"The Maritime Institute was established in 1984 with the following objectives: 1. to conduct legal and multidisciplinary research with focus on oceans and related activities (law of the sea, shipping economics and green ports, fisheries, marine spatial planning…); 2. to support education in the field of the law of the sea, international and environmental law, port and maritime sciences; 3. to organize workshops, conferences and symposia; 4. to provide consultancy to non-academic actors, such as governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. The mission of the Maritime Institute follows the mission of Ghent University, being committed to independent, high quality, critical and novel research, contributing to the internationalization of education and research, and with attention to societal relevance. Research is thematically captured under the umbrella of 'ocean governance', mainly from a legel perspective.