• Theme

    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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    Tourism & Leisure

    Day at sea? Sun, sea and beach means pure enjoyment to many people. The numerous day tourists when the weather is nice are the best proof of this. Coastal and residential tourism...
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    Number of cetaceans: an alarming decline

    In recent centuries, there has been a drastic drop in the number of cetaceans due to human activities. It is estimated that over 90 % of the population of large whales has...
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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...
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    Regional and global cooperation

    Because the environmental problems are international in nature - the environment knows no borders - there is a need for an international environmental policy. There are a number...
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    Eutrophication

    What is eutrophication? Eutrophication occurs when too many nutrients - such as phosphates and nitrates - end up in the environment as a result of human activities. Primarily,...
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    Invasive species

    The problem A number of species did not occur naturally in the Belgian part of the North Sea, but were intentionally or unintentionally introduced by man. Some of these species...
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    Ocean acidification

    What is ocean acidification? The increased CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is a result of the burning of fossil fuels. This not only has an effect on the climate but also on...