News & announcements

The research vessel Árni Friðriksson has been exploring the capelin spawning migrations east and north of Iceland for about a week. The main findings are that the traditional capelin spawning migration east of the country has not yet advanced as the front of the migration was northeast of Langanes and the abundance there was insignificant.

MFRI has initiated the publication of a special issue on capelin Mallotus villosus titled „Capelin in a changing environment".

MFRI is a core partner in InfiniFish – a Horizon Europe initiative supporting a research consortium aimed at developing practical technologies and guidance to minimize fisheries impact while keeping fleets efficient and resilient.

Scientists at MFRI recently published a research paper on the relationship between polar cod distribution and sea temperature around Iceland.

Employees of the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute wish everyone near and far a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year, with heartfelt thanks for your cooperation in 2025. 🎄

The New York Times recently published an article about an expedition on the research vessel Þórunn Þórdardóttir and changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).

MFRI is taking part in a large-scale international project on harmful algae: Marine phycotoxins in the Arctic: an emerging climate change risk (working title: PHATE).

Two new studies led by the University of Iceland in collaboration with the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute uncover hidden stock structure in Northeast Atlantic blue whiting, a key species for ecosystems and fisheries. The findings highlight distinct subpopulations, migration–residency dynamics, and the need for adaptive management in a changing ocean.

A new paper titled ‘Key drivers and spatio-temporal variation in the reproductive potential of Icelandic cod’ was published recently in the ICES Journal of Marine Science. The paper investigates egg production, assesses the effects of average size and age distribution on egg production, and assesses the survival of cod juveniles in the first year.

The IUCN Red List of Cold-Water Corals has recently come into effect, and the evaluated species are now listed on the IUCN Red List website.