Projects

Bankbusters Recraft investigates how natural processes can be used to better protect shorelines, enhance biodiversity and reduce the impacts of flooding. The project brings together ecology, sediment management and hydraulic engineering in innovative solutions.

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.

In the Mussel Shaker project, partners explore how an innovative underwater setup can support the natural formation of mussel reefs. These reefs can contribute significantly to coastal stabilisation and increased 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.

To better protect the Flemish coast against climate change and rising sea levels, we need to gain a better understanding of coastal processes. The Living Coast project is therefore developing the building blocks for a digital twin of the Flemish 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 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 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.

To limit global warming, active research is being conducted into ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The Blue Alkalinity project examines the possibility of storing CO2 from the air in the sea by increasing the alkalinity of the seawater.

The SABLE project explores how tube worms can contribute to nature restoration in the North Sea. The focus is on detecting and stimulating these reef-building species, and on how this can lead to new, scalable activities for the maritime sector.