Cooperation

In its capacity as a supporting research infrastructure for marine sciences the VLIZ fulfils a special role. The cooperation with Belgian and foreign universities, research institutes and individual research groups is constantly extended by concluding cooperation agreements. The VLIZ furthermore participates in national and international networks and takes care of the image of Flemish marine and coastal research.

National cooperation agreements have been concluded with:

• Marine@UGent - marine research consortium at Ghent University
• Ghent University, Biology department - biodiversity databases
Prof. Dr M. Vincx - meiobenthos/macrobenthos/hyperbenthos/epibenthos (2003)
Prof. Dr E. Coppejans & Prof. Dr O. De Clerck - macroalgae (2003)
Prof. Dr W. Vyverman - Protista (2003)
Prof. Dr A. Vanreusel - meiobenthos of the deep sea and Antarctica (2003)
Prof. Dr K. Sabbe - microphytobenthos (2004)

• Hasselt University, Prof. Dr E. Schockaert & Prof. Dr T. Artois - biodiversity/taxonomic databases (2003)
• Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
  Prof. Dr J. Berlamont & Prof. Dr J. Monbaliu - hydrodynamics and sediment mechanics (2006)
  Prof. Dr F. Ollevier & Prof. Dr F. Volckaert - marine and estuarine biology databases (2006)
  
• Free University of Brussels(VUB), Prof. Dr N. Koedam & Dr F. Dahdouh-Guebas - mangroves (2007)
• Université Libre de Bruxelles, Prof. Dr F. Dahdouh-Guebas - mangroves (2008)
• University of Atnwerp, Prof. Dr P. Meire - environmental effects in the Belgian part of the Scheldt estuary (OMES)
• Flemish Heritage Instituten (VIOE) - maritime archaeology and nautical heritage (2004)
• Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, Animal Science Unit-Fisheries Research Area (ILVO-Fisheries) - monitoring data and fisheries data (2006)
• Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO) - information exchange and data management with regard to marine and coastal research (2007)
including a renewal of the cooperation to enhance the access to the data- and information systems, and capacity building (2009)
• The MUMM department of RBINS - cooperation with regard to RV Zeeleeuw and RV Belgica (2002)
• Flemish Environment Agency (VMM) - development and management of databases in connection with the monitoring of transitional and coastal waters (2009)
• Policy domain Mobility and Public Works (MOW) - disclosure and exchange of scientific information and use of the measurement data of tidal systems (2003)
• Agency for Maritime Services & Coast, , Coastal Division - redistribution of data from Monitoring Network Flemish Banks (2001)
• Agency for Maritime Services & Coast, , Coastal Division - management of greenhouses for dune research in De Haan (2000)
• Agency for Maritime Services & Coast, , Coastal Division - chairing of the Sluice Dock management committee, management of data and website (2001)
• DAB Fleet - , Coastal Division, management of the Zeeleeuw research vessel (2002)
• Agency for Maritime Services & Coast, and Research Institute for Nature and Forest INBO) - monitoring of Flemish beaches (2006)

International cooperation agreements have been concluded with:

• Oceanological Center of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine - Sevastopol, Ukraine
• Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) - Hanoi, Vietnam (2011)
• Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) - Mombasa, Kenya: partnership for research, technology and education (2011)
• Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) - Texel & Yerseke, The Netherlands
• Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (ECIM) - Santiago, Chili

National networks:

• VLIZ Scientific Committee
• editorial board and etymological expert team Grote Rede
• member of the Executive Committee and Consultative Group of the Coordination Centre on Integrated Coastal Zone management (CDK)
• secretariat of the Belgian Network for Coastal Research (BeNCoRe)
• member of the Platform for Science Communication (SciCom)
• member of the Flanders Environmental Library Network (FELNET)
• member of the Flemish Association for Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres (VVBAD)
• member of the Flemish Research Libraries Council (VOWB)
• member of Flanders' Maritime Cluster vzw
• member of the Flemish Water Knowledge Center (VLAKWA)

• member of the IODE data centre network (UNESCO/IOC); host of the UNESCO/IOC Project Office for IODE
• member of the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO)
• member of the POGO News & Information Group representative of the Research Foundation - Flanders in the Marien Board of the European Science Foundation (ESF)
• representative of the Research Foundation Flanders in the European Marine Board
• member of the European Marine Board Communications Panel (EMBCP)
• member of the European Centre for Information on Marine Science and Technology (EurOcean)
• representative of the Economy, Science and Innovation Administration (EWI) in the FP6 ERA-net project MarinERA
• member of the European Network of Marine Research Institutes & stations (MARS)
• member of the European Research Vessel Organisation (ERVO)
• member of the European Federation of Marine Science and Technology Societies (EFMS)
• member of the European Association of Aquatic Sciences Libraries and Information Centres (EURASLIC)
• member of the International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers (IAMSLIC)
• national input centre of ASFA of the Food & Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)
• member of the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA)
• member of the European Census of Marine Life (MarBEF+)
• member of the Society for the Management of European Biodiversity Data (SMEBD)
• member of the executive committee’ of the ‘European Register of Marine Species (ERMS)
• member of the ICES ‘Study Group on Biodiversity Science (SGBIODIV)'
• member of the ICES 'Working Group on Marine Data Management (WGMDM)'
• member of the steering committee’ of the ‘World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS)
• coordinator of the European node (EUROBIS) of the ‘Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) of the ‘Census of Marine Life’ (CoML)
• partner of the Sea Data Network (SeaDataNet)
• partner of the Global Sea Level Observing System Network (GLOSS)
• partner of the International Coastal Atlas Network (ICAN)
• member of the Marine Observation and Data Expert Group (MODEG) as part of the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODNET)
• host of the Scheldt Information Centre - Flanders (SIC)
• member of Species 2000