On Wednesday 4 March, the VLIZ Marine Science Day (#VMSD26) took place at De Grote Post in Ostend. With 520 participants, it was the most attended edition ever. This annual event, recognised as an initiative within the UN Ocean Decade, brought together scientists, students and marine experts for an inspiring day filled with innovative research and networking opportunities. This year placed extra focus on international collaboration in marine science.
Relive the day through the livestream, abstracts and photos
As every year, VMSD highlighted forward-thinking research. Alongside engaging keynote lectures by Dr Joanna Post and Piet Opstaele, interactive stands and inspiring presentations, several prestigious prizes and research grants were awarded to promising scientists.
Missed VMSD26? Don’t worry – you can watch the full plenary session again on the VLIZ YouTube channel. If you would like more detailed information about the submitted posters and talks, visit the VMSD website to explore the Book of Abstracts. And if you would like to revisit the highlights, there is an extensive photo gallery. Can you spot yourself and your colleagues?
Innovation and recognition: awards and research grants
Several researchers received prestigious prizes and grants to support their work. One of the highlights was the presentation of the Dr Edouard Delcroix Awards. Sponsored by Hydro vzw and supported by VLIZ Philanthropy, these awards recognise research into the relationship between the ocean and human health.
Dr Edouard Delcroix Incentive Award 2025 – Elias De Craene (VLIZ, Ghent University, KU Leuven). Affect, Awe and Connectedness to the Environment in Different Coastal Areas: An Immersive Video Experiment.
Dr Edouard Delcroix Research Grant 2026 – Ilias Semmouri (Ghent University). Marine-Derived Bioactives: Red Seaweed Compounds in Diabetes Prevention and Therapy.
The Brilliant Marine Research Idea Grants 2026 are grants funded by VLIZ Philanthropy – ‘The Sea as a Good Cause’. They support promising ideas that push marine research to the next level.
Sophia Knoch (Ghent University) – Early struggles, lasting marks? How early life adversities shape telomere dynamics in herring gulls.
Frederik Van Daele (Ghent University) – Rooting for Resilience: Pioneering a low-cost in-situ monitoring network for dune-building engineers.
After a one-year pause, VLIZ once again presented its science awards in 2026 to recognise the work of outstanding young and experienced marine researchers:
North Sea Award – Nelle Meyers (Ghent University, VLIZ). Developing and Optimising a Cost- and Time-Effective Method for the Detection and Identification of Microplastics in the Marine Environment.
Master Thesis Award (Climate category) – Lucia Enes Gramoso (VUB). Integrating climatic controls and dispersal to project mangrove dynamics at a rapidly changing range limit.
Master Thesis Award (General category) – Timotheus Fügl (Oceans & Lakes). Comparison of in-situ and remotely sensed Particulate Inorganic Carbon in a coccolithophore bloom in the Iceland Basin.
The VLIZ Marine Science Day would not be complete without recognition from the audience for the best scientific presentations and posters of the day:
Best VMSD Poster Award – Martin Rios Leonardo Davier (Ghent University) for his research: Growing up on ecstasy: Developmental and behavioural effects of environmentally relevant MDMA exposure in zebrafish.
Best VMSD Presentation Award – Jasper Van Vlasselaer (ILVO) for his talk: Supporting the Transition to Low-Impact Fisheries.
Save the date: VMSD 2027
Don’t miss the next edition. On Wednesday 3 March 2027, the 26th VLIZ Marine Science Day will once again take place at De Grote Post in Ostend. Be sure to mark the date in your calendar. More details will follow in October 2026.
Do you have questions about this or the next VMSD? Get in touch via info@vliz.be. See you next year!