In summer2025, a collaborative experiment was carried out at the Institute of Marine Research’s (HI) research station in Austevoll, focusing on two keydeep-sea species: the coral Lophelia pertusa and the bivalve Acesta excavata.

The experiment aimed to investigate the physiological responses of these species to environmental stressors, including Contaminants of Emerging Concern(CECs) — a growing focus within the EU-funded CONTRAST project.

Participating researchers included:

• Ketil Hylland (Havforskningsinstituttet)
• Joachim Sturve (University of Gothenburg)
• Aourell Mauffret (IFREMER)
• Tina Kutti (HI)

This international collaboration is part of a broader effort to understand the vulnerability of deep-sea ecosystems and improve environmental risk assessments related to emerging pollutants.

🔬 Results and insights will be shared in upcoming publications and project updates.