Measuring is knowing!
The Belgian part of the North Sea is one of the most minutely studied seas. Right from the beginning of the 19th century, different research areas were investigated such as:
• geography
• chemistry
• flow patterns
• fish stocks
• fauna & flora
• impact of human activities on land / on sea on the marine environment
Who conducts this research?
Scientific research is increasingly relevant to the marine environmental policy. In Belgium, a number of scientific institutions are responsible for this:
• the Directorate Natural Environment (OD Nature) of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (KBIN): the federal scientific institution responsible for monitoring the marine environment (including modelling and surveillance).
• the Federal Public Services and Public Planning Services (BELSPO): federal administration which coordinates and co-funds the scientific research in Belgium.
• the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO): Flemish research institute with a department for fisheries research.
• some universities (in particular, UGENT, ULB, VUB, ULiège, UA) have research departments where important fundamental marine and maritime researches are conducted.
Need an overview?
The MUMM compiles all scientific data obtained from the Belgian research projects in the "Belgian Marine Data Centre" (BMDC).
The Flemish Marine Institute (VLIZ) is the coordination and information platform for marine research in Flanders. It manages the Flemish Marine Data and Information Centre (VMDC).