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 global oxygen and help to transport goods around the world and offer Hurtigruten Expeditions the opportunity to showcase the earth's natural beauty. However, this vital resource and ecosystem are facing unprecedented challenges racing 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 across local, national, and international levels the institute aims to develop new methods, frameworks, and guidelines to meet these 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 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 analyse 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. 80 years ago, we threw a bucket overboard to collect samples to bring to their headquarters. Now, we collect precise measurements using the sophisticated sensor system Ferrybox. 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 impacts on the oceans, including climate change.