The periodic collection of hydrophysical data along the northern Norwegian coast (from Malangen to Porsangerfjord) started in the beginning of the 20th century and some of the oldest stations are still in operation by the “Havmiljødata” sampling programme organized by UIT-The Arctic university of Norway. Systematical retrieval of the physical oceanographical data during shorter periods (1–2 years) in Tromsø and north Norway goes back to ca. 1872 when Tromsø Museum was founded. The first decades sampling was performed with hired vessels, and retrieval of hydrophysical data was connected to sampling of marine organisms. From ca. 1975 it was taken over by the University of Tromsø and from 1979 it was up running again with a new revised network. Up through the years much effort has also been put into data quality control and instrumentation (CTD) mantenance and calibration. From the early 1990s, the BFE faculty (Fakultet for biovitenskap, fiskeri og økonomi) that has had the responsibility for the data sampling organized as Havmiljødata (HMD).