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    Nuisance because of ultrasound and infrasound

    Because infrasound and ultrasound are difficult to hear, they do not cause noise nuisance in the ordinary sense of this word. Yet they can cause physical complaints such as pain,...
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    Habitat types to be protected

    Sand banks Description and occurrence Sand banks occur in many places in Europe, but we find these more abundant in the southern North Sea (North-French, Belgian and South-Dutch...
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    To protect sea birds

    The great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) Description and occurrence of the species The great crested grebe is a medium sized bird with a slender neck and pointed beak. In...
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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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    Ecosystem Services

    Ecosystem Services Ecosystem services are all the benefits that we obtain from the ecosystem, in this case, the marine environment of the North Sea. There are four categories of...
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    Links to other sea sites

    Belgium has a long tradition of sea research. For additional or more specific information, you can find something you want in one of the following sites: • MUMMis Management...
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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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    Diseases

    Like all animals, cetaceans are exposed to diseases and biotoxins. However, the number of these diseases is increasing and the emergence of new diseases has been observed in...
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    Fisheries and mariculture

    Fishery, an age-old profession Viewed in economical terms, fishery is a small sector in Belgium and moreover has considerably decreased over the last decades. It however remains...
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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...