Dane Dr. Bent Skovmand has died at the age of 61 from a brain tumor. Dr. Skovmand was a plant scientist who was involved in creating the largest seed bank in the world. It is located inside a mountain on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen in the Arctic Ocean.

"Its purpose is to ensure the survival of crop diversity in the event of plant epidemics, nuclear war, natural disasters or climate change, and to offer the world a chance to restart growth of food crops that may have been wiped out."

Bent Skovmand, 61; scientist worked to preserve seeds - Boston Globe

Spitsbergen - Wikipedia

'Doomsday' seed bank to be built - January 2006 story from BBC