News

Off Greenland’s east coast, cold polar water flows south towards the North Atlantic Ocean. But the East Greenland Current does not follow a neat, straight path. It meanders, branches and spins off rotating masses of water: ocean eddies. Although relatively small, from a few kilometers to a few tens of kilometers across, these eddies can transport heat, nutrients, carbon and even pollutants, giving...

Can tiny sand mason worms help protect our coastline from erosion? In an innovative field experiment, Flemish researchers investigate how these remarkable marine engineers can be encouraged to settle on vulnerable beaches using specially designed artificial substrates. While ILVO scientists study how the worms establish new colonies and stabilise the sediment, researchers from VLIZ are mapping the...

The Arctic Ocean is changing rapidly, with consequences that are expected to extend far beyond the polar region. Over the coming months, and within the context of E(ddies)GC project , researchers from the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) will lead an international research effort to better understand one of the least explored drivers of polar climate: swirling ocean currents known as eddies...

With the publication of the Third World Ocean Assessment, the United Nations has released the most comprehensive evaluation ever undertaken of the state of the global ocean. The verdict is clear: the ocean provides food, oxygen and climate regulation, yet it is facing growing pressure worldwide. The report not only highlights the challenges but also identifies pathways towards a more sustainable...

Although the ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth's surface, only around 5% has been thoroughly explored. Through the new OceanEye initiative, the European Union aims to change that. By 2035, Europe wants to become a global leader in ocean observation and marine technologies.

On 9 May 2026 VLIZ joined the European Commission’s Open Day celebrations in Brussels on 9 May 2026. Together with DG MARE and DG RTD, and in the framework of the recently launched OceanEye initiative, VLIZ brought ocean observation closer to an estimated 18,000 visitors during a highly successful Europe Day event.

From 9 to 13 March 2026, a delegation from the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) conducted an extensive institutional visit to Chile. Building on a long-standing collaboration with Chilean partners, the mission marked a significant step in reinforcing VLIZ’s international engagement in leading ocean research. With visits to six locations, meetings with fourteen institutions and the signing of three...

The Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) plays a leading role in Europe in measuring CO 2 at the ocean surface, and is taking on the coordination of the European hub of the so-called Surface Ocean CO₂ Atlas (SOCAT). This EU hub was recently established to better coordinate the annual updates of the SOCAT synthesis products and to support SOCAT. The EU hub a.o. provides statistics for SOCAT, tracks...

This week (22–28 February 2026), VLIZ is well represented at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland. The Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM) is the flagship conference for the ocean sciences and the wider ocean-connected community. In addition to several oral and poster presentations, VLIZ employees will (co-)chair various sessions and attend back-to-back meetings. See the full overview of VLIZ...

On Wednesday 4 March 2026, the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) brings together the marine scientific community on the VLIZ Marine Science Day 2026 at De Grote Post, Ostend. This edition will be entirely devoted to the internationalisation of marine research and will offer a dynamic programme with inspiring speakers, interactive sessions and opportunities to strengthen cross-border collaborations...

On Friday 6 February 2026, VLIZ hosted the VLIZ PhD Symposium at the InnovOcean Campus in Ostend. This one-day event brought together PhD researchers, supervisors, external advisors and collaborators. It highlighted the diversity, quality and societal relevance of doctoral research conducted within the VLIZ Research Department in close collaboration with universities.

The ocean absorbs more than a quarter of our CO₂ emissions. But we still know too little about where and how much exactly, especially in remote areas where little data is collected. Surprisingly, sailing boats – during training sessions and competitions – can help to fill in these 'blind spots'. A recent study – to which Peter Landschützer of VLIZ contributed – showed that this citizen science...

From 17 to 20 November 2026, the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity 2026 will bring the global marine biodiversity community together in the historic city of Bruges, Belgium. Join the scientific conference as a participant or abstract presenter. On 18 November, the general public is also invited to a special screening of the deep-sea documentary How Deep is Your Love .

The latest publication from the European Marine Board takes a clear stance on the potential of today’s ocean-based approaches for extracting CO₂ from the atmosphere — known as marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR). An analysis of the most prominent ocean-based methods shows that none of them currently provide a viable alternative to cutting emissions at the source. Rapid reduction of CO₂ emissions...

Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels are projected to rise by 1.1% in 2025 – reaching a record high, according to new research by the Global Carbon Project. The 2025 Global Carbon Budget projects 38.1 billion tonnes of fossil carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions this year. Decarbonisation of energy systems is progressing in many countries – but this is not enough to offset the growth in global...

Michiel Perneel’s PhD research at the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), and Ghent University used advanced genetic techniques to uncover what plankton are actually doing in the Belgian North Sea. By applying metatranscriptomics – which reveals which genes are active at a given moment – he tracked the daily and seasonal activities of microscopic...

The philanthropic arm of VLIZ – The Sea as a Good Cause – continues to support young, creative marine researchers. This year, six research grants will be awarded again to PhD students and junior postdocs working in Flanders, as well as to doctoral students from the Global South. Key requirement: dare to think differently, dare to be innovative. Submit your proposal by 19 January 2026.

During the unprecedented marine heatwave in 2023, the global ocean absorbed significantly less CO₂ than anticipated. That show measurements analysed by an international team of climate scientists, including Peter Landschützer of the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ).