News

On Friday 21 October 16:00, the new Flemish research vessel "Simon Stevin" has been launched in Galati (Roemenia). The body of the vessel - in the near future replacing the current "R/V Zeeleeuw" - will be shipped to the yard of Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam (part of the Damen Shipyards Group) in The Netherlands, to be completed there.

...to support the core activities of the Marine Board secretariat in working with marine scientists to deliver scientific strategy and foresight, driving future seas and oceans research. The work will also include support to activities funded by the European Commission via Framework Programme 7 projects, and other contracts. Read more on the profile and conditions. Please send your application by...

Are you the next laureat of the ‘VLIZ North Sea Award’? Scientists or research groups can submit their subscription file until the 15th of November 2011.

Did you recently graduate at a Flemish university or technical college? Are you proud of your marine (or coastal) thesis? Then you have to apply for the VLIZ Thesis Awards for Marine Sciences 2011! Subscription before the 15th of November 2011.

The closing conference of the FP7-project CLAMER (European Research and Public Perception of Climate Change Impacts in the Marine Environment) - 15 September 2011, Brussels - will give a state-of-the-art of the EU research results on marine climate change, including the results of a pan-European public poll, conducted to investigate public views and understanding about climate change and the...

To celebrate World Oceans Day 2011, the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) organises a full evening`s programme in Bruges, Belgium. Three experts inform the public at large on a sea in constant change (in Dutch).

The portal of PESI (Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) has been launched: www.eu-nomen.eu/portal and is available in 21 European languages. With time, it will be possible to find and search through the information of all species appearing in Europe. Not only the species living in seas and oceans, but also of all terrestrial and aquatic species. Currently, there are already nearly...

The North Sea has fundamentally changed. Big tuna fish and biologically rich seafloors including native oyster banks have largely disappeared during the last centuries and made room for all kind of human activities (fisheries, shipping, sand and gravel extraction, pollution, etc.) and for highly impacted underwater landscapes. However, the tide seems to be turning and at present about 5.4% of the...

On Friday 11 March Japan was hit by a massive earthquake, with the epicentre lying approximately 130km offshore the northeast coast. Promptly a tsunami ánd tsunami alert followed. The progress of the wave could be followed via the Sea Level Station Monitoring Facility - a website developed by the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) in Ostend/Belgium for the Project Office for IODE (IOC/UNESCO) and...

On Friday 25 February 333 marine scientists from Flanders and around met at the eleventh edition of the VLIZ Young Marine Scientists' Day at the site Oud Sint-Jan in Bruges. The day was full of surprising pitch speeches and an extensive poster session. This gave the participants a nice overview of the latest, current marine and coastal research. The public could vote for the best speaker and...

On Friday 4 March 2011, the French biomedical scientist Dr. Eric Honoré will be awarded the prestigious ‘Prize Dr. Edouard Delcroix’ 2010 in Ostend, for his in-depth research on the beneficial impact of fish-derived polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on cardiovascular disease mortality.

Every year the VLIZ employs several students for the months of July, August or September. You can apply by sending a mail with your CV and an application letter to jan.mees@vliz.be.

Until 2 May researchers of European universities and public research institutions can demand for free access on board of 12 European regional research vessels.

In February 2011 the Flemish research vessel Zeeleeuw celebrated its 10th anniversary. On the celebration - held on Wednesday 9 February - a hunderd users and sympathizers were present. The history of the ship and its importance for marine science and education in Flanders was emphasized.

Join us on the 25 th of February 2011 for the eleventh edition of the ‘VLIZ Young Marine Scientists' Day’. 300 marine and coastal scientists from our North Sea region registred yet to participate to this marine happening, but registration is open till the 18 th of February. Remember: the Young Marine Scientsist' Day is D-Day to meet each other and learn to know each others work within an informal...

Between 25 and 27 January our marine technician Michiel T'Jampens will follow a multibeam training onboard the RV G.O. Sars near Bergen (Norway). The acquired skills will be used in future multibeam work on the new research vessel 'Simon Stevin'.

The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) and associated databases are an index to the book of life, but our further goal is for every species to have its face on the web.

Kindly block 25 February in your diary. On that day VLIZ organises the 2011 edition of the VLIZ Young Marine Scientists' Day. A day where you can meet the marine and coastal scientists from the region of Flanders and surroundings. A day interesting for students and recently started researchers, as well as for senior reserachers. For all of them it is definitively important to get an overview of...