As we’ve pointed out on this blog, the new Nansen – with its seven laboratories and state-of-the-art technology is an impressive floating research venue.

Two of the scientists aboard this first leg of the Nansen voyage are Anette Kausland and Annbjørg Bøkevoll of the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES). NIFES is a research institute affiliated to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries in Norway.

The institute studies fish nutrition, seafood safety and health effects of consuming fish and other seafood. It advises both Norwegian food authorities and industry in order to support their work on ensuring safe and healthy seafood for consumers.

The institute is an independent and neutral knowledge provider, and all research results are made public.

In the database Seafood Data all results on analyzed data of undesirable substances and nutrients in fish and other seafood from Norwegian waters are made publically available.

Following the surveys on this Nansen voyage off the coast of Africa, results from this research will also be included in the database.

Anette Kausland and Annbjørg are hard at work on board, taking fish samples from both pelagic and mesopelagic fish. Samples are being analyzed for:

• Levels of a range of legacy and emerging contaminants and nutrients in edible parts and liver of pelagic fish, and in addition whole minced mesopelagic fish
• Occurrence of bacteria in a dominating pelagic fish species
• Occurrence of the parasite Kudoa in mackerel species
• Micro plastics investigations in mesopelagic fish

We all look forward to learning more about these results.