The Royal Decree of 20 March 2026 establishing the marine spatial plan for the period 2026 to 2034 in the Belgian marine areas defines 13 dredging zones: Dredge spoil disposal zone S1 (Art. 15§1.1°), Dredge spoil disposal zone S2 (Art. 15§1.2°), Dredge spoil disposal zone "Public Works Ostend" (Art. 15§1.3°), Dredge spoil disposal zone "Public Works Zeebrugge East" (Art. 15§1.4°), Dredge spoil disposal zone "Public Works Zeebrugge West" (Art. 15§1.5°), Dredge spoil disposal site "Public Works Nieuwpoort" (Art. 15§1.6°), Dredge spoil disposal zone "Zeebrugge Erosion Pit" (Art. 15§1.7°), Zone 1 for future replacement of dredge spoil zone S1 (Art. 15§4.1°), Zone 2 for future replacement of dredge spoil zone S1 (Art. 15§4.2°), Search zone 1 for future replacement of Zeebrugge East and West (Art. 15§6), Search zone 2 for future replacement of Zeebrugge East and West (Art. 15§6), Search zone 3 for future replacement of Zeebrugge East and West (Art. 15§6), Dredge spoil disposal zone for future replacement "Public Works Nieuwpoort" (Art. 15§8). It replaces the 2020 Marine Spatial Plan. Please refer to the Belgian official gazette ("Moniteur belgeBelgisch Staatsblad") for official reference information.

This dataset contains marine organic matter source samples, artificial mixtures of known composition, and compound-specific nitrogen stable isotope data of amino acids (δ¹⁵N-AA). Source materials include phytoplankton, zooplankton, and faecal pellets from the marine fouling species Mytilus edulis and Metridium senile. Samples were collected and processed in the laboratory under controlled conditions. Artificial mixtures were prepared by combining source materials in defined proportions to generate experimental samples representing multiple marine organic matter source combinations. Metadata describing sample collection, preparation, and mixture composition are included. Compound-specific nitrogen isotope ratios of individual amino acids were measured using stable isotope analysis. The dataset includes isotopic measurements for all source samples and artificial mixtures, along with associated metadata required to document sampling, laboratory preparation, and analytical procedures.

The Royal Decree of 20 March 2026 establishing the marine spatial plan for the period 2026 to 2034 in the Belgian marine areas defines 5 fishery management zones: Zone with prohibition of active bottom-disturbing commercial fishing (Art. 10§2), Zone with prohibition of bottom-disturbing commercial fishing (Art. 10§2), Fisheries research zone (Art. 17§2), Zone accessible to aquaculture and passive fisheries (Art. 18), Zone with prohibition of bottom-disturbing recreational fishing (Art. 24§2). It replaces the 2020 Marine Spatial Plan. Please refer to the Belgian official gazette ("Moniteur belgeBelgisch Staatsblad") for official reference information.

The Royal Decree of 20 March 2026 establishing the marine spatial plan for the period 2026 to 2034 in the Belgian marine areas defines 3 aquaculture zones: Fisheries research zone (Art. 17§2), Zone accessible to aquaculture and passive fisheries (Art. 18), Zone accessible to aquaculture (Art. 18§1). It replaces the 2020 Marine Spatial Plan. Please refer to the Belgian official gazette ("Moniteur belgeBelgisch Staatsblad") for official reference information.

This dataset is part of the 2024 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 3, criteria 1, 2 and 3. It provides the fishing mortality rate, spawning stock biomass and population age/size distribution of commercially-exploited fish and shellfish in the Belgian part of the North Sea, combining fishery-independent survey data (Beam Trawl Survey and Demersal Young Fish Survey) with fishery-dependent observer-at-sea data collected under the Common Fisheries Policy Data Collection Framework. ICES provides the resulting scientific advice to the governments and international regulatory bodies that manage the North Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas.

UNDER EMBARGO - This dataset contains seasonal physiological measurements from controlled laboratory experiments on two dominant suspension-feeding species expected to colonise floating offshore structures: the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis; AphiaID 140480) and the wrinkled barnacle (Balanus crenatus; AphiaID 106215). The measured parameters include clearance rates, respiration rates, faecal pellet production rates, and faecal pellet sinking velocities. Mussels were collected from an aquaculture longline at the Westdiep SeaFarm, while barnacles were manually retrieved from the intertidal beachhead at Raversijde (Oostende, Belgium). All experiments were conducted using natural seawater collected from offshore sites in the Belgian part of the North Sea. Measurements were repeated across multiple seasons to capture temporal variability in physiological performance. The dataset was produced within the SWiM and EcoMPV projects and is suitable for reuse in ecosystem and biogeochemical modelling, including simulations of phytoplankton dynamics associated with large-scale offshore marine photovoltaic (MPV) developments.

This dataset is part of the 2024 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 10, criterion 2. This dataset presents data on microplastics in seabed sediment along a coastal-offshore transect in the Belgian Part of the North Sea (BPNS) in 2020, during 2 cruises on board the RV Belgica. Samples were collected using a Reineck box corer or a Van Veen grab, and the top 5cm was collected for analysis. The samples were preserved and analyzed in the laboratory. This dataset also presents data on microplastics in seawater along the same coastal-offshore transect in the BPNS in 2020-2021, during 3 cruises on board the RV Belgica. Subsurface seawater was collected through the vessel's continuous seawater inlet located below the surface (-3m). The samples were preserved and analyzed in the laboratory.

The Royal Decree of 20 March 2026 establishing the marine spatial plan for the period 2026 to 2034 in the Belgian marine areas defines 13 nature conservation areas: Seabed integrity zone: Zone 1, upper (Art. 10§1.1°), Seabed integrity zone: Zone 2, middle (Art. 10§1.2°), Seabed integrity zone: Zone 3, lower (Art. 10§1.3°), Ramsar area (Art. 11), Special Area of Conservation "Vlaamse Banken" (Art. 8§1), Special Area of Conservation "Vlakte van de Raan" (Art. 8§3), Special Protection Area for Birds: SPA 1 (Art. 8§5.1°), Special Protection Area for Birds: SPA 2 (Art. 8§5.2°), Special Protection Area for Birds: SPA 3 (Art. 8§5.3°), Marine reserve: Zone 1, upper (Art. 9§1.1°), Marine reserve: Zone 2a, middle (Art. 9§1.2°), Marine reserve: Zone 2b, middle (Art. 9§2), Marine reserve: Zone 3, lower (Art. 9§3). It replaces the 2020 Marine Spatial Plan. Please refer to the Belgian official gazette ("Moniteur belgeBelgisch Staatsblad") for official reference information.

This dataset represents the location of the Princess Elizabeth zone in the Belgian Part of the North Sea as described in the Royal Decree of May 22th, 2019, establishing a marine spatial plan for the period 2020-2026. Art. 8. § 3.

This dataset is part of the 2024 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 10, criterion 3. This dataset reports the amount of plastic ingested (stomach contents) by Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) beached along the Belgian coast (environmental target: fewer than 10% of fulmars contain more than 0.1g of plastic in their stomach).