INSTITUTE OF NATURAL SCIENCES
Operational Directorate Natural Environment
MARECO – Marine Ecology and Management
OWiDEx – Offshore Wind Decommissioning Expertise Centre Belgium is among the world leaders in the installation & maintenance of offshore wind farms. The decommissioning of the first offshore wind turbines is in sight. The knowledge already acquired about the decom value chain is fragmented, making a supported vision seem far away. This project will put all the separate elements…
DASA – Digital Animal Sound Archive The use of bio-acoustics in biological and ecological studies is widespread as they can be used to study species distribution, phenology, ecology and behaviour of organisms that are often visually elusive. This results in extensive datasets that are scattered in many different locations. As such, the overall objective of…
Vision Development Aquaculture & Wind Farm Decommissioning Aquaculture at sea and the decommissioning of wind farms are associated with many opportunities and challenges. In the Belgian part of the North Sea, a lot of activities are already ongoing in those areas. The federal government would like to align and consolidate these initiatives in an integrated vision.…
EMF Effects on Marine Life The effect of artificial electromagnetic fields on the early-life stage development of electro- and magneto-sensitive North Sea species The project evaluates the potential impact of energy development at sea on reproduction and conservation of electro- and magneto-sensitive species that cohabit offshore wind farms in the Belgian Part of the North…
MINING IMPACT II In the last decade, there has been growing global attention toward the deep-sea mining industry. This is due to the increasing demand for metals and rare earth elements, of which large quantities and high concentrations can be found in certain marine deposits, such as poly-metallic nodules, within abyssal provinces. OD Nature is…
On the Compatibility of Offshore Wind Farms and Marine Protected Areas The race for space in the marine environment urges the consideration of co-locating human activities at sea. The recently proliferating offshore wind farms pose threats to and at the same time, offer possibilities for marine conservation and restoration. MARECO investigates options for mitigating undesired…
Jomopans JOMOPANS will deliver an innovative combination of modelling and high-quality measurements at sea for an operational joint monitoring program for ambient sound in the North Sea. The use of consistent measurement standards and interpretation tools will enable marine managers, planners and other stakeholders internationally to identify, for the first time, where sound may adversely…
UNITED Multi-Use offshore platforms demoNstrators for boostIng cost-effecTive and Eco-friendly proDuction in sustainable marine activities The UNITED project will provide evidence for the viability of ocean multi-use through the development of five demonstration pilots in the real European marine environment. The Belgian pilot is centered around the combination of offshore wind energy, seaweed (Saccharina latissima)…
Assessing the Conservation Status of the “Vlakte van de Raan” Marine Protected Area The “Vlakte van de Raan” Special Area for Conservation has recently been spatially extended in the framework of a revision of the Belgian marine spatial plan (2020-2026). To ascertain a proper management of the MPA, an updated scientific assessment of the habitats…
Designing Measures to Reduce the Impact of Fisheries on Seabed Integrity In the framework of the Habitat Directive, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, biodiversity and habitat conservation and restoration must be pursued also in Belgian waters. Accordingly, the Marine Spatial Planning 2020-2026 included an area of maximally 285 km²…
