2007

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Institusjonsforankret strategisk prosjekt (t.o.m. 2018)

Tørkeperioder kan gjøre bakken hardere og frastøte seg vann, dette fører til økt fare for flom og jorderosjon hvis det skulle komme styrtregn. Sammenfallende hendelser hvor en tørkeperiode ender i styrtregn kan derfor forårsake større skader på infrastruktur og avlinger enn enkelthendelser med kun tørke eller styrtregn. Global oppvarming har forårsaket at både tørkeperioder og styrtregn intensiveres og skjer oftere, som også kan føre til at sammenfallende hendelser med tørke etterfulgt av styrtregn også kan intensiveres og skje oftere. 
Selv om det er funnet en økning i tørkeperioder og ekstremnedbør med global oppvarming også i klimamodellene, er det også en stor spredning mellom modellene på hvor mye og i hvilke områder som opplever mer tørke og nedbør. Prosjektet vil undersøke faktiske historiske hendelser hvor tørkeperioder endte i styrtregn i værobservasjoner og værmodelldata for å finne passende indekser som kan brukes til å analysere hvordan de forekommer i klimamodellene. Modeller på finere skala gjør en bedre jobb med å modellere nedbør, prosjektet vil derfor bruke finskala høytoppløselige klimamodeller og globale klimamodeller for å se hvordan tørkeperioder avsluttet med styrtregn forekommer i disse. De modellene som gjør det godt opp mot observasjoner vil bli identifisert.  Videre vil prosjektet studere endringene i hyppighet og intensitet av sammenfallende hendelser med tørke og styrtregn med global oppvarming.
En av grunnene man vet til hvorfor det er stor usikkerhet knyttet til hvordan klimamodellene gjenskaper nedbørsmønstre er hvordan fordamping varierer over skog- og andre arealer. I prosjektet vil vi se på effekten av avskoging og økt skogbruk i globale modeller, og gjøre egne beregninger over mindre areal på finskala for å for å se hvordan fordamping blir påvirket. Resultatene av prosjektet er viktig får å unngå eller minimere skadene slike sammenfallende med tørke etterfulgt av styrtregn kan forårsake.

Global warming intensifies drought and extreme precipitation. Compound events with droughts ending in intensified precipitation - DRIP can cause large damages but are extremely understudied. This project aims to estimate the change in frequency and intensity of DRIP events with global warming due to changes in the water-cycle. We will identify actual historical compound DRIP events and find indices that are suitable to identify these events in model data. As global climate models show a large spread in precipitation for both historical and the different future climate projections, there is expected to be a spread in model projections of DRIP events as well. We will constrain this spread by identifying global climate models that do a good statistical representation of historical DRIP events and by analyzing large ensembles to evaluate the natural variability. As higher resolution modelling shows a better representation of the water cycle, the project will analyze regional downscaled global models in identified regions of interest.  We will also perform in-house regional simulations of identified global models down to convection permitting scale to study the change in DRIP events with model resolution. The project will also target a highlighted uncertainty connected to the water-cycle by exploring how evapotranspiration and the occurrence of DRIP events found in climate models respond to land use change. For this analysis we will extend the regional downscaling to include sensitivity studies which contain deforestation and forestation. Results gained from DRIP will make a large contribution to the knowledge needed on future mitigation measures due to the increase in compound events.

DRIP - DRought ending in Intensified Precipitation

Renewable energy on the high seas – science-informed and indigenous knowledge-based recommendations for regulatory and governance challenges

The high seas are those marine areas under no State's jurisdiction. So far, all marine renewable energy (RE) activity is being conducted under State's jurisdiction. However, recent advances in technology are raising the prospect of carrying out RE activity on the high seas. Currently, only seabed mining activities in the Area have been regulated. The Area is the seabed and ocean floor beyond the limits of State's jurisdiction. From the legal viewpoint, the main gap is a lack of an international regulatory framework, informed by participatory mechanisms and supported by scientific evidence, for RE activities on the high seas, especially regarding their environmental and social impacts. 
The primary project objective (O) is to provide the scientific community and policymakers with science-informed and indigenous knowledge-based recommendations in support of the development of  RE regulation on the high seas. 
Two specific Os are set to complement the primary O, namely:
O1 To advance the use of systematic consultation processes that facilitates research at the crossroads of marine sciences and law. 
O2 To advance critical knowledge and understanding of environmental pressing issues comparable to the regulation of RE on the high seas, such as deep-sea mining in the Area.
A multistep innovative methodology will be adopted, by integrating marine scientific knowledge, consultative processes, and advanced critical research in the subject matter. A case study (interdisciplinary and participatory) involving marine scientists, indigenous and coastal communities and policy makers will be conducted onboard the Research Vessel KronPrins Haakon at the beginning of the project. The case study outcomes will be analysed through critical legal analysis to build a knowledge base for policy recommendations. 
The project will advance the PI’s career in an international research environment, allowing her to generate independent, high-quality, and reproducible results.




Prosjektet går ut på å invitere forskere fra norske eller utenlandske universiteter til å presentere sin forskning om økonomi og klima ved Handelshøyskolen ved Universitetet i Stavanger (HHUiS).

Dette skjer i form av et seminar som vanligvis finner sted en gang i uken. En kjent forsker fra et annet universitet kommer til Stavanger og holder et 60-minutters seminar og har en rekke møter med forskere i Stavanger. Vi prøver å ha minst 6-8 møter per gjest. I tillegg spiser gjesten lunsj og middag med UiS-ansatte.

Disse seminarene er en del av en eksisterende seminarserie som også tar for seg andre klimaspørsmål. En stor del av seminarene er imidlertid fokusert på klimaendringer og økonomi, og det er kun til disse seminarene vi søker midler.

En aktiv seminarrekke er hjertet i et forskningsuniversitet, og svært viktig for at forskerne ved universitetet skal kunne utvikle seg og være en aktiv del av det globale forskningsmiljøet. Dessverre må vi av budsjettmessige årsaker kutte ned på denne aktiviteten i år og fremover, og derfor sender vi denne søknaden for å be om midler til denne aktiviteten.

UiS har et meget energisk forskerteam innen økonomi og klima. For eksempel ble Dora Simons forskning nylig nevnt i The Economist, Anders Åkermans forskning ble denne uken nevnt av Det hvite hus i den amerikanske presidentens årlige økonomiske rapport, og Torfinn Harding skriver jevnlig artikler i Dagens Næringsliv og opptrer på norsk TV. For at denne gruppen skal overleve, er det svært viktig å kunne arrangere seminarer om klimaendringer på høyeste internasjonale nivå.

Seminarer med internasjonale forskere om økonomi og klima ved Universitetet i Stavanger

The importance of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for better balancing tropical forest conservation and poverty alleviation goals is increasingly recognised. Yet, in Africa, poor understanding of the impact of harvesting on species’ populations and forest carbon stocks, together with little information on the traditional institutions which have informally regulated NTFPs extraction in the past -and could continue to do so in the future-, hamper the use of NTFPs in both forest conservation and development initiatives. 
AFRI-FOR will gather the knowledge needed to determine (1) the key enablers of sustainable harvesting for groups of plant or wild meat species, (2) which types of NTFP harvesting can have synergies with carbon storage, and (3) how traditional institutions can be integrated into formal conservation. To achieve these objectives, AFRI-FOR provide new methods, including (i) a new interdisciplinary approach for investigating NTFPs harvesting impacts, combining traditional ecological knowledge (TEK, from local communities), surveys of plants and wildlife, market surveys and modelling techniques; and (ii) a novel standardised protocol for gathering information about traditional institutions and compliance towards them. AFRI-FOR will gather data and knowledge from 20 socio-ecological forest contexts in five countries (Sierra Leone, Cameroon, DR Congo, Uganda and Kenya), which will allow insights to transcend single sites and provide a much-needed general understanding. This high-risk and high-gain project will provide a step-change in our ability to inform forest conservation in Africa, by identifying synergies between biodiversity conservation, carbon storage and poverty alleviation goals.


Improving tropical forest conservation in Africa

Currently, 28.2% of the total EU-28 greenhouse gas emissions come from the power sector, a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, the emphasis of the research in power generation has swung towards assessing highly efficient and greener power cycles. In this reference, the novel supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle (sCO2-BC) is an ideal choice that outstrips other formally well-known power cycles (Brayton & Rankine cycles). In sCO2-BC, the role of the pre-cooler is critical. It serves as a sink to the power cycle and regulates the conditions at the compressor's inlet. The compressor's inlet temperature is intended to be maintained close to the critical temperature of carbon dioxide (CO2) to achieve greater cycle efficiencies. However, exceptionally higher values of the specific heat capacity of CO2 near its critical point (up to 40 times higher than water) require exceedingly high water flow rates on the cold side to achieve the desired exit temperatures of CO2. Consequently, the pre-cooler's pumping power requirements become high enough to deteriorate the cycle's performance. This problem can only be mitigated by exploring new channel geometries with enhanced thermohydraulic characteristics. Therefore, the proposed study plan to characterize the complex thermohydraulic characteristics in the pseudocritical region of CO2 using a multifaceted technique that includes, experimental, numerical, and machine learning techniques. The proposed work will provide a step forward to the success of sCO2-BC technologies that, in turn, will facilitate its integration with the green energy resources (generation-IV nuclear reactors and solar concentrated plants), helping to meet the EU's 2030 climate and energy framework goals of achieving at least 32% share for renewable energy.

Evaluation of thermohydraulic characteristic of printed circuit heat exchangers in pseudocritical region for supercritical CO2 cycle

AGREE tar for seg klimaendringers innvirkning på kulturarv gjennom tverrfaglige metoder og samarbeid mellom ulike samfunnsaktører. Prosjektet tar særlig for seg urbane områder som påvirkes av flom. Målet er å forstå det komplekse forholdet mellom forvaltning av kulturarv, klimatilpasning og samfunnets sårbarhet, og å se på tiltak for å minimere risiko for tap og ødeleggelse som følge av klimaendringer. Sentrale delmål inkluderer integrering av strategier for bevaring av kulturarv med strategier for klimatilpasning, spesielt gjennom konseptet Historisk Urban Landskap (HUL). 

AGREE vil utvikle en beslutningsmodell forankret i HUL-konseptet som sammenligner dagens forvaltningspraksis med historiske data for å belyse sårbarhet og klimatilpasning i en urban kontekst. AGREE vil fremme transformative strategier for klimatilpasning ved å evaluere beslutningstakernes forståelse av disse samspillene. 

Prosjektet ledes av University of Leeds (Storbritannia), og har Norsk institutt for kulturminneforskning (NIKU), Politecnico di Torino (Italia) med som partnere. ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property), British Council (Storbritannia), UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Storbritannia), Hull City Council (Storbritannia) og Innlandet fylke (Norge) deltar som samarbeidspartnere. Gjennom dette samarbeidet skal prosjektet bidra til å forme politikk og klimastrategier, både lokalt og globalt.  AGREE vil også engasjere publikum for å øke bevisstheten om klimatilpasning og mobilisere til felles handling.  Gjennom bred involvering skal AGREE bidra til å sikre at kulturarven forblir beskyttet og motstandsdyktig i møte med klimaendringer.

Alt i alt vil AGREE utforske klimaendringers påvirkning på kulturarv med en praksisorientert tilnærming, og med fokus på samarbeid, databasert beslutningstaking og samfunnsengasjement for å sikre vår felles kulturarv for fremtidige generasjoner.

AGREE champions transformative sustainability in response, emphasizing interdisciplinary methodologies and societal shifts. It explores the intricate link between cultural heritage governance, climate adaptation, and community resilience, rooted in responses to flooding in urban contexts. AGREE promotes the Historic Urban Landscape concept for integrative decision-making in climate adaptation, considering community resilience amidst environmental changes. An interactive Geographic Information System platform will illuminate this interplay over time. An innovative AGREE's contribution is a decision-making model grounded in the HUL paradigm. This model juxtaposes current national and local policies enabling cultural heritage integration in climate adaptation with historical data sources revealing urban resilience lessons and changes in the built environment over time. AGREE employs transformative governance concepts to evaluate decision-makers comprehension of these synergies and their perspectives. It advances transformative climate adaptation by uncovering potentials and barriers within heritage governance in case studies from the UK, Norway, and Italy. Beyond research, AGREE will shape policies with multi-scalar and cross-sectorial governance, interpreting climate intricacies through cultural heritage. It will strengthen global, national, and local heritage-focused climate strategies through partnerships with the British Council, ICCROM, and the UK's Department for Culture, Media, and Sport and local stakeholders, such as Hull City Council (UK) and Innlandet Region (Norway). AGREE also engages the public, raising climate adaptation awareness and mobilizing collective action, benefiting governmental climate efforts.

Advancing Cultural Heritage Governance for Resilient Climate Adaptation

RETRACE-prosjektet, som strekker seg over tre år, tar for seg den økende trusselen fra naturkatastrofer, som har rammet over 2,3 milliarder mennesker siden 2000-tallet. RETRACE fokuserer på lokalsamfunn i Arktis og Stillehavsområdet, som marquisene i Fransk Polynesia, samene og kvenene i Norge og ahtnaene i Alaska, og har som mål å styrke motstandskraften mot klimarisiko. Disse lokalsamfunnene, som er dypt sammenvevd med omgivelsene sine, gir uvurderlig innsikt i hvordan man overlever og trives i en krevende miljøsituasjon.

RETRACE tar utgangspunkt i hypotesen om at urfolks- og lokalkunnskapssystemer, særlig fra lokalsamfunn i polar- og stillehavsområdene, er uunnværlige for å utvikle effektive strategier for motstandskraft. Prosjektets metode innebærer å samle inn et rikt datasett som omfatter vitnesbyrd, kulturelle praksiser og levde erfaringer, i tillegg til kvantitative analyser. Målet er å skape et omfattende rammeverk som tar hensyn til lokale kontekster og fremmer tilpasningsdyktige og inkluderende resilienspraksiser.

Et internasjonalt forskerteam fra Frankrike, Norge og USA samler en rekke ulike ferdigheter for å bygge bro mellom vitenskapelig forskning og virkeligheten i lokalsamfunnene. Målet er å utvikle et romlig beslutningsstøttesystem som både bidrar til å visualisere resiliensdata og fungerer som et verktøy for samfunnsbasert beslutningstaking, noe som forbedrer evnen til å håndtere risiko og utnytte tradisjonell kunnskap på en effektiv måte.

Ved å kombinere lokal innsikt med vitenskapelig innovasjon skal RETRACE bane vei for resiliensstrategier som både er bærekraftige og tar hensyn til de unike behovene til sårbare lokalsamfunn. Dette prosjektet setter ikke bare søkelyset på urfolks- og lokalkunnskapens avgjørende rolle når det gjelder å håndtere klimaendringene, men har også som mål å sette lokalsamfunn over hele verden i stand til å håndtere de utfordringene som et klima i endring fører med seg.

The three-year RETRACE project responds to the increasing impact of natural disasters on over 2.3 billion people since the beginning of the millennium. It has a particular focus on Arctic and Pacific communities vulnerable to climate risks, specifically, the Marquesan community in French Polynesia, the Sámi and Kven communities in Norway, and the Ahtna people in Alaska. The project aims to address the resilience(s) of communities, in order to develop more inclusive and equitable approaches to developing and implementing resilience strategies.

Five hypotheses guide the research, based on the assumption that indigenous communities such as the ones living in Polar zones and Pacific islands, developed resilience knowledge and strategies to cope with climate-related events. The project aims to co-develop a spatial decision-support system for producing and visualizing qualitative and quantitative data on the different forms of local, community, intrinsic and traditional resiliences in those communities.

Utilizing a narrative approach, the consortium collects testimonials, cultures, memories, experiences, sensitivities and expertise from both Arctic and Pacific communities on forms of resilience and their visions of climate risks, alongside quantitative open-source data from traditional assessments. This data will be cross-referenced to build an interdisciplinary framework for a nuanced understanding of local needs, suitable to assess resilience in local contexts. 

Comprising researchers from France, Norway and the USA with diverse expertise, the consortium aims to contribute in developing risk management and resilience strategies by integrating local and indigenous knowledge into an adaptable and sustainable spatial decision-making tool. The tool aims to bridge the gap between international scientific research and local community realities, potentially informing strategies in other vulnerable territories in the future.

ResilienceS to climate risks: lessons from Arctic and Pacific communities

Potetskrell, et biprodukt fra industriproduksjon av potet (pommes frites, flak, chips mm.) er en råstoff ressurs som kan bli bedre utnyttet til nye formål. Skrellet er nemlig en rik kilde på antioksidanter, stoffer som planter naturlig har i seg for å beskytte mot skadelige UV-stråler og reaktive forbindelser som oksygen radikaler. Antioksidanter behøver vi også å tilsette i matvarer for å beskytte og ta vare på umettet fett så det ikke blir harskt og vondt i kontakt med luft. I dag brukes flere ulike syntetiske stoffer i matvarer for å hindre oksidasjon av fett og oljer. Men det er reist bekymring rundt sikkerheten for bruken av dem. Matvareindustrien, myndigheter og forbruker ønsker derfor å fjerne flere syntetiske antioksidanter og erstatte dem med naturlig alternativer. Det er imidlertid svært få slike produkter som er godkjent og tilgjengelig på markedet. Prosjektet Peel Preserve, som har et klart bærekraft mål, skal vise om et uttrekk av antioksidanter laget på industrielt potetskrell råstoff kan fungere som konserveringsmiddel og erstatte noen av de stoffene som brukes i dag. Tre næringsmiddelbedrifter skal teste potetskrell-ekstraktet i noen av sine produkter og utføre både interne og eksterne analyser på effekten. Men en viktig forutsetning for at potetantioksidant kan tas i bruk som nytt tilsetningsstoff i mat er at det blir godkjent av den Europeiske matsikkerhets myndigheten (EFSA) og gitt et E-nummer. Prosjektet skal igangsette denne lengre flertrinns godkjennings prosessen. Parallelt skal det utvikles en forretningsmodell og nødvendig beskyttelse rundt teknologien. Dersom industrien etter testingen av potetantioksidanten, vurderer denne som er god erstatning til konkurransedyktig pris, og en EFSA-godkjenning kan oppnås på sikt, åpner det for å kommersialisere et naturlig plante-basert produkt til beste for forbruker og for miljøet. Bak prosjektet Peel Preserve står Høgskolen i Innlandet i samarbeid med Nofima og Klosser Innovasjon.

Preserving foods with potato peels: Industry-relevant validation and first regulatory assessment of a new natural antioxidant

Sjøisen i Arktis har minket drastisk de siste tiårene, og Polhavet forventes å være isfritt om sommeren mot slutten av århundret. Denne nedgangen har utsatt store havområder for vind, noe som har resultert i at det oftere dannes store bølger i Polhavet. Disse bølgene kan forplante seg over flere titalls til hundrevis av kilometer i sjøisen, knekke den og akselerere smeltingen. Disse fysiske prosessene – bølger som knekker sjøis og effekten dette har på sjøissmelting og vekst – mangler i modellene vi bruker for å forutsi klimautviklingen. Dette bidrar til store usikkerheter i klimamodeller. Effekten av bølger på sjøisen er heller ikke tatt med i prognoser for havets og sjøisens forhold, som brukes av skip som opererer i islagte farvann. I ForWArd ønsker vi å vurdere bølgenes innvirkning på sjøisens utvikling i det stadig røffere Polhavet. I dette arbeidet brukes en svært avansert modell som inkluderer sjøis, hav, bølger og deres interaksjoner. Vi skal først vurdere hvor godt den representerer forholdene i Polhavet sammenlignet med de få tilgjengelige observasjonene. Vi vil så bruke modellen til å undersøke hvordan bølgehøyden og arealet av ødelagt sjøis har utviklet seg de siste tre tiårene. Deretter vil vi kombinere modellen vår med forholdene i det fremtidige Polhavet gitt av klimafremskrivninger, for å undersøke hvordan betydningen av interaksjoner mellom bølger og is vil utvikle seg ettersom sjøis avtar i det 21. århundre. Vår modells estimering av "bølgepåvirkningen" vil tillate polarvitenskapsmiljøet å vurdere hvor usikre deres klimaspådommer uten bølger er. Til syvende og sist vil våre modellresultater og utviklinger legge grunnlaget for å legge til bølgeeffekter i hav- og sjøisvarsler i Arktis. Dette vil gjøre varslene mer nøyaktige og bidra til sikkerheten for menneskelig aktivitet i denne regionen.

Arctic sea ice decline under climate change has allowed waves to form and grow more easily in the Arctic Ocean. These waves propagate into the sea ice over tens to hundreds of kilometres, fragmenting it into small floes. This area of broken ice, known as the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ), is a highly complex region where many interactions occur between the ocean, sea ice, and atmosphere. The action of waves strongly affects these interactions, with rapid feedbacks on the sea ice. However, climate models do not account for these wave-ice interaction processes, which likely contributes to the strong biases in their estimation of modelled sea ice extent and volume and their inability to capture short-term sea ice extent variability. Given the lack of observations available, numerical models remain the best way to estimate how wave-ice interaction processes can impact Arctic sea ice, but most wave-ice coupled models are still prototypes. In ForWArd, we will use one of the most advanced of these models to assess this impact in the context of climate change. To this aim, we will use the latest observations to calibrate the modelled wave-affected area and produce a 30-year-long hindcast of the MIZ extent evolution to analyse how it responded to larger wave height, delayed refreezing, and thinner ice. Then, we will assess the relative importance of the wave-ice interactions suspected to affect sea ice in the MIZ using well-documented events. Finally, we will estimate how waves will contribute to sea ice extent and volume variability in the coming decades, as large areas of open water will remain open until late in the autumn. The flexibility of our setup will allow us to test the sensitivity of our results to model resolution and assumptions, giving invaluable insights into the biases induced by misrepresenting wave-ice interactions. ForWArd will also pave the way for the integration of wave effects in sea ice forecasts, a requirement for safer operations in ice-infested waters.

Forecasting Wave impact as Arctic sea ice declines

SASCHA har som mål å utvikle praktiske verktøy og metoder for å vurdere og håndtere kulturminner når klimaendringer utgjør en risikofaktor. Prosjektet ledes av University College London (UCL), og har Norsk institutt for kulturminneforskning (NIKU), Arizona State University (USA), NHAZCA (Italia) og North Carolina State University (USA) med som partnere. ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property), English Heritage Trust (Storbritannia) og Ventotene kommune (Italia) deltar i prosjektet som samarbeidspartnere. 

 Hovedmål for prosjektet:  
- Utvikling av indikatorer og målemetoder for måling av klimaendringers virkning på kulturarv. 
- Etablere metoder for å involvere relevante aktører i identifiseringen og målingen av disse virkningene. Metodene skal kunne tilpasses lokale forhold og kulturell kontekst. 
- Utvikle verktøy for å hjelpe beslutningstakere til å vurdere og anvende målinger på ulike nivåer. 
- Utforske utfordringer og muligheter knyttet til bruk av nye metoder for vurdering klimarelaterte risikofaktorer for kulturminner. 

Ved å oppnå disse målene skal SASCHA ruste lokalsamfunn og kulturminneforvaltningen til å bedre forstå og håndtere klimarisiko. I tillegg, gjennom samarbeid med organisasjoner som UNESCO og ICCROM, skal SASCHA bidra til globale diskusjoner om hvordan klimaproblematikken kan integreres i kulturminneforvaltningens praksis. Alt i alt vil SASCHA legge til rette for politikkutvikling og styrke kulturminneforvaltningen ved å tilby verktøy og metoder for å effektivt vurdere, tolke og formidle klimarisiko for kulturarvsteder over hele verden.

SASCHA proposes operationalisation for transferable risk assessment and a value-based decision support tool. Supported by this approach, the overarching aim of SASCHA is therefore to develop innovative methods for understanding risks of climate change for heritage that allow for multiscale analysis and scalable approaches, bridging the gaps between local knowledge and global data, and from local vulnerability to global risks. To this end, SASCHA will: a) develop a set of operationalised indicators/metrics for relevant determinants of climate change; b) develop a locally adaptable protocol for stakeholders' engagement in the identification of relevant determinants of climate impacts that acknowledge and celebrate diversity in cultural contexts; c) develop a climate adaptation decision support tool to evaluate relevance of assessment approaches for different spatial scales; d) explore the challenges and opportunities of an operationalisation approach to climate change--heritage risk. Addressing a complex, wide and research-intensive subject, SASCHA unfolds several organisational, scientific, technical, technological and cultural heritage-oriented elements. SASCHA includes four research partners, together bringing significant experience in climate change and heritage and requisite expertise in physical sciences (UCL), social sciences and humanities (NIKU, NCSU/ASU) and technology (NHAZCA). The consortium can significantly contribute to safeguarding and protecting their region's coastal heritage but also to the global discussion of the integration of climate impacts assessment on cultural heritage through the close collaboration with UNESCO's Advisory body, ICCROM and case study stakeholders. SASCHA will develop methods for assessing, interpreting, and communicating climate change risks for heritage, while also supporting effective policy development and heritage management.

Multiscale approaches and scalability within climate change-heritage risk assessments

Midlene fra HEALTH-1.01 Health fordelt på år

Midlene fra HEALTH-1.01 Health fordelt på fylker

Midlene fra HEALTH-1.01 Health fordelt på fagområde

European Network for Genetic and Genomic Epidemiology

Cultural activities and heritage, rural tourism and small-scale food production (CULTOURFOOD) are three fragmented sectors or industries with many actors and little coordination. In spite of increasing economic and social importance and political awarenes s, those industries have separate sector authorities, business service and R&D institutions. Cultural leisure activities and tourism experience uneven growth in many areas, and it appears to be a large and undeveloped market potential for knowledge-based rural development.  The Centre for Rural Research is the only R&D institution in Norway with competence in all the three sectors concerned: culture activities and heritage, local food production and tourism, travel and leisure. In initiating this strategi c programme CULTOURFOOD (2007-2010), CRR would like to propose the development of a holistic knowledge-base which will define, describe and analyse this new sector, as well as produce basic knowledge on how to strengthen the cooperation and integration of  the CULTOURFOOD-economies. The sub-projects will focus on describing state of the art regarding size and socio-economic structure of culturally-grounded tourism and food production, investigate the discourse on rurality and authenticity, scrutinise the t ourist host - tourist dialectic, and put focus on coordination, collaboration, networks and innovation in the field of culturally-grounded tourism and local food. Through case studies, surveys and statistical analyses the programme aim for identifying key  factors for successful rural and regional development based on rural culture, tourism and local food. The results will be disseminated internationally and nationally through publications, presentations on conferences and seminars, and presented in media.  Dissemination to the scientific community and to national business actors, organisations, authorities etc will be given equal priority.

Culturally grounded tourism and local food in rural development

The aim of the Strategic Institute Programme (SIP) is to further develop SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture as a national and international research institute within the field of fisheries technology. The programme will emphasize the development of energy e fficient fishing vessels, increased work place safety, working conditions, and higher competitiveness in general. Also, the dynamics of technological development have some aggregated effects on the fleets' ability to become more sustainable, which will be  the focus in extensive catch capacity analyses. SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture has the ambition to develop and adapt systems engineering as a methodological approach to enhance the technological perspective in sustainable fisheries management, and to i ncrease sustainability in the general design of fishing vessels. The programme can be summarized in the following main objectives:
-	Improve present tools for development of more energy efficient design and operation of fishing vessels, with main emphasis  on machinery and propulsion systems. 
-	Develop improvements in working operations, in the ergonomic work situations of the fishermen onboard, in the overall safety of the fishing vessels, and in deck arrangements. 
-	Analyze the technological adaptation s and the effect on the catch capacity and management regime.
-	Develop and adapt systems engineering as methodology for technological fisheries research and fishing vessel design.
-	Two doctorate studies are planned for the programme.
-	Publication of ar ticles in international journals and other relevant fora.

Future catch platform for the Norwegian fishing fleet

Agriculture in Norway is traditionally based on a high level of national support and payments. Policy changes, especially if the state support has to be reduced considerably, can lead to substantial changes regarding land use, the multi functionality of a griculture, cultural landscape qualities, as well as rural businesses. A new WTO-agreement will probably make it necessary to document the effects of 'green box' measurements. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to show and document the connections betw een agricultural production (primary products) and cultural landscape qualities (public benefits and ecosystem services i.e. secondary products) as well as the financial results. 

On this background the main objective of this strategic programme is to ge nerate knowledge that can contribute to improve a more sustainable livestock production and maintenance of important cultural landscape qualities. The programme will gain competence and develop tools to analyse the production of cultural landscape qualiti es from grassland based livestock production systems. Based on modules the programme aims to develop a model visualizing the linkage between different production systems, public benefits and ecosystem services (including knowledge on environmental load) a nd farm profitability. The results will give indications on payment rates which are necessary to achieve desired land use regarding cultural landscape qualities.

A second main objective of the programme is the capacity building and consolidation in Biofo rsk of research linked to holistic approaches to complex problems in agriculture. The programme will involve researchers from several institutes, also abroad, representing different disciplines, methods, traditions and experience. NILF will participate as  a major partner. The interdisciplinary cooperation will strengthen the programme process and the scientific network of Bioforsk.

Designing sustainable livestock production systems delivering cultural landscapes with public goods and ecosystem services

The salmon farming industry demands optimal production through-out the entire life-cycle. This demand is currently not realized due to seasonal environmental changes that dramatically influences on feed intake, lipid accumulation, and growth rate during t he sea stage. To improve the predictability and cost-efficiency of salmon farming, there is a need to compose dynamic diets that are optimized according to the major seasonal changes.
 	In OptiProd, this will be pursued by developing a new and integrated understanding of how growth in salmon relates to the physiological state of the fish, how this interacts with seasonal and climatic conditions, and how this may be manipulated by diet composition and strategic supplements to optimize the performance by th e fish. In particular, we will characterize physiological and underlying biochemical responses to feed supplements such as bioactive fatty acids and nitrogenous components in order to boost and regulate the metabolism of salmon in advance of or during cri tical periods of the production cycle. In addition to traditional nutrional research tools, we will implement new technology within functional genomics and metabolomics to provide detailed information of the metabolic status in salmon and molecular mechan isms involved in season dependent growth regulation. The main experiments will be conducted in sea by using 0+ and 1+ smolts, whereas smaller feeding experiments as well as cell culture studies will be performed to complement our knowledge. 
OptiProd is a  strategic important project that will integrate research experience from production biology, nutrition, and biotechnology in a novel multidisciplinary approach to reduce the severe problem with seasonal dependent growth stagnation in the salmon industry.  This will be pursued by feed optimalization and by increasing the global understanding of the mechanisms affecting growth and well-being of salmon during the seawater phase.

Dynamic and integrated production biology of farmed salmon in sea

Fungal decay of wood products is a global problem that has been traditionally combated with chemical preservatives. There is currently a great demand for alternatives to contemporary chemical preservatives due to their toxicity to the environment, and the  current Strategic Institute Program (SIP) is focused on alternative wood protection systems that do not pose any environmental hazards. Similarly fungal decay in living forest trees, particularly decay caused by Heterobasidion annosum in conifers, result s in considerable economic losses. The goal of the present proposal is to gain knowledge about the defence mechanisms utilized by decay fungi when challenged with alternative wood protection systems and natural host defence compounds. This goal will be pu rsued by sequencing of cDNA libraries and transcript profiling of candidate genes of decay fungi under these stress situations. The knowledge thus gained will contribute to a better understanding of the sequence of events that take place in wood colonizat ion and decay. This will allow further modification in the application of new wood protection systems in order to increase the protection provided by them. Similarly, an understanding of how decay fungi such as H. annosum detoxify natural host defence com pounds in living trees will likely facilitate the establishment of breeding programs targeted against decay fungi. The study involves also innovative elements due to the chemical complexity of woody substrates. In addition to the publications produced, we  predict that the products of the study, modified nucleic acid isolation protocols, expressed sequence tags of major decay fungi, and quantitative real-time PCR assays for monitoring fungal growth rates and transcript levels will provide a spin-off platfo rm that will facilitate future research on wood decay and associated fungi. Since decay of wood products and living forest trees is a major problem, the resources to conduct the study are well justified.

Functional genomics of wood degradation: strategies used by decay fungi against wood protection systems and natural host defence compounds

Each year strawberry- and raspberry producers experience serious economical losses due to fungal or oomycete diseases. In this project we will address two such diseases, strawberry crown rot (Phytophthora cactorum) and raspberry root rot (Phytophthora fra gariae var. rubi). An efficient control measure is the use of resistant cultivars. Raspberry and strawberry cultivars vary in resistance but most commercial cultivars are susceptible to these two diseases. We will identify genetic markers linked to crown rot resistance in strawberry and Phytophthora root rot in raspberry. The mapping populations will be progenies from a cross between a susceptible and a highly resistant strawberry cultivar e.g. Senga Sengana, and a corresponding cross between resistant As ker and susceptible Glen Moy raspberry cultivars. From closely linked markers, assays for MAS will be developed. Plant resistance (R) proteins recognise pathogen effectors, so-called avirulence (AVR) proteins. This recognition often triggers signal transd uction cascades leading to rapid defence mobilisation. Most known R genes encode proteins with a nucleotide-binding site. We will study the diversity of such genes in raspberry and octoploid and diploid strawberry. R gene analogues will be sequenced and c haracterized, and possible co-segregation with markers linked to disease resistance will be studied. In addition we will isolate and characterize genes from P. cactorum encoding effector proteins, including Avr genes. Isolation of the effector genes will allow the plant-pathogen gene-for-gene interaction to be studied in detail. The basic knowledge generated and genes and genetic markers identified in this project will be of international importance and might provide tools for the development of new resis tant cultivars or more effective control measures for disease management.

Phytophthora diseases in Rosaceae: Plant resistance and plant-pathogen interactions

The greatest welfare challenges for sheep during grazing are tick-borne fever (TBF), blow-flies, alveld and predators. Production losses on tick infested pastures are substantial, and it is expected that more than 300 000 lambs/sheep are affected by TBF. In sustainable farming, particularly organic farming, the focus on solving these challenges should be on preventive measures. The dependence on drugs implies a risk for developing resistance. It is therefore of general interest to use preventive methods. However, few efficient preventive measures against tick infection and TBF are available. Thus, there is a need for alternative strategies. The focus of the project will be on:
Indirect losses
The indirect loss caused by TBF is impaired welfare, growth rat e, meat quality and income. National data will provide information on weight, slaughter quality and losses of animals on tick infested pastures and will be used to identify and quantify indirect losses. Increased knowledge about the extent of indirect los ses to ticks will increase awareness and motivation for implementing preventive measures.
Turn out time on pasture and immunity
Lambs on tick infested pasture and sheep brought to tick infested pasture for the first time are at highest risk. Animals will develop immunity after the first infection. The effect of exposing lambs to tick infection at a very early life stage will be tested in an experiment carried out at five farms involving 300 lambs. The hypothesis is that lambs infected early will handle th e disease better and will not become seriously ill.
Disease resistance
There is indication of individual variance in susceptibility against TBF in sheep. Many factors may cause variation in resistance to ticks and TBF between individuals. Exploiting a pos sible genetic variance between breeds and individuals within breed in such resistance will be done by a controlled challenge test and by analysing data on sheep from ram circles in tick infested areas.

Improved welfare in sheep production -
Preventive measures, disease resistance and robustness related to tick-borne fever in sheep

Management and use of biomass from non-traditional forest operations has today a low priority, partly because the work is expensive and partly because a rational and economic exploitation, for example for bioenergy, is not facilitated. The result is regen eration, while the challenge should be local exploitation for energy purposes. This main goal is to utilize the biomass and maintain the landscape in a sustainable way. The landscape includes  regeneration forest (preservation of cultivated landscape, roa ds and projected roads, infield/edges of cultivated land/tree care/garden refuse), immature forest and final harvesting.
The project has two sub-projects, and in each sub-project a PhD student will be employed.
1.	Competitive biofuel deliveries from culti vated landscapes and late clearing/early thinning
2.	Biomass from regenerating forest/immature forest as chips and raw material for pellet production

(1) Professor Rolf Björnheden at The University of Växjö will be scientific advisor in sub-project 1 and   Dr. Juha Nurmi at The Finnish Forest Research Institute will be scientific advisor in sub-project 2. In addition the project will have a consultative group.

Biofuel from regeneration forest, immature and final harvesting

The aquaculture industry is diversifying and several species are produced. In Norway, salmon is the economically most important species, but several species are coming up. Combining species belonging to different trophic levels as fish, seaweed and mussel s may benefits of growing together. The feed investments are better utilised and the activity improves the environmental image of culturing fish because wastes are reduced. Benefits are for example: 
* A reduction of overall costs for maintenance, infrast ructure and logistics
* Less economical dependency on marked development as for monocultures
* Enhanced production of lower trophic level species like macroalgae and mussels when they are cultured together with fish
* Higher value of production per unit o f feed invested, because the number of harvested species are increased
* Reduced environmental impacts from feed wastes and excretion products from the salmon cage culture (environmental friendly)
	 
The research work of the Program will be organized in 4  interactive projects:
1. 3D-ecological numerical model tools for assessments of location feasibility and interaction between components in open sea integrated aquaculture
2. Technology and production strategy for integrated open seawater aquaculture
3. D emonstration of biological and environmental effects of integrated aquaculture
4. International network and co-operation

Integrated open seawater aquaculture, technology for sustainable culture of high productive areas

To create an economically robust business environement, the Norwegian fish processing industry should optimize the cost efficiency in production through automation and at the same time focus on utilization of the demand potential which is present in the m arket for fresh products. The involved research groups will in this project further develop competence and wider technology together with industry to enable this. In the project there will be education of one Ph.D. candidate specialized in engineering des ign methodology to transform technology development into increased automation. 

Cost, and quality efficient and ethical handling and slaughtering og wild and farmed fish (Work package 1) are a basis for further processing, and the quality of end products . The work on this area is focused on technology development based on fish physiology and technical physics. Focused tasks are transfer of live fish from sea to process, optimize bleeding and best practice protocol for the total processing line.

The focu s in work package 2, is to develop systems for fully automated grading og whole pelagic fish and gutted salmon and automated production of fully trimmed salmon fillets. The relevant research fields that will be investigated for purpose of developing these  automated systems, are computer based vision and detection, integrated robotic systems and appropriate preparing tools.

Technology for efficient and profitable fish industry

In accordance with international conventions it is the goal of Norwegian authorities to establish a management regime of marine resources and environment supporting the ecosystem approach. This represents a tremendous challenge to resource evaluation, but  the international scientific community has not yet been able to define a common avenue towards these management goals. Most commonly an incremental pragmatic approach is chosen that improve existing single species methods. Thereby the present regime is m aintained in parallel to a development towards future goals. The expected achievement through this approach is questioned.
In this SIP we want to develop an alternative and integrated scientific approach to assess key ecosystem dynamics of importance to e xploited fish stocks and demonstrate its application in operational assessment. This brave initiative is motivated by the fact that both knowledge and new technological solution are under-utilised. An alternative approach is important both to release the potential in recent scientific achievement and to act as a corrective to present approaches.
This proposal has a clear focus on building bridges that efficiently coordinate model demands and observation capabilities more than it is a modelling or a measur ement initiative. Updated theories related to recruitment, life history, trophic interaction and ecosystem indicators are used as the basis for the development. To make the approach economically realistic, a new feedback loop between model prediction and field-sampling strategies will be developed.
The program is scheduled over a four years period and will combine expertise and knowledge across research groups at IMR through a mixture of post docs and experienced scientists. Students will be involved acco rding to needs. The program is of strategic importance to IMR as development of expertise and personnel within this field is critical for operational capabilities in future advice under the ecosystem approach.

Ecosystem dynamics and fish stocks

Return of organic wastes to soils is a step towards more closed nutrient cycles, greater sustainability and reduced environmental loads. Because of the enormously variation of availability of plant nutrient as nitrogen and phosphorus between different org anic waste types, there is a great demand for increased knowledge about the potential nitrogen fertilization effects and plant availability of P. In this research programme special emphasis will be made on phosphorus in different organic waste types. The studies will include effects of different treatments on P sorption and availability, and potential for leaching and loss to water bodies. Studies on influence of organic waste of different origin on selected soil quality indicators will also be performed.  The results from experimental studies will be used for resource assessment of nitrogen and phosphorus recycling. The outcome of the research programme will be relevant for producers and users of organic waste, and may lead differentiated recommendations for use of organic waste and suggestions for revision of regulations for such use.

Recycling organic waste - effects on soil quality, plant nutrient supply and environmental impact

Phosphorus (P) in marine feed ingredients provide natural high P content in commercial fish feed, but is poorly available to fish in the crystal structure with calcium (Ca) known as hydroxyapatite in fish bones. Pilot studies have shown that it is possibl e to improve the digestibility of phosphorus (P) in fish bone 2-3 fold by technological treatments (Aksnes, 2002). Activation of immobilized nutrients from fish bone represents a novel method to improve the utilisation of available marine feed resources a lready indicated to be industrially relevant and with potential large economical value. The most important raw material available for fish meal production in Norway are small size industrial fish such as blue whiting and fishery offal from the fish indust ry, both providing natural high P content. Based on alternative technological processing conditions of the bone fraction from such raw materials, the following project will aim to develop improved marine feed ingredients with high P digestibility and with  predictable impacts on growth, health and welfare of intensive farmed fish. Dietary impacts of the new marine feed ingredients on digestion, absorption, tissue retention and excretion of variable P forms and solubility will be studied in Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout, and guidelines for improved and adequate nutritionally Ca: P-balanced feeds will be provided to the aquaculture industry. Efforts to improve the efficiency of P utilisation from marine feed resources and provide diets that just meet the  P requirements of fish will decrease the effluent of P to the environment and ease the aquaculture industries needs to follow the new water frame directive forwarded from the EU (Dir. 2000/60/EC).

Improved phosphorus utilization of marine feed resources - Dietary impacts and optimal P nutrition in Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout

This research program focuses on market-based product differentiation in the seafood industry. This kind of research is much needed in an industry where most products can be characterised as commodities and where the main competitive variable is (low) pri ce. Through this program we aim to further develop Fiskeriforskning's competence regarding strategies and methods for product differentiation and market testing of seafood products - which represents central areas in Fiskeriforskning's strategies for rese arch. The research is organised around two main projects. Project 1 will focus on market testing of seafood products and project 2 will focus on differentiation strategies. Each project will produce one PhD and consist of a team of researchers to support this. The research is expected to be highly useful for the Norwegian seafood industry both in the short and long term. To make sure that the research is relevant and useful two main companies in the seafood industry is part of a "reference group" for the program.

Market-Based Product Differentiation in the Seafood Industry

Seafood consumers are concerned about animal welfare and recent white papers states that Norway should take a leading position to ensure acceptable animal welfare standards as basis of an sustainable and ethical aquatic production. Institute of Marine Res earch (IMR), Bergen has a leading role in advising the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs on fish welfare issuses and has responded by making fish welfare one of 3 focus areas for future aquaculture reserach. However, fish welfare researc h is a new  dicipline, and both research methods, infrastructure and basic knowlegde needs to be further developed to improve scientific risk analysis and advise on management strategies in this field. The current SIP proposal will complement and strenhgt en current research by increasing IMRs physiological and behavioural toolbox relevant for welfare assessment and include welfare questions related to fish capture.
This will include:
·Develop existing physiological and behavioural models to study performa nce and welfare of fish in complex environments 
·Develop experimental facilities tailored to address challenges about basic stress physiology, capacity for aerobic respiration and buoyancy control of target species in fisheries and aquaculture 
·Explore the association between physiological stress response and cognitive interpretation of stressors
·Use these facilities and basic knowledge to address questions related to swimming endurance, exhaustion and forced decompression during fish capture and welfa re consequences for fish escaping the fishing gear or left to recover in net cages (CBA) 
·Test model-generated hypotheses about the performance, stress response and welfare of conditioned or unconditioned hatchery reared fish in time varying environmenta l regimes and effects of new feed sources  in controlled tank studies.
·Develop operational protocols for assessment of welfare and responsible handling and farming of cod

Physiological and behavioural indicators for fish welfare assessment in aquaculture and fish capture

Disease and meat quality are of high importance to the aquaculture producer, processor and consumer. However, both disease resistance and meat quality traits are complex to understand and measure, costly to evaluate and slow to improve using current metho ds of selective breeding. In this project we will develop new techniques, new knowledge and a new integration of expertise that will enable us to tackle the problem of selectively improving these complex traits. We will focus on Atlantic salmon, but resul ts from the project will be applicable to other aquaculture species. Simulation models will be developed to test what likely impact new techniques will have on genetic gain and to test alternative designs for selective breeding programs. The cost/benefits  associated with the use of these methods and how the IP derived from such project can be well managed and fully exploited will be determined. As disease is a worldwide problem for intensive aquaculture and as animal welfare, meat quality and price are dr iving consumer choices and preferences, the results of this project will be of major significance to aquaculture industries worldwide and, if effectively implemented, could dramatically improve the sustainability, yield and profitability of the industry.

New techniques to achieve more cost efficient selective breeding for improved consumer acceptance of aquaculture products

The goal of the National Veterinary Institute (NVI) is deliver decision support of good quality for decisions made within the area of animal health and welfare and food safety. According to the political signals and the needs seen, the NVI will intensify the work on preparedness related to all items for which it is responsible; diagnostics, disease knowledge, epidemiology and risk assessments.  
To develop knowledge and competence for improvement of the preparedness and as a basis for the decision support  to be given within the area fromearth and fjord to table.
The projects incorporated are entitled 
1             The importance of the bacteria in the Mycobacterium avium complex for    human      and animal health in Norway.
2	How can the risk for introd uction of Campylobacter in broiler flocks be reduced?
3 	Penicillium-toxins in food and feed 
4	Characterising the inflammation response in cod
Four PhD's and some part-time reaserchers will be resposible for the  research activity. Project will be orient ed towards preparedness in various areas of which NVI is responsible

Improving preparedness through research

Lysozymes are antibacterial enzymes generally acknowledged to play an important role in the innate immune system found in all animals. Recent findings on invertebrate lysozymes as well as on bacterial inhibitors of lysozymes have shed new light on why ver tebrate lysozymes show some restriction in their antibacterial repertoire. Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli and the Gram-positive bacteria Streptococcus pyrogenes produce their respective proteins that bind and subsequently inhibit the acti on of certain lysozymes. Inactivation or removal of the genes for these inhibitors has been shown to produce bacteria more susceptible to lysozyme killing or with less ability of colonization in the infected host. 
We propose to suppress the lysozyme inhi bitors by introducing molecules which bind to the inhibitor(s) and thereby reduce or totally block the lysozyme-inhibiting capacities produced by bacteria. Although never previously described, such suppressors are believed to be present in the chemical li brary of the nature, and we intend to search for suppressors in the marine environment, i.e. in invertebrates. In parallel, the known 3-D molecular structure of a complex between lysozyme and a lysozyme inhibitor will form the basis for structure-modellin g and chemical synthesis of additional putative suppressors of lysozyme inhibitors. 
The final aim is to offer a set of molecules adapted to a novel concept of controlling bacterial growth and infection.

Lysozyme inhibitors; novel drug targets in bacteria

The present project aim to develop in vitro techniques which will refine and replace in vivo animal experiments.  Following the establishment of genomic and proteomic tools for investigating model organisms, we now have the opportunity to utilise these te chniques for developing novel cell culture systems applicable to a variety of  species, including fish,  in nutritional, epidemiological, ecotoxicological, metabolic and functional genomic studies.

Specificly, this project will generate knowledge on how the Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua and Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, are affected by potential dietary stressors (toxicants, undesirables and supplements) by assesing the in vitro responses of important toxicological tissues via gene expression techniques, fo r the elucidation of gene expression biomarkers. Suitable primary culture systems of hepatocytes and intestinal cells will be developed. 

For assessment of developmental stressors, the project will use zebrafish and cod embryonic stem (ES) cells as devel opmental and toxicological models. Once marker genes have been identified for model stressors, cultures can be screened for teratogenic effects of emerging pollutants such as brominated flame retardants and pharmaceutical products of increasing concern in  aquatic environments. Knowledge of cell differentiation markers and signal transduction pathways will be of importance for creating differentiation-inducing protocols directing ES cells into specific tissues, thus extending the number of in vitro methods  for nutrigenomics and toxicogenomics studies in future. 

The development of a GC, LCMS(n) method for analysing polyunsaturated fatty acids and eicosanoids in cells (particularly those of the immune system) in combination with exploration of genomic tech niques will be a powerful tool. This should enable determination of the complex interplay between dietary factors and physiology, and will  be applicable to both fish and mammalian research

Integrating in vitro cellular models and genomic techniques for investigating the impacts of diets.

The Norwegian aquaculture is facing challenges in limited areas available for aquaculture and an efficient utilization of the carrying capacity is crucial. This necessitates combining different forms of aquaculture, and the first step in doing so is to es timate the carrying capacity for each cultivation form. This project will provide methods to determine carrying capacity for finfish farming, shellfish culture and sea ranching of lobster; all of which have huge potentials in Norwegian aquaculture. Finfis h farming may have substantial impact of the benthic fauna, but the effects on the trophic relations and the marine food web are not known. The project will provide methods for tracing fluxes and pathways of organic matter into the marine food web and sug gest threshold levels for acceptable impact. Farming and sea ranching of suspension feeding shellfish is a growing industry in Norway and a substantial increase in biomass are expected. We will develop and couple existing numerical models and thereby prov ide scientific knowledge, competence and modelling capacity that can beet the demands on assessments of carrying capacity of bivalve suspension feeders. Sea ranching is an extensive form of aquaculture and has through the Act and licenses given become a c ommencing industry. The juvenile density n the release area is a limiting factor for the carrying capacity in sea-ranching lobster, and the project will provide knowledge of the optimum stocking density.

Carrying capacity in Norwegian aquaculture

The Norwegian farm sector faces a number of challenges related to future adjustment.
The development of rural tourism and recreation, value-added food products oar new combinations of products and services depends on entrepreneurial activity involving far mers.

Research related to the challenges for farmers as entrepreneurs, to how support systems and organized marketing initiatives can facilitate innovation and business development, and of the potential economic impact of farm entrepreneurship on a farm,  regional and national level will be of potentially great value when agricultural policy is changed to allow market forces to have e greater influence on production.

While an increasing proportion of farmers choose to diversify, there is limited knowledg e of market development, success factors and the entrepreneurial decision-criteria. Increasing the competency of NILF as producer of knowledge and statistics related to the economic development and the effects of policy in and the agro-food sectors is the refore an important aim. The project plans to include two doctoral programmes and one or two post-doctoral researchers. The programme will strengthen the research field through building on complementary resources at NILF, Bodø Graduate School of Business and Nordlandsforskning as well as international and especially Nordic networks.


Farm entrepreneurship: the potential and challenges of farm-based new venturing

Industrielt skogbruk er i økende grad basert på prinsipper om bærekraftig bruk og utvikling. Skoglige tiltak og vern av viktige biotoper for sjeldne og truete arter er et vesentlig element i en slik miljøvennlig policy. Kjennskap til artenes spredningsøko logi er avgjørende viktig for å forutsi hvilke forvaltningstiltak som vil være mest effektive. Hvis spredningsbegrensning er en utbredt egenskap hos slike arter bør forvaltningen innrettes mot strengt romlig avgrensete arealer og korridorer som sikrer for flytning i landskapet. Hvis de fleste arter har god spredningsevne kan forvaltningen i større grad baseres på en mer dynamisk modell som gir større spillerom til å variere de skoglige tiltakene innenfor rammene av historisk forekommende forstyrrelsesregim er. Dagens kunnskap om spredningsøkologi hos sjeldne og truete arter i skog er svært mangelfull og ikke egnet til å gi konkrete kunnskapsbaserte forvaltningråd. Programmets formål er å innhente kritisk informasjon om spredningsøkologi hos utvalgte artsgrupper av rødlistede skoglevende organismer (i første rekke lav og sopp). Forskningen vil basere seg på studier av populasjonsdynamikk, skogshistorikk, molekylærbiologi, og teoretisk modeller. Programmet skal bygges opp gjennom et nettve rk av spesialiserte forskningsmiljøer samt en styrking av skogshistorikk-miljøet på Skogforsk.

Spredningsøkologi: Er rødlistede arter i skog spredningsbegrenset?

Smarte konstruksjoner er konstruksjoner som tilpasser seg sine omgivelser og de sjøbelastninger de blir utsatt for på en slik måte at krefter og bevegelse av konstruksjonen kontrolleres innenfor et bestemt område. Slik tilpasning skjer ved bruk av reguleringsteknikk gjennom: - Aktiv og passiv regulering av konstruksjonsegenskaper - Aktiv regulering av interaksjon mellom separate konstruksjoner  Programmet skal utvikle kompetanse og teknologi for aktiv regulering av konstruksjoner og konstruksjonegenskaper innen fiskeri og havbruk. Dette skal skje gjennom økt forståelse for samspillet mellom de tre sentrale fagområdene: - Kybernetikk - Hydrodynamikk - Konstruksjonsteknikk   Centre for Ships and Ocean Structures (CESOS) lokalisert ved Institutt for marin teknikk, NTNU vil være en viktig samarbeidspartner. CESOS har som sin oppgave å drive grunnforskning innen kybernetikk, hydrodynamikk og konstruksjonsteknikk, med tenkt framtidig anvendelse innenfor bl.a. fiskeri og havbruk. Programmet vil jobbe tett opp mot CESOS, og vil bidra til å være et bindeledd mellom CESOS og brukere gjennom konkretisering av forskningsresultater i anvendelse.  Programmet vil inkludere tre doktorgrads stipend, og fem år postdoktor stipend.

Smarte konstruksjoner innen fiskeri og havbruk

Skogs- og fjellbygdene er rike på naturressurser, men de tradisjonelle næringene svekkes og marginaliseres. Nasjonale og internasjonale føringer knyttet til bla landbruks- og miljøpolitikk får til dels store konsekvenser. Natursyn og syn på arealbruk og - arealrettigheter er i endring. Programmet fokuserer på de lokale reaksjoner og tilpasninger til de endrede forutsetningene, og de handlingsrom som kan utvikles. Programmet vil analysere ulike handlingsstrategier på individ-, enkeltbruk-/husholdningsnivå o g lokalsamfunnsnivå. Programmet vil både beskrive og analysere disse handlingsstrategiene som utslag av større endringer og se hvilke konskevenser strategiene i neste omgang får sosioøkonomisk, sosiokulturelt, for landbruk, arealbruk og landskapsutvikling .



Metodisk skal det gjennomføres flere casestudier  i skogs- og fjellbygder. I casestudiene inngår både  kvalitative studier og kvantitative surveyer. I tillegg skal det gjennomføres en kvantitativ holdningsstudie som vil være representativ for hele be folkningen. Programmet er tverrvitenskapelig, med disiplinene sosiologi, geografi, statsvitenskap og biologi.

Naturressurser og lokal utvikling i skogs- og fjellbygdene - mellom marginalisering, kommersialisering og vern

Klimaendringsscenariene for Norge varsler et mer variabelt vinterklima med hyppige variasjoner mellom frost og mildvær, mer nedbør som regn, mer isdekke, mer vass-sjuk jord og mindre snødekke. Spørsmålet hvordan disse endringene vil påvirke overvintringen  av fôrgras og høsthvete, plantesjukdommer og ugras vil bli fokusert gjennom en kombinasjon av forsøk og simuleringsmodeller. Modeller vil bli utviklet ved å bruke kalibrerte data fra nøye planlagte forsøk i omfattende simuleringsstudier av effekter av forventede klimaendringer på viktige vekstparametrer. Hovedvekt vil bli lagt på å estimere graden av vinterherdighet og overvint ringsevne, på utviklingen av ugras og sjukdommer, og på behovet for plantevernstiltak i fôrgras og høsthvete. Dette vil redusere usikkerheten med hensyn til konsekvensene av vinterklimaendringer på viktige jordbruksvekster i Norge, og bidra til å utvikle tiltak for å unngå redusere faren for negative effekter av klimaendring. Prosjektet vil utfylle pågående modelleringsarbeid og bidra til å forme en plattform for en videre utvikling av dynamiske simuleringsmodeller for klimaeffekter på jordbruksvekster.

Effekter av klimaendring på overvintringen av flerårige fôrvekster og høsthvete, og på plantesjukdommer og ugrasvekst og kontroll av disse,

Torskeoppdrett er fortsatt i en startfase og står overfor mange utfordringer, inkludert sykdomsproblemer. Torsk i oppdrett har spesielt dårlig overlevelse på larve- og ynglestadiet, og opportunistiske patogener vil ha fordel av en svekket vert i den kriti ske perioden under tørrfôrtilvenning. Samarbeidspartnerne, Fiskeriforskning og Norges Fiskerihøgskole, vil utnytte felles ressurser som infisert torsk og torskecellelinjer både i anvendt forskning for å forbedre metoder for kontroll av bakterie- og viruss ykdom, og til å øke basal kunnskap om antibakterielle og antivirale gener. Studier av patogenese og det medfødte og ervervede immunsystemet hos torsk kan gi bedre forståelse for hvordan infeksjoner kan unngås i tidlige livsstadier. Storskalasekvensering a v subtraktive cDNA biblioteker vil bli benyttet for identifisering, kloning og karakterisering av et bredt repertoar av antibakterielle og antivirale gener.  Sekvenserte kloner vil bli benyttet til etablering av en cDNA microarray for microarray for å stu dere hvilke gener som er aktive ved infeksjoner, immunisering og in vitro stimulering. Videre vil utvalgte gener bli studert mhp aktivitet og funksjon. Smitteforsøk med forskjellige IPNV stammer under forskjellige betingelser vil framskaffe informasjon om  risiko for sykdomsutbrudd og etablering av bærertilstand. Torskeleukocyttenes funksjonelle rolle som vertsceller i både aktiv og persistent infeksjon vil bli undersøkt. Det vil bli etablert cellelinjer fra torsk som vil være uvurderlige verktøy for funks jonelle studier av torskens immunsystem og til virologistudier i torsk.

Forsvarsgener og immunmekanismer mot virus- og bakteriesykdommer hos Atlantisk torsk (CODIMM- programmet)

Minimal prosesserte produkter er et voksende segment i Europa. Fiskeprodukter er underrepresentert i dette segmentet, hovedsakelig pga av uforutsigbar kvalitet på produkter levert fra tradisjonell fiskeprosesseringsindustri og derved uegnet til minimal pr osessering. Den ofte ujevne tilgangen av ferskt fiskeråstoff kan også vanskelig kombineres med moderne "Just-in-time"-produksjonsprinsipp. Disse faktorene er ikke kompatible med kvalitetskravene fra produsenter av ferdigmat. Produksjonen av oppdrettstorsk  er økende og gjennom foring og håndtering øker muligheten for å stabilisere kvaliteten og redusere sesongvariasjonene som hemmer bruk av villfanget torsk i minimalt prosesserte produkter. Jevnere kvalitet vil også være nyttig for saltfisk/klippfisk produ ksjon, som utgjør en viktig del av torskeeksporten. Råstoff og initiell mikrobiologisk kvalitet er de viktigste parametrene for produksjon av modifisert atmosfære pakkede (MAP) produkter fra utvannet saltfisk. Ved å kombinere ny ny teknologi på råstoff manipulering, og bruk av additiver og lakebehandling med optimalisert MAP og varmebehandling, søker dette programmet å overkomme disse problemene, og komme fram til løsninger som vil øke potensialet for oppdrettstorsk som råstoff f or minimal prosesserte produkter.  Mulighetene for å bruke ubehandlet oppdrettstorsk som utgangspunkt for varmebehandling og MAP, samt rigor mortis status av filetene vil også bli undersøkt i programmet.

HEALTH-1.01 Health

European Network for Genetic and Genomic Epidemiology

Awarded: NOK 5.3 mill.

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HEALTH-1.01 Health

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