We are eight institutions from Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden that have come together in this project to test some promising catch and management strategies for the invasive mitten crab that could be applied on a European level.
Belgium
Flanders Environment Agency
Flanders Environment Agency (VMM) is an agency of the Flemish government that adopts a strong position as a solution-oriented partner. It sets out to have a positive impact on the living environment in Flanders and to help make it climate-proof. Together with our partners and stakeholders, we aim to achieve results on the ground and in our policy, so that we are able to respond quickly to the changing needs within society.
The mission of the VMM is to provide for current and future generations in Flanders:
By safeguarding the availability of clean, attractive and sufficient water
By ensuring the air is clean
By helping to steer adaptations in response to our changing climate
The Flanders Environment Agency is your solution-oriented partner for a climate-proof living environment.
University of Antwerp
The ECOSPHERE research group of the University of Antwerp studies aquatic ecosystems that are continuously challenged by natural and anthropogenic stressors. Its research focuses on acquiring fundamental and applied knowledge at different levels of structural and functional organization in order to underpin environmental management decisions. The research group combines laboratory experiments, field investigations, and mathematical modeling and goes beyond the impact studies toward solution-based research (mitigation and nature-based solutions). Within this framework, we focus on the interactions between organisms and physicochemical factors on all levels of biological organization. Our main research themes are
1) Integrated water management;
2) Water and soil risk assessments;
3) Macro- and micronutrients for healthy ecosystems;
4) Bioavailability and accumulation of macro- and microcontaminants
5) Physiological and molecular mechanisms of stress and toxicity of macro- and microcontaminants.
The University of Antwerp will act as data- and knowledge hub. This means that we will combine the data from the different traps (e.g. catch numbers), of the different populations (e.g. DNA) and of the different effects after placing the traps (e.g. regrowth of macrophytes) across Europe, and make them available to the broad public.
Province of East-Flanders
The Province of East-Flanders is a public administration that engages to realise as many of the SDGs as possible by including local citizens, cities and companies. The Province of East-Flanders, and more specifically the Department of Integrated Water Management, is responsible for the management of second category watercourses and tries to manage several alien invasive species based on an experience-based approach supported by scientific research. Together with the Provincial Centre of Environmental research, they are responsible for the follow-up of one postbox trap at the Melsenbeek.
France
Cellule de Suivi du Littoral Normand
The CSLN is a non-profit civil society organization created in 1986 on the initiative of the Governor of Haute Normandie, the major regional port cities of Le Havre and Rouen, the University of Le Havre and Le Havre City Hall. It is based in a building of University of Le Havre on The Harbour of Le Havre. Its fundamental objective is to enhance scientific knowledge relating to the Normandy coast through research and the monitoring of the natural estuarine and marine environments. It operates on the Normandy coast between Le Mont Saint-Michel and Le Tréport, and on the Seine River to Rouen harbour, with a focus on the Seine Estuary and the “Côte d’Albatre”. The CSLN is a member of the Management Board of the “Réserve Naturelle Nationale de l’Estuaire de Seine”. The association's budget comes partly from grants by local authorities (Europe, France, the Normandie Region, the OFB, the DREAL Normandie …) and partly from services provided to private or public organisations (Ifremer, EDF, local industries, Harbours of Le Havre and Rouen …). The CSLN is administered by a group of Directors, including scientists and marine professionals, and has a team of employees who frequently take on trainees who can help by participating in activities. The CSLN currently has fourteen permanent staff. The CSLN develops or participates in projects that study the impact of human on aquatic ecosystems (i.e.marine, estuarine or freshwater environments)
Groupe d'Etude des MilieuxEstuariens et Littoraux
The GEMEL is an association founded in 1981. It is based at the UPJV Research Station in Saint-Valery-sur-Somme in France. It contributes to improving knowledges of estuarine and coastal ecosystems along the entire coastline between Dunkirk in the north and the Seine estuary in the south, with a particular focus on the estuaries located in the Hauts-de-France Region (Somme, Authie and Canche). The association also wishes to promote exchanges between scientists and coastal users. The association's budget comes partly from grants by local authorities (Europe, France, the Hauts-de-France Region, the OFB and the PNM EPMO, the municipalities of Le Crotoy and Saint-Valery-sur-Somme) or foundations and partly from services provided to private or public organisations (Ifremer, EDF, local authorities in particular). GEMEL is administered by a group of Directors, including scientists and marine professionals, and has a team of employees who frequently take on trainees as well as volunteers who can help by participating in activities. GEMEL currently has six permanent staff. GEMEL develops or participates in projects that study the exploitation of marine resources, fauna, flora, the environment and the interactions between these different compartments. One of its main research themes is invasive alien species.
Germany
Technische Universität Dresden
The TUD is one of Germany's leading and most dynamic universities. As part of TU Dresden, the Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Technical Hydromechanics (IWD) is dedicated to researching and developing innovative solutions for water-related challenges, including river restoration, sustainable water management (rural and urban), and eco-hydraulics. The “Hubert-Engels-Laboratory” of TU Dresden is the first permanent river engineering laboratory in the world (founded in 1898). The new hydraulic lab was built in 2015 with state-of-the-art facilities to enable researchers to work on complex and interdisciplinary projects.
Alfred Wegener Institute
As a Helmholtz centre for polar and marine research the AWI works above all in the cold and temperate regions of the world. Together with numerous national and international partners we are involved to decipher the complicated processes in the "system of earth". The Aquaculture Research group is part of the AWI bioeconomy section. Our focus is to improve knowledge for sustainable aquaculture production which guarantees animal welfare, social and economic viability and acceptance. Economic productivity and food security are always an important aspect of our concepts. We also work on projects to reintroduce native and combat invasive crayfish species.
Sweden
University of Skövde
The University of Skövde is a knowledge hub set in a historical area between the two largest lakes in Sweden. The School of Bioscience conducts research and education of a high international standard. It has been well developed for national and international cooperation between education, research, business and surrounding society. The School of Bioscience aims to be a national node in life science.
The research group in Ecological Modelling is focusing on a variety of ecological questions. Aquatic and invasive species, as well as insects (e.g., bees), are the main target organisms. From extensive field work to molecular laboratory work and theoretical modelling, different methods are used. The group has experiences in leading both national and international projects and to communicate the research to other scientists, stakeholders and to the public.
At the University of Skövde research and education are apart from Bioscience also conducted in the fields of Informatics, Business, Health Sciences and Virtual Engineering. Within these areas, ambitions are set high in order to be the apparent source of knowledge for a digitised and sustainable future. The University of Skövde wants to contribute to sustainable development that benefits everyone.