The Useful Arctic Knowledge (UAK) project aims to strengthen education, research, and innovation in ocean observation technology through international collaboration with partners in Norway, the USA, and Canada. A central goal is to recruit and train students to work alongside researchers and engineers with expertise in acoustic and optical technologies, particularly for use in ice-covered ocean regions and fjords.
In March 2025, UAK co-hosted a workshop with the HiAOOS project in San Diego to promote knowledge exchange between researchers in acoustics and optics. The workshop included a visit to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which helped reinforce bilateral collaboration and laid the foundation for future joint activities.
The main activity in 2025 has been researcher training at the master’s and PhD levels, supported by mentoring from postdoctoral researchers. In April, UAK and the Sentinel North program organized the Advanced Field School on Arctic Sea Ice in Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut, Canada. The school gathered 15 students from 9 academic institutions and offered a unique interdisciplinary learning experience. It also fostered a strong network between students and lecturers, enhancing collaboration across disciplines and institutions.
The field school was structured around four work packages. In sea ice ecology, students collected and analyzed ice cores to study biological content such as algae and microorganisms. They filtered meltwater and performed lab tests to assess biological productivity. In marine biology and bioacoustics, students used plankton nets and portable echosounders to investigate species distribution and movement beneath the ice, and processed acoustic data using EchoView software. Optical measurements involved radiometric profiling of light transmission through snow and ice using TriOS RAMSES and C-OPS instruments, along with lab analysis of water samples for chlorophyll and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). In physical oceanography, students deployed CTD instruments to measure temperature, salinity, and pressure, gaining practical skills in instrument handling and data interpretation.
In July and August, four UAK students joined the HiAOOS 2025 cruise aboard KV Svalbard, together with students supported by Kongsberg Discovery and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. Onboard, students participated in ice station operations, deployment of ice tethered buoys, mooring operations, small boat operations, and ship-based sampling. They contributed to hydrographic profiling, water sampling, and radiometric measurements, and tested new observation technologies in Arctic conditions. Students from the OPERA Lab at the University of Rhode Island tested the Seatrec InfiniTE profiling float equipped with a hydrophone for acoustic positioning. The float was deployed in ice-covered areas and successfully recorded acoustic and CTD data, which were transmitted via satellite. These tests provided valuable insights into the development of autonomous platforms for Arctic environments.
Optics students from the University of Bergen conducted extensive light measurements under ice and in fjords. They used TriOS RAMSES sensors to measure downwelling and upwelling light, documented ice conditions with cameras, and collected water samples from various depths. CTD instruments with optical modules were used to measure chlorophyll fluorescence, FDOM, and backscattering. In the lab, students analyzed samples for CDOM and stable isotopes to distinguish freshwater sources. They also tested light sensors mounted on buoys and moorings to evaluate continuous light monitoring in the Arctic. This work supports ongoing master’s projects and contributes to the development of new observation technologies at UiB.
All students presented their projects and findings to researchers, recruit's, and crew aboard KV Svalbard and contributed sections to the cruise report, which is currently being finalized. The collected data will be further analyzed and used in MSc and PhD projects. Fieldwork and training activities were conducted in collaboration with the EU HiAOOS project and SFI Smart Ocean, providing students with valuable experience in interdisciplinary research, technology development, and operations in Arctic environments. Several students have contributed to abstract submitted to conferences such as Ocean Science Meeting 2026.
UAK will expand and deepen long-term collaboration in research and education between Norway, USA and Canada within ocean observing. The project is contribution to the Arctic component of the Ocean Decade. Focus is to provide training in use of ocean observing methods and technologies to observe changes in the ice-ocean environment caused by climate changes or human activities (SDG13). Main focus are observations that can detect, localise, and track changes in the Arctic Ocean environment e.g. ice-ocean parameters, ocean sound and the light in the ocean. These changes will have impact ocean health and marine life (SD14).
UAK will organize and facilitate for educational programs, research schools, and mobility grants to train the new generation of scientists within research areas covering oceanography, sea ice, marine optics and underwater acoustics. UAK will facilitate for collaboration between research and industry to foster innovation within observing technologies supporting ocean research in the Arctic, fjords and coastal regions. Shorter and longer visits will be organized between the partners. The project will support joint reports and publications with special attention collaboration between different generations, research, and industry. UAK will organise dedicated open workshops and special sessions on international conferences. UAK is a partnership between Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center, University in Bergen – Institute for Physics and Technology, Xylem AADI, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Inspire Environmental, and University of Laval. The project is in support to the education program in Ocean technology at UiB, SFI Smart Ocean, and several research projects e.g. CAATEX and EcoSense.
