Join the 5th edition of the Big Seashell Survey at the Belgian beaches!
Who is not fascinated by shells on the beach? Picking up shells, admiring them and trying to find out the story behind the find. And if at all possible, to give science a helping hand at the same time. That is what the Big Seashell Survey is all about!
Mapping the eel migration routes
With the use of 96 data loggers, scientists of the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Ghent University and the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) succeeded to map the migration routes of eels in the North Sea. The results show that the majority of the Belgian eels migrate through the English Channel, the narrow sea passage between England and France. Although this seems a logical thing to do, some choose to migrate over Scotland. The reason for these different choices is still under study. The eels are probably guided by certain sea currents.
LifeWatch citizen scientists trained in ‘identification of fish from beach waters’
In November, the enthusiastic citizen scientists of the SeaWatch-B beach observation network were offered another opportunity for in-depth training. This time, the focus was on identifying small fish in the beach waters. Recently Seawatch-B is included as a citizen science project within LifeWatch VLIZ.
Coordinating the observation of biodiversity in the sea: a new collaboration
The Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) of the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON), the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), and the SCAR Antarctic Biodiversity Portal share a common vision on the building and coordination of a global ocean biodiversity observation system. The common goal is to systematically assess the state and trends in the ocean’s biodiversity, including biological resources and ecosystems, and how these will change in the future.
MarineRegions Exclusive Economic Zones now featured as essential map on MarineTraffic.com
An important dataset from MarineRegions (LifeWatch Belgium) is integrated in MarineTraffic.com and helps to improve the experience of millions of users on a monthly basis.
Flanders supported research data infrastructures played key role in UN Ocean report
On 21 April 2021, the United Nations launched the Second World Ocean Assessment (WOA 2) on the state of the world’s ocean, covering environmental, economic and social aspects.
LifeWatch Flanders ready for the next level!
The Flemish LifeWatch Consortium receives additional funding for the next years.