Programme and projects

Phase VI - Sustainable Management of the North Sea – SPSD-II (2002-2006)

The sixth phase of the North Sea research programme was included in the Second Scientific Support Plan for a Sustainable Development Policy (SPSD-II).

Within the SPSD-II, three thematic programmes of the First Plan: "Sustainable management of the North Sea", "Global Change and Sustainable Development" and "Antarctic Research, phase IV" were grouped within a coordination structure entitled "Global Change, Ecosystems and Biodiversity".

This structure ensured a better interaction between the various programmes and research themes, in order to permit as much as possible an integrated approach centered on environmental problems within the context of sustainable development. This initiative also allowed to optimise the management of the programmes, promoted co-operation among the different groups of researchers around a central theme, and simplified the use and synthesis of the research results.

In support to sustainable management policies for the North Sea special attention was given to North Sea research within the SPSD-II in order to:

• further deepen our knowledge about the structure and functioning of the North Sea ecosystem as well as the processes underlying them
• better understand the socio-economic impact of direct and indirect human activities on the North Sea ecosystem.

The overall budget of this phase was 10,9 MEURO. 25 projects were financed.

Strategic research actions:

Targeted research actions:

Mixed actions

Clusters of projects:

More information about the programme and the projects can be found in:

• Fedra
• The final reports of the projects
• The final report of the GAUFRE project (MA-02)
• Onze zee... rijker dan je denkt - Notre mer... plus riche plus que vous ne le pensez
• An information and communication technologies ICT-based course in Earth observation with emphasis on imaging spectroscopy and including hands-on applications.
  Final report: HyperTeach: Part 1 - Theory
  Final report: HyperTeach: Part 2 - Hands-on
• Ehler, Ch. and F. Douvere (2007)
  Visions for a Sea Change. Report of the First International Workshop on Marine Spatial Planning. Intergovernmental
  Oceanographic Commission and Man and the Biosphere Programme. IOC Manual and Guides, 46: ICAM Dossier, 3. Paris: UNESCO,
• Calewaert, J.-B. and F. Maes (Ed.) (2007) Science and Sustainable Management of the North Sea: Belgian case studies.
  Academia Press.
  ISBN 978 90 382 1085 8
  D/2007/4804/80
• Volckaert A., D. Le Roy, M. Vangheluwe, B. Versonnen, K. Arijs, F. Maes, J.-B. Calewaert, J. Mees, N. Fockedey, S. Claus and C. Janssen (Eds). (2006) Marine Incidents Management Cluster (MIMAC). Research in the framework of the BELSPO Supporting Actions – SPSDII. MIMAC 2006 International Conference on Marine Incidents Management, 19-20 October 2006.
  VLIZ Special Publication 34. Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee
  Belgian Science Policy
  D/2006/1191/39
  ISSN 1377-0950
• Maes F., J. Schrijvers and A. Vanhulle (red.) (2005) Een zee van ruimte : naar een ruimtelijk structuurplan voor het duurzaam beheer van de noordzee (GAUFRE)
  Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid
  D/2005/1191/19
• Maes F., J. Schrijvers and A. Vanhulle (red.) (2005) Un océan d'espace : vers un plan de structure d'aménagement pour la gestion durable de la mer du Nord (GAUFRE)
  Politique scientifique fédérale
  D/2005/1191/18
• Maes F., J. Schrijvers and A. Vanhulle (red.) (2005) A flood of space : towards a spatial structure plan for sustainable management of the north sea (GAUFRE)
  Belgian Science Policy
  D/2005/1191/20
• Le Bot, S., V. Van Lancker, S. Deleu, M. De Batist and J.-P. Henriet (2003) Tertiary and quaternary Geology of the Belgian Continental Shelf
  Belgian Science Policy
  D/2003/1191/12