Call for nominations for the WoRMS Top-Ten Marine Species of 2022
Once again taxonomists have continued to publish many wonderful new species throughout the last year. As we approach the end of 2022 it is time to think about nominations for The WoRMS Top Ten Marine Species of 2022!
The LifeWatch Data Cloud is launched!
This summer the LifeWatch Data Cloud was launched as a user-friendly platform for researchers who are looking for data to perform biodiversity and ecosystem research. In the background, the LifeWatch Data Cloud is using the Flemish Supercomputer Center (VSC) resources to provide the users with a performant infrastructure. Let’s try it out immediately at https://datacloudmi.lifewatch.be!
Taxonomy and beyond: ecological trait information in Aphia and WoRMS
In recent years, the WoRMS editors and Data Management Team have made collective efforts towards documenting the following species traits information in Aphia and WoRMS: environment (99,5% complete), functional group (76% complete), qualitative (45% complete) and quantitative body size (9% complete) (percentages are for accepted species in Aphia). The availability of these traits greatly enhances the usability and utility of WoRMS towards ecologists and the public at large.
Scientists meet industry at the COST-ETN Annual meeting
The European Tracking Network (ETN) meets the manufacturers supplying acoustic telemetry equipment to discuss the way forward for compatibility in acoustic telemetry.
ZEEKERWETEN, the first citizen science festival at the coast
How to involve citizens in biodiversity research? And how can we show citizens the beauty and the importance of the diverse fauna and flora in the Belgian part of the North Sea and the coastal area? ZEEKERWETEN, the first science festival at the Belgian coast, lifts the participation of citizens in science to a higher level.
WoRMS press release: Ten remarkable new marine species from 2021
As for previous years, the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) has again released its annual list of the top-ten marine species described by researchers during the past year to coincide with World Taxonomist Appreciation Day on March 19th!
The acoustic character of an underwater habitat
Just as the doctor listens to the condition of your lungs with his stethoscope, imagine that you can tell how healthy or unhealthy the sea is from the underwater sound. That is what LifeWatch VLIZ engineer Clea Parcerisas wants to find out with her doctoral research on underwater soundscapes.
What is the difference in the soundscape of the Gulf of Tribugá in Colombia and the Belgian Part of the North Sea?
A new LifeWatch paper compares two different soundscapes: the Gulf of Tribugá in Colombia and the the Belgian Part of the North Sea (BPNS). This study is of great importance as a general marine soundscape baseline in order to map possible future disturbances of port construction or to evaluate whether policy measures taken are effective. The comparison shows that biophony dominates the Gulf ot Tribugá while anthropophony is dominant in the BPNS.