The Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research (ILVO) conducts multidisciplinary and independent research aimed at sustainable agriculture and fisheries within an economic, environmental and social perspective. ILVO builds up fundamental and applied knowledge necessary to monitor the environment, improve products and production methods, monitor the quality and safety of end products and improve policy instruments. The marine research within ILVO is mainly carried out at the Ostend site and includes the research domains 'Aquatic Environment and Quality' and 'Fisheries and Aquatic Production'.
The group 'Aquatic Environment and Quality' studies the influence of all human activities on the (benthic) aquatic ecosystem, the quality of the marine environment, the health and quality of marine products and the structural and functional marine biodiversity. This includes, inter alia:
- long-term monitoring, biological response to a changing marine environment (benthos, fish, jellyfish, bacteria), chemical pollution, marine waste and microplastics, climate change, invasive species, etc.;
- biological, (bio)chemical and physical impact of all human activities (integrated evaluation, in-combination and cumulative impact), in situ and lab experiments;
- genetic research (barcoding, metabarcoding, functional genetics, metagenomics, etc.);
- ecosystem-based management and marine nature conservation (MSFD, MSP), structural and functional indicators, ecological modelling;
- healthy and qualitative fishery products (freshness, food safety, food integrity, rapid detection, biosensors, etc.);
- blue biotechnology (e.g. micro/macroalgae in pharmaceuticals and nutrition, biodegradable plastics, natural antifouling, etc.).
The group 'Fisheries and Aquatic Production' studies marine animal and plant production in all its forms and includes, amongst others, the following disciplines:
- fisheries data collection (fish stocks, socioeconomic data, fish processing, aquaculture, recreational marine fishing);
- customised software and measuring equipment;
- model-based integration of various data types (including VMS) including, a.o., fish stock estimates, management strategies and ecosystem approach;
- fleet dynamics and the effects of policy measures (quotas, fishing effort, technical adjustments, etc.), socio-economic modelling, participation processes, etc.;
- fisheries technical innovation (adaptation of fishing gear, pulse fishing, passive techniques, etc.) and related impact studies (soil impact, selectivity, etc.);
- the valorisation of by-products (i.e. fishery by-products and the fish processing sector) with a view to a circular bioeconomy;
- development and implementation of methods to achieve sustainable fishing activities and related products;
- research on integrated multitrophic aquaculture systems, recirculation systems, new breeding species and feed, multiple use of space, etc.
The research within ILVO-Marine is supported by a technological knowledge pool and extensive logistics within the wider ILVO. The department has BELAC accredited laboratories, its own seawater supply and experimental and aquaculture facilities. ILVO-Marine also stands for extensive consultancy and services, actively participates in a multitude of national and international research projects and collaborates with numerous national and foreign institutes. |
Derous, S.; Austen, M.; Claus, S.; Daan, N.; Dauvin, J.-C.; Deneudt, K.; Depestele, J.; Desroy, N.; Heessen, H.; Hostens, K.; Marboe, A.H.; Lescrauwaet, A.-K.; Moreno, M.P.; Moulaert, I.; Paelinckx, D.; Rabaut, M.; Rees, H.; Ressurreição, A.; Roff, J.C.; Santos, P.T.; Speybroeck, J.; Willems, W.; Stienen, E.W.M.; Tatarek, A.; ter Hofstede, R.; Vincx, M.; Zarzycki, T.; Degraer, S. (2007). Building on the concept of marine biological valuation with respect to translating it to a practical protocol: Viewpoints derived from a joint ENCORA-MARBEF initiative. Oceanologia 49(4): 579-586, 