Projects

The Coastbusters project tests the capacity and added value of certain biological organisms for coastal defense. A stronger and more resilient coast will also have a positive impact on nature and biodiversity in the North Sea.

Natural solutions are playing an increasingly important role in sustainable coastal management, but a sound scientifically based financing framework is still lacking. Coastbusters FINESSE wants to change this.

The partners in the Coastbusters project LANICE strive for sustainable systems to manage the Belgian coast. Within this scope, they investigate to what extent the sand mason worm can play a role in stabilising sediment and increasing biodiversity at the Belgian coast.

The partners in the Reefcovery project are developing various methods for the restoration of oyster reefs in the North Sea. These oyster reefs can then be used to arrive at a nature-inclusive design for infrastructure at sea and along the coast.

EcoGBF is a new modular steel foundation for offshore wind turbines that avoids pile driving and supports marine biodiversity. The project aims to combine structural performance with economic and ecological gains.

The partners in the CORE project are developing various models and methods to optimise the yield of new and existing wind farms. Specific relevant challenges at the Belgian and European level are taken into account.

The demand for wind energy continues to grow, and wind farms are getting bigger and bigger, bringing about many challenges in terms of operation and maintenance. The partners in Supersized 5.0 are looking for ways to address these challenges.

The aim of the three-year WETCOAST project is to gain more insight into carbon storage in salt marshes and mangroves. In this way, the partners are taking an important step towards natural solutions that can be financed with carbon credits.

The PIT project investigates how pitting corrosion occurs in carbon steel maritime structures, such as offshore wind turbines. The partners develop new methods to detect and quantify this form of local corrosion early, continuously and reliably.

The partners in the BERNARDO project examine the potential of marine carbon for a sustainable blue economy. Within this scope, they draw up a comprehensive carbon budget for the Belgian North Sea for the very first time.

All living organisms leave DNA traces in the environment. These traces can be used to map the presence of biological species. Nevertheless, there are some obstacles to applying this method in a complex marine environment such as the Belgian part of the North Sea.

Offshore wind turbines are subject to varying loads from wind and waves. This results in fatigue of the structures and a finite lifespan. The partners in FIRMEST develop forecasting tools so as to better estimate the lifespan of existing and future wind turbines.