The Norwegian Polar Institute is Norway's central institution for research, environmental monitoring and mapping of the polar regions. The Institute is the Norwegian authorities' adviser and supplier of knowledge, and contributes to the best possible administration of Norwegian polar areas.

The Institute also serves as professional advisor for the Directorate for Nature Management, the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority, the Directorate for Cultural Heritage and the Governor on Svalbard. The Institute is responsible for the follow-up and implementation of Norwegian environmental legislation in the Antarctic.

The Norwegian Polar Institute’s Photo Library is a digital repository of over 35 000 searchable images. In total, there are over 90 000 photos from polar areas in our collection. The oldest was taken in 1872, almost 140 years ago.