News

Bioplastics* cannot be seen as the ‘holy grail’ for the marine plastic problem after all. The research by Zhiyue Niu, PhD student at Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) and UGent, shows that bioplastics also break down into microplastic particles under the influence of UV radiation and wave action, albeit to a lesser extent than the usual petroleum-based plastics. Bioplastics also leak their...

For nine days in September 2023, researchers observed an unprecedented seismic signal. The cause of this mysterious ‘earth tremor’ turned out to be a giant landslide in Greenland: a mass of 25 million m3 of rock and ice came loose and thundered into the Dickson Fjord. This created a 200 metre high megatsunami that kept sloshing back and forth in the narrow fjord for nine days, a phenomenon known...

On Tuesday 3 September 2024, Her Majesty the Queen visited the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ). The visit was framed within the United Nations' Agenda 2030, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through which the international community aims to address major global challenges such as poverty, climate change, or increasing inequalities.

New research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) – in collaboration with several partners including VLIZ – has found that the Southern Ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide (CO 2) than previously thought. Using direct measurements of CO 2 exchange or fluxes between air and sea, the scientists found that the ocean around Antarctica absorbs 25% more CO 2 than...

In her PhD thesis, Clea Parcerisas (VLIZ, UGent) focused on developing automated methods for analysing and characterising the totality of underwater sounds in shallow and heavily exploited coastal areas. In order to use this so-called soundscapes – caused by both nature and human activities – as an early warning signal or 'canary' when monitoring noise pollution and other human impacts in the sea.

The VLIZ annual report provides an overview of the highlights of 2023 and looks back on the functioning of the institute at the service of marine science research, policymakers, industry, educators, and the general public. Through performance indicators (KPIs), impact trajectories, lots of figures, and various listings, VLIZ tries to be as transparent as possible about its overall operation.

For her PhD research, Nelle Meyers (VLIZ, ILVO, UGent) developed a new cost- and time-effective method for the detection and identification of microplastics in the marine environment. The semi-automatic method combines staining of microplastic particles with the fluorescent dye nile red and machine-learning algorithms. The method tested reliably for most types of polymers, even when the...

On June 13, the third edition of the Digital Ocean Forum (DOF2024) high-level event, held under the auspices of the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU, took place in Brussels. It was co-organised by the European Commission’s Directorates-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD), Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), and Defence, Industry and Space (DG DEFIS). The Flanders Marine...

Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ, Belgium) takes a major step towards full-fledged remote-controlled operations for marine research and innovation. Following a European tender, VLIZ awarded the contract for the construction of a long-range, multi-purpose, unmanned surface vehicle (USV) to Maritime Robotics (Norway). Over the last year, Maritime Robotics and VLIZ have collaborated intensively on the...

With the commissioning of the state-of-the-art robot 'USV Gobelijn' and the fast work boat 'Abbé Mann', the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) has reached a new milestone. In combination with the realisation of a science port in Ostend, the research institute is ready for more flexible and remotely operated groundbreaking marine research and innovation.

This spring, the Flanders Marine Institute is opening six vacancies to recruit new PhD candidates. Curious which new research projects we are launching in close collaboration with one or more of the Flemish universities?

From 10 - 12 April 2024, over 1.500 in-person participants and thousands of virtual participants gathered for the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference , which was hosted by Spain, and co-organized by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO) in close collaboration with the Region of Catalonia and the Barcelona City Council.

Ocean and seas cover 71% of the Earth's surface and are inhabited by diverse forms of life. Among these inhabitants, plankton emerges as a crucial component of the marine ecosystem. They dominate marine life in terms of abundance and biomass, and are essential contributors to the food web and the biological carbon pump. Additionally, plankton can serve as early indicators of changes in the marine...

The non-profit organisations HYDRO and Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) are awarding the Dr Edouard Delcroix Incentive Award for the fifth time. This international annual scientific prize, worth 2,500 EUR, will be awarded to a young scientist conducting research in the broad field of "ocean and human health". The incentive prize is reserved for candidates who recently obtained their master's...

On 16 January 2024, the ‘Rustpunt’ in Ghent served as a historic, green site to host the three-day kick-off meeting of the new project 'DuneFront'. This innovative project is funded through the European Commission's Horizon Europe Programme and coordinated by Ghent University.

PLUXIN, one of the most comprehensive studies in Flemish coastal waters, seaports and estuaries, shows that plastic particles are everywhere. The quantities of 'microplastic' are an order of magnitude larger than the larger litter. It accumulates in riverbeds and on their banks. And estuaries, such as the Scheldt, are not sources of plastic to the open sea, but rather settling places. In turn, the...

Are you an early career ocean professionals working in Belgium or from the Global South? Then this call is your opportunity to personally attend the Ocean Decade conference 2024 in Barcelona. And to co-deliver the science we need, for the ocean we want. The application deadline is 26 January 2024.

The Flemish government, through the VLIZ, is investing half a million EUR in the development of an underwater sound library for the North Sea. With these funds, the VLIZ aims to achieve automatic recognition of natural and human noise sources in the sea. Such knowledge and tools are essential for offshore security and for numerous AI-based research initiatives. Flemish Minister for Science, Jo...