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Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)

Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) Supporting & networking Marine Sciences in Flanders/Belgium & abroad Jan Mees, director. InnovOcean site Oostende. VLIZ – Wandelaarkaai 7. INNOVOCEAN SITE. InnovOcean site: 220 m of marine research/supporting activities.

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Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)

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  1. Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) Supporting & networking Marine Sciences in Flanders/Belgium & abroad Jan Mees, director

  2. InnovOcean site Oostende

  3. VLIZ – Wandelaarkaai 7 INNOVOCEAN SITE InnovOcean site: 220 m of marine research/supporting activities Provincial antenna for coastal affairs Foundation Sustainable Fisheries Development/ Marine Fishermen’s Fund/Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain

  4. Flanders Marine Institute, operational since 2000 • Subsidy • Flemish government, dept EWI • Province of West-Flanders • European projects • Mission • to support marine research in Flanders • to integrate in international networks • Model • scientific institute, but not performing research activities (to avoid competition with research groups)

  5. Marine & coastal sciences in Belgium Type of institute Groups Persons universities (Dutch speaking) 57 750 universities (French speaking) 26 240 research institutes (Flanders) 12 300 research institutes (Federal) 11 130 Total 106 1420 + administrations (Flanders) 15 160 + administrations (Federal) 5 45 50% is biology

  6. VLIZ: • network • reduce fragmentation • provide central platform • create synergies • promote interdisciplinarity • act as international focal point • …thus creating a large, partly • virtual, research community/institute, • integrated and competive in an • international context…

  7. Logistic support

  8. MARINE LIBRARY at VLIZ = largest collection open to the public Belgian marine scientific output Open Marine Archive • 7000 electronicpublications • harvested by Google Scholar • 53,818 downloads (2010)

  9. High visibility of VLIZ & VLIZ network on the internet: Belgium: 1st Europe: 2nd marine World: 130th

  10. Oceanographic data centre EMODNet MarBEF

  11. COMMUNICATION & EDUCATION by VLIZ Provide objective, scientific information on marine research in Flanders/Belgium to: • public at large • education • press • ... through: symposia & workshops, public events, infodesk, questions/answers, publications, movies & picture galleries, educational project & teaching packages, posters, ...

  12. Figures & Policy

  13. UNESCO – IOC Project Office for IODE

  14. Marine Board-ESF Mission The Marine Board provides a pan‐European platform for its member organisations to develop common priorities, to advance marine research, and to bridge the gap between science and policy in order to meet future marine science challenges and opportunities. 33 Member Organisations (Research Funding and Performing Organisations) from 19 countries BELGIUM CYPRUS DENMARK ESTONIA FINLAND FRANCE GERMANY GREECE IRELAND ITALY NORWAY POLAND PORTUGAL TURKEY SPAIN SWEDEN THE NETHERLANDS UK

  15. Marine Board-ESF activities in the area of Marine Biotechnology

  16. Marine biotechnology High on European agenda, cfr: • food • energy • human health • environment • economic growth: innovation and jobs

  17. Importance of the oceans 70% of Earth’s surface97% of biosphere volume80% of species on Earth2/3 of the value of all natural services provided by the planet Pacific Indian Arctic & Atlantic Pelagibacter ubique A largely invisible world

  18. * in total 0,5-1,5 million species? (2.000 new species/year, a.o. 100 fish species!) How many to be discovered? Marine biodiversity : high How many marine species? * 238.000 species described * 215.000 incorporated into the «World Register of Marine Species» www.marinespecies.org (hosted at VLIZ, Oostende)

  19. = 15% 1.8 million [3-30 mill.] 0.23 million [0.5-1.5 mill.] = 97% 11 unique phyla 32 1 unique phylum 16 Marine biodiversity : strange How do these figures relate to freshwater/terrestrial life? * in terms of SPECIES * in terms of PHYLA (only animals - 33) 16 May & Godfrey (1994). Phil.Transactions: Biol. Sciences 343, nr. 1303: 105-111 

  20. Marine biodiversity : invisible What about marine microbes? * 1 liter of seawater contains (2006!): - bacteria: 20,000 ‘types’ - viruses: >>>> (“stretched end to end, would span farther than the nearest 60 galaxies”) * altogether: close to 1 billion ‘types’ * 50-90% of all marine biomass * essential to most of the life systems

  21. Under-sampled Regions Total distribution data holding in OBIS: 5,253,721 records, 50,932 scientific names, 38,012 species

  22. < 100 meters

  23. 100-1000 meters

  24. 1000-3000 meters

  25. > 3000 meters

  26. Rationale for exploring the marine environment Life in the oceans is ancient, over 3.5 billion years old Diversity of life in the oceans is high and extremely original (but still largely unknown) Adaptations to marine environmental conditions are diverse and often unique Genetic basis for adaptations is now increasingly understood New tools for exploring the marine environment exist (metagenomics to sattelite observation) Courtesy Carlo Heip

  27. Marine Biotechnology Working Group 2009-2010 Objectives of the MB WG provide a strategic assessment of the current scientific understanding of marine biotechnology relevant to European and member states policies identify the priorities for further research needed in this field formulate recommendations for future policies

  28. Vision for the future By 2020 European Union will develop and apply advanced tools, platforms and infrastructures and support to Marine Biotechnology to provide a significant contribution to addressing key societal challenges of the next decades in the areas of food and energy security, the development of novel drugs and treatments for human health and the sustainable use and management of the seas and oceans. Naive if not supported by an appropriate strategy and astrong implementation plan and constant support of all key players

  29. Grand Challenges Many issues must be resolved before Blue Biotechnology in the EU can realise its full potential: • Access to resources (especially) very deep specimens • Increased understanding of physiology of marine species • Culturing marine microorganisms • Sustainable aquaculture of algae, fish, and shellfish for food, fuels and high value products and processes. • New policies for the protection of marine genetic resources

  30. Strategy and Recommendations (1) Create a strong identity and communication strategy to raise the profile and awareness of European marine biotechnology research How? • Create a central European portalwww.marinebiotech.eu • Critical evaluation of policies, successes and failures • > audit of marine biotechnology- Demonstration projects

  31. Strategy and Recommendations (2) Stimulate the development of research strategies andprogrammes for marine biotechnology research andalign these at the national, regional and pan-Europeanlevel How? • Create a European Marine Biotechnology Institute or Centre • Develop a coherent European marine biotechnology RTD policy to strengthen integration • Develop or strengthen common European platforms in Omics and e-infrastructures • Develop collaborative industry-academia research programmes

  32. Strategy and Recommendations (3) Improve technology transfer pathways, strengthen the basis for proactive interaction between academic research and industry How? • Adapt future EU framework programme financial rules and grant applications to ensure that SMEs are attracted • Support the emergence of joint research groups acad/industry • Establish completely new mechanisms and policies to circumvent the high risks of investments in critical novel drugs from marine resources, notably antibiotics • Improve policies in property rights and IP • Develop a common European position on regulations of access benefit sharing and exploitation of marine genetic resources

  33. Strategy and Recommendations (4) Improve training and education to support marine biotechnology in Europe to provide both research and industry with skilled people How? • Develop appropriate biotechnology modules in all bio-science undergraduate educational programmes • Initiate actions ensuring the participation of researchers from non-marine backgrounds in marine biotechnology • Organise training and summer schools supported by the EU Framework Programme • Create a European School on Marine Biotechnology (virtual or distributed) and a PhD programme both including business and entrepreneurship training

  34. Flow-chart of recommended priority actions and impacts

  35. Concluding remarks: Implementing the Strategy In Europe we are very good at making strategies and plans for the future We are now at a crucial time where the conditions are as such (infrastructures, capabilities in molecular biology and bioinformatics, ...) that a decisive support via a well developed strategy will allow European marine biotechnology research to make giant leaps forward If Europe does not act now by increasing its support through focussed funding and coordinated research, it will further lag behind in comparison to other leaders in this field such as the USA, Japan, China etc. – especially Asian countries such as China and India that are investing heavily in marine biotechnology There is a time for assessing and discussing, there is a time to make plans for the future and there is a time for action and that time is now

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