Norwegian software revolutionises marine research
Page date: published 27 March 2023; updated 21 September 2026; 4 min read (as rendered). The page notes the original IMR article appeared 21 October 2019.
The article describes StoX, free open-source software developed at Norway’s Institute of Marine Research for analysing marine survey data, including echo-sounder and trawl samples, to estimate fish populations and quantify uncertainty. It provides a documented workflow, saves analysis steps for reuse and supports review of methodological choices.
The page says StoX was first used in an IMR survey in 2014 and was adopted by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), becoming a standard tool for population estimation in the North-East Atlantic. It describes use in surveys of the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea, and says Antarctic implementation was planned at the time. That future plan is historical and the update stamp does not establish completion.
The article credits international collaboration with improving the software and standardising ICES survey data collection through a shared database and template. It cites the peer-reviewed 2019 paper by Johnsen et al., “StoX: An open source software for marine survey analyses” (DOI 10.1111/2041-210X.13250).
Contact linked on page: Espen Johnsen, Institute of Marine Research. Related links: Aquaculture and fisheries; Technology.