VLIZ focuses primarily on the history and ecology of the North Sea and the coastal polders, but there is considerable overlap with the scope of Amsab-ISG when it comes to coastal nature and environmental associations. The agreement also allows for joint prospecting and the exchange of collections.
The renovation of the Natuurpunt Museum in Turnhout served as a good first test case. The museum had to dispose of part of its extensive collection of nature and environmental magazines due to renovations. The archives of De Wielewaal, among others, also had to be removed. Fons Verheyde of Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) and Maarten Savels of Amsab-ISG visited the site on May 31st to select and distribute everything. Amsab-ISG handled the archives and magazines from the environmental associations, while VLIZ collected the international scientific and nature studies journals. This way, everything is stored safely and in the most suitable location.
