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SUMES project investigates the interaction between the blue economy and ecosystem services

02 July 2020

The SUMES project (September 2020-August 2023) aims to develop a model to assess the impact of man-induced changes on the ecosystem, its structure (e.g. biodiversity) and function (e.g. food chains, biogeochemistry), its capacity to deliver goods and services to marine ecosystems (e.g. carbon sequestration) and the resulting impacts. The aim is to use this insight to explore how economic activities at sea can be made more sustainable, also a framework will be developed to support the decision-making process.

22 June 2020

The amount of plastic in rivers and the ocean is increasing all the time. Within the frame of the PLUXIN project, Flemish scientists, entrepreneurs and The Blue Cluster are joining forces to map the plastics transported to the sea via ports and rivers, using innovative and automatic detection methods. The ultimate goal is to provide solutions and to set up pioneering commercial initiatives in Flanders in the plastic sanitation of water and sediments.

10 June 2020

A first analysis shows that the corona-related lockdown (18 March to 3 May 2020) reduced direct expenditure by Belgian recreational sea fishers by almost 0.6 million euros. The average general well-being experienced a slight decrease while the (temporary) unemployment among the active part of this community increased from 6 to 32%. The loss in catch volume amounted to almost 18 tonnes, with the largest decline for cod, whiting and dab.

08 June 2020

Within the BlueBio ERA-Net COFUND funding programme, a call has been launched for pre-proposals aimed at the supply systems in the Blue Bioeconomy. Candidate projects within this call should focus on identifying new and improving existing ways to market natural products and services and finding new ways to create value in the Blue Bioeconomy. Submitting pre-proposal is possible until 14 September 2020.

02 June 2020

The marine environment offers a wide variety of organisms. All of them can contain potentially interesting bioactive compounds. Under the motto “who does not seek, does not find”, the PROBIO project aims to intensively screen a selection of marine organisms from Belgian waters for potentially interesting bioactive molecules. The research consortium aims to provide an essential knowledge base for commercial applications in various sectors.

29 May 2020

The recently launched Horizon 2020 project UNITED is investigating how the scarce space at sea can be used by multiple users. For five existing demonstration pilots in three European seas, the technical, regulatory, economic, social and environmental requirements and impacts are being investigated if multiple commercial activities want to develop there together. An interactive webinar on 3 June (12:00-14:00) will introduce you to the project and the pilot sites.

28 May 2020

In its eighth Policy Brief, the European Marine Board, together with the EU-funded SOPHIE project (Seas, Oceans and Public Health in Europe), provides an overview of the policy challenges in striving to achieve a balance between ocean and human health, and of the cooperation and research needed to meet these challenges.

27 May 2020

Globally, the economic consequences of the current corona crisis are an integral part of daily news reports. Just as the corona crisis is having a major impact on all kinds of land and airborne sectors, it is also having an impact on the 'blue economy', which globally accounts for 2.5 trillion dollars on an annual basis (Hoegh-Guldberg et al. 2015). In Flanders, the Blue Economy accounts for a turnover of 48.36 billion euros and employs 153,805 FTEs (study IDEA consult 2019 commissioned by De Blauwe Cluster).

19 May 2020

The ocean plays a key role as a climate regulator and in buffering the effects of climate change. For example, since the industrial revolution, the ocean has absorbed more than 25% of human CO2 emissions and more than 90% of the additional heat generated by the greenhouse effect. Despite the fundamental connection between the climate, the ocean and biodiversity, there are still processes that we do not fully understand.

16 May 2020

On Friday 20 November 2020 (afternoon), the Blue Cluster and the Flanders Marine Institute VLIZ will jointly organise the Blue Economy Science Summit of BESS 2020 - the new name for the annual meeting Marine Science meets Maritime Industry. At this event in Ostend, companies and knowledge institutions come up with innovative ideas for collaboration between science and marine/maritime industry.

12 May 2020

The Belgian coast is the largest tourist attraction in the country, but how significant is the risk of contamination by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19) when we go back to the beach this summer? In collaboration with the University of Ghent and the Province of West Flanders, VLIZ has compiled the existing scientific knowledge on the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in the context of the Flemish beaches. In addition, knowledge gaps were detected that should be addressed in the short term.

24 April 2020

De pandemie van het coronavirus heeft een grote invloed op ons leven, vooral wat betreft de toegankelijkheid van de publieke buitenruimtes. In België geldt momenteel een semi-lockdown. We kunnen nog steeds even naar buiten, zolang we de maatregelen opgelegd door de overheid in acht nemen. Maar wat doet dat buitenzijn met ons mentaal welzijn? Bewegen we nu meer of minder dan voorheen? Onderzoekers van het Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ), de Universiteit Gent en Katholieke Universiteit Leuven willen in kaart brengen hoe, waar en hoeveel we de buitenruimtes bezoeken, en hoe deze bezoekjes onze gezondheid en emoties beïnvloeden.

15 April 2020

From 15 April to 15 June 2020, the FPS Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment is organising a public consultation on 'the draft update of the monitoring programme for Belgian marine waters'. This monitoring programme is part of the Belgian Marine Strategy and serves to assess the environmental status of the Belgian part of the North Sea. This programme must be revised and improved in 2020. Your opinion also counts, because everyone has the right to participate in environmental decisions.

02 April 2020

Close to 100 online participants representing policy makers, funders and institutions dealing with marine, maritime and socio-economic issues, together with the scientific community ofthe 13 Baltic and North Sea countries confirmed this week the broad themes of the future Baltic and North Sea Research and Innovation Programme (BANOS).

31 March 2020

The health of the seas, ocean and people are inextricably linked. But this link is hardly ever researched or included in policy. This is mainly because the various sectors involved (marine science, medicine and pharmaceuticals, coastal tourism, food industry, education, citizens' initiatives, etc.) do not (yet) find each other there. The usual research and project funding is also not geared to these transdisciplinary collaborations.

17 March 2020

The scientific project Coastbusters will receive follow-up funding to further investigate how cleverly constructed mussel beds can help combat coastal erosion and weaken the power of crashing waves. The construction of biogenic reefs as hydraulic engineering in coastal defence is a highly innovative concept. According to the project partners, it is relevant to investigate this further and to find out whether the concept can be added to the arsenal of sustainable techniques to protect our coast against rising sea levels. With the help of its marine robotics and 'smart moorings', VLIZ will monitor the large-scale evolution and small-scale dynamics of the mussel reefs.

05 March 2020

Following the North Sea Vision 2050 process and the first working group cycle that took place in 2019, the Think Tank North Sea is ready to start a second cycle. From now on, interested parties will be able to submit relevant themes that the think tank will address. All burning topics concerning the North Sea can be suggested here.

28 February 2020

In Ostend, the new Ostend Science Park has been launched, the first and most innovative marine science park in Belgium. The park aims to boost blue growth by offering state-of-the-art research and testing facilities to companies and researchers. Ostend Science Park is an initiative of the Port of Ostend, UGent and POM West Flanders.

18 February 2020

In a new report, the European Parliament outlines the scope of the blue economy in Europe. The report provides an overview of the main socio-economic features for each of the sea basins. The document also looks at the factors driving the EU blue economy. The aim of the report is to support policy makers and stakeholders in the sustainable development of the ocean and coastal resources.

13 January 2020

To measure concentrations of CO₂ in the ocean surface and sub-surface waters, a whole new generation of sensors and instruments entered the market in recent years. An intercomparison of all these systems seemed necessary to the Ocean Thematic Centre (OTC) of the European research infrastructure ICOS (in full: Integrated Carbon Observation System). Hence, all interested scientists, operators and manufacturers of pCO₂ sensors are kindly invited to participate in the first intercomparison exercise of ocean pCO₂ instruments, held between 24 August and 4 September 2020 at the Flanders Marine Institute VLIZ in Ostend, Belgium.

SUMES project investigates the interaction between the blue economy and ecosystem services

Green light for PLUXIN project: mapping and remediating plastic pollution in rivers

How hard does the corona crisis affect recreational sea fishing?

Open call for pre-proposals in the Blue Bioeconomy

In search of bioactive compounds in organisms from the Belgian North Sea

Multiple commercial use of space at sea - UNITED-webinar

The EMB presents Policy Brief on the ocean and human health

Offshore activities during the corona crisis - Open data as a barometer for the effects of the corona measures on shipping activity in the Belgian part of the North Sea and the Western Scheldt.

The ocean - climate nexus: the importance of continuing research into the role of the ocean for climate

SAVE THE DATE: Blue Economy Science Summit - BESS 2020 on 20 November

FACT CHECK: Risk of contamination with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 through seawater and beach sand is very small

Onderzoek hoe buitenactiviteiten tijdens de coronacrisis ons mentaal welzijn beïnvloeden

Your opinion on the monitoring programme for the Belgian part of the North Sea

Stakeholders of marine and maritime research and innovation co-create R&I agenda for the Baltic Sea and North Sea regions.

SOPHIE Strategic Research Agenda for ocean and human health

Coastbusters 2.0: Combatting coastal erosion by cleverly constructed mussel beds

Call themes 2nd cycle Think Tank North Sea (2020)

The Ostend Science Park has been launched

The EU blue economy: a state of play

ICOS pCO2 instrument intercomparison exercise to be held in Ostend

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