Tuesday, April 28th 2026 📌 Literaturhuset in Bergen
4:30 PM — 9:30 PM
Event outline
What life can be found in the world’s most remote ecosystems? Who are the people studying it? And why are people suddenly exploring these foreign environments?
The deep sea has quickly transformed from an alien environment into a centerpiece for one of the most hotly debated topics in international governance. To explore the deep sea’s recent surge in attention, Bergen Bathysphere warmly invites you to participate in “Deep Connections”. An event where you can experience the world’s vastest (yet least explored) landscape, learn about its growing societal impact, and ask yourself “What does the deep sea mean to me?”
The event will start with the deep-sea documentary “How Deep Is Your Love”, followed by a panel discussion between local deep-sea scientists and the audience. The night will conclude with an optional mingling event to continue discussions over some light food.
Anyone interested is welcome, other ocean interested, scientists, students, friends, and family! There is no fee, but please sign up!
We hope to see you there!
See the schedule here
| 16:30 | Open Auditorium |
| 17:00 (Trond Mohn Auditorium) | Welcome |
| 17:10 | Film |
| 19:00 | Panel discussion |
| 19:40 (Amalie Alver) | Networking Event |
| 21:30 | Closing |
Sponsored by
University of Bergen Ocean Fund & Bathysphere
How Deep Is Your Love (2025)
In the central Pacific Ocean lies the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, an area larger than Australia with depths ranging from 4,000-6,000 m. This area contains more minerals for battery production than all land-based deposits combined, but it lies in international waters and is therefore owned by no country. In the midst of geopolitical debates discussing if, when, and how mining should occur, we get to follow a team of deep-sea scientists racing against the clock to describe the Clarion-Clipperton Zone’s biodiversity before it can be threatened by mining activities.
From an intimate yet light-hearted perspective, the movie allows us to observe day-to-day life on a research vessel. Here, isolation and detailed studies are set against the backdrop of a larger existential question. Is global electrification worth the price of ecosystems we are only beginning to understand?
Panel Discussion
The movie will be followed by a panel discussion between Bergen-based deep-sea scientists who will explore different perspectives of human interest in the deep sea. After a brief internal discussion, the floor will open to audience questions.
Thomas Dahlgren – Associate professor at the University of Gothenburg, researcher for NORCE, and long-term collaborator with deep-sea researchers at London’s Natural History Museum. In his years of deep-sea ecological research, both in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone and worldwide, Assoc. Prof. Dahlgren has become an internationally recognized authority on life’s diversity and function in the deep.
Marta Gentilucci – Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Bergen. She is currently researching the political and social implications of extending mineral extraction from land into the deep oceans in Norway and beyond. Her investigations of how deep-sea mining is shaped, contested, and experienced, combined with her studies of behind-the-scenes practices of marine science offer a unique insight into the social landscape of deep-sea mining.
Eoghan Reeves – Professor at the University of Bergen and geochemical researcher at the Centre for Deep-Sea Research with previous work at prestigious MIT and WHOI labs. Prof. Reeves is well versed in the chemistry that forms the critical minerals desired by the mining industry. In recent years he has focused on Arctic environments targeted by Norway for deep-sea mining, allowing him to share his expertise in a more local context.
Mingling event
To round off the evening, we’re hosting a fun speed-dating-style session where you’ll get to meet and chat with a range of fellow attendees. Participants will be split into small groups of 4–5 participants, and the groups will rotate throughout the session so you’ll get the chance to talk with other attendees. We’ll provide plenty of food for thought, along with complimentary bites to keep the conversation flowing. Space is limited, so the first 70 people to sign up for this part of the event will get a spot.
Venue
The event will be hosted at two venues within Litteraturhuset Bergen. The movie-screening and panel discussion will be held in the Trond Mohn Auditorium and the mingling event will be held in the Amalie Alver meeting room.
Litteraturhuset is found at Østre Skostredet 5 and is accessible primarily by foot, bicycle and public transport, although limited parking can be found nearby at Bryggen. The venue is wheelchair accessible and offers bicycle parking, coat-hanging stations, restrooms, and a bar where beverages and light snacks can be purchased. For more information on finding Litteraturhuset, please see the map below.
Tuesday, April 28th 2026 📌 Literaturhuset in Bergen
4:30 PM — 9:30 PM
See the schedule here
| 16:30 | Open Auditorium |
| 17:00 (Trond Mohn Auditorium) | Welcome |
| 17:10 | Film |
| 19:00 | Panel discussion |
| 19:40 (Amalie Alver) | Networking Event |
| 21:30 | Closing |
Sponsored by
University of Bergen Ocean Fund & Bathysphere
bathysphere.no 