Aktuelles

The second-hand shop Kringwinkel Stroom recently received something unusual: a fossil. It turns out to be part of a mammoth pelvis. The non-profit organization is now donating the fossil to our collections.

Belgium is home to no fewer than 4,672 beetle species. That’s the conclusion of a new checklist. “There are newcomers, such as many species of sap beetles, but also species that have become locally extinct—mainly whirligig beetles and dung beetles,” says entomologist Wouter Dekoninck.

The fauna that colonizes offshore wind turbines influences the marine food web. In particular, the increase in suspension feeders helps to transfer carbon more quickly and directly into the food web.

In 2024, the Coast Guard aircraft again documented cases of marine and air pollution from ships. Other activities included flights in the context of broader maritime surveillance, international operations and marine mammal counts.

As part of the fight against biological invasions in Belgium, the "Check – Clean – Dry" campaign aims at raising awareness among users of freshwater ecosystems about biosecurity.

At ninety years old, Wesley was the oldest lobster in our country. He took a long journey, from the coast of Nova Scotia in Canada to a restaurant in Blankenberge, and through Sea Life to our natural sciences collections. Taxidermy gave him a new life.

Due to overfishing, pollution and diseases, the European flat oyster almost completely disappeared from our country. Today there are signs that the species has begun a cautious recovery.

Belgium has taken another important step in the fight against biodiversity loss by officially adopting its National Biodiversity Strategy for 2025-2030, the reference framework for Belgian government actions in favour of nature for the next six years.

Saltmarshes are among nature’s best defenses against rising sea levels. New research shows that dense vegetation on saltmarshes makes them more vulnerable to sea level rise because the vegetation hinders sediment transport.