Covering more than 70% of the surface of the Earth and home to over two-thirds of the world's wildlife, water is the cornerstone of all life on Earth. Freshwater, coastal, and marine environments produce nearly 50% of the world’s oxygen and help to transport goods around the world, and they offer Hurtigruten Expeditions the opportunity to showcase the Earth's natural beauty. However, this vital resource and ecosystem is facing unprecedented challenges, from climate change and the impact of rising sea temperatures to microplastics and pollution. This is where the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) has been active for the last 60 years, working to safeguard the health of our water for years to come.

Based in Oslo, NIVA has been the nation's leading marine and freshwater research institute since 1958. Through partnerships with various public bodies and governments at the local, national, and international levels, the institute aims to develop new methods, frameworks, and guidelines to meet the challenges facing global bodies of water. From small-scale laboratory experiments to large-scale ecosystem experiments and assessments, the team at NIVA looks to ensure that the research conducted by NIVA is all-encompassing in order to fully understand the environmental problems facing our freshwater, coastal, and marine environments. With access to the latest technologies, laboratories, and research facilities, they can conduct a wide variety of research into everything from environmental contaminants and the effects of climate change to environmental monitoring and preventative measures against pollution.

Hurtigruten has a long history of participating in programs to monitor and analyze the waters and areas we operate in. Since 1932, Hurtigruten Expeditions has been measuring sea temperature, salinity levels, and algae growth as part of an ongoing collaboration with the Norwegian Institute for Marine Research and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research. Eighty years ago, we collected samples by throwing a bucket overboard and bringing the contents to their headquarters. Now we collect precise measurements using the sophisticated Ferrybox sensor system. The data collected by Ferrybox is transferred via satellite to NIVA and used by researchers to monitor both natural variability in the ocean and human impact on the oceans, including climate change.