In 1995 several specialized research groups of the RUG studied and reported on the present-day knowledge and lack of knowledge of different aspects of the abiotic environment (geomorphology, climate, hydrology, pedology) and biotic aspects of the Belgian coastal ecosystem. the follow-up of these saparate studies should result in an integration and synthesis of these aspects, in which the description of the mutual interactions is a central goal. Next to that the separate texts should be edited to give a more homogeneous result.