Marine research in the North Atlantic Ocean

Research Council Faroe Islands administers a research programme on marine research in the North Atlantic Ocean - MARiNAO - funded by the Danish government.

The Danish government allocated MDKK 25.5 in 2020-2023. The programme has been extended with MDKK 15.0 in 2024-2025 and MDKK 15.8 in 2026-2027.

The major part of the budget will be granted for research projects via open calls. A minor part will be spent on administering the programme. 

The aim of the programme is to generate new knowledge on the impact of climate change on the marine environment in the North Atlantic Ocean which may contribute to create solutions to challenges like the oceanic heat transport towards the North East Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic (the North Atlantic current), the separation between upper and deeper water masses (stratification), geographic distribution and growth and recruitment potential for commercially important fish stocks, and acidification of the ocean.

The programme also aims to promote cooperation between the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Denmark on marine research. All three countries must benefit from the programme. 

Nine projects have so far received around 30 MDKK from the programme.