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The 'Belgica' is a research vessel owned by the Belgian government and operated on their behalf by the Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models (MUMM). The Belgian Naval Component provides the crew.

The homeport of the Belgica is Zeebrugge, Belgium. She is registered as A962.

The ship was commissioned in 1984 by Her Majesty Queen Fabiola. She measures 50.90 m(L) x 10.00 m (W) x 5.70 (H). Gross/net registered tonnage is 765t/232t.

Her main purpose is to monitor the North Sea marine environment by collecting all sorts of data on the biological, chemical, physical, geological and hydrodynamic processes which take place there. The ship operates as a fully equipped laboratory with Belgian university / scientific institute researchers analysing the collected materials.

The ship also has an important task in monitoring the North Sea in case of a large oil spills. She feeds the data back to the MUMM, which will calculate the probable extent and impact of the spill on the environment.

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more info at MUMM