Projects
Effects of aggregate extraction on the sea floor and the marine benthic life Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
What is the impact of sand and gravel extraction on the benthos in the Belgian part of the North Sea? There is a strong correlation between the habitat (the environment) and the presence of various benthic animals. This project examines how this relationship is disturbed due to aggregate extraction. We investigate how structural changes in the benthic community compositions influence the ...
Monitoring of the effects of offshore windfarms on endo-, epi- and hyperbenthic fauna and fish on soft sediments and the pelagic Ghent University
By Royal Decree of May 17, 2004 (as amended by the Royal Decree of September 28, 2008, February 8, 2011 and March 20, 2014), a zone was designated in the Belgian marine areas for the production of electricity. Project developers must apply for an environmental permit for the construction and operation of installations to generate electricity.
Nine projects in this zone have obtained a domain concession and an environmental permit for ...
Epibenthos and juvenile fish sampling Ameland 2012 Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
What are the long-term effects of sand suppletion on the present benthic fauna and the marine ecosystem? This research question is investigated by a study on foreshore beach nourishment at the Dutch Wadden Island Ameland. Through beach and foreshore replenishment, the Dutch sandy coast is 'naturally' protected against coastal erosion, while the coastal zone itself offers more space for various ...
National Benthis Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The "Benthis-national" project aims at a more correct assessment of seabed impacts of Belgian fishing métiers in an international framework. The project will create the science-industry interface to allow the Belgian fishing industry to follow up on European developments in asessing seabed impacts and also and influence that policymaking.
Research approach
We ...
Towards a sustainable seabob fishery in the coastal zone of Surinam Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
How sustainable is the MSC-certified fishery for Atlantic seabob (Xiphopenaeus kroyeri) in the coastal waters of Surinam? The aim of thisis research aimsis to quantify the ecological impact of seabob fisheries on the marine ecosystem in Surinam by means ofusing habitat characterisation and mapping of the distribution of benthic organisms, including the seabob shrimp in the coastal zone. ...
Biological indicators Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Which set of existing or new indicators, and which related measures, data collections, boundaries and intercalibration can represent the quality of the marine environment as expressed in the European Directives? How can this be done in a feasible, correct and objective way? The aim of this study is to further develop, refine and test the existing tools in collaboration with national and ...
Monitoring the effects of offshore wind farms on the endobenthos of soft substrates. Ghent University
Determining the one-year state of macrobenthic endofauna (macrobenthos) on the Thornton Bank and to identify possible effects of the construction and operation of the first wind turbines; - the baseline condition of the benthos in the reserved area of U+200BU+200BBelwind, in particular the Bligh Bank, to be examined as a basis for assessing the impact of the construction and operation phases of the wind farm (including the effects caused by ...
Dredge disposal at sea. Biological monitoring of dredged material in the Flemish coastal area Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
What is the impact of the dumping of dredged material on the marine benthos? Material that originates from dredging to maintain the maritime access routes and ports, is dumped into the sea (when not reusable for beach nourishment) at five designated sites (S1, S2, Zeebrugge Oost, Oostende and Nieuwpoort). This amounts to 12 million tonnes of dry matter that is yearly dumped. Through a continuous ...
Functional biodiversity in a changing sedimentary environment: implications for biogeochemistry and food webs in a managerial setting Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
What happens to our seafloor ecosystem when local sediment hardens or refines due to human intervention? That is the question in the FaCE-It project. Southern North Sea sediments are hardening as a result of the construction of wind turbines, where the foundation provides a diverse substrate for marine fauna. Sediment fining results from a combination of sand mining, bottom (trawl) fishing, dumping ...