September on Atlanterhavsparken : From the fifth anniversary to research, birdlife and new residents

Five years of science fun

On September 2nd, we had an extra good reason to celebrate. It was five years ago. Atlanterhavsparken became one of Norway's 13 regional science centers! Since 2021, more than 25,000 children, pupils and students, from kindergarten to university, have visited us to learn more about the ocean, natural science and the technology around us. But much of what we do also happens outside the four walls of the park. Through the Science Center on Wheels, we travel around Møre og Romsdal with experiments, activities and science shows. Our goal is to reach all the municipalities in the county, and now only Averøy remains, which is on the plan for spring 2027. We marked our fifth anniversary by, among other things, giving one lucky school class the opportunity to win a dream day with us. Because it is precisely the meetings with curious children and young people that make this job so rewarding.

"The best thing about these five years is not just how many people we've reached, but how much curiosity we've helped create. And we've only just begun!"

The entire region as a classroom

Even though the summer holidays are over, that doesn't mean it's getting any quieter with us. September has been a busy month for our facilitators, who have been on the move with both a spring safari, science show, teacher courses and technology activities. Among other things, we have explored life in the spring together with students from Hasund School and 2nd and 3rd grade at Vigra School. At Harøy School, Volsdalen School and Langevåg SFO we have created science fun through experiments and science shows. We have also been to Stokke Vik School on Ellingsøya to hold teacher courses, while biology students from Haram Upper Secondary School, aquaculture students from Stranda Upper Secondary School and students from Biomarin Innovation have been on professional visits with us.

FIRST LEGO League has also been an important part of September. Students from Hatlane, Møre primary school, Giske, Godøy, Hessa and Eidet have had the opportunity to try their hand at technology, programming, creative problem solving and collaboration through inspiration days. We have also organised the Chemistry Festival at Breisundet together with NTNU Ålesund, participated in the Street Festival in Ålesund and brought science activities to Sunnmørsgavlen during DNT's Get Out Day.

And learning is not just about teaching. Our own employees have also received professional training. During a talent center gathering at Sorø Academy in Denmark, knowledge centers from all over Norway met to share experiences on how we can best facilitate students with great learning potential.

An evening where research brought the whole park to life

One of the month's major highlights was Researchers' Night, where around 600 young people gathered at Atlanterhavsparken for an evening dedicated to research, technology and curiosity. The entire park was filled with stands, experiments and activities where the young people got to explore science in a slightly different way than they might be used to. Here they could, among other things, make ice with liquid nitrogen, find out their own blood type, try a surgical simulator, control an ROV underwater, experiment with LEGO and explore Møre Havlab. The evening also featured the lecture "Cosmos" with Ben David Normann from NTNU, before we ended with a science show and prize giving. There is something very special about seeing so many young people gathered around research and technology, not because they have to, but because they want to try, explore and find out how things work.

"When young people experience research with their own hands, something happens to their curiosity. It's exactly these moments that we want to create more of."

From ancient fishing traditions to international cooperation

September has also been about preserving knowledge and traditions from the sea. Through our close collaboration with the natural resource management program at Ålesund Upper Secondary School, students have been able to try their hand at land seining, a traditional fishing method where a specially made net is used to catch fish. Teacher Stein Eric Solevåg has been involved in disseminating knowledge about the method, which is strictly regulated. Atlanterhavsparken has a special permit from the Directorate of Fisheries to carry out this fishing. At the same time, we have had a visit from our good friends from the Ozeaneum in Stralsund in Germany. For over 20 years we have collaborated on collecting marine species, sharing knowledge and experiences across borders. Every year Alex and his team come to Ålesund, where they spend around 10–14 days diving and collecting different species. The catch is shared between the aquariums, and several of the species can be seen with us today.

We also had the pleasure of hosting Fiskarkveld 2026, organized by Blue Maritime. Here fishermen, apprentices and employees of shipping companies gathered for professional refresher courses, networking and good seafood. And it's not every day that a conference speaker arrives at the event by helicopter!

New residents and small underwater milestones

While there has been a lot of activity on land, there has also been a lot happening underwater. One of this month's new residents is the St. Peter's fish, which is now housed in the Herring Tank, the very first tank you encounter when you enter the Atlanterhavsparken . With its flat body, long spines and characteristic dark spot on its side, it is easy to recognize. According to legend, the spot originates from the fingerprint of St. Peter, and that is where the fish got its name. We also got to experience a rather special moment with our rare, two-tone Halloween lobster, which has changed its shell. As the lobster grows, the old shell becomes too tight, and it has to crawl out of it. What is left behind is a shell that almost looks like a whole lobster, while the lobster itself has to wait for the new, soft shell to harden.

And of course, we have been following this year's penguin chicks with great interest. During September, another one of the five chicks began to find and eat its own food. This means that two out of five have become independent during meals, and the others are not far behind. Small progress for us, but big milestones for the little penguins!

Behind the scenes, work continues on our new Manetarium. Little by little, the facility is starting to take shape, and we look forward to showcasing even more of the fascinating life found in the ocean.

Important experiences to take forward

Not everything we have worked on this month has been about fish, research and communication. During the Fire Prevention Forum 2026, we had the opportunity to share our experiences from the terrain fire at Hessa in March, an event that put both our preparedness and cooperation to the test. The most important thing we are left with is how crucial trust, good communication and knowledge of each other are when something unforeseen happens. The fact that employees know the building, the systems and each other's strengths made it possible to act quickly and take responsibility, also outside of the usual work tasks.

We are proud of how the situation was handled, while knowing that there are always things we can do better. We will take the lessons learned with us, and we hope they can also be useful to others.

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Thank you for September!

When we look back on September, it's almost hard to understand how much we've accomplished. From the fifth anniversary and hundreds of young people interested in research to bird safaris, international collaboration, new fish and penguin chicks learning to fend for themselves.

Now autumn has truly arrived Atlanterhavsparken The water is getting clearer, the air is fresher and there may be fewer people taking the trip out to the lake on their own. But for us, the curiosity continues, both above and below water.

Many thanks to all the students, teachers, visitors, partners and staff who have helped make September such a rich month. We look forward to everything autumn has to offer!

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