News

Biodiversity

Through the lens of a Video Plankton Recorder

02/09/2024 - 09:42
Ocean and seas cover 71% of the Earth's surface and are inhabited by diverse forms of life. Among these inhabitants, plankton emerges as a crucial component of the marine ecosystem. They dominate marine life in terms of abundance and biomass, and are essential contributors to the food web and the biological carbon pump. Additionally, plankton can serve as early indicators of changes in the marine...
Sea & health

Dr Edouard Delcroix Encouragement Award 2023

01/29/2024 - 15:17
The non-profit organisations HYDRO and Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) are awarding the Dr Edouard Delcroix Incentive Award for the fifth time. This international annual scientific prize, worth 2,500 EUR, will be awarded to a young scientist conducting research in the broad field of "ocean and human health". The incentive prize is reserved for candidates who recently obtained their master's...
Technology & innovation Sea & health

Plastic accumulates in riverbeds and banks of river mouths

01/25/2024 - 16:46
PLUXIN, one of the most comprehensive studies in Flemish coastal waters, seaports and estuaries, shows that plastic particles are everywhere. The quantities of 'microplastic' are an order of magnitude larger than the larger litter. It accumulates in riverbeds and on their banks. And estuaries, such as the Scheldt, are not sources of plastic to the open sea, but rather settling places. In turn, the...

Travel grants for the UN Ocean Decade Conference 2024 in Barcelona

01/04/2024 - 12:37
Are you an early career ocean professionals working in Belgium or from the Global South? Then this call is your opportunity to personally attend the Ocean Decade conference 2024 in Barcelona. And to co-deliver the science we need, for the ocean we want. The application deadline is 26 January 2024.
Technology & innovation

AI underwater noise library should ensure safety of offshore infrastructure and stimulate new research

12/20/2023 - 13:45
The Flemish government, through the VLIZ, is investing half a million EUR in the development of an underwater sound library for the North Sea. With these funds, the VLIZ aims to achieve automatic recognition of natural and human noise sources in the sea. Such knowledge and tools are essential for offshore security and for numerous AI-based research initiatives. Flemish Minister for Science, Jo...

Invitation for the Scientific Guidance Committee of VLIZ

11/16/2023 - 13:12
On Friday 1 December 2023 at 14h00, the Scientific Guidance Committee of the VLIZ Scientific Committee will meet at the InnovOcean Campus in Oostende. Marine experts from scientific institutions, policy and industry are kindly invited to attend this open meeting. This is thé time to be informed about VLIZ's activities and its research agenda for 2024. That afternoon, the Compendium for Coast and...
Biodiversity Blue economy The sea before Climate Technology & innovation Sea & health

Showcase your research at the VLIZ Marine Science Day 2024!

11/10/2023 - 11:18
Be part of the programme of VLIZ Marine Science Day 2024 on 6 March 2024 at De Grote Post in Oostende. The #VMSD24 – formally framed within the Belgian EU Presidency – will revolve entirely around the EU Mission Ocean & Waters, and its three main themes: ocean pollution, climate/carbon, and biodiversity. Make your own research part of the #VMSD24 programme and submit an abstract by 12 January 2024...
Climate Technology & innovation

Strengthening the Surface Ocean Carbon Value Chain

11/06/2023 - 13:41
Between 6 and 9 November 2023, over a hundred ocean carbon scientists from around the world are gathered at the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) in Oostende, Belgium, to review the status of the Surface Ocean Carbon Value Chain and decide on specific improvements to the structure, process and resulting delivery of critical information towards policy makers. In the near future this will be done by...
The sea before

ERC Synergy Grant for ambitious research of drowned North and Baltic Sea

10/31/2023 - 18:36
The EU is providing €13.2 million for in-depth research into the drowned and buried landscape of the North and Baltic Seas. Scientists from Flanders Marine Institute will join forces with the University of Bradford, the Geological Survey of the Netherlands and the University of York in a shared quest to explore traces of buried Stone Age settlements.
Biodiversity

Ocean Census and WoRMS Announce Partnership to Enhance Rapid Discovery and Identification of Marine Life

10/10/2023 - 10:04
The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), hosted and managed by the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), is proud to announce its partnership with Ocean Census . This collaboration will harness WoRMS’ expertise and global leadership in marine taxonomy and taxonomic data management to take a leading role in Ocean Census’s commitment to accelerate the discovery of ocean life and catalyse its...

European culinary competition - choosing for sustainable fish

10/02/2023 - 09:38
The culinary competition Olivier Roellinger challenges chefs and floor staff to choose for sustainable fish and correctly inform their customers about it. The competition is open to young chefs, students at catering schools, and floor staff in training. The idea of the competition is to choose consciously for sustainable seafood and so contribute to ocean conservation. Candidates can submit their...
Biodiversity

Building the biodiversity component of the Digital Twin of the Ocean: DTO-BioFlow Horizon Europe Project kicked-off

09/27/2023 - 14:11
Funded through the EC Horizon Europe Programme and coordinated by the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), the project aims at incorporating previously unavailable or difficult-to-access marine-biodiversity data into the biodiversity component of the EU Digital Twin Ocean, ensuring sustainable data flows for marine biodiversity research. Marine habitats present specific and one-of-a-kind issues when...