBox installations and establish new ships of opportunity in Norwegian waters and the Arctic and North Atlantic; (2) provide and support high-quality and cost-efficient basic and applied ocean and atmosphere research; (3) foster innovation and growth for maritime, environmental sensor, and aquaculture industries. This talk will provide the latest developments, installations, and results as well as updates of the past and future activities within the project.
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Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) and Hurtigruten partnership to bring light to the gaps in plastic marine litter knowledge.
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This study describes a partnership between the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) and Hurtigruten cruise ships to collect water samples for microplastic monitoring across remote ocean routes. Researchers found that opportunistic sampling via commercial vessels provides cost-effective coverage of otherwise inaccessible ocean regions.
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Researchers used the Oslo-Kiel ferry as a ship-of-opportunity to collect microplastic samples from Danish marine waters, testing the viability of ferry-based monitoring systems. They found that the FerryBox sampling system could effectively collect surface water microplastic samples during routine voyages. The study demonstrates that commercial ferry routes can serve as cost-effective platforms for long-term marine microplastic monitoring.
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Researchers combined validated sampling data with opportunistic ship-board observations to characterize microplastic pollution across the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, finding widespread surface contamination and improving spatial coverage with the combined approach.
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This study developed a prototype in-situ towed sensor device for real-time measurement of microplastic concentrations at the ocean surface, using optical particle detection to monitor spatial distribution during ship surveys. Low-cost in-situ sensors can dramatically increase the geographic coverage of microplastic monitoring compared to traditional bottle sampling methods.
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Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.