The Belgian part of the North Sea (BPNS) has been targeted to investigate the marine ecosystem over the past 100 years. Main objectives include: (1) Increase in knowledge on natural variability of sediment processes; (2) Establish historic baselines, to set environmental targets; (3) Quantification of ecosystem changes, on the medium- to long-term; (4) Demonstration of human impact, with case studies relating seabed and water column changes to both naturally- and anthropogenically-induced sediment dynamics; (5) Assessing climate change scenarios and their effect on seabed processes; and (6) Recommendations of more sustainable exploitation strategies of non-living seabed resources.