WoRMS press release: Ten remarkable new marine species from 2021
WoRMS press release: Ten remarkable new marine species from 2021

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
The acoustic character of an underwater habitat

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.
Join the 5th edition of the Big Seashell Survey at the Belgian beaches!
Join the 5th edition of the Big Seashell Survey at the Belgian beaches!

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!
What is the difference in the soundscape of the Gulf of Tribugá in Colombia and the Belgian Part of the North Sea?
What is the difference in the soundscape of the Gulf of Tribugá in Colombia and the Belgian Part of the North Sea?

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.
Mapping the eel migration routes
Mapping the eel migration routes

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.
Formally introducing: the World Register of Introduced Marine Species (WRiMS)
Formally introducing: the World Register of Introduced Marine Species (WRiMS)

Formally introducing: the World Register of Introduced Marine Species (WRiMS)

In a publication hot off the press, the WRiMS editors and the WoRMS Data Management Team discuss the data sources and history, the data validation, the database structure and software, the data management and the future needs of WRiMS.
Call for nominations for the WoRMS Top-Ten Marine Species of 2021
Call for nominations for the WoRMS Top-Ten Marine Species of 2021

Call for nominations for the WoRMS Top-Ten Marine Species of 2021

Once again taxonomists have continued to publish many wonderful new species throughout the last year, despite all the challenges post by a global pandemic situation. So as we approach the end of 2021 it is time to think about nominations for The WoRMS Top Ten Marine Species of 2021!
LifeWatch citizen scientists trained in ‘identification of fish from beach waters’
LifeWatch citizen scientists trained in ‘identification of fish from beach waters’

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.