The European Marine Biological Resource Centre (EMBRC) is a consortium of research infrastructure that enables researchers to better understand the ocean’s biodiversity. EMBRC was acknowledged the status of ESFRI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) Landmark in 2018, when the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) was established.

EMBRC aims to advance fundamental and applied marine biology and ecological research, while promoting the development of blue biotechnology. This is achieved by facilitating access to marine organisms and ecosystems, experimental facilities, technological platforms, and relevant services in its 70 marine stations and research institutes in nine European countries including Belgium.

UGent is coordinating the Belgian node of EMBRC (www.embrc.be). Other involved institutes are Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Hasselt University (UHasselt) and Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS). Each institute provides unique infrastructure and services in line with the goals of EMBRC.

Within UGent, the following research groups want to consolidate into a core facility to improve the management of the services they offer within EMBRC.

1) Marine Biology Research Group (Marbiol)

2) Phycology

3) Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center (ARC)

4) GhenToxLab

5) Protistology and Aquatic Ecology (PAE)