News

Blue economy Climate Sea & health

Bioplastics in the marine environment, better than petroleum-based plastics?

09/18/2024 - 10:52
Bioplastics* cannot be seen as the ‘holy grail’ for the marine plastic problem after all. The research by Zhiyue Niu, PhD student at Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) and UGent, shows that bioplastics also break down into microplastic particles under the influence of UV radiation and wave action, albeit to a lesser extent than the usual petroleum-based plastics. Bioplastics also leak their...
Climate Technology & innovation

Belgian researchers witness spectacular climate-driven landslide and tsunami that shakes earth for nine days

09/11/2024 - 17:52
For nine days in September 2023, researchers observed an unprecedented seismic signal. The cause of this mysterious ‘earth tremor’ turned out to be a giant landslide in Greenland: a mass of 25 million m3 of rock and ice came loose and thundered into the Dickson Fjord. This created a 200 metre high megatsunami that kept sloshing back and forth in the narrow fjord for nine days, a phenomenon known...
Biodiversity Climate

H. M. Queen Mathilde visits Flanders Marine Institute

09/03/2024 - 14:12
On Tuesday 3 September 2024, Her Majesty the Queen visited the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ). The visit was framed within the United Nations' Agenda 2030, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through which the international community aims to address major global challenges such as poverty, climate change, or increasing inequalities.
Climate

Southern Ocean absorbing more CO2 than previously thought, study finds

07/24/2024 - 14:05
New research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) – in collaboration with several partners including VLIZ – has found that the Southern Ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide (CO 2) than previously thought. Using direct measurements of CO 2 exchange or fluxes between air and sea, the scientists found that the ocean around Antarctica absorbs 25% more CO 2 than...

Underwater noise as a 'canary' for shallow coastal waters

06/28/2024 - 10:30
In her PhD thesis, Clea Parcerisas (VLIZ, UGent) focused on developing automated methods for analysing and characterising the totality of underwater sounds in shallow and heavily exploited coastal areas. In order to use this so-called soundscapes – caused by both nature and human activities – as an early warning signal or 'canary' when monitoring noise pollution and other human impacts in the sea.

VLIZ annual report looks back on 2023

06/24/2024 - 15:56
The VLIZ annual report provides an overview of the highlights of 2023 and looks back on the functioning of the institute at the service of marine science research, policymakers, industry, educators, and the general public. Through performance indicators (KPIs), impact trajectories, lots of figures, and various listings, VLIZ tries to be as transparent as possible about its overall operation.
Technology & innovation Sea & health

New cost and time saving detection and identification method for marine microplastics

06/19/2024 - 15:58
For her PhD research, Nelle Meyers (VLIZ, ILVO, UGent) developed a new cost- and time-effective method for the detection and identification of microplastics in the marine environment. The semi-automatic method combines staining of microplastic particles with the fluorescent dye nile red and machine-learning algorithms. The method tested reliably for most types of polymers, even when the...
Technology & innovation

Digital Ocean Forum 2024 unveils first demo of the European Digital Twin Ocean

06/19/2024 - 13:58
On June 13, the third edition of the Digital Ocean Forum (DOF2024) high-level event, held under the auspices of the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU, took place in Brussels. It was co-organised by the European Commission’s Directorates-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD), Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), and Defence, Industry and Space (DG DEFIS). The Flanders Marine...
Blue economy Technology & innovation

Revolutionizing Marine Research: VLIZ and Maritime Robotics unveil cutting-edge Long Range Unmanned Surface Vehicle Gobelijn

06/03/2024 - 13:52
Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ, Belgium) takes a major step towards full-fledged remote-controlled operations for marine research and innovation. Following a European tender, VLIZ awarded the contract for the construction of a long-range, multi-purpose, unmanned surface vehicle (USV) to Maritime Robotics (Norway). Over the last year, Maritime Robotics and VLIZ have collaborated intensively on the...

The 2024 Ocean Decade Conference: Building the Ocean Decade roadmap to 2030

04/15/2024 - 13:10
From 10 - 12 April 2024, over 1.500 in-person participants and thousands of virtual participants gathered for the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference , which was hosted by Spain, and co-organized by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO) in close collaboration with the Region of Catalonia and the Barcelona City Council.
Biodiversity

Through the lens of a Video Plankton Recorder

02/09/2024 - 09:42
Ocean and seas cover 71% of the Earth's surface and are inhabited by diverse forms of life. Among these inhabitants, plankton emerges as a crucial component of the marine ecosystem. They dominate marine life in terms of abundance and biomass, and are essential contributors to the food web and the biological carbon pump. Additionally, plankton can serve as early indicators of changes in the marine...
Sea & health

Dr Edouard Delcroix Encouragement Award 2023

01/29/2024 - 15:17
The non-profit organisations HYDRO and Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) are awarding the Dr Edouard Delcroix Incentive Award for the fifth time. This international annual scientific prize, worth 2,500 EUR, will be awarded to a young scientist conducting research in the broad field of "ocean and human health". The incentive prize is reserved for candidates who recently obtained their master's...
Technology & innovation Sea & health

Plastic accumulates in riverbeds and banks of river mouths

01/25/2024 - 16:46
PLUXIN, one of the most comprehensive studies in Flemish coastal waters, seaports and estuaries, shows that plastic particles are everywhere. The quantities of 'microplastic' are an order of magnitude larger than the larger litter. It accumulates in riverbeds and on their banks. And estuaries, such as the Scheldt, are not sources of plastic to the open sea, but rather settling places. In turn, the...

Travel grants for the UN Ocean Decade Conference 2024 in Barcelona

01/04/2024 - 12:37
Are you an early career ocean professionals working in Belgium or from the Global South? Then this call is your opportunity to personally attend the Ocean Decade conference 2024 in Barcelona. And to co-deliver the science we need, for the ocean we want. The application deadline is 26 January 2024.
Technology & innovation

AI underwater noise library should ensure safety of offshore infrastructure and stimulate new research

12/20/2023 - 13:45
The Flemish government, through the VLIZ, is investing half a million EUR in the development of an underwater sound library for the North Sea. With these funds, the VLIZ aims to achieve automatic recognition of natural and human noise sources in the sea. Such knowledge and tools are essential for offshore security and for numerous AI-based research initiatives. Flemish Minister for Science, Jo...