News

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...

Tiny, but they pack a big punch! With a total of 10³¹ particles, viruses form the most abundant biological entities in the ocean. By selectively lysing their cellular hosts, viruses release dissolved organic matter, redirecting the flow of energy and nutrients away from higher trophic levels and toward microbial recycling, directly influencing biogeochemical fluxes within an ecosystem. Some...

On 12 February 2026, the Flanders Marine Institute welcomed Rector Petra De Sutter and Vice-Rector Herwig Reynaert to Ostend. During the visit, the activities of VLIZ were explained, and the close and long-standing collaboration with Ghent University in the field of marine sciences was reinforced.

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.

On 20 January 2026, a delegation from the Flanders Marine Institute visited the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) in Mombasa. The meeting focused on deepening cooperation between Kenya and Belgium, with an emphasis on capacity building, shared research infrastructure, and the sustainable development of the ocean.

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...

For her PhD research, geologist and oceanographer Alice Ofélia Matossian (Ghent University) made extensive use of the VLIZ fleet of underwater robots and its scientific expertise. Thanks to this collaboration, an important step has been taken towards understanding how large sediment accumulations form on the seafloor of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) proudly announces that Dr Gert Everaert, its vice research director and manager of the Ocean and Human Health research group, has received the prestigious Laureate of the Academy Prize in Natural Sciences from the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (KVAB).

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 .

Between 2008 and 2024, Belgian universities and research institutes published between 447 and 974 peer-reviewed papers each year, across 2,006 different scientific journals. This output is on a par with the larger marine institutes in our neighbouring countries. A growing share of these papers is open access, rising from about 34% in 2008 to a provisional high of 79% in 2023.

Plastic pollution remains one of the most pressing social and environmental challenges worldwide. In response, a range of mitigation strategies have been implemented including policy interventions and legislative frameworks, the development of alternative materials, and technological innovations aimed at removing existing plastics from the environment. In her PhD thesis defended on December 3 2025...

The European Digital Twin Ocean, a flagship EU initiative turning ocean data into actionable knowledge, has entered its second phase with a €14 million investment. Led by Mercator Ocean International and the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) on behalf of the European Commission, this new stage — known as EDITO2 (2025–2028) — will both enhance the platform’s technological capabilities and expand co...

VLIZ invites researchers to present their work at the VLIZ Marine Science Day 2026, either through a short pitch or a poster. The event will take place on Wednesday 4 March 2026 at De Grote Post in Ostend. This year’s edition focuses entirely on internationalisation and offers a dynamic programme featuring inspiring presentations and interactive moments. In addition, visitors will be able to...

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...

A new VLIZ report, commissioned by the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, maps out key opportunities and strategies to improve communication between marine scientists and policymakers. The publication Advancing knowledge exchange at the marine science-policy interface – An assessment of current tools and strategies offers a comprehensive four-chapter analysis of current best practices...

A system of barrier islands existed off the central Belgian coast around 4,000 BC. Much like the Dutch Wadden Sea today, this long-lived coastal system comprised sandy islands fronting a mosaic of tidal flats and marshes. The once-famous island of Testerep appears to have been part of this system. It began to vanish from around AD 500, for reasons that remain unknown, while the currently existing...