Seas and oceans play a pivotal role in our society. The Blue Growth Research Lab applies transdisciplinary research to advance our understanding on how we interact with the ocean and how this affects ocean functioning as well as our health at an individual and societal level. To achieve this, the Blue Growth Research Lab:
- Performs innovative and ground-breaking research through interdisciplinary collaborations across the globe.
- Applies academic research to real-world problems, maximising benefits while minimising risks, challenges and harm.
- Incorporates sustainability in all our research topics and activities.
- Provides a respectful, safe, inspirational and integer (re)search environment.
- Applies strict FAIR principles to data collection and management.
- Educates and trains young scientists to become knowledgeable and respectful leaders in academia, government, industry or non-profit sector.
The Blue Growth Research Lab is the first Ghent University research group located at Ostend Science Park. It coordinates the multifaceted Marine@UGent research facilities for marine and maritime research. Our unique location is an asset. Indeed, we are the closest Belgian university laboratory to the sea and are embedded in our stakeholder ecosystem, surrounded by academics, government and industry.
The ocean is a vast reservoir of molecules. We explore their function in marine ecosystems and their potential for human health.
The blue economy capitalizes on marine resources and marine space. We study how economic activities interact with marine ecosystem services. We build models and frameworks for sustainable exploitation of the marine environment for human needs.
We study how human impacts such as pollution affect the environmental health and the carrying capacity of marine ecosystems.
The team is coordinated by Prof. Jana Asselman and Prof. Colin Janssen. The complex nature of oceans and human health questions requires us to cross boundaries of disciplines through collaboration with academia, government, industry and society. Our team consists of creative and out-of-the-box scientists from a wide scientific background.
All current vacancies are advertised on our website under News. Spontaneous applications are welcome if they have a clear fit with the research themes. Please do note that the lab has a maximum capacity for the number of students and postdoctoral fellows it can host to ensure optimal support and guidance to all team members.
Hard work leads to progress, team work leads to innovation.
Our research activities are very dynamic. To get a good idea of what we are doing, you can follow our activities and recent papers via Twitter. Check our teams page to find out the social media accounts of individual researchers.