Aktuelles

A team of Belgian geologists has mapped out where critical raw materials, such as lithium for batteries, rare earths for wind turbines, and copper for power grids, can still be found in Belgium. “It’s time to explore our subsoil further,” says geologist Sophie Decrée.

The new report 'Marine mammals and sea turtles in Belgium in 2023' summarizes the results of the monitoring and research on these animals in Belgium in 2023.

In 2023, the aerial surveillance aircraft detected 17 cases of operational marine pollution from ships, and suspicious sulphur and nitrogen levels in the smoke plumes of 24 and 42 ships. Other activities included monitoring of oil and gas installations, marine mammal counts and broader maritime surveillance.

In a warmer climate, summers warm much faster than winters. That is the conclusion of research into fossil shells by earth scientist Niels de Winter.

A young male minke whale that washed ashore in Ostend on May 13 most likely died of starvation. Although sightings of dead and living minke whales have become more frequent in recent years in the south of the North Sea, their washing up on a Belgian beach remains an exceptional event.

FlatwormWatch aims to identify which species of non-native land flatworms are already present in Belgium with the help of citizens.

Paleontologist Pascal Godefroit tells the complete story of the Iguanodons of Bernissart in a hefty and beautifully illustrated book: from the discovery in the mining village to the latest insights into their cause of death. 

Today more than 42,100 species are threatened with extinction (IUCN) and more than 150,300 species are on the IUCN Red List including 41% of amphibians, 37% of sharks and rays, 36% of reef building corals, 34% of conifers, 27% of mammals, 16% of selected insects, and 13% of birds.

In Brussels, it's not the swallows that herald spring, but the peregrine falcons. We invite you to observe three families of peregrine falcons this spring, from the hatching of the first egg to the fledglings' first flight.

The region of the Belgian-Dutch Scheldt Delta has been officially recognized as a UNESCO Global Geopark. The world heritage organization thereby acknowledges that the area is exceptional in terms of its geological, cultural-historical, and landscape features.