BOUVECO

Disentangling land–coast–ocean connections at Bouvetøya, the most remote marine ecosystem hotspot in the Southern Ocean

The project BOUVECO investigates the mechanisms driving the ecosystem on and around Bouvet Island, a remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean. This region may play a crucial role in the wider Southern Ocean and could face future pressures from climate change, fishing and seabed mining. By combining cutting-edge observation methods with advanced computer models across several scientific disciplines, BOUVECO aims to build an integrated picture of how this island system works. At the same time, BOUVECO will look at how decisions to build research facilities in remote, high-risk environments are made—and how they are justified.

BOUVECO is funded by Norwegian Research Council – Project No 358756. The project started 1st April 2026 and will continue until 31st March 2031. BOUVECO is a multidisciplinary collaboration involving researchers from seven Norwegian institutes and four international institutes.