We have two ISO17025 accredited laboratories at our locations in Culemborg and Haren. Here, our specialists analyze samples from various waterways. We conduct monitoring for various water authorities as part of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The macroinvertebrate community partly determines the EQR score of the waterway in question. This Ecological Quality Ratio expresses the ecological quality of a waterbody.

A lot of research is also taking place in marine waters. We study the macroinvertebrate community in designated Natura 2000 areas in the North Sea. Through this specialised research we regularly discover new species of Dutch fauna.

Climate change and intensive human use are putting water quality under pressure. Macrofauna is very sensitive to issues such as eutrophication (increasing food abundance), temperature changes and drought.
Fortunately, a lot is happening in the Netherlands to improve water quality. Wildlife-friendly banks are being constructed, dead wood is being returned to rivers, and shellfish banks are being restored in the North Sea. These improvements are reflected in the increase in biodiversity in the macroinvertebrate community.