NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, with laboratories on the isle of Texel and in Yerseke, is the national oceanographic institute and principally performs academically excellent multidisciplinary fundamental and frontier-applied marine research, addressing important scientific and societal questions pertinent to the functioning of estuarine and delta areas, coastal seas and open oceans. The institute employs around 300 permanent and temporary staff. NIOZ is an institute of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), in cooperation with Utrecht University.
Education and policy development support – NIOZ stimulates and supports education and marine policy development in a national and international context.
Research facilities – NIOZ serves as national marine research facilitator (NMF) for the Dutch scientific community. The institute operates the ocean-going RV Pelagia as well as smaller vessels for coastal research, and manages laboratories and a large pool of marine research equipment, often designed and built by the institute’s own technical department. NIOZ’ mechanical and electronic engineering department supports scientific missions, but more importantly is dedicated to the development of new equipment and the improvement and maintenance of existing equipment. Projects carried out at NIOZ include development of stationary bottom landers (e.g. ALBEX, BoBo), crawlers (MOVE) and innovative mooring designs, like the thermistor string mooring and the current KM3Net moorings (neutrino telescope in the deep-sea). NIOZ has a track record of successful long-term lander and mooring operations in Atlantic and Indian Ocean, down to depths of 6000 m. Furthermore, a HD camera system (including normal and infrared light) has been developed in the last few years that can be used as tethered system as well as on autonomous landers or crawlers. Test facilities like a hyperbaric pressure tank and a test basin are available at the institute.
Country: The Netherlands
Website: www.nioz.nl
