Objectives: Research on the potential of stock enhancement of flatfish (turbot) within an international context making use of the expertise present in Belgium and new methods. Planned activities and expected results: Standardised production of fry and juveniles of turbot with certain characteristics which play a role in the success of the release (size, resistance to diseases, overall resistance to stress), behaviour (predatory activity, escape reflex), physiological condition, through adjustment of zootechnical and nutritional factors in the nursery/hatchery, next to the conditioning of the fry from the hatchery production. Potential negative effects for the environment will be studied and these will be reduced using recirculation techniques. The fishes will be submitted to different tests in order to determine the production resulting in less stressed fish with a high disease resistance. It is expected that the culture technique will result in a production of predictable numbers of larvae (survival of ± 30 % on day 45) with high quality (good pigmentation, stress resistant and high growth rate). Genetic research on the fry by the use of analysis of microsatelites and at random amplification of genomic DNA (AFLP-technique) to prove potential differences between the North Sea population and the released fish . Possible selection will be determined by comparing the released fish and the recaptured fish. It is expected that there is no difference between the introduced fish and the North Sea population. Technical feasibility study of the production of turbot fry at the Belgian coast. A feasibility study on the possibility of aquaculture at the Belgian coast, financed by the Flemish community and the EU (fisheries Research Station, 1995), suggested the incinerator at Zandvoorde as a suited site. Partners and their interaction including the task division: The Laboratory for Aquaculture of the University of Ghent (ARC) has a world wide reputation concerning larviculture of marine fish and crustaceans and can provide a crucial support in 2 important fields: Production and study of juveniles with certain characteristics that enhance the success after release. The survival chance of the released is dependant on numerous factors, eg. the ability to capture sufficient prey, to reduce the risk of predation, to adapt to stress and diseases. These characteristics can be obtained through the applied hatchery technique, but still needs to be studied. Reduced production cost by improved production in the hatcheries. Juveniles of a high quality, produced at the ARC, are grown out at the Department of Fisheries where the behaviour will be observed before the fish are tagged and released. The Department of Fisheries (Oostende) tests ërecaptureí methods at the Belgian coast using cultured and tagged turbot juveniles in cooperation with the ARC. Samples of the released fish will be genetically characterised. The juveniles will be grown out in special culture tanks and used for testing different feeds. Afterwards, the tagged fish are released and the data of the recaptured fish are collected. The last 20 years, the research at the Laboratory for Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center has evaluated from fundamental to applied research on the brine shrimp Artemia to a multidisciplinary research activity on the specific problems concerning the larviculture of fish, crustaceans and molluscs. The research is focussed on biological, zootechnical and nutritional aspects, recently also on production factors, including egg and larval quality and the impact of microbiological factors. Therefore, standardised research facilities have been developed for the production of different live foods, a pilot hatchery, several culture rooms for testing nutrition and reproduction, separate rooms for microbiological studies, as well as a chemical lab for standardised biochemical analyses and facilities to prepare emulsions and diets. The Laboratory for Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center is the coordinator of this project. The DVZ-CLO is involved in the research for new and better fish techniques, the population dynamics and the exploitation pattern of fish, crustacean and mollusc species, en de potential influences of contaminants on the marine ecosystem. The DVZ-CLO has an outstanding reputation in providing scientifically advice to the Common Fishery Policy (CFP) of the EU for the exploitation of commercial species and is there by involved in several international projects. The DVZ-CLO is also the official delegate for Belgium in the International Council for the Exploitation of the Sea (ICES). The DVZ-CLO has a broad experience with genetic fingerprinting of marine fish species for species determination and population research and is involved in quality, haematological and immunology research of marine species. The Department of Fisheries has next to an extensive international experience in tagging marine fish species also a larger expertise on the release of cultured fish. The DVZ-CLO has for this purpose a large hatchery for the out grow of juvenile flat fish.