News and announcements

20 July 2010 — Harbour porpoise released

This harbour porpoise stranded at Calais on 30 March 2010, and was transported by LPA Calais and MUMM towards Harderwijk, the Netherlands. The animal was declared healthy again, and was released (heavier and 7 cm longer) in the North Sea on 8 July 2010.

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19 July 2010 — European fisheries delegates on board of the Belgica

Last Friday, 16 July, the European Fisheries delegates visited the Belgica. These delegates of the 27 European members work at the Permanent Representation of their country at the EU. They are the connection between the European institutions and their national ministries of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Division admiral J.P. Robyns and Commander De Maesschalck welcomed the delegates on board. They had a guided tour through the vessel, and the Belgica left for the Thorntonbank for a presentation on the C-Power wind farm. There was also extra attention for fisheries: ILVO put nets in the sea and the animals caught were studied thoroughly. A colleague of FPS Economy explained the sand extraction activities at sea, and how the Belgica participates in the research.

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12 July 2010 — Thousands of jellyfish at sea

Large concentrations of sea sparkle (Noctiluca scintillans) were observed during the observation flights of 06/07 and 08/07. The major concentrations were observed between the Middelkerkebank and the Westhinderbank.

Very remarkable were the large amounts, even thousands, of jellyfish (compass jellyfish, see picture, and blue jellyfish) that were observed in these Noctiluca scintillans patches. The compass jellyfish is a typical summer jellyfish. Our scientists also saw harbor porpoise and garfish (Belone belone).

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17 June 2010 — The Belgica, on its way to new adventures

The Belgica will be away for 3 weeks, destination Bretagne and the Gulf of Biscay.

A scientist of MUMM mounted a camera on the ship to measure the reflectance of the sea. These data will be compared to satellite images later.

Other team members are concentrating on the ‘Remotely Operated Vehicle’ of the Renard Centre for Marine Geology’ of the University of Ghent. In the Guilvinec Canyon, under the Gulf of Biscay they will search for cold water corals. In the past years, these corals were the focus of the marine geological research worldwide. This research on the edge of the European continental shelf is important, because the corals are acting as archives of the climate of many years ago.

Lieutenant-Commander Luc DE MAESSCHALCK; Commander of the BELGICA

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14 June 2010 — Exercise for combating pollution in France

The observation aircraft of MUMM participated successfully in an exercise for combating pollution in France, near the Bay of the Somme on June 3, 2010.

The Préfecture Maritime de la Manche et de la Mer du Nord informed the Belgian Coastguard structure and invited MUMM to participate. In total there were 8 French vessels and 2 helicopters and for Belgium there was participation of MUMM and the Ministry of Defence.

It is really necessary to do an exercise for combating pollution at sea: it is a test for the organisation and the intervention of combating services and, where necessary, can lead to improved working methods. For the simulation of the oil slick, rice products have been used at sea.

This exercise includes a rapid detection of the pollution at sea in a region of several square kilometres, the deployment of oil recuperation means including booms and suction systems, and the recuperation of the simulated slick, taking the wind and currents into account.

The task of the specially equipped observation aircraft was to detect the simulated slicks, to evaluate the dimensions and to assist the different combating vessels at sea. Aerial assistance to cleaning vessels during an incident is one of the important tasks of the aircraft. Our aircraft is like a “flying eye”, because the vessels can only see the slicks when they are very close. The exercise was an excellent opportunity for the aerial operators of MUMM for training in evaluation, coordination and communication.

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