NIOZ Open Day in Yerseke – Full programme

Protecting nature and our health through nature

Speaker: Jeroen van de Water, marine ecologist
At 10.30 and 13.00

Seagrass filters disease-causing bacteria out of seawater. Oyster reefs convert nitrogen nutrients into air. Let’s take a dip amongst the seagrass and oysters to see how they can protect nature and our health, and make oyster farming in Zeeland more future-proof.

Sea-level rise along the Dutch coast

Speaker: Theo Gerkema, physical oceanographer
At 11.00 and 14.00

We regularly hear in the news about global sea-level rise, but what is the situation along the Dutch coast? How fast is the sea level rising here? It is important to know this, for example, to reinforce our dykes. Water levels are measured every ten minutes, year after year, but does that tell us enough?

Oysters as natural coastal protectors

Speaker: Brenda Walles, marine ecologist
At 12:00 and 15:30

Can animals and plants help to protect our coastline? Coral reefs, mangroves, oyster reefs, seagrass beds and salt marshes can all play a role. They slow down waves and currents, thereby helping to keep sand and silt in place. During this talk, we’ll focus on the oyster: where can an oyster reef work, where not, and how far does its effect extend?

Speaker: Jim van Belzen (details to follow)

At 11.30 am and 2.30 pm

1. VR Experience: the Zeeland coast in the past

Through a Virtual Reality headset, you can see Zeeland’s natural landscape as it was before people built dykes everywhere. And you can even take a peek into the future. NIOZ researchers will demonstrate how data can be used to create lifelike visualisations.

2. 150 years of NIOZ photo exhibition

In 2026, the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) will celebrate its 150th anniversary. Since 1876, we have been researching the complex and dynamic world of the sea and everything that lives in it, from the delta to the deep sea and from the poles to the tropics. Through our research, we are expanding our knowledge of our unique blue planet. Only by understanding the sea can we protect it and keep it healthy – and thereby safeguard our own future. Through a series of striking diptychs, we take you on a brief journey through the history of the NIOZ.

3. Analytical lab: Measuring with light

Much of our research begins with a small sample of seawater, which we take to our analytical lab. Discover here how we use light to carry out all sorts of measurements on seawater, and what instruments and methods are required for this.

4. Technology and equipment for marine research

‘Measuring’ the ocean – how does that actually work? It simply can’t be done without research vessels and specially developed equipment. Come and see various models and videos. You can also try the ‘Glider Wobble Game’ to see if you can move as smoothly as a glider. This ‘underwater aircraft’ can glide autonomously through the ocean and take measurements.

5. Seaweed: from cultivation to artwork

Is seaweed the food of the future? Come and see the different types of seaweed that live in the local area. You can create your own seaweed art, learn more about what seaweed can be used for (not just for eating!) and why that’s a smart idea.

6. First aid for dyke breaches

To protect ourselves from rising water levels, we have to keep building higher and higher dykes. Or is there another way? Build a dyke out of Lego and discover how plants can help make our dykes stronger and better protect us against rising sea levels. Researchers will demonstrate in a flow channel how they can simulate the force of the water at different flow rates to test how various plants hold up.

7. Underwater laboratories

In the Oosterschelde, you can see our most extraordinary laboratory: the underwater laboratory. Here, under natural conditions, we can test how, for example, new ecosystems form on sea defences. At the end of the day, when the water recedes, the basins emerge.

8. Getting creative with the coast and the sea

The sea isn’t just something to study; it often sparks creativity too. The many animals and plants that live there, from large to small, and the feeling the sea can give you. Here you can let your creativity run wild, with colouring pages and buttons to make yourself. Or capture your visit to our Open Day in the photo booth!

9. The flow channel: simulating waves in the lab

In this setup, researchers can simulate water flow and waves. For example, to test how different structures affect floating objects. In such cases, it’s important to also look at what’s happening beneath the water’s surface. We’ll switch on the flow channel and show you how it works!

10. Biodiversity in the seabed: from shellfish to worms

What sort of marine life can you find in the various aquariums? Can you see the worms and shellfish moving in the seabed? How can you recognise the oyster’s heartbeat, and how do they filter the water? What lives amongst the seagrass roots? The various seabed animals and plants are very important for the quality of the seawater.

11. The diversity of plankton

A drop of seawater may just look clear, but it’s actually teeming with life! Discover this in our plankton lab, where you can use a microscope to examine different ‘drops of water’ and learn all about these tiny plants and animals.

12. Using nature to protect the coast

Natural structures, such as shells and vegetation, dampen waves and thus ensure a safer life behind the dyke. You can experience this for yourself with the Lego car by experimenting with how different structures affect wave attenuation.

13. Get to know us: working and studying at NIOZ

So, do you want to become a ‘marine ecologist’, ‘oceanographer’ or ‘climatologist’? Develop new research equipment as a technician, or work as an analyst in our high-tech labs? Here you can find out who works at NIOZ and why they chose this career.

14. A changing climate, a changing ocean 

The ocean is hugely important for our climate: it can store heat and CO₂, and the ocean currents ensure the temperate climate here in Europe. But how exactly does that work? You can find out with the climate puzzle. Do you know the right answers to the questions about the ocean’s influence on our climate and the consequences of climate change in the ocean?