Rissa Citizen Science

11/08/2026

For this side project, we just wanted to test the response of lettuce and parsley to: 
1/ kittiwake guano
2/ sea urchins

We collected guano under one of the kittiwake hotels (thanks .momente !) and we used sea urchins from our kelp forest restoration site in Tromsø city center (thanks .momente for making the slush!)

♥️ welcomed us and let us use three boxes in their beautiful community garden.

The result with the parsley is spectacular!
😳 The difference is striking between the control and the treatments. 
🤔 The difference between urchin and guano is not as spectacular.

🥬 The lettuce did not respond as spectacularly to the treatments, even if the lettuce looks a bit bigger in the treated boxes. Strangely, the lettuce in box 3 (urchins) has lots of small holes (slugs?) but not in boxes 1 (control) and 2 (guano).

This is not a research project, and we didn't measure the quantity of guano and urchins added to boxes 2 and 3, so we can't draw solid conclusions from these observations. However, as part of the Ocean Green project (), in Bodø is testing the effect of a sea urchin-based fertiliser on lettuce, with great results! We will soon report about that in a blog article, stay tuned!

Why using kittiwake guano and sea urchins? Because kittiwakes and urchins are the focus in two of our projects (check our website for more info, link in bio). The black-legged kittiwake faces a high risk of extinction in mainland Norway, while the green sea urchin has multiplied dramatically. But these two trends are the result of humans' extractive activities.

11/08/2026

For this side project, we just wanted to test the response of lettuce and parsley to:
1/ kittiwake guano
2/ sea urchins

We collected guano under one of the kittiwake hotels (thanks .momente !) and we used sea urchins from our kelp forest restoration site in Tromsø city center (thanks .momente for making the slush!)

♥️ welcomed us and let us use three boxes in their beautiful community garden.

The result with the parsley is spectacular!
😳 The difference is striking between the control and the treatments.
🤔 The difference between urchin and guano is not as spectacular, visually speaking, although parsley in box 2 (guano) looks a bit bigger than in box 3 (urchins).

🥬 The lettuce did not respond as spectacularly to the treatments, even if the lettuce looks a bit bigger in the treated boxes. Strangely, the lettuce in box 3 (urchins) has lots of small holes (slugs?) but not in boxes 1 (control) and 2 (guano).

This is not a research project, and we didn't measure the quantity of guano or urchins added to boxes 2 and 3, so we can't draw solid conclusions from these observations. However, as part of the Ocean Green project (), in Bodø is testing the effect of a sea urchin-based fertiliser on lettuce, with great results! We will soon report about that in a blog article, stay tuned!

Why using kittiwake guano and sea urchins? Because kittiwakes and sea urchins are in two of our projects (check our website for more info, link in bio). The black-legged kittiwake faces a high risk of extinction in mainland Norway, while the green sea urchin has multiplied without limit. But these two trends are the result of humans' extractive activities.

05/08/2026

The Tromsø rescued kittiwake chick orphanage is now LIVE!!

Link in the bio, on Rissa Citizen Science website and YouTube channel.

The black -legged kittiwake is endangered on Norway's Red List and faces a high risk of Extinction in mainland Norway.

The Kittiwalkers rescue the chicks that fall off their nest, take care of them and release them once they are ready to fly.

Are you living in Tromsø, or visiting? Join the effort, contribute for an hour or the whole season!
Visit our website, reach out to us for more info.

22/07/2026

🔥As Northern Lights tourism has exploded in Tromsø, so has the number of campfires at popular viewing spots. These dumped campfires leave lasting marks on the landscape, damage fragile habitats, and deepen the already growing frustration local communities feel toward the tourism industry. To address this, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and Rissa Citizen Science are teaming up to promote traceless outdoor practices, inspired by the Leave No Trace movement.

🔥 In this video, Hijiri Takagi, from Visit Tromsø is telling how important «Traceless tourism» is.

🎥 Video by
👆 is leading the project.
🙏 Project funded by Regionale Forskningsfond RFF.

21/07/2026

HAVE YOU FOUND A KITTIWAKE CHICK on the ground?
👉 New article on Rissa’s website/BLOG (link in bio)

Guest author Joris Kern is sharing a few first aid tips, to bring a kittiwake chick to safety.

👉 Go to Rissa’s BLOG and save the life of a kittiwake.

‼️The black-legged kittiwake is endangered on Norway’s Red List and faces a high risk of extinction in mainland Norway.

📸 first photo by Daniel John Benton (Boba, one-week old, July 2026)

RISSA OPALUS

20/07/2026

🤿 Volunteers have been restoring kelp forests in Tromsø city center since 2023, lowering the density of urchins and documenting the change.

The Kelpers meet twice a month, either at Sørsjetéen (the video) or Telegrafbukta (also on Tromsø island, on the southern tip).

Some free dive, some scuba dive, other contribute from land. All play an important role in bringing these ecosystems back in the sea.

Kelp forests are a hotspot for biodiversity, and at this time of year, countless young fish find food and shelter in them.

It is also the time of year when kelp start fraying and the overall biomass naturally goes down. As the forest gets thinner, anemones, sponges, corals become more visible.

👉 Join the next kelp event: sign up now on Rissa’s website/Events

🤝 Rissa’s effort to restore kelp forests with local volunteers is supported in part by (project led by Ava Ocean, and with , and Across Nature and Hofseth Bio Care.

🤿 Many thanks to who makes it possible for the volunteers to rent diving gear and contribute in the sea.

19/07/2026

First, make sure it is a kittiwake chick:
👉 black collar,
👉 black line on the wing,
👉 white head and belly.

A kittiwake chick out of its nest is a dead kittiwake, but they sometimes can be rescued.

In 2025, the Kittiwalkwrs rescued, raised and released 15 chicks in Tromsø. And 16 in 2024.

If you find a kittiwake chick on the ground, call Rissa Citizen Science immediately. The phone number is on the website, at the bottom of every page.

🐥 Thank you!

🚨The black-legged kittiwake is Endangered on Norway’s Red List and faces a high risk of extinction in mainland Norway.

17/07/2026

New article on Rissa's website: RESTORING KELP IN ØKSFJORD, PART 2.

In October 2025, together with volunteers and locals, and in collaboration with Lopphavet Marine Protected Area and Arctic Lux, we began restoring a kelp forest in Øksfjord. The second and final phase of the project took place in spring 2026.

Read the short story in our latest blog article, on Rissa's website/BLOG: https://www.rissa-cs.org/post/restoring-kelp-in-%C3%B8ksfjord-part-2

Lopphavet marine verneområde, Arctic Lux and Rissa Citizen Science were partnering for this outreach & kelp forest restoration project.

🙏 Sparebankstiftelsen SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge and Norges Råfisklag supported this initiative.

❤️Thumbs up to the volunteers who joined in October 2025 and April 2026!

Støa Kafé og Spiseri , Øksfjord Fiskeindustri and Loppakroa also supported the project. A big thank-you as well to Øksfjord municipality and Høgtun school for their support, especially the teachers we worked with during the school days.

In October 2025, together with volunteers and locals, and in collaboration with Lopphavet Marine Protected Area and Arctic Lux, we began restoring a kelp forest in Øksfjord. The second and final phase of the project took place in spring 2026. Now is time to share what we learned along the way.

16/07/2026

This last day in Storslett with was a blast!

The event was free and open to all, particularly suited for families. provided the diving suits, and eight local kids and teenagers joined, with their parents, learned about kelp forests, and sea urchins, starting with an informal talk at and then a dive around Klubbneset.

Many thanks to for inviting to lead such a fun day!