Presenting the new marine and maritime research infrastructure at Ostend Science Park | Marine@Ugent

Presenting the new marine and maritime research infrastructure at Ostend Science Park

UGent's new research facilities at Ostend Science Park are gradually taking shape. Campus Ostend will be the home to more than 400 m² brand new multidiciplinary laboratories. Offering tailor-made solutions to today’s most challenging marine and maritime research questions.

Let’s have a look what is there and explore the possibilities:

  • Applied ecology lab: Marine ecosystems are complex environments where economic activities can impact biodiversity. Our wet lab facilities offer infrastructure to understand human and other impacts on marine ecosystems including temperature-controlled mesocosm facilities, state-of-the-art incubation rooms for algae and plants.

 

  • Biotechnology-Biodiscovery lab: From pollution to solution, our multi-functional lab offers a wide range of technologies to boost your blue economy activities. This includes state-of-the-art biotechnological facilities, including multifunctional drylabs and a molecular lab, to develop new marine natural products, chemical synthesis of new polymers for industrial applications, micro- and nano-plastic research.

 

  • Multispecies hatchery: Finding suitable starting material is a major challenge in aquaculture. Our lab combines expert knowledge with high technological hatchery facilities to boost your aquaculture activities. We offer innovative hatchery techniques, integrated RAS systems as well as ecosystem-based water management approaches, and so much more. The hatchery is designed to breed multiple species, such as crustaceans, molluscs as well as macro-algae.

 

  • Saltwater wave flume: Tidal currents and waves have a major impact on coastal towns and blue economic activities. Our facility offers a unique saltwater wave flume that allows studying the interactions between waves and man-made structures, including live marine organisms (e.g. plants, fish) in your setup.

 

In October 2020, Ghent University construction committee approved the plans. With the technical details being finalised, we are heading down the home stretch to start construction in September 2021. The labs are expected to be fully operational by the academic year 2022-2023.

 

Ghent University further stimulates research by appointing eight doctoral positions exclusively to the new research campus at Ostend. Two PhD positions will be awarded each year via BOF (Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds). It is expected that the first candidates will be able to apply early 2022 to start working in the academic year 2022-2023. 

 

More details on the final plan will be presented on the next consortium meeting of Marine@Ugent (Tuesday 5 Februari, see link).

 

For questions and more explanation please contact Prof. Jana Asselman and Dr. Eveline Diopere via