Announcing the theme for Artica Writings 2025: Beneath the Surface – Deep-Sea Mining and the Arctic

This year, Artica Writings returns with Beneath the Surface – Deep-Sea Mining and the Arctic. 

As Norway advances plans to explore its Arctic seabed for mineral resources, deep-sea mining has become a focal point in wider debates about environmental ethics, geopolitical power, and the contradictions of the green transition. While formal exploration has been approved, political opposition has paused further licensing—placing the issue in a state of tense uncertainty, both nationally and globally.

Artica Writings 2025 brings together distinct voices to examine the consequences of this moment—locally, legally, morally, and ecologically. From research ethics to climate activism, ocean governance to political geography, this series asks what lies beneath the surface of our pursuit of rare minerals—and at what cost.

About the Series

Artica Writings is an annual essay series exploring critical questions shaping the Arctic through interdisciplinary writing. This year’s edition, Beneath the Surface, will be published on articasvalbard.no in both Norwegian and English, and later released as a limited-edition book. The first essay will be available mid-October 2025.

This years contributors include:

Siri Granum Carson

Professor of Applied Ethics, NTNU; former Director of NTNU Oceans; Chair, Norway’s UN Ocean Decade National Committee (2023–2025).

Siri Granum Carson is a national leader in ocean governance and applied ethics. She directed NTNU Oceans for four years (ending 2024) and led AFINO, Norway’s centre for responsible research and innovation (2019–2024). She currently chairs Norway’s UN Ocean Decade National Committee and serves as a (deputy) member of NENT. Her work bridges philosophy, science policy, and environmental governance.

Espen Dyrnes Stabell

Associate Professor of Ethics, HVL Business School; affiliated Associate Professor, NTNU.

Stabell researches ethical challenges in emerging technologies under uncertainty. He worked in NTNU Oceans’ pilot programme on deep-sea mining and completed a PhD on environmental ethics and decision-making under uncertainty (Deep Sea Uncertainty).

Hanna Mortensdatter Vandeskog

Human geographer focusing on extractive industries and ocean governance.

Vandeskog holds a Master’s from UiO’s Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM) and is currently based in Buenos Aires. Her research examines the social and ecological costs of the energy transition.

Franziska Hasenburg

Climate activist, science communicator, and geoscientist in training.

Hasenburg has a background in materials physics (with publications connected to the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz) and further Arctic geoscience training through UNIS/UiO. She co-founded and organises with Arctic Climate Action Svalbard and has worked with media to raise awareness of Arctic environmental issues.