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(Français) Consultation publique ‘Prolongation des concessions existantes pour l’extraction de sable et de gravier’
How healthy is our North Sea?
The main objective of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) is to achieve ‘good environmental status’ in the marine environment of all EU member states by 2020. Following the publication of a first assessment of the Belgian marine waters in 2012, 2018 is the next reporting year. The main conclusion of the current assessment is that the desired ‘good environmental status’ has not yet been achieved in the Belgian part of the North Sea. However, a positive evolution is observed for various elements.
After the European launch of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in 2008, the framework was incorporated into Belgian legislation in 2010, followed by the publication of an initial assessment of the Belgian marine waters (what state of health is the North Sea in?) and a description of the ‘good environmental status’ (what state do we want to achieve?) in 2012. The environmental objectives that were defined allow us to evaluate the progress towards good environmental status. The MSFD provides for a six-yearly review. Based on data collected in monitoring programmes, mainly during the period 2011-2016, a new evaluation could be composed in 2018. In the new report, more than 50 indicators are assessed (grouped into 11 themes or ‘descriptors’), which allow us to gain insight into the current state of health of our North Sea. The results were compiled in a comprehensive report and summarised on a new website.
The Belgian Part of the North Sea
Although the Belgian marine waters, with a surface area of 3454 km², are only the size of an average Belgian province, they are one of the most intensively used stretches of sea on our planet. It is a constant challenge to keep the influence of various human activities (ship transport, fishing, sand and gravel extraction, renewable energy, dredging, water transport, tourism, etc.) on the marine environment within acceptable limits, and thus to ensure a lasting balance between human influence and the preservation of natural values. Given the importance of transboundary currents on the state of the Belgian part of the North Sea, an international approach is also required for many aspects.
The Main Results
- For commercial fisheries, one of the nine reported fish stocks is assessed as being fished fully sustainable (plaice). Seven species report positive developments (cod, whiting, sole, turbot, brill, dab, flounder). Only for lemon sole did the biomass sometimes decrease during the assessment period. The introduction of more ambitious management objectives and a more correct application of the EU Common Fisheries Policy are important explanatory factors.
- Eutrophication (excessive nutrient concentrations in water, potentially leading to algal blooms and oxygen deficiency) remains a problem in almost one third of the Belgian part of the North Sea, particularly in the coastal zone. Due to the currents, however, this does not necessarily result in undesirable phenomena such as oxygen deficiency.
- The concentrations of pollutants in water, biota and sediment still exceed the applicable environmental quality standards. Most non-compliant substances belong to the group of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances. For certain other substances, further elaboration of target values at regional level is appropriate. A positive evolution (i.e. decreasing trends) was noted for various substances but follow-up remains necessary, in particular for copper, which is again widely used in antifouling paint on ships due to the ban of TBT (tributyltin). For most effects of contaminants a reduction is observed or a good assessment is obtained.
- The incidence of fish diseases cannot yet be assessed and the number of oil-covered birds is showing a sharp downward trend, due to a decrease in the number of illegal oil discharges since the launch of an air monitoring programme in 1991.
- The concentrations of contaminants in fish and fishery products for human consumption all meet the European health standard.
- Eight new non-indigenous species were observed during the assessment period, compared to the 42 already identified in the period before 2011.
- For marine litter the situation is still problematic. This element requires considerable attention.
- The effects of energy (including underwater noise) on marine biota are still unclear, although the flight behaviour of marine mammals as a response is abundantly clear. The monitoring of environmental noise will be further elaborated on a regional scale.
- The state of the benthic habitat (the bottom) is not optimal, mainly due to disturbance by bottom fishing and only to a very limited extent, or only locally, by other human activities. The species composition of benthic habitats differs from the reference communities due to the lack of long-lived species.
- A positive trend is observed for thornback ray as an indicator for long-lived species, which illustrates the potential for recovery for such species.
- The environmental targets for seabirds are not met, or the numbers are decreasing with current densities just above the threshold values.
Conclusions
- Good environmental status has not yet been achieved in the Belgian part of the North Sea, although a positive evolution was observed for several elements.
- For certain purposes, further data collection is necessary to reach a conclusion (fish diseases, benthic fauna, seabed litter, …) as monitoring for these aspects was only recently started. Furthermore, for various elements it appears that there is a need for knowledge and scientific support to complete and improve the assessment (litter, underwater noise, cumulative effects, etc.).
- International cooperation remains important as the state of the Belgian waters is largely determined by transboundary currents.
The MSFD monitoring and reporting are coordinated by the Marine Environment Service of the Federal Public Service of Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment (DG EM) and the Scientific Service Management Unit of the Mathematical Model of the North Sea (MUMM) of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS). In addition to RBINS, the following partners also made an important contribution: Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Research (ILVO), Institute for Nature and Forest Research (INBO) and the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC).
Fin Whale of De Haan Probably Died a Natural Death
The fin whale that was beached in De Haan on 25 October probably died a natural death. This became evident from the autopsy by the universities of Ghent and Liège and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.
The veterinarians and biologists found no evidence that the whale died from human factors. The Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalis), an almost fully grown male of 18 meters long and estimated at 30 tons, was very emaciated and its stomach was almost empty. Additional analyses for the presence of some known viruses were negative.
Story of the Stranding
The dead fin whale was spotted on 24 October in the Belgian part of the North Sea. Because the carcass was floating in a busy shipping route, the maritime services kept some of their ships alternately near the animal and the traffic centre of Zeebrugge sent out a general warning to keep ships at bay.
Researchers from the Operational Directorate Natural Environment of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences predicted by means of simulations – which take into account sea currents, wind and waves – that the carcass would wash ashore between Oostende and De Haan during the night of 24 to 25 October or during the morning of 25 October. Because the carcass could pose a danger to shipping, and because some parts of the coast are difficult to access for heavy equipment, the MRCC Oostende (Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre) and the local authorities decided to beach it in a controlled manner. A rescue ship pulled the carcass to the beach near Vosseslag, de Haan, where it arrived around 2h00 at night.
Quite Fresh
The impressive remains of the almost mature male were still relatively fresh. He must have died about 48 hours before the start of the autopsy. But the decomposition of large whales goes very fast. A connection with the common whale filmed five days earlier in the Netherlands could not be confirmed, nor with the sighting of a ‘whale’ on 23 October near the Buitenratel sand bar.
The autopsy, carried out by veterinarians and students from the universities of Ghent and Liège and biologists from the RBINS, could not prove that a human factor contributed to the death of the animal. The fin whale was very emaciated, with a very thin layer of blubber and an almost empty stomach. Additional analyses for some viruses – morbilli, herpes, influenza and brucella – were negative. So the animal probably died a natural death.
The animal weighed an estimated 30,000 kilograms. Of this, 24 tons were transported by the Civil Protection to the company Rendac for processing. At the request of the municipality of De Haan, the gigantic lower jaw was spared. It will be exhibited locally after treatment by Ghent University. The university museum of Ghent University will preserve one of the pectoral fins. Numerous tissue samples have also been collected, as well as parasites that lived on the fin whale.
Rare
Fin whales are rarely seen in the North Sea. The previous stranding dates from 1 November 1997. After that, dead fin whales were brought into Belgian ports twice at the bow of a ship, in 2009 in Antwerp and in 2015 in Ghent.
The cooperation between the various services for the stranding, autopsy and removal of the dead fin whale went very well: The Agency for Maritime Services and Coast (Shipping Assistance Division, Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre, DAB Vloot), Ship Support, Shipping Police, the Services of the Governor of the Province of West Flanders, Civil Protection, the FPS Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, the Cabinet of the Secretary of State for the North Sea, the local authorities of De Haan, the universities of Ghent and Liège and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.
Newest insights regarding environmental impacts of offshore wind farms in the Belgian part of the North Sea.
Energy production from renewable sources will cover 13% of the total Belgian energy consumption by 2020, if the target defined by the European Commission in 2001 is met. Offshore wind farms in the Belgian part of the North Sea are expected to make an important contribution to achieve that goal, and will produce ca. 43% of the renewable energy, assuming a 2000 Megawatt installed capacity by 2020. In the new report “Environmental Impacts of Offshore Wind Farms in the Belgian Part of the North Sea: Assessing and Managing Effect Spheres of Influence.”, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and its partners assess the impacts of offshore wind turbines on the marine ecosystem and reveal the processes behind these impacts.
Nowadays, four offshore wind parks are already operational in the Belgian part of the North Sea, and a fifth (Norther) is currently being constructed. By the end of 2018, an installed capacity of 1152 Megawatt, consisting of 274 offshore wind turbines, will be operational in our national waters. Four other projects are scheduled to start construction in 2019 and 2020. With 238 km² reserved for offshore wind farms in Belgium, 344 km² in the adjacent Dutch Borssele area, and 122 km² in the French Dunkerque zone (Fig. 1), cumulative ecological impacts are likely to form a major concern in the southern North Sea over the coming years.
Apart from a domain concession, a developer must therefore also obtain an environmental permit prior to installing a wind farm. Such a permit includes terms and conditions intended to minimise the impact of the project on the marine ecosystem, but also imposes a monitoring programme to assess the effects of the project on the marine environment. In Belgium, the Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences coordinates this monitoring programme, thereby also relying on the expertise of Ghent University, the Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO) and the Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO). “With this monitoring programme, we don’t only obtain a proper understanding of the influence sphere of individual wind turbines and of wind farms as a whole, it also allows us to design mitigation measures to directly manage unwanted effects on the marine ecosystem” says Steven Degraer, lead author of the report.
Some remarkable results from the new report
Effectiveness of a single Big Bubble Curtain (BBC) to mitigate underwater sound during pile driving (chapter 2): As the size of commercially available wind turbines has increased in the last decades, more powerful hydraulic hammers are required to drive the bigger steel foundation monopiles into the seafloor. As a result, higher levels of impulsive sound are introduced into the marine environment, raising concerns about possible negative impacts on marine life. To comply with the Belgian Marine Strategy Framework Directive requirements, a threshold of 185 dB at 750 m from the sound source should not be exceeded. Sound mitigation measures are therefore no longer an option but compulsory during piling activities. In this study, the effectiveness of a single Big Bubble Curtain was tested during the construction of the Rentel Park. In this method, air is compressed through a perforated hose that is installed on the seafloor around the construction location, creating a shield of bubbles that partially absorbs the sound energy, and reduces the sound with a maximum of 11-13 dB.
Monitoring of sediments and of invertebrates in the soft sediments surrounding the wind turbines has shown that mussels and anemones, organisms that are known to be fouling on the turbine foundations, are becoming more abundant in these sediments than in reference zones outside the wind farms. However, detailed follow-up is needed to validate whether this is a one-off observation or a real wind farm effect, so it is too early to conclude that a direct wind farm (‘reef’) effect, or an indirect fisheries exclusion effect, is manifesting itself (chapter 3). Changes in the sediments (such as fining and enrichment), and in density, diversity and composition of invertebrate communities were detected in different magnitude around the three different turbine foundation types (monopiles, jackets and gravity-based foundations) that are used in the Belgian part of the North Sea. It is suggested that these contrasting results might be due to a combination of site-specific dispersive capacities and structural differences between foundation types and their associated invertebrate communities (chapter 5).
Apart from the follow-up in already operational wind farms, also reference conditions of invertebrate and fish communities in new concession zones are described in the report, allowing future evaluation of the effects of newly constructed wind farms on these communities (chapter 4).
A closer look at the fish fauna in the offshore wind farms (chapter 6) revealed that a combination of varied sampling techniques is necessary to get a complete view on this community. Out of a total of 25 species, 15 are also known to dwell around wrecks in the same area. Four species however, the Tadpole Fish (Raniceps raninus), the Tompot Blenny (Parablennius gattorugine) and the Longspined Bullhead (Taurulus bubalis) were previously rarely or, in the case of the Ballan Wrasse (Labrys bergylta), only once reported from Belgian waters. These species can be characterized as hard substrate-frequenting species and are expected to increasingly benefit from the continued expansion of offshore wind farms in the Southern North Sea.
Modelling of GPS data of Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus fuscus) (chapter 7) caught and tagged in the colonies at Ostend and Zeebrugge confirmed that much more time was spent roosting on outer than on inner turbines within a wind farm. Also, a significant and gradual increase in the number of logs of flying birds going from the centre of the wind farm up to 2000 m from the wind farm edge was found, beyond which the response seemed to stabilise. A temporal analysis showed that the birds were increasingly wary of entering the wind farm during times of strong winds with fast moving rotor blades. These results can be of high value in refining collision risk modelling.
The population consequences of disturbance on a simulated Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) population (chapter 8) were tested using 17 scenarios with and without various mitigating measures. The results of this study show that a combination of a seasonal pile driving restriction (when the porpoises are most abundant) and an acoustic deterring device was not enough to lower the impact on the porpoise population to acceptable values. These simulations also suggest that building a wind farm every year affected the harbour porpoise population more than building two wind farms at the same time.
For the first time in the North Sea, bat activity was studied at the height of the nacelle (at 94 m above the sea level) in wind turbines (chapter 9). Acoustic bat detectors were installed at four turbines in the Belgian waters. Several bat species are known to migrate long distances between summer and winter roosts, and to even cross the North Sea during their migration. The results indicate that the detections at nacelle height (in the center of the rotor swept area) were around 10% of the detections made at lower altitude (ca. 17 m above sea level), giving an indication of the activity of bats at different altitudes when crossing offshore wind farms. The observations however do not yet allow to make sound conclusions about the collision risk for bats, especially not in the lower part of the rotor swept zone.
More information:
This press release only describes the general monitoring framework of environmental effects in the Belgian offshore wind farms, and only focusses on some of the results. The complete report, as well as the older monitoring reports, can be consulted here.
Aerosol correction for high resolution satellite data
Satellite data are increasingly used in applications such as water turbidity mapping (important for aquatic organisms) and understanding sediment transport. The atmosphere however is highly variable due to the presence of aerosols, a mixture of tiny particles that impact satellite images through absorption and reflection of light. Hence, an atmospheric correction is essential before using the satellite data. In a new paper by Quinten Vanhellemont, researcher of the Operational Directorate Natural Environments (OD Nature) of our institute, a new atmospheric correction algorithm is presented for water applications of high resolution satellite data.
The Dark Spectrum Fitting (DSF) algorithm was developed in the PONDER project, funded by the BELSPO (Belgian Science Policy) Stereo III programme. This project aims to use data from very high resolution satellite sensors such as Pléiades to generate much more detailed information on water turbidity and sediment transport, but it is necessary to first develop a method for processing the images accurately.
Removal of Aerosol Impact from Satellite Images
After selecting dark pixels in a satellite scene, the Dark Spectrum Fitting algorithm uses those to estimate the atmospheric aerosols. Thanks to the high spatial resolution of Pléiades, this method can retrieve high resolution maps of the aerosol distribution by using ground level object shadows. The application of the DSF to Pléiades imagery with a ground resolution of 2 m is presented, allowing the retrieval of high resolution turbidity and suspended sediments in and around the port of Zeebrugge.
Additional Uses
The Dark Spectrum Fitting algorithm has also been adapted for use on data generated by other satellites, notably Landsat and Sentinel-2, and has been distributed as the default algorithm in ACOLITE for those satellites since April 2018. ACOLITE is the software for analysis and interpretation of satellite imagery, and was also developed by Quinten at the Royal Belgian Institue of Natural Sciences. A paper describing the adaptation and validation of the DSF to Landsat and Sentinel-2 is in preparation.
Marine mammals in Belgium in 2017
Our marine scientists summarise the available information on marine mammals in Belgium in an annual report. In addition to a discussion on the strandings and observations of marine mammals and remarkable fish in 2017, the latest edition also contains opinion pieces about Arctic climate refugees and the grey seal in our coastal waters.
Harbour porpoises
In 2017, the number of stranded harbour porpoises more or less equalled the average of the past 10 years. “Predation by the grey seal and incidental catch were the most important causes of death we identified,” explains Jan Haelters, lead author of the new report. “Nearly 60% of the 93 harbour porpoises that stranded along the Belgian coast in 2017, died due to one of these causes.”
Other cetaceans
Two observations of white-beaked dolphins were documented in 2017, while bottle-nosed dolphins were reported more regularly. Also one deceased individual of both these species washed ashore. A dead minke whale floated through Belgian waters, and eventually washed ashore in the Netherlands.
Seals
With 10 common seals, 8 grey seals and 19 non-identified seals, the number of dead or dying seals exhibits a rising trend. Additionally, 22 common and 6 grey seals were taken into temporary care at SEALIFE Blankenberge. A remarkably high number of seals that had been injured by fishing hooks was observed in the port of Nieuwpoort.
A very unexpected visitor
The bowhead whale that stayed off the coastal towns of Ostend and Middelkerke on 31 March and 1 April was the first ever to be reported for the entire North Sea. Barely a year after the stranding of a narwhal, the sighting of this animal, of a species that inhabits very northerly waters, instigates a lot of speculation about the effects of climate change on marine life in the Arctic, and perhaps at a global scale.
This report describes part of the implementation of the Royal Decree on Marine Species Protection, and its production was only possible thanks to the support of many volunteers, other institutions and coastal authorities. Interested readers can download the report at www.marinemammals.be/reports (available in Dutch and French, with English summary).
Belgian Coast Guard leading in the international fight against air pollution above the sea
Since 2016, a so-called ‘sniffer’ sensor has been used onboard the Belgian Coast Guard aircraft to check for environmental and nautical violations. This sensor allows the sulfur content in the fuel to be derived on the basis of measurements made in the emissions of ships above the sea. This method not only enables more efficient monitoring of aspects of air quality over the sea, but also allows identification of potential offenders. In this context, international attention is increasingly directed at the Belgian example. In addition to the North Sea countries, it is currently mainly China that expresses its interest.
Air pollution by ships and the Belgian pioneering role
Air pollution, and its consequences for people and the environment, receives a great deal of attention in our media. Road traffic is particularly targeted, but often it is forgotten that shipping is also an important source of air pollution (and other forms of pollution). In this way, also sulfur dioxides in the emissions of ships burning sulfur-rich heavy fuels contribute to various public health and environmental issues (particulate matter, acid rain, climate change). The reduction of sulfur emissions from ships at sea is therefore the subject of international conventions (limit on sulfur content in the fuel laid down in the MARPOL Convention, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships), and is a European top priority (European Sulfur Directive). We have previously reported on the sniffer sensor that has been used on board the Belgian Coast Guard aircraft since 2016 to measure the sulfur emissions from ships above the North Sea (the levels of SO2 and CO2 are measured, from which the sulfur content in the fuel can be calculated). The Coast Guard aircraft, owned by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, thus contributes to the efficient enforcement of shipping, in collaboration with FPS Mobility. The unique pioneering role that Belgium plays has not gone unnoticed. For example, there is already active collaboration with the Netherlands and other North Sea countries are also considering to follow the Belgian example.
Intercontinental interest
But the international interest does not stop there! The Belgian performance and expertise also appeared on the radars of countries outside the North Sea basin and the EU. For example, our air surveillance operator Ward Van Roy was invited in September 2017 to present the Belgian pioneering work at an international meeting in the Canadian town of Cornwall (Ontario). The public consisted mainly of government representatives charged with tackling pollution from ships.
In June 2017, also a delegation from the Chinese Ministry of Transport visited the Belgian air surveillance team, to assess the possibility of applying the Belgian procedures in China. Like Europe, China is very much affected by air pollution, and the central Chinese government is now strongly committed to reducing the backlog in the fight against ship emissions. It attributed substantial resources to realise this catch-up movement, and set up three ‘Domestic Emission Control Areas’ (DECAs) around the busiest Chinese ports in 2016. The shipping inspection services were then instructed to tackle the environmental pollution from ships, and therefore the sulfur issue, in these DECAs. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an NGO that aims to protect the earth (its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems that life depends on), supports the Chinese government departments in building up the expertise needed to carry out the monitoring themselves in the future.
Learning from the Belgian experience
In early May 2018, Van Roy was invited by the NRDC and the China Waterborne Transport Research Institute (Department of the Transport Ministry) to discuss the regulation and enforcement of the emissions of ships in the DECA zones at a workshop in Shenzhen, China. The NRDC subsequently organized a workshop and media event in Beijing on 6 June 2018, also celebrating the second anniversary of the Chinese DECA implementation. Once again Ward Van Roy (together with the Dane Jon Knudsen) was selected to share his knowledge about the sulfur theme via teleconference, to explain the Belgian experiences, and to highlight the importance of the Chinese DECA implementation. “We assume that the messages from international experts can help China take more progressive actions and set up a robust monitoring program,” says Freda Fung of NRDC. “Furthermore, we hope that the foreign experiences will be inspiring, not only to further develop and implement the mandatory legal framework, but also to set up voluntary actions to further reduce the sulfur emissions from ships.”
Big in China
The media event was a great success! The Chinese journalists found it very valuable to hear directly from foreign experts how enforcement in their country is being dealt with, and whether new technologies to reduce the sulfur content of ships’ emissions work efficiently. “The Chinese media were also very enthusiastic about the fact that monitoring from the air can effectively be an important link in detecting emission violations at sea, and showed a great interest in the Belgian pioneering work”, says Van Roy. “A few leading Chinese newspapers (including People’s Daily) and many sector-specific media (about shipping, energy and transport), reported on the media event, and quoted the Belgian researcher with regard to various aspects of his story. Ward and the Belgian approach are now famous in China! “Freda adds.
“Ward Van Roy and Jon Knudsen have described in detail how the sniffer technology should be used to effectively monitor the emission of pollutants in the air by ships at sea.”
“Ward Van Roy also provided a clarifying explanation of the effect of desulfurisation scrubbers*, and the fact that they still contribute to pollution when the resulting wastewater is not collected and purified, but discharged directly.”
China Shipping Weekly, 06-07-18
“The international interest in the Belgian pioneering work gives us a great deal of satisfaction and extra motivation to proceed on the chosen way, both in relation to our work assignment and fed by our concern for the quality of our environment, of which air quality is also an important part.” Van Roy concludes.
Future perspectives
In the meantime, the scientists of the Belgian air surveillance team are looking into the possibilities to expand their expertise with the measurement of nitrogen compounds in the emission of ships at sea, for which stricter standards will apply from 2021 onwards. They also continue to inform other North Sea countries and the European Commission about the usefulness of ‘sniffer’ flights above the sea, hoping that the practice will be extended not only to China but also around the North Sea (and to other European sea areas) in the coming years.
* Scrubbers are installations in which water removes unwanted pollutants from a gas flow. When that water is not collected after treatment, it is called an ‘open system’, in the other case a ‘closed system’.
Scientific cruise to Svalbard with RV Oceania
Scientific research on the North Sea or on the Arctic Sea, the similarities are striking! Passionate scientists want to understand how the sea works to be as well prepared as possible for the changes that the world is experiencing. A report of 9 days on board of the Polish oceanographic research vessel Oceania.
RV Belgica and RV Oceania
Just like Belgium, Poland has its own research vessel. The three-master RV Oceania is property of the Polish Institute for Oceanographic Research (IOPAN) and has approximately the same age (°1985) and length (just under 50 m) as our own RV Belgica. The vessel is mainly used for scientific research in the Baltic Sea. Once a year, however, it leaves for the far north to study the impact of climate change on the Arctic Sea in the fjords of Svalbard. From Wednesday 26 July to Friday 4 August 2017, the 24 Polish crew members were accompanied by a Canadian journalist, and the Belgian science communicator Sigrid Maebe.
The RV Oceania captain, Piotr Woźniak, knows our RV Belgica well. In the nineties he took part in the festivities of the Belgian Navy in Zeebrugge, where his military vessel docked next to RV Belgica. Also when the 100th anniversary of the scientific expedition of the old Belgica to Antarctica was celebrated, in 1997 in Antwerp, he visited our research vessel. Both vessels are very similar, but the fact that RV Oceania is a sailing ship, and therefore has a narrower hull, leads to a tighter barge.
RV Oceania is equiped with all possible equipment to take water samples, collect organisms (plankton in the water column or benthos on the seabed), or to optically characterise the water colour which allows to determine the properties of the water. Due to the limited space, the Polish scientists can only collect samples and freeze or fix them, but they cannot study them on board. Later, on land, they will need half a year to a year to analyse all the samples of this campaign.
Research in Hornsund fjord
For this scientific cruise ‘AREX’2017’ (Arctic Expedition 2017), RV Oceania left Poland mid-June, to sail all along Norway to the island group of Svalbard. At the end of August, 80 days later, the vessel will arrive back in Poland with hundreds of samples and measurements. Then the number “30”, which is painted next to a polar bear on the side of the vessel, will also be changed: the 31st voyage of RV Oceania to Svalbard will be completed!
I boarded RV Oceania in Longyearbyen, the capital of Svalbard, for a 9-day scientific cruise to the Hornsund Fjord. The aim of this part of the journey was to investigate how far the influence of the Atlantic Ocean in this fjord in the southern part of Svalbard can be felt. The Hornsund Fjord is actually the first area where Atlantic water from the south enters the Arctic Sea. Year after year, the chief scientist Sławomir Kwaśniewski sees the Atlantic water penetrate deeper into the fjord, while the seawater gets noticably warmer. The plankton community is also shifting: Atlantic species of copepods, jellyfish and sea gooseberries are more often observed in the fjord. The entire ecosystem changes with the supply of this warmer water. The scientists are therefore very happy when they also find real Arctic species in their plankton net. This annual survey by the IOPAN Institute provides a long time series with measurements and analyses that are indispensable for understanding the effects of climate change.
Polar Station
The Polish government also has a research station on land in Svalbard: the Polish Polar Station, also in the Hornsund fjord. It is a magical place, but walking in the neighbourhood is not possible without a firearm because you always have to be prepared for a meeting with a polar bear (Ursus maritimus)! During the summer months, about 30 scientists and technicians are stationed here, in the dark winter months only a dozen. They investigate the glacier that is actually in their backyard. Furthermore, they constantly measure the magnetic radiation and meteorological conditions of the area and study the living conditions and the eating pattern of the colony of little auks (Alle alle, a funny flying seabird species).
The two “paparazzi”, as the journalist and I were laughingly referred to, were allowed to go ashore for one day to get to know the scientists Danek and Kasia. That morning they checked the batteries of the cameras that were placed at the nests to register how the parents come to feed the chicks. The chicks themselves are under a pile of stones and you cannot see them on the camera images. In the afternoon, the researchers caught a number of adult birds to collect food samples. For this, they “spoon” the freshly caught plankton from the crop of the little auks. Apparently the chicks are mainly fed with a certain larval stage (stage 5) of the plankton species Calanus glacialis. It is unbelievable how these birds, under water, can distinguish the different plankton stages. And also aim well enough to catch them!
RBINS-researchers
In the station I also met Alexandra, who studies several glaciers in the Hornsund fjord with a sonar. She spends hours in a small boat, right next to the glacier, in order to get a ‘picture’ of the part of the glacier that is submerged, using sound waves. Alexandra is Polish, lives and works in Italy and knew the work of a number of OD Nature colleagues (Vera Van Lancker and Giacomo Montereale Gavazzi) who do similar research with sonars, but targeting the bottom of the Belgian part of the North Sea. Joana, who came on board for the next part of the cruise, also had good contacts with RBINS scientists who study crustaceans (Claude De Broyer and Cédric d’Udekem d’Acoz). And so the good reputation of the RBINS researchers, also so far from home, is proven again!
Polar bear, whales, plankton
Apparently we were very lucky during the 9-day trip. This was partially due to the beautiful weather (sun, little wind, and a nice 5 ° C). The weeks before there was only fog in the fjord and heavy wind on the high seas, making it difficult to collect samples and completely hiding the overwhelming view! We also saw a polar bear in one of the smaller bays. He had feasted on a large prey, the remains of which were still on an ice floe. It was a mighty sight: a polar bear that slipped from an iceberg into the seawater and – surprisingly quickly – swam away from us, moving his head from left to right, as if he wanted to smell how far or near the human danger was. Even the seasoned Svalbard scientists were happy with this unique encounter!
In the fjord a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) revealed its presence twice. He had found a place in the fjord, close to a glacier, that was teeming with nutritious plankton. So why move?
More whales were spotted in the high seas (1000 meters deep!), where we carried out continuous optical measurements in the water for 48 hours. How fine it was to collect water samples at 3 o’clock in the morning, and hear and see how whales or dolphins pass by our ship! It was quite a challenge to force myself to go to sleep in the evening, and risk missing beautiful sceneries and whales. The pros and cons of the eternal Nordic sun at this time of the year!
Unspoiled nature?
The life on board of RV Oceania was strikingly similar to that on board of RV Belgica (except the Polish language, that is a big challenge!). Fresh soup every day, an ice cream every now and then, small but cozy cabins, and every day the challenge to take a shower and get dressed in small spaces that move from front to back and from left to right … The big difference only becomes obvious when you are outside, on the deck. No grey horizon full of ships on one side, and coastal apartment buildings on the other. On the high seas you only see a grey horizon without ships, while the fjords feature incredibly beautiful sunlit views of hills and mountains, eternal snow and the not so eternal glaciers. The glaciers are getting smaller at a terrifying speed. The sea charts in the bridge of RV Oceania were updated in 2014, and again turned out to be no longer correct! Shocking to realise how untouched nature changes as a result of the ill-considered behaviour of people thousands of miles away …
The images of fantastic surroundings, mountains, glaciers, birds, plankton, whales and the polar bear are forever imprinted in my memory and I will continue to encourage people to learn to understand climate change and take it seriously! Do not hesitate to join us!
Text and images: Sigrid Maebe
More information on IOPAN, RV Oceania, and the research they are involved in can be consulted here. RV Oceania will leave Poland for ‘AREX’2018’ – the 32nd voyage of RV Oceania to Svalbard – on 14 June 2018, only to return on 29 August (schedule of RV Oceania in 2018).
Aerial Surveys over the North Sea in 2017
A total of 222 flight hours has been performed at sea in the framework of the Belgian North Sea aerial survey programme in 2017. In and nearby the Belgian marine areas 11 spillages were observed, of which 10 operational slicks and one accidental spill. During the sulphur emission control flights at sea 49 ships were detected with a high fuel sulphur content. During an international mission for the detection of spillages in the central part of the North Sea where the offshore oil and gas platforms are located, 26 other oil spills were detected. The Scientific Service Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models of the Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences, is responsible for the aerial surveys over sea in Belgium.
In 2017 a total of 222 flight hours has been performed at sea in the framework of the Belgian North Sea aerial survey programme. Of these flight hours, 187 were performed in the framework of the Belgian coastguard in and nearby Belgian waters, 19 were spent on an international mission for the detection of spillages near oil and gas installations in the central part of the North Sea (the so-called Tour d’horizon mission), and 16 were used for marine mammal monitoring. Of the 187 coastguard hours, 40 were spent on fishery control, two on joint coastguard missions, and 145 on pollution control (MARPOL enforcement at sea). In the last category, 80 hours were specifically dedicated to sulphur emission control flights, and 65 hours to the control of deliberate discharges of oil and other harmful substances.
Operational Discharges
In 2017 a total of 10 operational ship discharges were detected:
- In two cases an oil slick was detected. Both slicks consisted of minor volumes with a limited impact for the marine environment. This result is in line with the trend observed in recent years, of a systematic reduction in annually observed operational oil discharges.
Number of operational oil spills observed per flight hour. © RBINS/SURV - In five cases another harmful substance than oil was detected. Only once however a link could be made with a vessel; it concerned an alleged MARPOL Annex II violation in British waters. The alleged violation was reported to the British authorities for further follow-up. In the four other cases no ship was found in the vicinity of the slicks.
Number of operational contaminations by other harmful substances observed per flight hour. © RBINS/SURV - In the three remaining cases it was impossible to visually verify the substance of the slick due to darkness or bad visibility.
Accidental Marine Pollution
In 2017 only one accidental oil pollution was detected. It concerned oil which got accidentally released from the ‘Fluvius Tamar’ wreck which sunk in January in nearby British waters. The Belgian surveillance aircraft furthermore also performed aerial monitoring of other shipping incidents in and nearby Belgian waters. Luckily however no further accidental marine pollution was observed:
- Following a collision between the bulk carrier ‘Coral Opal’ and the tanker ‘Silent’ in June 2017, the aircraft performed an aerial monitoring flight on site but no pollution was detected.
- In August 2017 another flight was carried out following an alert of the Blankenberge beach rescue service about a small weathered heavy fuel oil slick observed in nearshore waters. During this flight a large part of the coastal waters was scanned but no oil could be found. The initially reported patches of heavy fuel were thought to be weathered oil remains from the ‘Flinterstar’ incident (2015), which probably got trapped in the seabed and were accidentally released in the summer of 2017 due to works near the port of Zeebrugge.
- A third aerial monitoring flight was performed following the stranding of the tanker ‘Seatrout’ in the Western Scheldt near the turn of Bath in September 2017, but again no accidental pollution was detected.
The Seatrout is pulled from a sandbank in the turn of Bath (Western Scheldt) by tuggers. © RBINS/SURV
Sulphur Emission Monitoring
The 80 hours spent monitoring sulphur emission compliance at sea were spread over 51 so-called ‘sniffer’ flights. In this way, the sulphur content in the smoke plume of 870 ships was effectively monitored. 49 of these ships showed suspiciously high sulphur values, and were systematically reported to the competent maritime inspection services for further follow-up in port (‘Port State Control’).
International Mission (Tour d’Horizon)
During the annual international campaign for the detection of spillages in the central part of the North Sea where the oil and gas installations are located, executed in the framework of the Bonn Agreement, 26 oil slicks were detected, of which 22 were connected to platforms, and four were found at sea, without a clear link to a platform or ship. All findings were reported to the competent authorities of the affected coastal States.
Pollution in Belgian Ports
During transit flights in 2017, two oil slicks were detected in the Port of Antwerp. These findings were immediately reported to the competent port authorities for follow-up.
Conference on Marine Sands, June 1st 2018 (10-16h). Museum of Natural Sciences, Brussels
The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Ghent University, Geological Survey of the Netherlands and FPS Economy have the pleasure of inviting you to the conference ‘Marine sands as a precious resource’. During this conference you will get the opportunity to get acquainted with a newly developed decision support system guiding long-term sand extraction in the Belgian and southern Netherlands part of the North sea. The consortium will guide you through the origin, distribution and dynamics of marine sands to inform on resource exploitation in a more sustainable way. Throughout the conference interactive demonstrations will be held on the newly developed tools: volumetric 3D pixel (‘voxel’) models, numerical impact models accounting for geological boundary conditions, a geological data portal and the resource decision support module. A Virtual Reality side event is also foreseen. Free participation, but register before May 26. E-mail to vvanlancker@naturalsciences.be.