To settle or not to settle? Oyster larvae settlement cues investigated
oysters

To settle or not to settle? Oyster larvae settlement cues investigated

The inclusion of ecosystem engineers in coastal planning is an approach being considered to mitigate coastal erosion in different environments worldwide. Oysters are reef building and can alter and improve their habitat acting as a barrier for coastal protection by sediment stabilization and wave...

WoRMS featured in Blue Planet II
BluePlanetII_showtile

WoRMS featured in Blue Planet II

"Covering almost three-quarters of the Earth's surface, the world’s great oceans are home to an incredibly diverse web of life. The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) currently lists just under a quarter of a million species, with new ones being identified all the time. But even as we begin to...

The Big Seashell Survey
Shells

The Big Seashell Survey

Before the Big Seashell Survey started, there was little quantitative information on the species and numbers of shells that wash ashore at the Belgian coast. However, beached shells can say a great deal about climate change, environmental pollution, impact of human activities at sea and changes in...

PETROBRAS: where industry and science touch
sea turtle

PETROBRAS: where industry and science touch

Environmental responsibility is a hot topic these days! For the Brazilian oil and gas magnate Petrobras, this means caring for the safety of their operations and undertaking actions to balance their activities and the welfare of their workforce and of the communities. By improving products and...

How WoRMS and OBIS guided BASF as a lighthouse
Nubble Lighthouse

How WoRMS and OBIS guided BASF as a lighthouse

For patent applications and legal issues, it is important for BASF to collect and analyse biodiversity data: where exactly do organisms live, in which environment do they mainly live, what is their genetic code, ...? That is why they called on the expertise of WoRMS and OBIS.

Clarion-Clipperton Zone Species Checklist launched!
Clarion-Clipperton Zone  Species Checklist launched!

Clarion-Clipperton Zone Species Checklist launched!

ISA and WoRMS release a species checklist for the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in celebration of the one-year anniversary of the Sustainable Seabed Knowledge Initiative.
The LifeWatch ERIC BEeS: abstract book, video recordings and more!
The LifeWatch ERIC BEeS: abstract book, video recordings and more!

The LifeWatch ERIC BEeS: abstract book, video recordings and more!

The LifeWatch ERIC family met again, for the first time in four years, at the "BEeS" Biodiversity & Ecosystem eScience Conference. It took place in Seville from 22 - 24 May, on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity. Explore the abstract book, watch the video of the live-streamed round table, and download the presentations!
Cut trough shell and Common cockle stand firm in the Big Annual Seashell Survey
Lifewatch

Cut trough shell and Common cockle stand firm in the Big Annual Seashell Survey

Two thousand volunteers counted 82,444 shells, from a total of 66 species during the sixth edition of the Big Annual Seashell Survey last Saturday. Cut trough shell and Common cockle made it into the top five in Belgium, the Netherlands and France. But there were also interesting regional differences. Less than 1% of the checked shells had a 'drill hole' due to predation by snails.
WoRMS Philanthropy grants 2022
WoRMS Philanthropy grants 2022

WoRMS Philanthropy grants 2022

During 2022, the VLIZ Philanthropy program was able to issue three grants to support WoRMS editors in making WoRMS more complete. This resulted in about 18.000 edits and additions to WoRMS and its sub-registers.
WoRMS press release: Ten remarkable new marine species from 2022
WoRMS press release: Ten remarkable new marine species from 2022

WoRMS press release: Ten remarkable new marine species from 2022

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!