🌱 Hopeful and active into 2026! A small action with a big impact: colleagues planting marram grass to strengthen our coast. 🌊 💙 Happy 2026 from the entire VLIZ team. #HappyNewYear

Today, H.E. Ambassador Bitange Ndemo & a delegation of the Kenya Embassy 🇰🇪 in Brussels visited VLIZ in the presence of Carl Decaluwé, Jan Mees, Colin Janssen and Ann-Katrien Lescrauwaut. They discussed the marine science cooperation between Kenya and Flanders/Belgium.

New study in Nature Communications investigates the fate of human lead emissions in the ocean and shows that the Arctic Ocean is strongly affected by past use of leaded gasoline. Read the full article 🔗 nature.com/articles/s41...

✨ Happy Holidays! ✨ Our office is closed from Dec 25–Jan 1. Back from Jan 2. 🌊 #HappyHolidays #SeasonsGreetings

Research of @naturalsciences-be.bsky.social & @vliz.be shows that NASA’s new PACE/OCI hyperspectral sensor can detect blooms of Phaeocystis in the Southern North Sea. This research wouldn't have been possible without the PANTHYR system developed by VLIZ & deployed on the Blue Accelerator of POM WVl.

🌊 Dive into marine biodiversity at WCMB 2026 in Bruges 🇧🇪 📅 17–20 Nov 2026 🔬 Global #MarineBiodiversity experts meet to explore biodiversity trends, innovation & science-to-policy. 📣 Abstracts open → 17 Mar 2026 🎟️ Registration now open 👉 www.wcmb2026.org #WCMB2026 #UNOceandecade #VLIZ

The VLIZ scientific diving team took a training dive in the Put van Ekeren. On the programme: lift-bag tests, navigation practice & sending up a surface marker buoy (SMB) on a reel. At the same time they tried out new kit. More about the VLIZ diving team 🔗 www.vliz.be/en/scientifi...

We are calling for your nominations for the WoRMS Top Ten Marine Species of 2025! Details: marinespecies.org/news.php?p=s... Nomination form: form.vliz.be/en/form/worm... Deadline: Sunday January 25th 2026 @oceancensus.bsky.social @unoceandecade.bsky.social @vliz.be @lifewatcheric.bsky.social

“Fish don’t know borders, so our science shouldn’t either.”, said Ecologist Jan Reubens (@lifewatchbelgium.bsky.social @lifewatchvliz.bsky.social) See how the @vliz.be ETN network connects researchers in Europe 👉 bit.ly/48nObgw @inbo.be

🌍📷@EMarineBoard has launched a new survey on social media usage in science environments, and we’re inviting researchers, science communicators, policy-makers, journalists, educators, NGOs and industry experts to take part. 📷 Take the survey: www.marineboard.eu/embcp-survey...

Every year, @vliz.be surveys the marine research landscape in Flanders and Belgium 🇧🇪📊. The 2024 inventory (2008 - 2024) demonstrates that Belgian marine research is truly multidisciplinary and internationally collaborative 🫱🏿‍🫲🏽 Read the full report 🔗 www.vliz.be/en/news/mult...

VLIZ recruits: a Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT) Data Engineer. Are you passionate about leveraging data to advance marine sciences and contribute to EU & global initiatives such as @icos-ri.eu & @socatco2.bsky.social? Join us! Apply no later than 4 January 2026. 🔗 www.vliz.be/en/jobs/vliz...

How effective are plastic clean-up technologies and what risks do they pose? Giulia Leone’s PhD dives into remediation technologies, citizen perceptions & issue of bycatch. A multidisciplinary look at tackling plastics. Congratulations, Giulia! #VLIZ #UGent #INBO 🔗https://vliz.be/en/node/140321

Vlaams Viceminister-president & minister van Wonen, Energie & klimaat, Toerisme & Jeugd Melissa Depraetere bezocht het #VLIZ. Ze maakte kennis met ons klimaatonderzoek, de ingezette technologieën en onze beleidsinformerende instrumenten. Ook blauw toerisme en de energietransitie kwamen aan bod.

Exciting event coming up! The CommOcean Conference team will be hosting an online talk on 'Driving more impactful communication, the World Ocean Assessment as example' on 11 December 2025 at 15:00-17:30 CET! Register here to join us and discuss marine #scicomm: commocean.org/online-talks

Use case testimony by Jan Reubens (@vliz.be) about onboarding fish tracking data from the European Tracking Network (ETN, @aquatictracking.bsky.social) in #EDITO. #DOF2025 #EuropeanDigitalTwinOcean #MissionOcean

Aiman Shaikh @vliz.be introduces the EDITO Forum at #DOF2025. "A collaborative platform designed to foster ongoing collaboration, networking & cooperation among both current & future EDITO projects". Release: January 2026. @mercatorocean.bsky.social @emodnet.bsky.social @copernicusmarine.bsky.social

Stijn Vermaere (IT project manager @vliz.be) shares his experiences of onboarding data of the European Tracking Network in #EDITO. “If everyone is open with their data you have so much more to win than you have to lose” #DOF2025 @aquatictracking.bsky.social

Cyrielle Delvenne (VLIZ) announces #edito ’s first call for financial support for third parties at #DOF2025. Samuel Fooks (VLIZ) talks about his team’s award winning application ‘TwinTrack’ at the Blue-Cloud Hackathon 2025.

EU Digital Twin Ocean #EDITO has entered its 2nd phase with a €14 million investment. Led by @mercatorocean.bsky.social & @vliz.be on behalf of @ec.europa.eu this stage will enhance the platform’s technological capabilities + expand co-creation with Europe’s marine community. 🔗 tinyurl.com/yjr6hcfx

#VLIZ is represented at the Digital Ocean Forum #DOF2025. Scientists, policymakers, innovators & members of the wider ocean community gather to explore the latest advances of the EU DTO @mercatorocean.bsky.social @horizoneu.bsky.social @emodnet.bsky.social @copernicusmarine.bsky.social

Last night, the #LifeWatch SeaWatch-B training took place at the InnovOcean Campus. Alongside an insightful talk on archaeological findings, participants were given a first look at SeaWatch-B data collected over 11 years. @vliz.be

Save the date: the next CommOcean conference will take place 2-3 September 2026 in Bergen (Norway). Awaiting this CommOcean conference, the @emarineboard.bsky.social Communication Panel organises a dedicated CommOCEAN Online Talks on 11 December 2025, 15:00 - 17:30 CET. Register: lnkd.in/eQYq9b_X

🌊 The call for abstracts for the VLIZ Marine Science Day 2026 (#VMSD26) is open! 📅 Deadline: 11 Jan 2026 📍 Ostend, 4 March 2026 🎤 Pitch & poster opportunities. More info here: vliz.be/en/news/vliz... #MarineScience #Research

DuneFront at the Science Day at the @vliz.be 🌊

Joint meeting of the IOC Groups of Experts on Ocean Literacy & of Capacity Development in UNESCO's HQ in #Paris has started. VLIZ is represented by Ann-Katrien Lescrauwaet & @juanajimenez.bsky.social (GoE Capacity Development) and Jan Seys (GoE Ocean Literacy). @unesco.bsky.social

New @emarineboard.bsky.social report shows current marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (#mCDR) methods are not yet ready for large-scale deployment – cutting CO₂ emissions remains essential and MRV frameworks developed. Proud that Peter Landschützer (#VLIZ) contributed.👇 www.vliz.be/en/news/mari...

REGISTRATION for the 7th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity in Bruges, Belgium (17-20 november 2026) IS NOW OPEN! Start your countdown - #WCMB2026 is happening exactly one year from now! 🔗 lnkd.in/eEJEkpHW

VLIZ is hiring: PhD researcher "Immune effects of sea air". Join the VLIZ research group Life's Roots & Rates and unravel the mechanistic links between marine microbial diversity, endotoxin composition & human immune responses. Apply no later than Tuesday, December 9th 🔗 www.vliz.be/en/jobs/vliz...

Peter Landschützer – #VLIZ research director and author of next @ipcc.bsky.social report – contributed to #GlobalCarbonProject 2025: mainly collaborating to insights on role of #ocean in global carbon budget & impact #ClimateChange on extent carbon absorption by ocean. 📎 www.vliz.be/en/news/glob...

#VLIZ is hosting a North Seas Energy Cooperation meeting @InnovOcean Campus. We’re honoured to contribute to the grow of renewable energy. Mathieu Bihet: ‘Holding this meeting in Ostend, Belgium’s main offshore hub, shows our country’s central role in the NSEC’ @fodeconomie.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu

Congrats to @michielperneel.bsky.social on defending his PhD (#VLIZ #VIB #ugent)! 🎓 His research reveals how plankton in the North Sea shape oxygen production & marine food webs, using metatranscriptomics to uncover their hidden daily lives. 🔗https://tinyurl.com/5dejnyac @fwovlaanderen.bsky.social

TODAY: Public PhD defense of @michielperneel.bsky.social from the group of @stevenmaere.bsky.social and @pascalhabluetzel.bsky.social. @viblifesciences.bsky.social @vliz.be

The #TESTEREP project comes to an end - but its story keeps shaping how we see our coast. From ancient islands to today’s shoreline, TESTEREP research revealed 5000 years of change - blending science, art & heritage to bring the past to life. 👉 vliz.be/en/news/anci...

Alaska’s great 1964 earthquake did not simply “repeat” past behavior. Over the last ~2,000 years, lake sediments reveal mostly smaller earthquakes confined to fewer fault sections. This shows a study by Belgian (VLIZ, Ugent), American & Austrian scientists. Read more 🔗 tinyurl.com/yfe7943h

VLIZ and @unesco-iocafrica.bsky.social organized a special session at #WIOMSA2025 on “The UN Decade of Ocean Science: Bridging Science, Policy & Society in Africa.” Juana Jimenez joined the #OceanDecade panel to share Belgium’s experience in building & sustaining its National Decade Committee.

🌊 Are you a young researcher with a brilliant, creative idea about our ocean? Apply before 19.01.26 for a #BMRI grant and turn your vision into impact. 🔗 vliz.be/en/support-u... 💙Companies can sponsor a grant to support future ocean innovators 📩 [email protected]

🌊 Call open: Dr. Edouard Delcroix Awards! Hydro vzw & VLIZ philanthropy honour research ocean and human health research: 🏅 Incentive Award (€2500) for early-career scientists 🎓 Research Grant (€10000) to support scientific research 🗓️ Apply by 19 January 2026 🔗 vliz.be/en/news/ocea...

Last week we hosted #OceansAndLakes students from @vubrussel.bsky.social, #UGent & #UAntwerp 🌊As part of the @unoceandecade.bsky.social, we’re proud to support early career ocean professionals, helping them get insights from alumni @ VLIZ, #ILVO, @iodeoostende.bsky.social, @emarineboard.bsky.social.

It's a wrap! #IKUWA8 has come to an end. Check-out the recap 👉https://www.vliz.be/en/news/ikuwa8-8th-international-congress-underwater-archaeology-oostende 📸 © Onroerend Erfgoed (Flanders Heritage Agency); photo: Kris Vandevorst

Lunch break suggestion 👉Today at 1PM CEST, 'From global to regional marine carbon budgets - Are we ready to monitor a decarbonizing society?' with Peter Landschützer of VLIZ. @emarineboard.bsky.social #EMB #carbonbudgets

🌊🏺The 8th International Congress for Underwater Archaeology #IKUWA8 takes place in Ostend this week. With 400+ participants from all over the world (>50 countries from 6 continents), it's the largest congress in the history of IKUWA. A week full exciting tales telling our past! 🤝

🎓 Congratulations to Dr. Sarah Schmidlin (#VLIZ #ugent) on the successful defence of her PhD on oyster larval settlement. 🦪 Her research reveals how larvae use different cues to select the best location for settlement & metamorphosis. 📘 Read more 🔗 www.vliz.be/en/news/PhD-... @wurmarine.bsky.social

First 48h joint survey in the 🇧🇪 North Sea: #USV Gobelijn mapped sub-bottom on 10m grids; #RVSimonStevin took vibrocores + sparker seismic. Teamwork! Part of projects #ClayTectonics & #LOTE. #OceanRobots #agentschapMDK #Bluecluster #ugent #owiLab @uniofbradford.bsky.social @vubrussel.bsky.social

That’s a wrap on GEORGE Technical Forum II! 💥A week of learning, collaboration & exploring new sensors with 32 participants + 11 experts from 11 countries. Huge thanks to @vliz.be for hosting & to all training partners for the sessions. See you in 2026 for Technical Forum III!

🏆Call for VLIZ Marine Science Awards 2025 open! 🏆Did you recently defend your PhD, MSc, or professional BSc thesis on a marine topic? Grab your chance to win the North Sea Award, Master Thesis Award or Professional Bachelor Thesis Award. Apply no later than 31/12 👉 www.vliz.be/en/news/call...

Today, VLIZ has the honor of welcoming the Australian Ambassador and his delegation to Ostend. Together we look forward to stronger Flemish–Australian ties in marine research, innovation, biodiversity & tackling climate change. 🌊 @unoceandecade.bsky.social @janmees.bsky.social

Another day at the Marine Station Ostend, packed with interesting and hands-on sessions at the @george-project.bsky.social Technical Forum. Read more about it on www.vliz.be/en/news/geor...

Hello from the GEORGE Technical Forum at @vliz.be! 👋 🚢 Day 2 kicked off with hands-on practical sessions. Over the next days, participants will explore the latest technologies and engage directly with experts from #4HJena, ClearWater Sensors, @noc.ac.uk, @exeter.ac.uk & @icos-ri.eu

The second day of the GEORGE Technical Forum featured a visit to the VLIZ Marine Robotics Lab, a knowledge hub for autonomous marine systems, including the USVs Adhemar and Gobelijn. Many thanks to the @vliz.be team for showcasing these impressive technologies!