NWO-NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research is the national oceanographic institute and principally performs and promotes academically excellent multidisciplinary fundamental and frontier applied marine research addressing important scientific and societal questions pertinent to the functioning of oceans and seas. NIOZ serves as national marine research facilitator (NMF) for The Netherlands scientific community.
Featured news
Dossier: Dijkdoorbraken en natuurlijke kustverdediging
Op 1 februari 2023 herdenkt Nederland de Watersnoodramp van 70 jaar geleden. De gevolgen van klimaatverandering, zoals zeespiegelstijging en weersextremen stellen Nederland voor nieuwe opgaven in de kustverdediging.
Bacteria really eat and digest plastic
Bacteria eat and actually digest plastic. This has been shown in laboratory experiments by Maaike Goudriaan. Based on a model study with plastic in the lab she calculated that bacteria can break down about one percent of the plastic.
Sunlight pulps the plastic soup
UV light from the sun slowly breaks down plastics on the ocean’s surfaces. In the latest issue of Marine Pollution Bulletin, PhD student Annalisa Delre and colleagues calculate that about 2 percent of visibly floating plastic may disappear in this way.
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.
Centres of Expertise
NIOZ performs maritime research in deltas, seas and oceans around the world. To create more visibility for our research, NIOZ has several virtual centres of interdisciplinary expertise around topics of societal and industrial interest. Each centre aims to offer a variety of stakeholders easy access to our expertise: don't hesitate to contact the contactpersons listed in each centre if you have any questions or suggestions.
