Marine Incidents Management Cluster (MIMAC)
Research in the framework of the BELSPO
Supporting Actions – SPSDII (2004-2006)
VLIZ
Marine Incidents Management Cluster (MIMAC)

2-years cluster project (2004-2006):



Risk analysis of marine activities in the Belgian
Part of the North Sea (RAMA)
Development of an integrated database for the
management of accidental spills (DIMAS)
Website MIMAC:
http://www.vliz.be/projects/mimac/
Objectives
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Optimization communication and interaction
Avoid duplication & overlap of efforts & data
generation
Minimise gaps in knowledge by mutual exchange of
information and data
Integration of results & data
Increase visibility & dissemination of results by
international networking
Create added value for the researchers & end users
Explore opportunities in future research
Structured co-operation
DIMAS
best practice
recommendations for
combatement in case
of spills
(eco)toxicological
data collection
Quality analysis and
interpretation of data
user friendly
consultable
database
priority pollutants
list of relevant
dangerous goods
Shipping
cargo data
Hazard analysis
environmental
spills
RAMA
hazard analysis
shipping incidents
environmental
impact analysis
priority list of risks
contigency plan
recommendations
Knowledge gaps

RAMA:



DIMAS:



data on ecotoxicity for the selected substances in RAMA
were not readily available;
data on fate of chemicals were not available.
data on transport were very limited;
data on distribution of chemicals were not available.
MIMAC: even after clustering the DIMAS and RAMA
projects, some data gaps remained:


more information (modelling) is needed concerning fate and
distribution of chemical spills on the North Sea; current
modelling efforts are solely focussed on oil spills;
for a number of substances, marine-specific ecotoxicity data
are lacking so that extrapolations from freshwater data were
needed.
Knowledge gaps & future opportunities

RAMA:



DIMAS:



data on ecotoxicity for the selected substances in RAMA
were not readily available;
data on fate of chemicals were not available.
data on transport were very limited;
data on distribution of chemicals were not available.
MIMAC: even after clustering the DIMAS and RAMA
projects, some data gaps remained:


more information (modelling) is needed concerning fate and
distribution of chemical spills on the North Sea; current
modelling efforts are solely focussed on oil spills;
for a number of substances, marine-specific ecotoxicity data
are lacking so that extrapolations from freshwater data were
needed.
Future research possibilities
International conference
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Optimization communication and interaction
Avoid duplication & overlap of efforts & data
generation
Minimise gaps in knowledge by mutual exchange of
information and data
Integration of results & data
Increase visibility & dissemination of results by
international networking
Create added value for the researchers & end users
Explore opportunities in future research