Following the political changes involving the former Netherlands Antilles, the Netherlands suddenly gained control over a biologically very rich marine area, larger than the Dutch sections of the North Sea and the Wadden Sea put together. The Dutch and Curaçaoan biologists who carry out their research in tropical seas are now joining forces in the knowledge platform ‘AcroporaNet’, with the official launch taking place on 30 March 2011 with an inaugural symposium at NCB Naturalis in Leiden.
Photo: Black-blotched porcupinefish Diodon Liturosus in giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta. (photographer: Gerard Nieuwland, NIOZ).
The marine institute IMARES, part of Wageningen UR, and NIOZ (the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research) within the NWO have joined forces with their partners in the Netherlands and Curaçao through the formation of the knowledge platform ‘AcroporaNet’. AcroporaNet’s goal is to collect together the tropical marine biological expertise available at various Dutch universities and institutes for the benefit of fundamental and applied research in tropical coast areas and seas, and the sustainable management of the tropical sea area of the Kingdom in general and of the Netherlands in particular.
| Along with the rainforests, tropical coral reefs are some of the earth’s richest biological regions. It is therefore extremely important that the economic activities in the region, such as fishing, tourism and shipping, become as sustainable as possible. The political changes have also actually given the various countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands this administrative opportunity, but the policy decisions to be made must of course first be based on sound knowledge about the marine area.
The political changes in the Netherlands Antilles took effect on 10 October 2010. The country formerly known as the Netherlands Antilles is no more, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands has gained two new countries; Curaçao and Sint Maarten have joined Aruba and the Netherlands.
The small BES islands - Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba – have strengthened their links with the Netherlands and now have a status comparable with that of a Dutch Municipality. |
A stony coral, Boulder star coral, Montastraea annularis. The two fish swimming side by side are a Yellowtail snapper and a Blue Chromis. (photographer: Gerard Nieuwland, NIOZ). |
Map of the marine areas of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean region, with the 12 and 24 mile zones drawn in plus the equidistant lines between the individual countries. (photo: Erik Meesters, IMARES) |
The marine area around the islands is remarkable for its very high level of biodiversity in terms of plants and animals including those in and around the coral reefs.
The Kingdom gained a tropical marine area in 2010 with an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of as much as 83,000 km2. By means of comparison: the surface area of the Dutch section of the North Sea amounts to 59,000 km2 and the Dutch part of the Wadden Sea covers a mere 2400 km2 (the total Wadden Sea area is 10,000 km2).
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| Of particular value is the 60 km long and 30-40 km wide Saba bank, located 3-6 km to the south of Saba and 25 kilometres to the west of Saint Eustatius.
The Saba bank is in fact a sunken atoll that is still relatively close to the surface of the sea (20-40 m). One of the roles this coral reef covering 2200 km2 fulfils is that of breeding ground for many species of fish.
The platform will be officially launched during the inaugural symposium on 30 March 2011 at NCB Naturalis in Leiden. |
Centre: a soft coral (Gorgonian), and underneath, a stony coral Montastraea annularis. The fish is a Blackbar Soldierfish. (photographer: Gerard Nieuwland, NIOZ).
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More information:
Dr. Johan Stapel, coördinator, IMARES, johan.stapel@wur.nl +31 317 487 014
Dr. Fleur van Duyl, NIOZ, fleur.van.duyl@nioz.nl, +31 222 369 543
Hans Bothe, Communication & PR Manager IMARES, hans.bothe@wur.nl +31 317 487 148