The Belgian Register of Marine Species (BeRMS) is an authoritative taxonomic list of species occurring in the Belgian part of the North Sea, adjacent estuaries, salt marshes, mud-flats and coastal dunes. ... : Introduction Although Belgium is the smallest North Sea country with the shortest coastline (± 67 kilometers) and a continental shelf of 3.457 km2, it has a long history of marine research in which scientists try to understand its diversity and complexity. A first step towards understanding is to obtain an idea of the species diversity within this area, in other words, to establish an inventory of the local marine species. In 2010, the Flanders Marine Institute undertook efforts to compile a species list for the Belgian marine waters. Information was extracted from already existing initiatives (e.g. TISBE, see further) and a new literature search was started to further complete the Belgian marine list. Additionally, a number of databases containing Belgian marine distribution data were searched for relevant information (Integrated Marine Environmental Readings and Samples, IMERS & the European Ocean Biogeographic Information System, EurOBIS). The literature search however showed that not all distribution ...