|Science and art belong to the whole world, and before them vanish the barriers of nationality. - Goethe|
BARENTS ENVIRONMENTAL CENTERThe Svanhovd Environmental Center (SEC) is located in the Pasvik region of Norway, above the Arctic circle and in close proximity to Russia and Finland. It supports research on the environmental state of the area; hosts regional and international environmental conferences; serves as a repository for information on socioeconomic, environmental, and agricultural issues in the Barents Region; and facilitates contact among people working with environmental preservation or research activities in the Arctic region surrounding Pasvik.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIESThe SEC's Department of Research and Development focuses on research and management activities pertaining to agriculture, nature, and environmental issues. Its projects involve monitoring, international cooperation and management, and administration of research and development activities.
The SEC has implemented or participated in several area projects, including:
Laboratory ServicesThe SEC has a laboratory which is used for commercial purposes, as well as in collaboration with research and educational institutions. The main section of the laboratory is used for physical and chemical analyses of water samples. Testing services are available on a fee basis for drinking water (pH, color, turbidity, heterotrophic plate count, coliform bacteria, thermotolerant coliform bacteria, odor, and taste), waste water (suspended solids, total P, BOD7, pH, aluminum, and CODCr), and process water (heterotrophic plate count, coliform bacteria, thermotolerant coliform bacteria, fecal streptococci, and sulphite reducing bacteria). The laboratory contains a section outfitted for microbiological studies, and another for radioactive analysis, which was set up by the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority. It is staffed by an engineer specializing in environmental issues and a laboratory assistant.
GPS StationSEC staff are experienced in the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS). Using GPS, they collect data, perform analyses, and convert the results into GIS or SOSI format. The SEC has a GPS base station at Svanvik, which is capable of obtaining GPS registrations accurate to ± 1 to 5 meters. The Center offers differential corrected GPS registrations, as well as access to data from the base station for those who wish to do their own GPS registrations.
Field StationThe SEC loans or leases a variety of equipment for field research. The inventory includes a 15-foot motor boat, echosounder, canoe, sounding scope, and a dissection laboratory complete with microscope and magnification equipment. SEC staff can arrange for loans or rentals of cars and bicycles, and they are available to provide practical field assistance, support, and advice for research endeavors in the zoological, ecological, and biological sciences.
LibraryThe SEC library contains a variety of information on forestry, wildlife, fish, water, birds, agriculture, fauna, and culture. A special section contains reports and pamphlets on environmental subjects and pollution in the Barents Region. The library is open to all visitors.
CONFERENCE CENTERThe Svanhovd Conference Center hosts conferences and workshops on issues concerning nature, the environment, or agriculture. Its auditorium accommodates 80 people and is equipped with:
PUBLICATIONSThe SEC Department of Information and Documentation collects and systematizes information about nature, the environment, and socioeconomic conditions in the Barents Region. This work results in the publication of newsletters, reports, books, and videos, some of which are described below.
"Overviews of Russian Institutions"The Svanhovd Environmental Center has been publishing extended "Overviews of Russian Institutions" (ORIs) since 1993. Part of Svanhovd's report series, these Russian surveys include contact names and information for scientific institutions, along with their primary fields of activity. The ORIs provide information about institutions in the Russian regions of Arkhangelsk, Karelia, Komi, Murmansk, and Nenets that are active in the fields of information technology, environment, forestry, and agriculture.
The Barents Program in Norway is financing updated ORIs for 1998, which the SEC is preparing with assistance from the Institute of Industrial Ecology Problems of the North (INEP) in Apatity; Pomor University in Arkhangelsk; the Biological Institute of Komi Scientific Center in Syktyvkar; and the Ecological Center for the Study of Eastern European Tundra Protection (ECET) in Syktyvkar. The collection of data for this issue will be completed in January 1998, and final ORI reports are slated for publication in April.
ORIs are available in English and can be obtained for approximately NOK 100. They can also be accessed on the Internet at URL: http://www.svanhovd.no/english/erapport.htm.
Svanhovd UpdatesThe SEC publishes two periodic newsletters, both of which are available free of charge and always welcome new subscribers:
"BarentsWatch"The SEC began publishing the "BarentsWatch" magazine in 1995 with financial support from the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment. Each issue contains surveys, research results, and articles about the Barents region. The next issue, due out in February 1998, will take the form of an environmental atlas for the Barents region and Svalbard. It will contain articles, facts, and maps affording a profile of the region's characteristics, population, protected areas, and state of the environment. Several areas in the Barents region contain almost entirely intact ecosystems, and it is an important part of the Arctic landscape.
UNEP-GRID-Arendal supplied maps for this issue, while the Norwegian Directorate of Nature Management, the Norwegian Polar Institute, and the Svanhovd Environmental Center contributed advice, data, and articles.
"BarentsWatch 98" will be published in English, Norwegian, and Russian. It is available for NOK 60 plus postage, while "BarentsWatch 95" and "96" are each available in English and Norwegian for a charge of NOK 50. Subscriptions to the annual "BarentsWatch" series are also welcome.
CONTACT INFORMATIONFor more information on the Svanhovd Environmental Center's publications, conference facilities, research projects, or other services, please contact: Svanhovd Environmental Center, N-9925 Svanvik, Norway; Tel: +47 78 97 36 00; Fax: +47 78 97 36 01; E-mail: Svanhovd.firstname.lastname@example.org; URL: http://www.svanhovd.no.
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