Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:59:43 +0000 en Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:31:10 +0000 PRESS ALERT: It doesn’t happen every day that a Flemish institution is globally recognized for its sustained efforts. The Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) was awarded this honour and saw its efforts in managing marine data since 2000 rewarded with an international certification within the World Data System of the International Council for Science (ICSU). VLIZ is now an official member of a global network of 28 world data centres.... ]]> Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:09:43 +0000 The 'VLIZ Young Marine Scientists' Day' 2012 invites all marine scientists in Flanders and around. On Friday 24 February you can discover the quality, diversity and relevance of the multidsiciplinaire marine research in Bruges (KHBO). Submit your abstract by 9 December 2011 and present your research in a clear, concise and attractive way.... ]]> Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:41:47 +0000 WoRMS was quoted as a source of information many times during the World Conference of Marine Biodiversity (25-30 September 2011, Aberdeen, UK), the largest ever conference of marine biologists with almost 1000 present.... ]]> Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:11:53 +0000 The new Global Species Database (GSD) contains over 11,000 accepted species and is a merge of the World Register of Polychaeta by Kristian Fauchald (2007) and numerous additions/edits from Geoff Read (>2009), and several other editors.... ]]> Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:13:09 +0000 The World Modern Foraminifera Database currently contains roughly 10,000 names, including 6,700 accepted species. It also contains 1,100 references and around 2,700 images of species.
The (3) editors are: Bruce W. Hayward; Tomas Cedhagen; Mike Kaminski.... ]]> Tue, 10 May 2011 07:36:27 +0000 The portal of PESI (Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) has been launched: www.eu-nomen.eu/portal and is available in 21 European languages. With time, it will be possible to find and search through the information of all species appearing in Europe. Not only the species living in seas and oceans, but also of all terrestrial and aquatic species. Currently, there are already nearly half a million scientific and non-scientific names in 88 languages for over 210 000 species and over 6 million distribution records.... ]]> Mon, 02 May 2011 10:50:45 +0000 The correct spelling of a species name is not always trivial and it is even more difficult for non-taxonomists to keep up with the valid status of species names. VLIZ now provides the 'Taxon Match Tool': a powerful semi-automated name validation tool to cross-check the spelling and taxonomic status of species.... ]]> Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:39:25 +0000 Version 6.0 of this global database covering the maritime boundaries of all coastal states worldwide is now available at www.vliz.be/vmdcdata/marbound. ]]> Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:55:08 +0000 On Friday 11 March Japan was hit by a massive earthquake, with the epicentre lying approximately 130km offshore the northeast coast. Promptly a tsunami ánd tsunami alert followed. The progress of the wave could be followed via the Sea Level Station Monitoring Facility - a website developed by the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) in Ostend/Belgium for the Project Office for IODE (IOC/UNESCO) and several IOC programmes.... ]]> Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:39:10 +0000 To improve access to high quality marine data, the European Commission sets up the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) and different thematic data portals are under development. Currently the prototype of the marine biological data portal of EMODnet is launched. This open-access portal provides data on the distribution of marine species (including environmental data layers). We welcome you to visit the data portal and are looking forward to receiving your personal feedback to help shape the final European marine biological data portal.... ]]> Fri, 10 Dec 2010 09:12:50 +0000 The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) and associated databases are an index to the book of life, but our further goal is for every species to have its face on the web.... ]]> Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:21:36 +0000 CaRMS is one of the regional species registers in WoRMS, containing authoritative species distribution records for marine areas of interest to Canadian researchers and includes taxa found in three oceans: the Atlantic, the Arctic and the Pacific.... ]]> Mon, 01 Nov 2010 08:00:00 +0000 Oceanographers worldwide, united in the Partnership for the Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO) - where VLIZ represents the Belgian marine scientists - and the organisation ‘Oceans United’ will plead on the GEO Plenary and Ministerial Summit for a more systematic monitoring of the state of our global oceans. By means of recent and innovative digital developments, an implementation of such a surveillance system is feasible. Now more than ever.... ]]> Fri, 01 Oct 2010 11:02:00 +0000 Together with a wide range of field experts from Belgium and taxonomic experts worldwide, the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) started to compile an inventory of all species living in the Belgian part of North Sea. At the moment, the Belgian Register of Marine Species (BeRMS) comprises 2187 species. An updated version of this list is consultable at all times via the new website of the Belgian register of Marine Species (BeRMS).... ]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 06:59:58 +0000 To underpin and implement the integrated European Maritime Policy, including the Framework Marine Strategy, all available knowledge have to be combined and mobilized. Europe's fragmented activities for observing the sea should be integrated into an coherent package. With its new campaign 'Marine Knowledge 2020' the EU want to draw the attention to the further extension of a 'European Observation and Data Netwerk (EMODnet)'. Presently VLIZ coordinates the biological pilot project of EMODnet (2009-2012). The European Commission assembled a promotional video for the campaign with a.o. images of VLIZ and Flemish marine scientist at work.... ]]> Tue, 14 Sep 2010 08:31:17 +0000 The journal Plant Ecology and Evolution has recently published a paper on the ‘Mangrove Reference Database and Herbarium’, which is an integral part of the World Register of Marine Species, hosted by the Flanders Marine Institute.... ]]> Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:31:33 +0000 Until recently, the ScheldeMonitor was mainly known as an information system containing all publications, projects and data sets with regard to research and monitoring in the Scheldt estuary. Now major steps were made to develop ScheldeMonitor further into a data portal in which actual measurement data can be consulted.... ]]> Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:05:28 +0000 Reliable measurement data are needed to put the new European integral marine strategy into practice. The accessibility of data and related information deserves attention as well. To achieve this, the European Commission will establish a European marine observation and data network (EMODnet). To determine how such a network will look like in the future, five pilot projects (for biological, chemical, hydrological and geological data and for mapping habitats) have been set up (2009-2011). VLIZ is responsible for the biological pilot and is involved in the chemical share. Within the biological lot the VLIZ data centre will not only offer biological marine data in a standard format and known quality, but also will identify the gaps in the geographical coverage and time. Now the pilot portal of the project is launched.... ]]> Wed, 31 Mar 2010 09:16:48 +0000 The Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) collaborated in the development of a user-friendly web application for the calculation of the biologic BEQI-index (Benthic Ecosystem Quality Index), making the ecologic assessment of coastal and transitional waters based on bottom animals (macrobenthos) - according to the Water Framework Directive - more accessible: www.beqi.eu.... ]]> Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:29:23 +0000 The progress of the tsunami was followed closely via the sea level monitoringssystem, developed by IOC/UNESCO, IODE and VLIZ in Oostend, Belgium.... ]]> Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:33:25 +0000 Version 5.0 of this global database covering the maritime boundaries of all coastal states worldwide is now available at www.vliz.be/vmdcdata/marbound. In 2009 VLIZ counted more than 2000 downloads by users from all over the world. The dataset is used for the preparation of building and development plans at sea, environmental impact assessments, marine and coastal studies, school projects, etc.... ]]> Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:43:49 +0000 With this initiative the UNESCO/IOC Project Office for IODE, in co-operation with the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), wants the local marine scientists to get in touch with world leading experts, often present at the InnovOcean Site in Ostend for a training course or meeting. On the 14th of December 2009 an afternoon session (16.00 - 18.30) is organised in which three specialists of EUMETSAT, WMO and NOAA will explain how satellite wind and wave products are implemented in marine forecasting.... ]]> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:50:26 +0000 By the end of November we have a big celebration in Oostende! The Flanders Marine Institute celebrates its 10 year anniversary with a two-day event in Thermae Palace. On Thursday 26 November there is a full evening's programme on the coast and sea for the public at large (in Dutch - BOOKED UP). During the day on Friday 27 November we organise the 10th VLIZ Young Marine Scientists' Day: a must for all marine researchers in Flanders and surroundings! That night an academic ceremony is closing off the festivities (only for invited guests; in Dutch). ]]> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:16:24 +0000 Earlier the VLIZ and IOC developed the Sea Level Station Monitoring Facility. Through this web-based application one can easily control the operational status of global and regional networks of real time sea level stations, and perform a quick inspection of the raw data stream from almost 300 GLOSS stations along the coasts of the Indian Ocean, the North East Atlantic & Mediterranean, the Pacific and the Caribbean. Now the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) officially received the mandate to function as a GLOSS data centre for real-time sea level data. In this way the Flanders marine Data Centre (FMDC) will assist the three other GLOSS designated data centre: PSMSL (Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level), BODC (British Oceanographic Data Centre) en UHSLC (University of Hawaii Sea Level Centre).... ]]> Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:02:15 +0000 With the website of the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS: www.marinespecies.org) the VLIZ and worldwide taxonomic experts aim to provide the most authoritative list of names of all marine species globally, ever published. The number of visitors to this website is increasing. Now monthly 1,000,000 hits are counted, meaning on an average day more than 2,000 visits per day.... ]]> Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:07:13 +0000 In order to give marine scientists in Flanders the opportunity to stay informed about the latest developments in the field of oceanography in general and marine data and information management, marine biodiversity and ocean modeling in particular, the IOC Project Office for IODE has started - in cooperation with the Flanders Marine Institute - with the organisation of scientific seminars. On 19 October 2009 three top scientists will present their work with atmosphere-ocean models to deal with coastal hazards.... ]]> Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:11:01 +0000 The MARBOUND database, documenting the boundaries of the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ's) of countries worldwide, is updated again. The last version differs from version 3.0 in the repaired boundary between Canada and USA and a higher precision of the boundary between Denmark and Germany (at the Flensburg Fjord). The new shapefiles, together with their earlier versions, are now available on the MARBOUND website.... ]]> Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:32:02 +0000 The Flanders Marine Institute VLIZ heavily stakes on web applications, thus enhancing the visibility of marine reserach results.... ]]> Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:26:47 +0000 The MARBOUND database is updated again. In the newest version 3.0 the borders of the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) are tight-fitting to a high resolution shoreline dataset (GSHHS). The new shapefiles, together with their earlier versions, are now available on the MARBOUND website.... ]]> Sun, 31 May 2009 22:00:00 +0000 Marking the World Register's official inauguration, some 55 researchers from 17 countries met in Belgium to plan its completion by 2010. Leading World Register experts independently estimate that about 230,000 marine species are known to science. They also believe there are three times as many unknown (unnamed) marine species as known, for a grand total on Earth that could surpass 1 million.... ]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 13:16:48 +0000 Results of the large data integration MacroBen (large-scale studies of the European benthos) published in Open Access in a theme section of Marine Ecology Progress Series.... ]]> Thu, 07 May 2009 13:52:38 +0000 In February 2009, an editorial appeared in Nature 'The way ahead for polar science'. The authors stressed that, although the 4th International Polar Year (IPY) has come to an end, polar research should remain a top priority. They also urged for setting up an open archive to collect all the data generated by IPY and to make these publicly available for further research.... ]]> Mon, 04 May 2009 11:06:30 +0000 The Coastal & Marine WIKI is an innovative source of up-to-date high quality information on coastal management and marine sciences. The more than 1,100 articles in this Internet encyclopaedia are provided by and for coastal professionals.... ]]> Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:13:00 +0000 In our MARBOUND database an update of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) files is done. The shapefiles, together with their earlier version, are now available on the MARBOUND website.... ]]> Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:41:55 +0000 In the framework of some projects, the datacentre sends out newsletters on a regular base... ]]> Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:13:00 +0000 VLIZ is involved in the creation of a World Register of Marine Species. In January 2008 we passed our first 100,000 species milestone.... ]]> Wed, 28 May 2008 08:06:52 +0000 The Marine Data Archive is an online system that offers scientists, research groups and project partners the possibility to archive and describe their data in an external archive.... ]]> Wed, 07 May 2008 22:00:00 +0000 WorMS is being showcased on a series of gigantic (75m long) one Million-Word Street Posters in Christchurch (New Zealand).... ]]>