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A962 Belgica

The A962 Belgica is a research vessel of the Belgian government manned by naval personnel. The Belgica oversees the quality of the seawater and conducts scientific research at sea. The main goal of the ship is to investigate the fauna and flora in the North Sea. The laboratory on board collects biological, chemical, physical and geological data for Belgian universities and government institutions. For the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research of the Flemish government, Belgica provides important information about the stock estimates of commercial fish species and human disruptions of the maritime environment. The researchers also chart oil slicks. The crew of the Belgica consists of fifteen scientists and fifteen soldiers. The slogan of the ship is: Pro scientia et mare (For science and the sea).

The current Belgica is an oceanographic research vessel, commissioned by the Ministry of Science Policy and run by MUMM (the Management Unit for the Mathematical Model of the North Sea and the Scheldt estuary). The ship is manned by the Belgian Navy and is registered as A962 with Zeebrugge as its home port. The Belgian Navy is responsible for the operational deployment and logistic supply of the ship. On 17 October 1983, the keel was laid at BOEL's shipyards in Temse and on 5 July 1984 the ship was put into service. HM Queen Fabiola baptized the ship.

Oceanography is the science that studies the sea. One of the founders is the American Admiral Matthew Maury and the British ship HMS Challenger conducted the first oceanographic research campaign. Belgium already started on a limited scale with observations in 1903, but it is only in 1970 when the 'mathematical model of the North Sea' project was started that scientists once again became interested in the Belgian coast. From the beginning, the researchers receive the help of the 'Sea Force'. Various ships are made available for scientific research at sea, including the old miners Mechelen, Spa and Zenobe Gramme. It soon became clear that a private ship was necessary for the researchers. A warship is not really equipped for this.

To make the mathematical model function in the long term, the government established a new permanent public service in 1976: MUMM. Her main task is to develop a computer simulation that can predict storm times, study the effects of sand extraction, determine the destination of dredging mud and trace the spread of oil spills. In order to support this service, the government granted its agreement in principle in 1979 for the construction of the oceanographic vessel BNS Belgica.

The users of the ship are all universities, various ministries and institutes of the State or Regions, involved in monitoring the quality of seawater and scientific research at sea. This includes both activities and studies related to the functioning of the marine ecosystem, geological and geophysical surveys, and everything related to fishing. Due to the ever-increasing integration of Belgian researchers into international programs and Belgian coordination of such projects, it is common for foreign scientists to embark on the Belgica to participate in a specific campaign.

The oceanographic research vessel Belgica celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2014. Although the RV Belgica continued to perform scientific activities for about 180 days per year, the renewal of the ship was envisaged. The lifetime of research vessels is estimated to 30 years. For this reason steps were undertaken to study the different options for its replacement. In 2009 the Belgian Science Policy Office commissioned a feasibility study to Techmar international (in collaboration with ULg) on the purchase options for a new oceanographic research ship or modernisation of the existing oceanographic research vessel.

The main conclusions of this study were:

• the Belgica is in general good condition however the equipment is faced with obsolescence and the general condition of the facilities is of concern (hidden corrosion, air conditioning, ...). The ship also faces a lack of space since it is overloaded with scientific and communication equipment
• the demands of the scientific community show the need for a new ship to be a multipurpose research vessel (for hydrography, geology, biology, oceanography, fisheries, environmental sampling, etc.) with dynamic positioning capabilities, with an autonomy of 4 weeks, with more space and with the ability to handle and deploy large-scale equipment (AUV, ROV, coring, etc.) and with a minimal ice class;
• with regard to the replacement options and budgets: the modernisation of the Belgica is for technical, statutory and financial reasons not recommended; the only coherent option is the building of a new oceanographic research vessel.

In 2013-2014 a financing study was performed by BELSPO and RBINS-OD Nature to get an update of the building and operating costs of a new Belgian research vessel. This study was based on the scientific needs as were expressed by the Belgian scientific community in the feasibility study. Furthermore, several management options and collaborations with neighboring countries for the build and exploitation of the new research vessel were investigated. The financing study confirmed that the modernisation of the current RV Belgica is financially, technically and scientifically not an option and that the build of a new ship is the only coherent solution. The cost of a new research vessel is estimated at 54,45 MEURO, including VAT. The conclusions were presented to the Federal Government in April 2014.

The first Belgica was built in 1884 in Svelvig (Norway). The ship was then called Patria. It was 36 m long, 7.6 meters wide and 4.1 meters deep, weighing 336 tons, and had a wooden hull. The ship was originally built as a whaler, but Adrien de Gerlache bought it for the Belgian Antarctic Expedition. De Gerlache called the ship 'Belgica', and departed on August 16, 1897 from Antwerp to Antarctica.

Adrien Victor Joseph de Gerlache de Gomery (Hasselt, 2 August 1866 - Brussels 4 December 1934) was a Belgian explorer and the very first who wintered with his ship in the southern ice zone beyond the Arctic Circle for 15 months. Following the pioneers who made their way through unknown areas of black Africa, the 28-year-old young officer has been dreaming of setting up a scientific expedition to the South Pole since 1894. Thanks to the support of two geographic associations founded in 1376 by Jean du Fiel (Brussels) and General Wauvermans (Antwerp), the young Adrien succeeded in making the Belgian government happy for his plan. Despite all odds, Gerlache defended his case so well in the House that he overcame all skepticism and was eventually assigned a special budget. The Belgian Antarctic Expedition (1897-1899) was a fruitful voyage of discovery with numerous scientific discoveries (including earth magnetism) and yielded a rich harvest of meteorological observations. It was also the inauguration of a route that Roald Amundsen, one of the crew members of the Belgica, will use in 1911 to discover the South Pole.

The first Belgica was later renamed 'Endurance' by its new owner and remained in service until 1940 when it was plunged by a German bombing in a Norwegian fjord.