Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research
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Royal Netherlands
Institute for Sea Research
Sea research from the deltas to deep oceans
Mission Blue Planet

Using and protecting our blue planet starts with understanding our changing seas.

Sea research from the deltas to deep oceans
Mission Blue Planet

Using and protecting our blue planet starts with understanding our changing seas.

North Sea Research Centre

Expertise on the environmental health status of the North Sea in transition

Where is the RV Pelagia?

The RV Pelagia is the NIOZ flag ship. With an overall length of 66 m, this versatile and stable vessel is suited for research on both coastal seas and open oceans (except for the polar regions).

2 weeks

Due to Arctic warming, spring starts 2 weeks early and hatching chicks miss the insect peak, ending up lighter, smaller and shorter-billed. Read about the latest fieldwork of our researchers in Siberia.

Algal growth in Dutch coastal waters

Wadden Sytems Research Centre supplies easy access to expert teams, equipment, technology and protocols as developed for a variety of tidal environments

Building safe and productive deltas with nature
31°C

Climate change heats up water over 31 degrees Celsius bleaching coral reefs

Featured news

Juist wateren ten westen van Europa cruciaal in oceaancirculatie en toekomst klimaat

NIEUWS | Een internationale studie in Science toont aan dat de klimaatbepalende Atlantische meridionale omwentelingscirculatie (MOC) niet zozeer wordt aangedreven vanuit de Labradorzee, maar door afkoelende wateren ten westen van Europa.

How sponges undermine coral reefs from within

NEWS | Coral reefs are demolished from within, by bio-eroding sponges. Seeking refuge from predators, these sponges bore tunnels into the carbonate coral structures. NIOZ scientists have uncovered how the sponges hollow out and take over reef skeleton.

RUG en NIOZ onderzoeken plasticvervuiling containerramp op Schiermonnikoog

NIEUWS | Op Schiermonnikoog brengen RUG en NIOZ onderzoekers in kaart wat de gevolgen zijn van de 291 overboord geslagen containers van vrachtschip MSC Zoe. Eilanders en vastewallers zagen miljoenen kleine stukjes sterk vervuilende HDPE-plastickorrels.

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Scientific Departments

Our science is conducted in four scientific departments;. Three of them are area oriented: estuaries and delta areas, coastal seas and open oceans. Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry conducts science in all three area types.

Delta
Estuarine & Delta Systems
Coast
Coastal Systems
Ocean
Ocean Systems
Microbiology
Microbiology & Biogeochemistry

Key Areas

NIOZ performs maritime research in seas and oceans around the world. Our focus is on six key areas, including the home bases of our institute, the Wadden Sea and the Dutch Delta.

Wadden Sea A unique coastal tidal environment and one of the main research areas
Dutch Delta A protective boundary between land and sea, and a principal research area
Caribbean Studying the rich biodiversity and functioning of the tropical region
North Sea Balancing human use and healthy ecosystems in one of the busiest seas
North Atlantic Ocean Crucial to our climate and harbouring unique ecosystems in its dark depths
Polar Assessing the rapid change of the polar regions, which impacts our planet
Asian estuaries and coasts The value and problems of Asian estuaries and coasts

Valorisation

An important part of the NIOZ mission is valorisation of our research efforts – what we like to call frontier-applied research. Successful examples include projects around ballast water, seaweed, tidal energy and deep-sea mining.

Ballast Water
Seaweed
Deep Sea Mining
Tidal energy

Departments

Key Areas

Research

Jobs

Facilities

NIOZ is part of NWO-I, in cooperation with Utrecht University

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