• Theme

    Our sea in a nutshell

    The Belgian part of the North Sea is about as big as an average Belgian province (3,454 km2). It covers about 0,5% of the total area of the North Sea and includes the territorial...
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    Biodiversity of the North Sea

    BIODIVERSITY OF THE NORTH SEA The North Sea is home to a rich biodiversity. It is teeming with life: from sea anemones and seahorses through cod and porpoises to seals and many...
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    To protect marine mammals

    Harbour porpoise (Phocaena phocaena) The harbour porpoise is the smallest cetacean of the North Sea. This species is found in cold and temperate shallow sea areas of the North...
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    Military activities

    Soldiers on sea? The Belgian part of the North Sea is regularly used for military activities, such as (planning of exercises): • shooting exercises from the land towards...
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    Activities at sea

    ACTIVITIES AT SEA The Belgian part of the North Sea has a large and often unprecedented biodiversity. The spectrum of human activities that takes place is also extremely diverse...
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    Environmental problems

    Environmental problems and threats Human activity has had a major negative impact on the marine environment, especially in recent decades. The sea and its biodiversity are being...
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    Shipping and ports

    Busy, busy, busy on the North Sea … The North Sea includes some of the busiest sea routes of the world. The most important routes for international maritime transport lie just...
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    Offshore energy production

    Looking for renewable energy Renewable energy has become an important issue. There are some evident reasons for this: • no emission of CO2 that helps to achieve the Kyoto...
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    Sand and gravel extraction

    Should it still be sand? The sand and gravel exploitation in the Belgian part of the North Sea started in 1976 as an alternative to the extraction of sand and gravel on land. The...
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    Scientific research

    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...