Active partners

Strong interactions between the various partners in this project are foreseen. The bentho-pelagic coupling theme will be a result of a strong co-operation between UGent and CEME, while VLIZ offers ship time on their research vessel Zeeleeuw. Sampling campaigns will be a joint effort and researchers belonging to both institutes will conduct the experiments. KULeuven and UGent will work together on the theme covering the dispersal mechanisms of species having pelagic life stages. These mechanisms will be modelled as a result of collaboration between the KULeuven and UGent teams and the modellers at MUMM. IN and UGent will be the partners tackling the problems relating to the causal aspects of the distribution of seabirds: UGent will work on the pelagic fish data, while bird data will be analysed at IN. Data management and dissemination of results: VLIZ will be responsible for the data management, valorisation an exploitation. By developing databases and websites, data gathered in the framework of TROPHOS will be made available to the public. VLIZ will also develop and implement modalities and technical solutions for data-exchange between the partners within TROPHOS.

	Ghent University, Marine Biology Section
	Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Centre for Estuarine and Marine Ecology
	K.U. Leuven, Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology
	Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models
	Institute of Nature Conservation
	Flanders Marine Institute

End-users

A committee of end-users of the research results was constituted at the beginning of the project. The users committee of TROPHOS exists out of four institutions and research groups:

• Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap - Departement Leefmilieu en Infrastructuur - Administratie Waterwegen en Zeewezen (AWZ)- Afdeling Waterwegen Kust
  
  
  • Bernard De Putter
  • Miguel Berteloot

• Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models
  
  
  • Georges Pichot
  • Brigitte Lauwaert

• Université Libre de Bruxelles - Section interfacultaire d'Agronomie - Ecologie des systèmes aquatiques
  
  
  • Christiane Lancelot

• Natuurpunt
  
  
  • Willy Ibens

Supported by the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office

General coordination: Magda Vincx, Jan Vanaverbeke Web site and databases hosted by VLIZ