Fornebu and Bergen – February 16th, 2021 – REV Ocean and the University of Bergen (UiB) signed an agreement today which marks the beginning of an ambitious partnership focused on innovative ocean solutions and support for a sustainable ocean economy.
REV Ocean and UiB have strong research programmes focused on climate-ocean interaction and the impacts that result from increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Both organisations will join forces to provide new science and advise to the UN Decade for Ocean Science, international assessments such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and decision-making processes such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP).
The Polar regions will be an area where REV Ocean and UiB collaborate to gain knowledge of some of the most remote and least understood areas of the ocean. Multidisciplinary teams will work together to explore deep-sea ecosystems in polar regions and investigate hydrothermal vents under permanent ice cover in the Arctic (4000 m).
Nina Jensen, CEO of REV Ocean, said “Together with UiB we are in an excellent position to unlock some of the mysteries of the polar regions and to champion sustainable ocean solutions with the amazing innovation and commercial organisations based in Bergen. UiB will also play a key role in our plans for educating the public and inspiring positive impact.”
On Feb 9th UiB secured funding for a new project called Shaping European Research Leaders for Marine Sustainability (SEAS) that will offer 37 three-year postdoctoral positions in ocean challenges and sustainability. REV Ocean’s state of the art vessel and multidisciplinary research focus makes it a natural partner to host visiting fellows for field-work for periods of 2-6 months. REV Ocean also plans to offer postdoctoral opportunities with research teams at its headquarters.
”It is through partnerships that the sustainable development goals can be reached. To us – a university with a strategic focus on marine research and the sustainable development goals – a partnership with REV Ocean is very exciting. It gives us all great opportunities to explore and discover in order to, among other things, fill knowledge gaps on deep-sea ecosystems in the polar region. We also enter the Decade of Ocean Science, declared by the UN, and in light of this we are very glad to enter into a new cross-sectoral partnership for research which will result in development and impact on both a local and international level”, says UiB Rector Margareth Hagen.
REV Ocean and UiB have a keen interest in finding solutions in the field of plastic pollution and competence-based measures to prevent such pollution. This includes research, education and other activities outside traditional natural science, and embraces opportunities with business, law, economics and humanities. The partnership between UiB and REV Ocean has great potential to further strengthen these efforts.
Teams will also focus on education and awareness-raising, in cooperation, with the University Museum of Bergen. This is an excellent opportunity to promote education and raise awareness about the oceans’ challenges and promote a scientific approach to problem-solving such as plastic pollution and its impact on the marine environment.
About REV Ocean
REV Ocean is a not-for-profit company created with one overarching purpose and ambition – to make our oceans healthy again. Established in Norway in 2017, REV Ocean’s mission is to enable and inspire ocean solutions and combat the negative pressures currently affecting the ocean. The science strategy is focused on dealing with plastic pollution, climate change, and the environmental impacts of unsustainable fishing.
About The University of Bergen
The University of Bergen (UiB) is Norway’s largest marine university, with research and education of a high international standard and several world leading research environments. UiB is official SDG14, Life below water, Hub for United Nations Academic Impact and the International Association of Universities.
Media Inquiries:
Lawrence Hislop
Communication Director
REV Ocean
+4748500514
Lawrence.Hislop@revocean.org