The Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) is the Dutch oceanographic institute and carries out leading fundamental and applied frontier research on, in and under the sea worldwide. The accent is on seagoing research, for which the NIOZ uses its own fleet. The NIOZ is the link between the Dutch universities, facilitating and supporting research and education. The NIOZ has branches on Texel and in Yerseke. Around 370 people work on combined biological, physical, chemical and geological research in various departments. The pièces de résistance of the NIOZ include the ocean-going RV Pelagia, the technical workshops, laboratories and its outstanding marine research. The NIOZ is an institute of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).