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Collection: Arendal and the Norwegian South-Coast ("Sørlandet")
 | Arendal and the Norwegian South-Coast ("Sørlandet")
Arendal, where GRID-Arendal has its offices, is the capital of the Norwegian province (Fylke) Aust Agder. Arendal is also centrally positioned in the Coastal Archipelago Park of the South Coast ("Sørlandet") of Norway. The park covers an area of the Skagerak coast between Grenland in Telemark and Lindesnes in West Agder, including many hundreds of islands and skerries. The Sørland coast is one of the most important recreation areas of Norway and hosts a unique coastal ecosystem with special habitats and a rich biodiversity. Therefore tourism is regulated accordingly with special nature reserves and bird sanctuaries in place. Presently discussed are plans to develop a national park, and within Norway's plan to establish 26 marine protected areas (MPAs), "Transect Skagerak" is planned as a 692km2 MPA outside of Arendal and the islands Tromøy and Hisøy, reaching out from shallow to several hundred meter deep sea. With the Flødevigen Marine Biology Station of the Norwegian Marine Research Institute on Hisøy, since more than 125 years important marine research is taking place in the area. GRID-Arendal, which has its offices right at the waterfront of Arendal, is well connected to the marine environment and can explain and demonstrate its world-wide marine work and global environmental policies right out at its doorsteps. Arendal's and Sørlandet's ambitions to profile as environmental city and region has great potential for walking the talk locally what we are preaching globally about protecting the marine environment. The envisioned Sørland Archipelago National Park can become a great example.
Available online at: http://www.dirnat.no/content/500040680/Transekt-Skagerrak |
