Akvaplan-niva is an independent research institute specializing in water, oceans and the Arctic. The institute offers research and knowledge-based consulting with the goal of promoting sustainable aquatic environments. Among its projects are the development of digital games that aim to educate about marine ecosystems, as well as research on fry production to optimize the farming of spotted catfish.
The institute is also involved in projects that explore little-known near-bottom ecosystems in Norway, and is working on the deployment of sugar kelp and winged kelp in northern areas. Akvaplan-niva has 130 employees, several of whom hold professor II positions at universities both in Norway and internationally. The head office is located in the Fram Centre in Tromsø, and the institute also has offices in Alta, Bodø, Trondheim, Bergen, Oslo, Ski and Reykjavik in Iceland. Akvaplan-niva is a subsidiary of the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA).