Cooperation
The cooperation with Belgian and foreign universities, research institutes and individual research groups is constantly elaborated by concluding collaboration agreements. The VLIZ furthermore participates in national and international networks and takes care of the image of the Flemish marine and coastal research. The data management of numerous projects is in the hands of the FMDC.
International organisations
The FMDC works closely together with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. The FMDC is the 'National Oceanographic Data Centre' (NODC) of Flanders and is actively involved in different initiatives of the IODE network (IOC Committee on International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange). The data centre is involved in various IODE study groups: the 'Group of Experts on Biological and Chemical Data Management and Exchange Practices (GE/BCDMEP)' and the 'Expert Team - Data Management Practices (ET/DMP)' of the 'Joint Commission on Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM)'; the latter is a joint venture between IODE and the World Meteorological Organisation. In 2005, IODE opened a 'Project Office' in Oostende, more specifically in the same buildings as the VLIZ. Thanks to the close cooperation with this Project Office the FMDC will be at the forefront of developments in new data management technologies and international data exchange standards.
The Centre also participates in activities of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The FMDC is involved in the 'Working Group on Marine Data Management (WG/MDM)' and the 'Study Group on XML (SG/XML)'. Specifically in connection with biological data management the FMDC is involved in the 'Benthos Ecology Working Group (BEWG)' and the 'North Sea Benthos Project (NSBP)'. The data from a predecessor of the latter project, the North Sea Benthos Survey (NSBS), are distributed through the VLIZ website.
The FMDC takes care of the data management for MarBEF, an EU 'Network of Excellence' under the 6th framework programme. Within this scope, it coordinates the European node (EurOBIS) of OBIS.
National cooperation agreements
The VLIZ concludes data exchange agreements with relevant partners, in the first place with research groups of the Flemish universities, scientific institutes and administrations with similar objectives.
- Flemish Heritage Institute (VIOE) - maritime archaeology and heritage afloat
- Waterways and Marine Affairs administration (AWZ) - provision and exchange of scientific information and use of measuring data on tidal systems
- MDK Coastal Division - Monitoring Network Flemish Banks data redistribution
- Ghent University, Biology department - biodiversity databases
- Prof Dr M. Vincx - meiobenthos/macrobenthos/hyperbenthos/epibenthos
- Prof Dr E. Coppejans - macroalgae
- Prof Dr W. Vyverman - Protista
- Prof Dr A. Vanreusel - meiobenthos of the deep sea and Antarctica
- Prof Dr K. Sabbe - microphytobenthos
- Hasselt University, Prof Dr E. Schockaert - biodiversity/taxonomic databases
