1 482

Publications in 2023

215 000

Updates in 2023

11 million

Species detections in 2023

207

Datasets with new open data in 2023

User stories

  • Forum for Science, Doubt & Art
    GUM

    Forum for Science, Doubt & Art

    The GUM (Ghent University Museum & Botanical Garden) is the first officially recognized university museum in Flanders. Located in the heart of the University’s Botanical Garden, a green gem in the city of Ghent, the museum and garden form a unified entity. Together, the GUM and the Botanical Garden...

  • Taking the next step: In-situ imaging data through the Video Plankton Recorder
    VPR Simon Stevin

    Taking the next step: In-situ imaging data through the Video Plankton Recorder

    Zooplankton and phytoplankton are essential to coastal ecosystems, playing crucial roles in marine food webs. Environmental changes like climate change and pollution threaten these delicate communities, making monitoring crucial. The Video Plankton Recorder (VPR), integrated with LifeWatch...

  • SeaWatch-B citizen science data confirm climate change
    SeaWatch-B

    SeaWatch-B citizen science data confirm climate change

    The first report "What is the state of the North Sea?" by the LifeWatch citizen science project SeaWatch-B shows that the Belgian North Sea is affected by human activities, more in particular climate change. Cold-water species such as the North Sea shrimp are decreasing in number compared to a...

  • LifeWatch and JERICO-NEXT join forces
    plankton collage

    LifeWatch and JERICO-NEXT join forces

    Though plankton communities are omnipresent in our oceans, their wavering dynamics remain obscure. The international collaboration of the LifeWatch and JERICO-NEXT projects enabled to study plankton in the southern North Sea with state-of-the-art infrastructure at an optimal coverage.

Organisms of interest

Birds
Birds
Fish
Fish
terrestrial mammals
Terrestrial mammals
Other
  • Bats
    Bats
  • Plankton
    Plankton
  • shell
    Shells & mollusks
  • Insects
    Insects
  • env measurements
    Environmental monitoring
  • marine mammals
    Marine mammals

Regions of interest

Freshwater
Freshwater
marine
Marine
terrestrial
Terrestrial
Antarctica
Antarctica

Innovative approaches

/acoustics-0

Acoustics

acoustic
/camera-trapping-0

Camera trapping

Camera trapping
/animal-tracking-0

Animal tracking

Animal tracking
/citizen-science

Citizen science

CitizenScience.png
/genomic-observatories

Genomic observatories

DNA icon
/plankton-imaging-0

Plankton imaging

Plankton imaging
/remote-sensing-0

Remote sensing

remote_obs.png

Data & services

Taxonomic services

Species Occurence services

Biodiversity Observatory automation services

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LifeWatch ERIC

LifeWatch ERIC is the European Research Infrastructure Consortium providing e-Science research facilities to scientists investigating biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services in order to support society in addressing key planetary challenges. 

LifeWatch Belgium, also called the National Distributed Centre for LifeWatch Belgium combines the regional and federal LifeWatch contributions from Belgium.

Learn more

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Latest news

  • Return of the twaite shad to the Scheldt River After a Century-Long Absence
    twaite

    Return of the twaite shad to the Scheldt River After a Century-Long Absence

    The twaite shad, a migratory fish that once disappeared from the Scheldt River due to pollution, has made a remarkable return in the past decade. Known locally as the “May fish,” the twaite shadspawns in the river between late April and early May. Researchers from the Institute for Nature and Forest Research (INBO) have been studying the species since its return in 2014, using LifeWatch Belgium acoustic telemetry and data loggers to track the fish’s movements and habits.
  • Call for nominations for the WoRMS Top-Ten Marine Species of 2024
    Call for nominations for the WoRMS Top-Ten Marine Species of 2024

    Call for nominations for the WoRMS Top-Ten Marine Species of 2024

    Once again taxonomists have continued to publish many wonderful new species throughout the last year. As we approach the end of 2024 it is time to think about nominations for The WoRMS Top Ten Marine Species of 2024!
  • First ETN datasets available through GBIF
    ETN

    First ETN datasets available through GBIF

    The first datasets from the Permanent Belgian Acoustic Receiver Network are now available via GBIF. Over 507,000 fish tracking records from Belgian waters offer new insights into species movement and biodiversity.

Events