From drowned Quaternary landscapes and prehistoric traces of human life to climate change and the future of offshore research: from 1 to 3 December 2026, scientists, policymakers, heritage experts and industry representatives from across Europe will gather in Ostend for the North Sea Conference – Shifting Shores. Organisers VLIZ, Ghent University, RBINS, GSB and TNO-GDN invite researchers and interested professionals alike to take part actively in the conference. The call for abstracts remains open until 15 July.
The North Sea is now one of the world’s busiest seas, yet during the Quaternary period (the past 2.58 million years) it was repeatedly exposed as dry land and, at other times, transformed into a shallow sea. These dramatic shifts in the coastline – Shifting Shores – are the central theme of the second edition of the international North Sea Conference at De Grote Post in Oostende, Belgium. The event will bring together experts working on underwater landscapes, climate history, geoarchaeology, Ice Age environments and innovative techniques for mapping the seabed.
The conference is not aimed solely at academic researchers. Professionals from the offshore sector, archaeology, geology, maritime technology, heritage management and policy are also invited to exchange knowledge and experiences. New data emerging from offshore wind projects and seabed research are creating unprecedented opportunities to better understand both the history and the future of the North Sea.
Under the theme Shifting Shores: New Horizons in Quaternary Studies of the North Sea, the conference aims to showcase the scientific advances made since the first North Sea Conference, held in Utrecht in 2019, concerning the nature and development of the environment and landscape of the central and southern North Sea and the English Channel.
Key themes include:
- Mapping and investigating the Quaternary subsurface record
- Palaeolandscape reconstructions and geoarchaeology
- Quaternary ice limits and submerged (peri)glacial landscapes
- Past climate and sea-level records
- Advances in research and mapping approaches
Over the course of three conference days, participants can attend lectures, poster sessions, networking events and a conference dinner. Organisations will have the opportunity to host their own back-to-back meetings at the VLIZ InnovOcean Campus, before or after the conference. In addition, on 1 December the wider public can attend a special lecture by the legendary “Sir Mammoth” Dick Mol on the lost world of the mammoth steppe (in Dutch).
Researchers still have until 15 July to submit an abstract for an oral presentation or poster. Students and early-career researchers are especially encouraged to participate. Reduced registration fees are intended to actively involve the next generation of North Sea researchers.
Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Ghent University, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) & Geological Survey of Belgium (GSB), and the Geological Survey of the Netherlands (TNO-GDN).
All available information on the North Sea Conference: Shifting Shores can be consulted on the website of the conference.
