Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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North sea hydrodynamics with nested models
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Understanding tidal sandbank dynamics and impacts of sand extraction in sediment-scarce environments
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Seabed mapping: no one-size-fits-all!
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Mapping indirect habitat loss: about awareness, implementation realities and prevention.
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Westdiep Aquaculture Monitoring: Understanding and monitoring the effects of an offshore mussel, oyster and seaweed aquaculture farm on the seabed and suspended sediments composition and dynamics off the coast of Nieuwpoort, Belgium. Activity Report 2022
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Report Princess Elisabeth Island turbidity threshold workshop 1 June 2024
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BioGeochemical PARTicle interactons and feedback loops on the Belgian Continental Shelf, 3rd Annual Report.
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Monitoring and Modellering van het cohesieve sedimenttransport en evaluatie van de effecten op het mariene ecosysteem ten gevolge van bagger- en stortoperatie (MOMO), Activiteitenrapport 1 juli – 31 december 2023.
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Monitoring and Modellering van het cohesieve sedimenttransport en evaluatie van de effecten op het mariene ecosysteem ten gevolge van bagger- en stortoperatie (MOMO), Activiteitenrapport 1 januari – 30 juni 2024
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Particles in the North Sea (PiNS), 2nd Annual Report
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Gemotiveerde conclusie over de aanvraag van Betoncentrale Van den Braembussche voor de verlenging van de concessie voor de exploitatie en exploratie van zand in de zeegebieden onder de rechtsbevoegdheid van België.
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Numerical models used for the PEZ sediment transport calculations
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Annual Network Report. Period 15/04/2023-14/04/2024. Contract B2/212/P1/ OUTFLOW
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Tracking the origin of worked elephant ivory of a medieval chess piece from Belgium through analysis of ancient DNA
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Nouvelles données pour le genre Euplectus Leach, 1817 en Belgique (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae)
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Gene Tree Estimation Error with Ultraconserved Elements: An Empirical Study on Pseudapis Bees
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Marine phytoplankton community composition data from the Belgian part of the North Sea, 1968-2010
- The Belgian Phytoplankton Database (BPD) is a comprehensive data collection comprising quantitative phytoplankton cell counts from multiple research projects conducted since 1968. The collection is focused on the Belgian part of the North Sea, but also includes data from the French and the Dutch part of the North Sea. The database includes almost 300 unique sampling locations and more than 3,000 sampling events resulting in more than 86,000 phytoplankton cell count records. The dataset covers two periods: 1968 to 1978 and 1994 to 2010. The BPD can be accessed online and provides high quality phytoplankton count data. The species taxonomy is updated, and the count values are quality checked and standardized. Important metadata like sampling date, sampling location, sampling depth and methodology is provided and standardized. Additionally, associated abiotic data and biovolume values are available. The dataset allows to conduct analyses of long-term temporal and spatial trends in phytoplankton community structure in the southern part of the North Sea, including changes in phytoplankton phenology and seasonality.
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Signature patterns of chlorophyll a variability in the Greater North Sea
- The greater North Sea comprises a high diversity of marine systems within a relatively small geographical area: shallow and well-mixed systems, stratified systems, continental shelf, margin and deep ocean. Across these systems, different seasonal and interannual patterns of chlorophyll a (Chl) variability may be observed. Characteristic features of the Chl dynamics are used to identify typical areas across the studied domain. Remote sensing observation of Chl (ENVISAT-MERIS) offers a comprehensive picture of the spatial dynamic of surface phytoplankton biomass over almost a decade (2003-2011). The Cloern and Jassby (2010) method of Chl signal decomposition was applied to every pixel separating the Chl signal into four components: 1) the grand mean, 2) the interannual, 3) the seasonal and 4) the residual components for the considered 9-years period. The method assumes no trend a priori over the considered period and the standard deviations for each component are compared in a relative fashion to describe the local dynamics of Chl. The pixel-wise calculated components are represented in individual maps to depict the spatial patterns of chlorophyll a variability and outline areas of high or low seasonal and interannual variability. Subsequently the decomposed Chl signal is used in a K-means cluster analysis to classify areas in the greater North Sea. These areas correspond to different categories of Chl dynamics for the considered period 2003-2011, providing a governance tool for policy makers. It is also shown how these areas directly reflect physical features of the sea, suggesting invariant structure of phytoplankton dynamics.
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Changes in phytoplankton biomass and phenology in the North Sea in response to increasing sea surface temperature
- At least two major drivers of phytoplankton production have changed in recent decades in the North Sea: sea surface temperature (SST) has increased by 1.5°C between 1988 and 2014, and the nitrogen and phosphorus loads from surrounding rivers have decreased from the mid-1980’s onwards, following reduction policies. Long time series spanning four decades (1975-2015) of nutrients, chlorophyll a (Chl) and pH measurements in the Southern and Central North Sea were analysed to assess the impact of both the warming and the de-eutrophication trends. The de-eutrophication process resulted in a reduction of nutrient river loads to the sea, causing a decrease of marine nutrient concentrations in coastal areas under freshwater influence. A decline in annual mean Chl was observed across most sampling sites (coastal and offshore) in the period 1988-2015. Also, a shift in phytoplankton phenology was observed, with spring bloom formation occurring earlier in the year. A long time series of pH in the southern North Sea (Belgian Continental Shelf) shows an increase until the mid-1980’s followed by a rapid decrease, mirroring the changes in phytoplankton production related to the processes of eutrophication/de-eutrophication and warming. Analysis of the seasonal pH signal in this dataset supports the shift in phytoplankton phenology as well. We hypothesize that (i) the decline in annual mean Chl since 1988 is most likely due to the de-eutrophication process (for coastal waters) and the SST increase (for both coastal and offshore waters) and that (ii) the shift in phytoplankton phenology is very likely due to SST increase.
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The demise of the natural building stone industry in Belgian Limburg, a case study on the last underground quarries of Maastricht stone
