New Tool to Prevent Conflict Between Seabirds and Industry

Trine Hay Setsaas

2026-01-15T08:03:00.0000000 2026-01-19T11:58:02.1870000

Atlantic puffins have experienced a dramatic population decline due to reduced food availability. Photo credit: Signe Christensen-Dalsgaard/NINA

One hundred and fifty years ago, seabirds lived in a very different coastal environment from the one we know today. The ocean was vast, limitless and largely untouched. Species were abundant, colonies were large, and fish stocks were rich.

Today, humans occupy an ever-growing share of marine space, and the ocean is no longer the seabirds’ domain. Rising demand for energy and food production is driving more industries offshore.

Pushed to the Edge

Shipping lanes, oil and gas installations, offshore wind farms and aquaculture facilities disrupt migration routes and vital feeding grounds. At the same time, industrial fishing reduces food availability, while climate change brings warmer seas, more extreme weather and shifts in prey distribution.

“It’s not a single wind turbine, oil platform or trawler that is the problem. It’s the cumulative impact of everything humans do at sea that affects our seabirds,” says Tone Reiertsen, researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA).

The consequences are severe. Eight out of ten seabirds in Norway have disappeared since the 1970s. Species such as the common guillemot, Atlantic puffin, razorbill, Arctic tern and black-legged kittiwake now face a high to extremely high risk of extinction in Norway if current trends continue.

The common guillemot is critically endangered and at risk of extinction. Photo credit: Svein Håkon Lorentsen/NINA

Mapping Pressures – Species by Species

In response, researchers and partners from industry have developed a tool that makes it possible to accommodate both seabirds and industrial activity in Norwegian marine areas.

“The tool is a digital map that shows where seabirds are distributed and where different types of industrial activities take place. This allows new activities to be planned in areas that are least important for seabirds,” says Frank Hanssen, senior engineer at NINA.

The mapping tool is based on extensive datasets collected over the past forty years. It provides detailed insight into which marine areas are most important for seabirds, and which human pressures — including climate change — have the greatest impact.

Revealing Climate ‘Hotspots’ at Sea

Through this work, researchers have identified overlaps between seabird distributions and ocean areas that are warming faster than others. When such climate “hotspots” coincide with key breeding and feeding areas, seabird survival and reproduction are affected far more severely.

“Findings like these clearly show the importance of using all available knowledge when planning future human activities in our marine areas,” says Kate Layton-Matthews, researcher at NINA.

First of Its Kind

Due to its scale and level of detail, the tool is considered the first of its kind.

“This has never been done before with so many species and so many colonies. We can actually show how each individual population is affected by human activity both during and outside of the breeding season,” says Reiertsen.

The new innovation is at the forefront internationally among tools that support sustainable coexistence between people and seabirds at sea.

“Coexistence and sustainability are fundamental to all our offshore activities. That’s why this kind of knowledge and research is essential for finding the solutions we need,” says Hanne Wigum, Head of Offshore Wind Concepts at Equinor.

Read more about the tool here

Learn more about hotspots at sea here

Contact: Tone Reiertsen

More than 200 habitat types are at risk of being lost in Norway

Anne Olga Syverhuset

2025-11-26T08:11:00.0000000 2025-11-26T12:44:00.1600000

Frehwsater deltas, lillustrated by Velse Sølensjøen, have red-listed terrestrial, freshwater and wetland habitat types. Photo credit: Børre K. Dervo /NINA.

Today, the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre (NBIC) launches a new edition of the Norwegian Red List for Ecosystems and Habitat Types. Researchers from a wide range of institutions, including the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), have assessed nearly 900 habitat types.

44 % of these habitat types ended up on the new Red List, meaning they are at risk of being lost. 23 % were placed in the threatened categories, which means they are at significant risk of being lost.

The Red List is an important tool for knowledge-based biodiversity and ecosystem management. It not only identifies which types of habitats are at risk, but also the drivers behind the decline.

Surprising river impacts

“The big surprise for us working with freshwater habitat types is that land-use impacts in river systems were far greater than we expected. This means that both the extent of affected areas and the degree of impact are much higher than anticipated,” says NINA researcher Børre Dervo. He led the group assessing freshwater habitats.

Although the status is somewhat worse than the last time the Red List were published in 2018, there are still few critically endangered or endangered freshwater habitat types on mainland Norway.

Dervo explains that for the roughly 200 freshwater habitat types, the assessments were based on a much better data foundation than in the previous round.

This also applies to the other habitat types in the Red List. The researchers used a larger number of data sources than before, including modelling, remote sensing and new research. The assessments are also more detailed. In the previous edition there were 258 habitat types; now there are nearly three times as many.

Even common habitat types can end up on the Red List

In the previous Red List, the habitat types included often covered very small areas. In this year’s edition, human impact on habitat types has been documented more thoroughly.

"This means that habitat types covering large areas can be red-listed because of high human pressure", explains NINA researcher Ulrika Janssen Asplund.

She has had the main responsibility for forest habitats in the group evaluating terrestrial habitat types. Terrestrial habitats include land habitats that are not permanently waterlogged — that is, excluding freshwater and wetlands.

Billberry spruce forest in lowland areas is an example of a common habitat type that has been placed on the Red List.

“This means we can’t think of red-listed habitats as postage stamps in the landscape—small areas that can simply be fenced off for protection. Instead, it becomes increasingly important to safeguard areas of nature that are still in good condition,” Asplund explains.

Nearly two out of three wetland habitat types are red-listed

Anders Lyngstad, researcher at NINA, led the group assessing wetland habitat types.

“We assessed 61 habitat types. Of these, 42 are included on the Red List, and five are critically endangered. All wetland types that only occur in lowland areas are red-listed,” Lyngstad explains.

The main reasons for red-listing wetland habitat types are reductions in total area and declines in ecological condition.

“Drainage, cultivation and development are the most important pressures affecting these habitat types,” says Lyngstad.

He adds that we now have documentation showing that climate change is beginning to affect wetlands.

“This applies primarily to wetland types with a northern or alpine distribution,” he says.

In addition to Dervo, Asplund and Lyngstad, Lars Erikstad has contributed to the work from NINA. He was part of the group assessing landforms.

Learn more:

Find the Red List for Ecosystems and Habitat Types here (Norwegian only)

Contact:

Børre K. Dervo (freshwater)
Anders Lyngstad (wetlands)
Ulrika Jansson Asplund (forest)

Learning Across Borders: Comparing Caribou and Reindeer Conservation Strategies in Norway and Canada

Trine Hay Setsaas

2025-09-29T08:00:00.0000000 2025-09-30T15:23:31.1900000

A rear climpse of the threatened wild reindeer in the mountains of Norway. Photo credit: Olav Strand/NINA

Habitat loss and fragmentation are among the leading threats to biodiversity worldwide. Conservation strategies, therefore, often incorporate habitat condition when assessing population status, supporting both early detection of declines and concrete mitigation actions. However, the way this is done vary considerably, with important consequences for the effectiveness of conservation strategies. 

“Using the most robust and comprehensive approaches is essential if we are to design effective conservation strategies able to meet international goals for habitat restoration and species’ recovery”, says Bram van Moorter, Senior Researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA).

A new study by an international team compares conservation strategies for caribou in Canada and wild reindeer in Norway, to identify lessons that could strengthen conservation approaches in both regions.

A Species in Decline

Rangifer tarandus, known as reindeer in Eurasia and caribou in North America, inhabits northern ecosystems across Europe, Siberia, and North America. Because it relies on vast, connected landscapes for migration and seasonal movement, it is especially  vulnerable to barriers, human disturbances, and climate change.         

In Canada, forestry and industrial activities including oil and gas extraction have fragmented their habitats and increased predation pressure. In Norwegian multiuse landscapes, roads, tourism and energy development have severed migration routes and reduced access to grazing grounds.

The species’ conservation status is rapidly declining in both countries, with boreal caribou listed as Threatened in Canada and wild reindeer as Near Threatened in Norway.

Canada vs. Norway: Two Models of Conservation

To revert this trend, Canada and Norway have independently developed conservation strategies that reflect their distinct socio-ecological contexts:

Canada’s strategy uses statistics to estimate the consequences of habitat disturbance on population dynamics, including indirect effects of predator–prey dynamics. It converts habitat data into demographic indicators, making it possible to assess population viability even when demographic data are limited.

Norway’s strategy relies upon participatory approaches and an expert-based scoring system combining a wide range of data and knowledge on demography, health and genetic, lichen pastures and habitat conditions – including connectivity.

Strengths, limitations, and opportunities

The Canadian approach is more targeted: strong at translating habitat disturbances into expected effects on population via statistical models, which helps in predicting future risks, uncertainty, and designing actions. At the same time, it has less access to locally detailed information, and its narrower focus limits its ability to detect new threats as they arise. The Norwegian system is broader in scope, incorporates a wider range of factors in a modular way, and relies upon strong local stakeholder engagement. However, expert-based assessments can be harder to replicate, validate, and translate into conservation actions, especially in multi-use landscapes with conflicting interests.

“By drawing on Canada’s model-driven approach, Norway’s broader perspective, and  recent advances in connectivity conservation and restoration, we could design  strategies that are more effective  and better able to guide real-world conservation efforts,” says van Moorter.

Looking ahead – the need for integration and early detection of declines

The authors stress that adequately integrating habitat and demographic data is essential for anticipating habitat-driven declines. Because climate change is expected to amplify cumulative anthropogenic impacts through complex interactions, conservation strategies need to be robust, comprehensive, and flexible enough to meet emerging challenges.

They also call for research on how cumulative impacts reduce habitat connectivity, and how this, in turn, affects population survival. Such knowledge could underpin early-warning systems, enabling prevention and more targeted mitigation and restoration actions.

“Early understanding of the root causes of decline, considering the complex dynamics caused by human impacts and climate change, is essential to prevent irreversible damages,” van Moorter concludes.

Read the full paper here: Population and habitat assessments for conservation: Comparing national strategies for Canadian boreal caribou and Norwegian wild reindeer

Contact: Bram Van Moorter

Norway's wild reindeer struggle to reproduce

Jørn J. Fremstad

2024-09-05T07:45:00.0000000 2025-01-02T15:00:09.1430000

Aerial counting of calves. This year the result was disappointing, as here in Snøhetta. Photo credit: Roy Andersen, Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre.

Wild reindeer calves are counted annually in almost all 24 wild reindeer areas in Norway, as part of the quality standard for wild reindeer. With only a few exceptions, this year's numbers are alarming.

In Knutshø wild reindeer area, only 34 calves per 100 females/young animals were found, qualifying for a code red according to the quality standard (poor ecological quality). Two years ago, the code was yellow (medium quality) in the same area.

- These results are only exacerbating an already alarming trend. Unfortunately, we don’t have a clear answer to why the numbers are so low, it is most likely a combination of several factors. It is therefore crucial that we acquire more knowledge, says senior researcher Brage Bremset Hansen at the Norwegian Institute for Natural Research (NINA).

Parasites, disturbances, climate change and predators

There are several hypotheses as to what negatively affects the wild reindeer. In some areas, populations are impacted by parasites originating from large numbers of sheep on summer pasture. In others, they have challenges related to disturbances, infrastructure and tourism. Climate change is another factor that most likely plays a role.

In the Dovre mountain region, calf production was generally poor, including a code red for the sub population in the western part of Snøhetta, according to the quality standard. As a result, the Government banned all hunting this year, as the number of wild reindeer in Norway mainly is regulated by hunting. Locally though, many believe that natural predators, mainly wolverines, play a role.

International responsibility

The last viable populations of wild mountain living reindeer in Europe are only found in 24 more or less isolated areas in Southern Norway, putting a particular international responsibility to conserve this species on Norway. As a response to this, the Government decided in 2016 to initiate the development of an environmental quality standard for wild reindeer areas as a tool to safeguard the species. In 2023, an expert group led by NINA presented the last of two status reports of the wild reindeer areas according to the quality standard, where ecological standard is shown as good (green), medium (yellow) or red (bad). 

Learn more about the classification system for wild reindeer in Norway (summary in English): Environmental quality standard for wild reindeer

Learn more about current status of wild reindeer and recent policy developments: Code red and yellow for Norway's wild reindeer

Contact: Brage Bremseth Hansen

NINA opens Centre for Biodiversity Genetics

Jan Arne Stokmo

2022-10-25T13:07:00.0000000 2022-10-25T14:53:35.6400000

The official opening of NINAGEN was carried out by State Secretary Aleksander Øren Heen from the Ministry of Climate and Environment. Present at the opening were many of the users of NINA's genetic laboratory services.

Strengthens nature monitoring

All living things have their own unique DNA profile and access to these ‘biological nametags’ opens up a new world of possibilities for efficiently gathering knowledge about individuals, species and ecosystems. Genetic analyses have become an increasingly important part of contemporary nature management and NINA has a long track record of suppling genetic data and its conclusion to government and industry.

– DNA analyses have become a key tool in natural resource management and assignments from the government and other institutions are only increasing. Today we are opening a new, modern laboratory and establishing a new centre of competence to meet this growing demand, says Norunn S. Myklebust, managing director of NINA.

DNA has many uses

NINAGEN delivers genetic services to many areas of nature management. For example, DNA analyses are used when monitoring populations of Scandinavian carnivores, including brown bears, wolverines, wolves and golden eagles.

NINAGEN also uses DNA to monitor the condition of wild salmonid fishes in Norway and for example to quantify the degree of hybridization between wild and farmed salmon in Norwegian rivers.

With Environmental DNA, NINAGEN can simultaneously identify the presence of hundreds of species from only a small sample of water or soil. This methodology can also be used to assess the diets of individual animals via genetic analysis of fecal samples.

– New applications for the use of DNA in monitoring and research are continually emerging, and among others, have been implemented by NINAGEN staff in the management of deer, salamander, insect and plant populations. NINA stands at the cutting edge of this work, says Myklebust.

NINAGEN – a national centre of competence

The Centre for Biodiversity Genetics in Trondheim consists of several geneticists and researchers from various disciplines. Together with a team of experienced laboratory technicians, the centre forms a unique research platform, which can deliver a broad portfolio of genetic analyses. This capability is strengthened by a close collaboration with NINA's many ecologists and taxonomic specialists.

The centre provides services across terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, and in organism groups ranging from insects and plants to birds and mammals.

Genetic diversity is very important

– Genetic variation is a key part of biological diversity and is critical for the survival and adaptation of all species. This is more relevant than ever given the rapid pace of environmental change that is unfolding around the world. In this respect, NINAGEN will work efficiently to meet the increasing demand for genetic services, says Frode Fossøy, senior researcher at NINA.

For a research field that is constantly advancing due to technological development, NINAGEN will ensure that contemporary knowledge and methodology are efficiently implemented in Norwegian natural resource management.

Read more about NINAGEN on our new website (link)

Contact persons in NINA: 

Norunn S. Myklebust, managing director of NINA
Jonas Kindberg, head of Rovdata 
Frode Fossøy, senior researcher at NINA

From red to green for endangered species

Anne Olga Syverhuset

2021-09-06T14:30:00.0000000 2021-11-12T09:42:58.0630000

Species and habitat loss are an ongoing problem in Norway and across the globe. Can we reverse this trend? In a new article: Bending the curve: Operationalizing national Red Lists to customize conservation actions to reduce extinction risk, Norwegian researchers present a tool for planning conservation measures and determining when goals have been reached.

Three steps to success

The Red to Green framework consists of three steps:

First, experts gather existing knowledge about the species or habitat type that is endangered. This phase allows critical knowledge gaps to be identified.

Step two involves setting goals: What do we want the future conservation status of the species or habitat type to be? One example of a goal could be an improvement in Red List status — from Endangered to Vulnerable. The Red List criteria are used to break down the main goal into measurable objectives. That means the criteria and threshold values used during the Red Listing of the species are used (see BOX 1). Regular Red List updates can then be used to report on progress and whether the goal has been achieved.

Heterodermia speciosa is red listed due to a small and declining population. Photo: Siri Lie Olsen.

“The advantage of building on the Red Lists is that these are well established and known worldwide. They are updated regularly, but are not designed to set conservation priorities. Our methodology has operationalized the Red Lists  for management,” says NINA researcher Marianne Evju.

 
Step three involves identifying conservation actions. These may include physical measures, such as removing an alien species or filling ditches in bogs, but can also involve actions such as land protection.

“By identifying relevant conservation actions for many species and habitats at the same time, we provide nature resource managers with a basis for prioritizing conservation actions and making national strategic action plans, to halt the loss of biodiversity,” Evju says.

Tested the tool on 90 Red List species and 33 habitat types

The 90 species that were assessed were all classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered in Norway have a large proportion of their European distribution in Norway. The researchers used the Red List index to create scenarios for the conservation outcome of the species and habitats in 2035. The Red List index summarizes the conservation status of a set of species or habitats, and can be used to look at trends over time.

The researchers created three scenarios for conservation status: A business-as-usual scenario, where conservation efforts continue at the same level as today; a scenario where all species and habitats reach the original goal; and one where all conservation actions proposed for the species and habitats are carried out.

“Our results clearly show that without additional actions, the status of these threatened species and habitats will hardly change towards 2035,” says NINA researcher Magni Olsen Kyrkjeeide.

The outlook towards 2035 is brighter for habitat types than for species: if actions are implemented, the conservation status will be significantly improved for the habitats in question. Changes in land use are the main threat to most habitats, and actions such as land protection and ecological restoration will improve the conservation status, if there is will and finances to implement them. Conservation actions aimed at habitats will also provide better status for the species associated with them. For the 90 species in the sample, however, there was little change.

Lack of knowledge the most important obstacle

Why is this so? The researchers see that the main reason why people are unable to propose actions to improve conservation status of species, is caused by knowledge gaps.

“Of the 90 species that we assessed, we do not have sufficient knowledge to propose actions for 60 of them. The most frequent missing data was basic knowledge about occurrence and distribution — we can’t implement actions to conserve a species if we don’t know where it is! For many of these rare species, we also lack sufficient knowledge about their ecology, life history and most important threats,” Kyrkjeeide says.

The results also show that for many species, global warming is the most important threat. “Climate change will lead to a decline in available habitats for many of our rarest mountain plants,” Evju says.

From goals to action

The international goals for biodiversity conservation by 2020, the so called Aichi targets, have not been fully met, both globally and in Norway. The international community is now working to develop new biodiversity targets.

“In this context, we need tools that translate international targets into national and local actions,” Kyrkjeeide says.

The Red to Green framework allows for a systematic approach to conserve biodiversity at a national scale. It identifies actions that should be implemented to improve conservation for species and habitats, but it also highlights barriers to improvements. In some cases this could be knowledge gaps, in other cases there are threats that cannot be easily counteracted with actions — and sometimes there are costs.

“We hope and believe the tool will be useful for future strategic planning of biodiversity conservation at the national scale,” Evju says. 

The tool has been developed in collaboration with the Norwegian Environment Agency.

Read more: Bending the curve: Operationalizing national Red Lists to customize conservation actions to reduce extinction risk - ScienceDirect

Contact: Magni Olsen Kyrkjeeide and Marianne Evju

Norwegian-Russian cooperation aims to stop the spread of alien species to the Arctic

Jan Arne Stokmo

2021-04-20T13:10:00.0000000 2021-06-30T14:51:09.3600000

The main message for travelers to Arctic regions is that they should brush, hoover and wash clothes, shoes, luggage and equipment before they start their journey. Fishing equipment should be disinfected. Such simple measures will protect the vulnerable plant and wildlife in arctic regions.

The campaign is launched this year in northwest Russia after being tested on travelers to Svalbard in a pilot project in 2018-2019. It is also now expanding to Iceland and Greenland.

Serious threat to species

"Alien species are a threat to biodiversity globally, but also in the Arctic. Our goal is to inform travelers that they can easily help reduce this problem. Seeds can get stuck on mountain shoes, parasites can follow fishing gear and so on. With simple measures, the dispersion of such stowaways can be avoided, explains Jørn Thomassen, head of the project in the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA).

NINA is leading the campaign in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Finland and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency in Sweden. For the launch in Russia, The National Park Russian Arctic (NPRA) is the central partner.

Will raise awareness of travelers

Alien species are species that have come to an area where they naturally do not belong, due to human activity. They are one of the biggest threats to biodiversity globally. Many people are unaware that they can unconsciously carry alien species to the vulnerable natural areas. This is what the campaign is going to do something with.

"Alien species can establish themselves and displace local species, and also threaten entire ecosystems. Climate change increases the chance of unwanted species gaining a foothold in the Arctic, Thomassen warns.

Collaboration with the tourism industry

In order for the campaign to succeed, we depend on good cooperation with tour operators, airlines, governments and more. The pilot project in Svalbard showed that the industries themselves took responsibility and were a crucial piece in reaching out to the travelers.

In Russia, the authorities and Russian tour operators carrying guests and workers to Arctic parts of Russia are also involved.

Uses animation film

An important part of the campaign consists of a two-minute animation film in which a speaking polar bear examines various travelers for alien species.

The film and accompanying website is translated into Russian and is meant to convince Russian-speaking travelers to take steps to stop the spread of alien species. The film is also subtitled in 13 languages for use in other parts of the Arctic.

Joint efforts

The campaign in northwest Russia is funded by the Ministry of Climate and Environment in Norway through the environmental cooperation programme with Russia.

For more information on the problem of alien species in the Arctic and measures to stop the spread of them on www.stoparcticaliens.com.

On behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency, NINA has produced a report showing the status of mapping and monitoring of foreign species in the Arctic and recommended measures for further mapping and monitoring. The report from NINA (in Norwegian) can be read here.

Contacts:

NINA: Jørn Thomassen

NINA: Inga Elise Bruteig

NINA: Kristine Bakke Westergaard

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Finland): Johanna Niemivuo-Lahti 

Swedish Environmental Protection Agency: Melanie Josefsson 

National Park Russian Arctic: Ivan Mizin

More about invasive species: Aliens in the Arctic (podcast)

Facts:

• Alien species are a global threat to biodiversity.
• Plant and wildlife in the Arctic is particularly vulnerable to intruders from outside.
• Travelers to arctic regions can carry seeds, insects and parasites on clothes, equipment and luggage to the Arctic without knowing it.
• The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Finland have therefore made a film to raise awareness of the problem.
• The information campaign and film will now also be spread in northwest Russia.
• The main message is that you can help protect the vulnerable nature of the Arctic by taking some simple measures.
• The main measures are brushing, hovering and washing clothes, shoes, luggage and equipment before departure. Fishing equipment should be disinfected.
• The film is produced by the Trondheim-based company Klipp og lim, and is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Norwegian Environment Agency and the Governor of Svalbard.