# darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com


## Posts

- [WildMarsh is seeking collaborators and field sites!](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/wildmarsh-is-seeking-collaborators-and-field-sites/): We’re preparing a Europe-wide study for spring/summer 2026 to explore how trophic rewilding influences salt marsh resilience to climate change. Do you manage—or know someone who manages—salt marsh areas with large grazers (e.g., water buffalo, deer, moose, wild boar, cattle, sheep)?Or are you a researcher or land/nature manager with insights into potential field locations? 👉 […]
- [Subtidal reefs in temparate seas increase food web complexity and ecosystem stability](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/subtidal-reefs-in-temparate-seas-increase-food-web-complexity-and-ecosystem-stability/): What happens under the water surface when we restore temperate reefs?
- [Mapping coastal dunes with AI](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/mapping-coastal-dunes-with-ai/): How do you monitor 560 km² of dynamic coastal dunes without spending months in the field?
- [Field project Marine Science Texel 2025](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/field-project-marine-science-texel-2025/): Last week, we had a wonderful field week on Texel with 120 students during the Field Project Marine Science course. Students designed and carried out their own research projects, with either an ecological or social focus…
- [Belitung fieldwork: The impact of green sea turtles on carbon dynamics in tropical seagrass ecosystems](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/belitung-fieldwork-the-impact-of-green-sea-turtles-on-carbon-dynamics-in-tropical-seagrass-ecosystems/): How do green sea turtles influence sediment carbon dynamics in tropical #seagrass ecosystems? This is exactly what Susi Rahmawati is investigating during her PhD in our group at WUR….
- [New paper: Temperature Drives Seagrass Recovery Across the Western North Atlantic](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/new-paper-temperature-drives-seagrass-recovery-across-the-western-north-atlantic/): The results of our recent study reveal both the vulnerability and the surprising resilience of tropical seagrass, despite the growing threats posed by climate change. Led by Fee Smulders from our group, we – an international group of 30+ scientists -investigated how seagrass responds to warming waters, nutrient pollution, and grazing by sea turtles and […]
- ["Streekholders meeting" and roe deer spotting at the exclosures](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/streekholders-meeting-and-roe-deer-spotting-at-the-exclosures/): Can you spot the roe deer between our brand new WildMarsh exclosures in the Hedwige polder? Later in the evening, we held our “Streekholders meeting” (not to be confused with stakeholders meeting), which brought together more than 120 people from the region, border park hosts, guides, and farmers from around Grenspark Groot Saeftinghe.
- [Rewilding day - setting up muddy rewilding experiments](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/rewilding-day-setting-up-muddy-rewilding-experiments/): Last Thursday on #RewildingDay, our WildMarsh team was knee-deep (literally! – see below) in putting research into practice, setting up two hudge field experiments in Zeeland to collect robust rewilding data—hence this belated update.Setting up these experimental exclosures is no walk in the park! Our team persevered through challenging conditions, hauling heavy wooden poles, fences, […]
- [Seagrass COP 2025 @WUR](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/seagrass-cop-2025-wur/): Seagrass restoration is a collective effort!  Last Monday, we had the privilege of hosting the Seagrass Community of Practice 2025 at Wageningen University. Together with Witteveen+Bos, we designed a program focused on knowledge exchange and collaboration. With 65 experts from academia, consultancy, government, and NGOs, we explored the latest insights and best practices in seagrass restoration.
- [New letter in PNAS: Risks of habitat loss from seaweed cultivation within seagrass](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/new-letter-in-pnas-risks-of-habitat-loss-from-seaweed-cultivation-within-seagrass/): Lina Mtwana Nordlund about our new letter in PNAS: “Seagrasses are really cool, they can reduce the abundance of bacterial pathogens from the water. This is great for seaweed farming BUT can be quite harmful for the seagrass!”
- [Seascape connectivity - field workshop Curacao](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/investigating-seascape-connectivity-curacao-field-trip/): Can coastal ecosystem recovery outpace the impacts of coastal development?  Our blue carbon workshop in #Curaçao explored this question. A week packed with in-water research, on-site discussions with experts from Curaçao and Bonaire, and quality time to reflect on future work with colleagues Céline, Mischa, and Mandy. We:
- [Kenya workshop and Zanzibar visit](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/kenya-workshop-and-zanzibar-visit/): How to strengthen coastal #resilience in Kenya? —this was the focus of last week’s workshop in Tiwi, where around 35 of us gathered to exchange ideas. Participants included
- [We are hiring: WildMarsh PhDs](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/we-are-hiring-wildmarsh-phds/): We are hiring! Two PhD Positions are available as part of the NWO-funded WildMarsh project, focusing on trophic #rewilding in coastal ecosystems! Collaborate with a team from Wageningen University and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) as we explore how reintroducing large animals in #saltmarshes impacts biodiversity and coastal resilience against climate change.  :
- [Seagrass Workshop and Conference Napels](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/seagrass-workshop-and-conference-napels/): What an extraordinary week at hashtag#ISBW15_WSC, “the largest gathering of hashtag#seagrass experts on the planet,” in beautiful Naples! Great seagrass research, seagrass!, delicious food, an amazing venue, and lovely people (photos below):
- [Field Project Marine Sciences 2024](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/field-project-marine-sciences-2024/):  Field Project in Marine Sciences: Mission Accomplished!   122 dedicated Wageningen University & Research students immersed themselves in both ecological and social marine fieldwork techniques, analyzing the intricate socio-ecological system around Texel
- [](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/2823-2/): Wrapping up three productive fieldwork weeks in Eleuthera, The Bahamas. During this time, we kicked off Delphine Carroll ‘s MSc. project on seagrass-turtle-shark interactions and established a fruitful collaboration with Nicholas Higgs and the incredible team at the Cape Eleuthera Institute.
- [Automated detection of vegetation and megaherbivores from drone imagery using deep learning - New paper](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/automated-detection-of-vegetation-and-megaherbivores-from-drone-imagery-using-deep-learning-new-paper/): Does deep learning and coding deter you from using it? As ecologists, we experienced that too, but we have dived in. In our new paper, led by Rebecca James, we employed deep learning to automate the analysis of aerial drone imagery to assess spatial patterns within subtidal #seagrass meadows and the distribution of turtles UNDERWATER . […]
- [New Review: Tropical seascape connectivity](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/new-review-tropical-seascape-connectivity/): Looking for the next best thing to study? Tropical seascapes often consist of interlinked mangroves-seagrass-coral ecosystems but they are rarely investigated together! In this new review led by Sara Pino Cobacho, we identified key research questions that need to be addressed regarding biogeochemical connectivity in tropical seascapes;
- [Fee's PhD defence](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/fees-phd-defence/): Written by Fee: ” ‍ What a day! Last Friday I defended my thesis ‘Herbivores shape the seascape’ at Wageningen University & Research. I was totally overwhelmed to get the designation ‘cum laude’ added to my degree. Many thanks to
- [Promoted to Associate Professor with ius promovendi](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/promoted-to-associate-professor-with-ius-promovendi/): Great start to 2024: ✨I have been promoted to Associate Professor 1 with tenure at Wageningen University & Research✨. This promotion comes with the “ius promovendi,” granting the right to supervise PhD candidates as a promotor. A huge thank you to my family, talented students, colleagues, friends and collaborators for their unwavering support that made […]
- [Sara's PhD thesis](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/saras-phd-thesis/): Handing over the printed thesis copy is a very happy moment in a PhD and supervisors’ collaboration . Sincere congratulations to Sara Pino Cobacho with her thesis “Mangroves in a transforming world: biogeochemical interactions, global change drivers, and innovative mitigation strategies,” a journey with much-needed persistence into fascinating hashtag#mangroves .
- [BSc Marine Science - Started!](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/bsc-marine-science-started/): Just 2 weeks ago, we kicked off the exciting new BSc program in Marine Systems at WUR, we’re thrilled to have 110 students on board! This program beautifully combines food, nature, society, and personal development. A big
- [Concerns over record ocean water temperatures: 'No time for ecosystem recovery'](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/concerns-over-record-ocean-water-temperatures-no-time-for-ecosystem-recovery/): ‘World’s average ocean surface temperature measured 21.1 beating the previous high of 21C set in 2016’. As a scientist, I was asked to explain to national news (NOS Saturday evening news) the impact of rising temperatures and the resulting frequency of marine heat waves on ecosystems, together with Erik van Sebille.
- [Field trip and workshop to map Indonesian seagrass resilience](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/field-trip-and-workshop-to-map-indonesian-seagrass-resilience/): Time to go back to Indonesia. A short report on the field trip and workshop:
- [Why seagrass needs space - a long read on the 1st world seagrass day](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/why-seagrass-needs-space-a-long-read-on-the-1st-world-seagrass-day/):  #Longread – Despite the many threats, seagrass habitats still have the potential to store large amounts of carbon and restore the balance of the sea. On 1 March 2023 – the very first World Seagrass day – we explain why we need to protect and rewild the sea, and share how camera-equipped sea turtles and tiger sharks […]
- [Do you see the “S” of “seagrass” planted in the sand?](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/do-you-see-the-s-of-seagrass-planted-in-the-sand/): Last week we (Karin Didderen, Fee Smulders, and I) were invited to the seagrass restoration week in #bonaire ! We started a new seagrass restoration site in Lac Bay as part of the Lac Pa Semper – RESEMBID project (https://stinapabonaire.org/nature-projects/lac-pa-semper/), coordinated by Jessica Johnson. Most inspiring was the training of
- [Seagrass ecosystem multifunctionality under the rise of a flagship marine megaherbivore](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/seagrass-ecosystem-multifunctionality-under-the-rise-of-a-flagship-marine-megaherbivore/): How does ecosystem functioning change now megaherbivores are returning? In our new paper today in Global Change Biology  we show that the return of the green turtle has strong effects on seagrass ecosystem functions and can even reduce multifunctionality with ~25%. Read the short & simple summary below. 
- [Documentary 'Leatherback'](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/documentary-leatherback/): — Update, Sept 2022 — The documentary won the “Gouden Hert” competition 2022 at the International Short Films Festival in Arnhem. In 2021 I was happy to be involved in the making of a documentary with Artist Mirthe Dokter, together with Rian van den Boom and others. This unconventional docu shows an intriguing portrait of […]
- [Restoring Bonaire's seagrasses and mangroves a checkerboard at a time](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/restoring-bonaires-seagrasses-and-mangroves-a-checkerboard-at-a-time/): Seagrass and Mangroves on Bonaire can use a helping hand. Water quality, tourists (trampling), Sargassum tides and more, have caused rapid decline of seagrasses and mangroves. Based on results from an earlier pilot, last week we launched a larger scale seagrass restoration project to help counter this decline. And also set up pilots to test […]
- [Fish can protect ecosystems from invasive seagrass](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/fish-can-protect-ecosystems-from-invasive-seagrass/): One grazer is not like another. Where sea turtle grazing gives way to invasive eelgrass, fish grazing has the opposite effect. “Protected areas with abundant native grazing fish may be more resistant to expansion of invasive eelgrass.
- [Savannas of the sea: “Pristine seagrass meadows were often heavily grazed”](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/savannas-of-the-sea-pristine-seagrass-meadows-were-often-heavily-grazed/): WUR press release: Seagrasses are important for our coastal protection, biodiversity and carbon sequestration. But contrary to popular belief, dense, waving seagrass meadows with long foliage are not necessarily more natural. In a new publication in Nature Ecology & Evolution, researchers from Wageningen University & Research and Radboud University argue for a more nuanced picture […]
- [The price turtles pay for your perfect vacation photo](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/the-price-turtles-pay-for-your-perfect-vacation-photo/): Unregulated feeding of marine wildlife by tour operators impacts the natural behavior & well-being of sea #turtles. So proud that @FeeSmulders paper (w/ @CORE_Science3, Justin Campbell and myself) is now featured in @nytimes (read this here) photo @ShaneGrossPhoto. Also see the video abstract and WUR press release below.
- [ReViFES fieldwork North Sea](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/revifes-fieldwork-north-sea/): How to better start the academic year than with some hardcore fieldwork
- [Can we improve coastal restoration by temporarily imitating nature? Yes we can!](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/can-we-improve-coastal-restoration-by-temporarily-imitating-nature-yes-we-can/): Coastal ecosystems are in rapid decline around the world. Restoring them is very expensive and is often unsuccessful. But together with an international team of researchers we discovered a way of increasing restoration success of salt marshes and seagrass meadows, using biodegradable mats. Our findings are just published in Nature Communications (22 July 2020)
- [The corona version of a Field-based course “Introduction Marine Ecology”](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/the-corona-version-of-a-field-based-course-introduction-marine-ecology/): Six weeks before the start of our course our Dutch prime minister announced that the Netherlands was going into lock down in response of the global COVID19 pandemic. to prevent study delay for WUR students we decided the course to continue – in contrast to other field courses that were cancelled – and put all […]
- [Turtle tracking story map released at Dutch Caribbean Sea Turtle workshop](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/turtle-tracking-story-map-released-at-dutch-caribbean-sea-turtle-workshop/)
- [Turtle cams & seagrass experiments in the Bahamas & Bonaire](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/turtle-cams-and-seagrass-experiments-the-bahamas-and-bonaire/): In november Fee Smulders and I visited the Islands Bonaire and Eleuthera (Bahamas) to study the impact of grazing on seagrass ecosystem services. We look back at a very productive, and fun field trip, where we sampled and initiated multiple experiments.
- [Students investigating tropical marine ecosystems on Bonaire](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/student-investigating-tropical-marine-ecosystems-on-bonaire/): This autumn 6 WUR students will spend some months in Bonaire to investigate different aspects tropical coastal ecosystems together with Fee and Luuk. Subjects range from impacts of surfers on sea turtles, to shark-turtle interactions, impact of sargassum on mangroves and corals, and bioturbation and seagrasses. Students also got introduced into the sea turtle monitoring […]
- [Staff expedition to Bonaire](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/staff-expedition-to-bonaire-of-the-aquatic-ecology-and-water-quality-management-group/): Last month our group – the Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group @ WUR – travelled to the Caribbean to analyse the socio-ecological-system of Bonaire. This happened in the same week that a report came out stating that the nature in the Dutch Caribbean is under heavy pressure, highlighting the need for a change in nature […]
- [Optimism for mitigation of climate warming impacts for sea turtles through nest shading and relocation](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/optimism-for-mitigation-of-climate-warming-impacts-for-sea-turtles-through-nest-shading-and-relocation/): Our research published this week in Scientific Reports reported effective conservation strategies that can mitigate the impacts of climate warming on sea turtle nesting success, #oceanoptimism.
- [Return of the native oyster facilitated by the invasive Pacific Oyster?](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/return-of-the-native-oyster-facilitated-by-the-invasive-pacific-oyster/): Our new paper that just came out today in Marine Biology research suggests so….
- [Megaherbivores may impact expansion of invasive seagrass in the Caribbean: our paper in Journal of Ecology](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/megaherbivores-may-impact-expansion-of-invasive-seagrass-in-the-caribbean/): Green sea turtle digging its own watery grave due to invasion of non-native seagrass….
- [The potential of using drones and other UAVs in sea turtle research and conservation](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/the-potential-of-using-drones-and-other-uavs-in-sea-turtle-research-and-conservation/): In a new paper with lead author Alan Rees and collegues we reviews how drones and other UAVs can be used in sea turtle research and conservation.
- [Out today: New Tools to Identify the Location of Seagrass Meadows. Marine Grazers as Habitat Indicators](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/out-today-new-tools-to-identify-the-location-of-seagrass-meadows-marine-grazers-as-habitat-indicators/): Emerging from the 12th International Seagrass Biology Workshop, held in October 2016, has been the view that grazing marine megafauna may play a useful role in helping to identify previously unknown seagrass habitats. Just follow green turtles & dugongs to map global seagrass meadows…
- [Paper out: estimating the exposure to river plumes for coastal ecosystems](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/paper-out-estimating-the-exposure-to-river-plumes-for-coastal-ecosystems/): Can we estimate the exposure to river plumes for coastal ecosystems? During my PhD fieldwork I had the opportunity to collaborate with a multidisciplinairy team of hydrologists, physical geologists, modelers, coral reef biologists to study this in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.
- [Started my NWO-VENI grant @ AEW - Wageningen University](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/started-my-nwo-veni-grant-aew-wageningen-university/): Today was my first day at the Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management group at Wageningen University.
- [3 cool new papers!](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/3-cool-new-papers/): A short update to announce that 3 new co-authored papers have been accepted this month! 
- [Personal research NWO-VENI grant received!](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/personal-research-nwo-veni-grant-received/): Happy news! I received a personal VENI (research) grant today, from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO)! To work for 3-4 yrs on “Global defaunation and plant invasion: cascading effects on seagrass ecosystem services”. It will involve …
- [New Paper: What fuels the Wadden Sea foodweb?](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/new-paper-what-fuels-the-wadden-sea-foodweb/): What fuels the Wadden Sea food web? This is the question that we addressed  in one of the largest ecological research projects in the Netherlands, the recently finalized “Waddensleutels” program. The answer is surprising, and has been published last month in Ecology…
- [Seagrass ecosystem services: Fieldwork Lac Bay, Bonaire](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/seagrass-ecosystem-services-fieldwork-lac-bay-bonaire/): Just back from our field expedition to Bonaire…
- [New paper: Food web indicators for conservation succes](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/new-paper-food-web-indicators-for-conservation-succes/)
- [Guest post: Fionne's research - sea turtle nest temperatures St. Eustatius](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/guest-post-fionnes-research-on-sea-turtle-nest-temperatures-in-st-eustatius/): Hello Everyone, Marjolijn has introduced me in her earlier posts; I am Fionne Kiggen and at the moment I am undertaking sea turtle research in St Eustatius for my Masters thesis at Wageningen University.
- [36 turtles tagged in St. Eustatius](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/36-turtles-tagged-in-st-eustatius/): Our in-water survey of sea turtles and their habitats in St. Eustatius (a.k.a. “Statia”) was very successful. We aimed to collect data to analyse the habitat use and population connectivity of green and hawksbill turtles as part of a larger NWO research program encompassing the 6 Dutch Caribbean Islands.
- [Satellite tags placed on nesting green turtles, St. Eustatius](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/satellite-tags-on-st-eustatius-nesting-green-turtles/): Based on the monitoring data on nesting turtles that Jessica Berkel and her team at STENAPA are collecting we were able to predict the turtle’s return to the beaches. For this we used the inter-nesting durations of the first green turtles tracks that were reported for Zeelandia beach, St. Eustatius. Equipped with a turtle box, satellite transmitters, our red […]
- [Guest post: Free-diver Laurent volunteering in St. Eustatius](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/guest-post-free-diver-laurent-volunteering-in-st-eustatius/): During our fieldwork on St. Eustatius. Laurent helped as a volunteer to catch turtles. He also made some really nice video footage while free diving. His guest post: “Being a volunteer in a scientific mission is very simple : You just have to listen to the Project Leader, and you have to be available anytime, […]
- [All females? Experimental nest temperature assessments will show.](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/all-females-experimental-nest-temperature-assessments-will-show/): Sea turtle sex is not determined at the time of fertilization like in humans, it is set by the temperature level during nest incubation. Recently for some small island rookeries througout the Caribbean researchers reported a shift towards a more female dominated hatchlings/populations as nest temperatures slightly increased in these areas (warmer beaches result in female turtles). At St. […]
- [New Publication shows Dutch Caribbean turtles migrate into risky waters](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/new-publication-shows-dutch-caribbean-turtles-migrate-into-risky-waters/): Lisa Becking (Wageningen University and IMARES) and I, together with Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) ; Mabel Nava, Sue Willis and Robert van Dam have shown in a recent publication that sea turtles who breed in Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands, migrate great distances of up to 3500km to reach their foraging grounds across the Caribbean in 10 different countries.
- [New! Review on herbivory on freshwater & marine macrophytes](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/new-review-on-herbivory-on-freshwater-marine-macrophytes/): Grazing is an important driver of ecosystem functioning! Not only in seagrass ecosystems :). This paper is a result of a very nice collaboration with Liesbeth Bakker and other colleagues working on herbivory in other ecosystems. Paper highlights:
- [2 times cake: 2 cool new papers! How to keep seagrass as happy as a clam?](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/2-times-cake-2-cool-new-papers/): Today 2 papers of our group were published online! This papers are the result of a successful collaboration between the University of Groningen, NIOZ and Radboud University, The Netherlands The first study by Els van der Zee et al. demonstrates that food web structure and complexity can be fundamentally shaped by 
- [Guest post: Jurjan's research - turtle genomics](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/guest-post-jurjans-research-turtle-genomics/): Within the Dutch Caribbean, green and hawksbill turtle rookeries and foraging grounds are found. Green and hawksbill turtles have been decimated by human exploitation and habitat degradation, calling for knowledge of population structure and demographic history. Here we investigate migration patterns in these highly migratory species and evaluate current population status. In other words: How many turtles were there […]
- [Little-Curaçao-green-turtle swims 3100 km in 3 weeks](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/little-curacao-green-turtle-swims-1050-km-in-10-days/): Last week we* successfully placed a satellite transmitter on a big green turtle female after she nested at Little Curacao’s turtle beach. The signals of the ARGOS satellite are updated hourly and I am very happy to report that this female is swimming very fast in the direction of Nicaragua 1050km in the first 10 […]
- [Guest post: Fee's research - turtle exclosures Lac Bay](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/guest-post-fees-research-turtle-exclosures-lac-bay/): I am Fee, the first master student who will monitor the exclusion cages in Lac Bay on Bonaire for three months.
- [Satellite trackers show Bonaire green turtle habitat use](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/satellite-trackers-show-bonaire-green-turtle-habitat-use/): 4 sub-adult green turtles that we caught in Lac Bay are now equipped with satellite transmitters to study their movements and use of the seagrass meadows, (see  photos below). The greens that forage in the shallow Lac Bay area are typically sub-adults.
- [Experiment on (invasive) seagrass & turtle grazing, Bonaire](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/experiment-on-seagrass-invasive-species-turtle-grazing-in-bonaire/): Two weeks ago we arrived on Bonaire. Since then we worked non-stop and we made great progress! The first thing we did was to set up a turtle exclosure experiment on the seagrass beds in Lac Bay, after Funchi (STCB) and Sabine Engel (STINAPA) kindly showed us all the suitable seagrass areas. The native dominant […]
- [Sea turtle fieldwork in Dutch Caribbean 2015](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/sea-turtle-fieldwork-in-dutch-caribbean/): I am very excited to finally start our fieldwork on sea turtles and seagrass in the Bonaire, Aruba and Curacao! What started as a proposal (initiated by Lisa Becking and me) in August 2013, finally resulted in a research project May 2015 entitled  “Ecology and conservation of Green and Hawksbill turtles in the Dutch Caribbean”.
- [12.000 stable isotope samples of the Wadden Sea](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/12-000-stable-isotope-samples-of-the-wadden-sea/): Who eats who in the Wadden Sea? We collected 12000 samples in one of the largest dbases of stable isotope samples. Using these samples we found that the energy in the Wadden Sea (primary production) is mainly provided by the production of benthic algae (diatoms) on the tidal flats. Papers about this are underway but […]
- [Now online: “Wadden Natuur Kaart”](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/now-onlinewaddennatuurkaart-wadden-sea-nature-map/): The Wadden Natuur kaart (Wadden Sea Nature Map) is now online: this is one of the publications of the Waddensleutels project on which I worked in the last 2+years. You should definitively explore and test it. For example; activate the benthos hotspot layer (upper left) and see which areas are most interesting as foraging areas for […]
- [Symposium: Wadden Sea foodweb & role of ecosystem engineers](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/symposium-wadden-sea-foodweb-role-of-ecosystem-engineers/): The Waddensleutels project finished 16 april 2015 with a symposium in Leeuwarden, and with that also my 1st post-doc project.  Topics here were: Which measures should we take to increase the area of musselbeds in the Dutch Wadden Sea & what is the current foodweb stucture and state (and how is this affected by the […]
- [Fieldwork Derawan 2014 photo series](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/fieldwork-derawan-2014-photo-series/): I had the opportunity to go back to Derawan for 3 more weeks of fieldwork, thanks to the Schure Beijerink Popping foundation. I gathered samples for food web analysis, checked the current turtle density and seagrass biomass, recaptured green turtles and made a new series of aerial photographs with a kite (with super assistant Sipke […]
- [Green turtles threaten their own food source in MPAs: New paper Proceedings B](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/green-turtles-threaten-their-own-food-source-in-mpas-new-paper-proceedings-b/): Our new paper is out in Proceedings of the Royal Society B! Green turtle populations have expanded so much in Indonesia’s east coast islands marine protected areas that they are adopting new feeding habits, degrading the ecosystem and threatening their own conservation. Read more about  “Habitat collapse due to overgrazing threatens turtle conservation in marine protected […]
- [Food Web collection Waddensleutels 2013](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/food-web-collection-waddensleutels-2013/): This summer we (the Waddensleutels team) visited all dutch Wadden Islands to collect samples for food web comparisons between mussel beds and surrounding habitats. It was a very successful operation. We collected around 1800 samples of organism that are now going to be analyzed for stable isotopes at the NIOZ, Texel. Sampling involved fishing with […]
- [Research cruise SIBES 2013 on the Navicula](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/research-cruise-sibes-2013-on-the-navicula/): This week I am joining the SIBES 2013 crew on the Navicula. They are sampling benthos at ± 4500 points spread througout the Wadden Sea, a program that is already running for 6 years.
- [PhD thesis in the pocket!](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/phd-thesis-in-the-pocket/): The 22th of March was the Big Day, I had to defend my PhD thesis. After a 10 minute summary about my research I had one hour to answer the questions of 8 (associate) Professors. 1.5 hours later this happy photo was taken.
- [PhD thesis online](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/phd-thesis-online/): You can download my PhD thesis “Seagrass systems under nutrient loads, hydrodynamics and green turtle grazing – Do turtles rule the seagrass world?” here (pdf 88 MB). And the papers of my thesis here. Next friday I will defend my PhD thesis at Radboud University Nijmegen. I still have some paper copies left. So send me […]
- [My research in the (Dutch) media](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/my-research-in-the-dutch-media/): After sending out the press release about my upcoming PhD defense, my research on seaturtles destroying their own habitat did receive some attention in Trouw newspaper and a science-radio program. Check these links here.
- [10th ISBW Buzios, Brasil (& sea hares)](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/10th-isbw-buzios-brasil-sea-hares/): The 10th international seagrass biology workshop was a success! Together with seagrass specialists from around the globe we enjoyed 3 days packed with talks & workshops in a resort town of Buzios in Brasil. See WSA’s blog by Sity for a nice overview of the highlights and of the speakers (gallery seagrass watch) It also included […]
- [Seagrass expedition Bank d'Arguin, Mauretania](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/seagrass-expedition-bank-darguin-mauretania/): The Bank d’Arguin is a magnificent place: Not only to see loads of beautiful birds, some marked with colourfull rings as a souvenir from the Netherlands, but also to do seagrass research. Together with Jim de Fouw (our expedition leader), Laura Govers, Tjisse van der Heide en Karin van de Reijden we traveled through the […]
- [My PhD thesis is finished!](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/my-phd-thesis-is-finished/): After months of radio/blog silence (I did not want to bore you with another photo of my computer screen) I finished the manuscript of my PhD thesis just before the deadline of 1th of October, Woehoe! The last weeks I lived a life comparable to a burrowing shrimp: I lived inside my office, only shoveling […]
- [Cool new Science paper by Tjisse et al.](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/cool-new-science-paper-by-tjisse-et-al/): Hot of the press.. a cool paper showing the importance of biological interaction in seagrass function (and even restoration) by friends and colleagues. Congratulations! Read it: Read the original paper here: a more popular item here “Three-Way Partnership at the Bottom of the Sea” (including a picture by me): and here an item “Seagrasses Partner With Clams to Stay […]
- [Time Lapse Derawan](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/time-lapse-derawan/): After all those weeks behind the computer I am already longing back to my view from my research base in Derawan, enjoy my time lapse video. Do you see the tide rising? 2 last hours of sun on a typical fieldwork day.
- [Infographic: Depth of Lakes & Oceans](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/infographic-depth-of-lakes-oceans/): Click the picture to enlarge this cool infographic. Do you see the turtle? (Tnx Sipke!)
- [Green turtle stuff around Derawan](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/green-turtle-stuff-around-derawan/): In total now we captured and measured more than 800 green turtles around Derawan and tagged 500 of them. The WWF guys (Udin, Darjon), some locals (Jeffrey, Tiar) and we catched them using the rodeo technique. This year we recaptured some individuals that we tagged previously in 2009 on Derawan Island. These turtles grew 3-6 […]
- [Seagrass Fauna part 2](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/seagrass-fauna-part-2/): One of the cool things of seagrass meadows is that at first sight it might not seem too rich in animal life. But when working for hours on the seagrass around our cages and sandbags you find cool new animals that you might miss normally. In the last weeks I went out to make the […]
- [Loads of turtles around Semporna!](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/loads-of-turtles-around-semporna/): To get an idea of green turtle densities on foraging grounds around the Derawan Archipelago I hopped over the border to Malaysia to visit the islands around Semporna (Mabul, Sipadan, Pom Pom, & Pandanan). Steve Oakley and Celebes Beach resort were so kind to host me on Pom Pom Island. Read the blog post by […]
- [Experiment finalized](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/experiment-finalized/): The last fieldwork of my Phd is finished! While writing this blog post in Dubai on the way back to the Netherlands the dried seagrass samples patiently wait on the seat next of me, together with the other 70kg of equipment where I travel with. The first unofficial results are promising. On the aerial pictures […]
- [And it flies!](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/and-it-flies/): After crashing my aerial photography plane directly after the first flight, we retrieved the bits and pieces (the plane from the top of a 70m telephone tower & the catapulted-rest by logging a 20m perimeter of bushes), and shipped the plane around the world to get repaired. But 1.5 months later DHL delivered it in […]
- [Green turtle foraging in Raja Ampat](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/green-turtle-foraging-in-raja-ampat/): Our second destination in our quest to find the green turtle foraging grounds was Raja Ampat. Some of the tracks of the GPS tagged turtles show foraging greens that travel all the way from Raja Ampat to Kalimantan. We were based at Kri with papua diving and did 2 short expeditions; 1 to Batanta & 1 to Wayag […]
- [Green turtle Foraging areas in Wakatobi](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/green-turtle-foraging-areas-in-wakatobi/): After spending so much time on Derawan where green turtles are so abundant we wanted to compare Derawan with other foraging grounds in Indonesia. Wakatobi was our first destination. In contrast to nesting sites of which a lot is known. It is unclear where the green turtles forage in Indonesia, so the majority of the […]
- [Notes from the field: Barang Lompo, South Sulawesi](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/notes-from-the-field-barang-lompo-south-sulawesi/): This time my colleague from Singapore Siti Yaakub wrote up a story on a recent check of the seagrass near Makassar, Sulawesi. With my photo’s next to it. Enjoy it on the Seagrass Online site!
- [Article in Seagrass Watch](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/article-in-seagrass-watch/): I was delighted to be requested to provide an article for Seagrass Watch magazine. The articles is published in the November issue. You can download the issue from their site (my article is on page 6) or download directly from the Seagrass Watch site (big pdf of 22MB). Enjoy the reading!
- [The latest experiment on Derawan](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/the-latest-experiment-on-derawan/): Just got back on the mainland. Last month we succesfully set-up a large experiment on Derawan to look at interactive effects of hydrodynamics & turtle grazing on seagrasses. This involved building 30 cages and 15 large underwater wave-bunkers for which we almost used al the sand from the nearby sand spit. To determine the location […]
- [Checklist week 1 fieldwork Indonesia](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/checklist-week-1-fieldwork-indonesia/): And were back! To give you an idea of what we did before travelling to our remote fieldwork site, here’s a (simplified) checklist: Arrange research & travel permit, KITAS, letters for governors, certificate of good conduct police (10 trips, at least 3 days) Give presentation at World Delta Summit & follow EcoDynamic Design workshop Buy […]
- [CERF fieldwork trip: Manatee!](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/cerf-fieldwork-trip-manatee/):   After a week of CERF-ing (Conference of the Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation) in Daytona Beach, Florida, USA, I was totally saturated with new knowledge. So a great time to go out to the field & spend a day searching for Florida seagrasses near Sebastian Inlet. Lori, our guide never saw the seagrass in such […]
- [Translation Science terms & Alternatives](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/translation-of-science-terms-alternatives/): I guess I have to rewrite my paper now.. : Thanx to by my not-scientist boyfriend that send me the link on Discovermagazine.com
- [Paper Published in Journal of Ecology](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/paper-published-in-journal-of-ecology/): I am very happy to present to you: the 2nd Paper of my thesis, that has been published online in Journal of Ecology this month: check it out!:
- [Last Week Shark bay & Ningaloo NP](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/last-week-shark-bay-ningaloo-np/): After some long days in the field we took in the camp kitchen. Fons and Tjisse worked all night to measure the photosynthetic efficiency of the seagrasses, which resulted in this cool picture: Check the slide show for a report of our last week of research in Shark Bay. Tjisse, Fons and Leon left after […]
- [Week 2 Shark Bay](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/week-2-shark-bay/): Beautiful seagrass patterns of Sharkbay: Let the fieldwork begin! The team: Laura, me, Leon, Fons & Tjisse above the seagrass patterns The seagrass leaves of Amphibolis are still full of red pigment after the winter period and make a really beautiful underwater panorama..We were very lucky with the weather and could work in extremely calm […]
- [First Week Sharkbay](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/first-week-sharkbay/): Before starting the real work we spend a week preparing the field expedition. This included a medical test, x-rays, discussing our plans with John and Di from UWA (University of Western Australia), arranging a camper, the necessary permits etc. Jennifer Verduin was so kind to host Laura and me in Perth. And we also had […]
- [Off to Shark Bay, Australia](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/off-to-shark-bay-australia/): Time for some fieldwork! This time not in Indonesia but 7 hours flying further east in Sharkbay, Australia! Together with Laura Govers, Tjisse van der Heide, Leon Lamers and Fons Smolders and researchers for the University of Western-Australia we will investigate the driving mechanisms behind the unique seagrass patterns of Shark Bay (picture below). Recently, […]
- [Visiting CEAB Spain](https://darkred-fish-536416.hostingersite.com/visiting-ceab-spain/): Last year I met Teresa Alcoverro and Rohan Arthur at the Turtle Symposium in India were we discovered that our research had a hudge overlap; we were both doing comparable work on ecosystems with very high densities of green turtles and declining seagrasses, and we only found this out just then. My lastest MS about habitat […]

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