Our first sampling campaign on the RV Belgica after Corona pandemic confinement was from 22-24 June. Although social distancing and wearing of masks remains obligatory, we were able to continue the monitoring of suspended particles and dissolved substances in the Southern Bight of the North Sea. The aim is to understand better the variations on tidal, seasonal and inter-annual scales that occurs due physical forcing (tides, meteorology, climate), biological cycles (algae blooms), biogeochemical processes (carbon and nutrient cycles) and human activities (eutrophication, contaminants, dredging and dumping activities, offshore constructions). The monitoring includes water sampling for the analysis of the total suspended matter, organic suspended matter, chlorophyll and chemical pollutant concentrations and is carried out in three stations located along the cross shore gradient from the high turbid nearshore to the low turbid offshore waters.

Michael Fettweis, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences