INSTITUTE OF NATURAL SCIENCES
Operational Directorate Natural Environment
MARECO – Marine Ecology and Management
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…
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…
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…
FaCE-IT Functional biodiversity in a Changing sedimentary Environment: Implications for biogeochemistry and food webs in a managerial setting Coastal ecosystems are facing many pressures affecting ecosystem health. Major human activities include the installation of offshore wind farms (introduction of man-made hard substrates in sandy environments), beam trawling, aggregate extraction, dredging and dumping, all resulting in…
PERSUADE ExPERimental approaches towards Future Sustainable Use of North Sea Artificial HarD SubstratEs Coastal areas are affected by a mixture of global change (warming and ocean acidification) and local pressures, induced by local human activity. In coastal areas around Europe, for example, there is an increasing trend towards the installation of offshore wind farms. This…
