A virtual expedition confronts 17-18 year old youngsters with ten issues characteristic for the marine and coastal environment and pushes them to find creative, well-underpinned solutions for each case.

The project ‘Expedition Zeeleeuw’ is all about getting 17-18 year old students tuned in to the multitude of marine scientific research that takes place in Flanders these days. A virtual expedition (in Dutch) confronts the youngsters with ten issues characteristic for the marine and coastal environment (climate, shipping, fisheries, biodiversity, pollution, heritage, air quality, marine litter, spatial planning, war munition) and pushes them to find creative, well-underpinned solutions for each case. Is aquaculture of cod an alternative for the shrinking fisheries on that species? How to enter a harbour with a cargo ship, taking into account the waves, shallows and weather conditions? What to do with dumped war munition near to a densely populated coast? These and other issues are representative for the work of some 500 Flemish marine scientists active in and around the North Sea. The winning class team will be rewarded with a true one-week expedition with the oceanographic vessel Zeeleeuw.

This educational e-learning project for Dutch-speaking students of 17-18 years old is an initiative of the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) in partnership with SHE Consultancy and the administration Waterwegen en Zeewezen, division DAB Fleet. It fits in with the action plan ‘Wetenschapsinformatie en Innovatie’ of the Flemish Government and wants to stimulate young people to choose for a further education related to scientific research and technology. Within ‘Expedition Zeeleeuw’ the concepts of issue-related and social learning are considered very important.