Professional experience
September 2022 - present
FED-tWIN researcher on the METRIC (Marine EcosysTem Responses In a multiple pressures Context) project.
Assistant Professor Ghent University (TT) and senior researcher at Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) in the Marine Ecology and Management Team.
October 2019 - September 2022
FWO senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Marine Biology Research Group, UGent.
Topic: Influence of glacial melt on Antarctic benthic carbon cycling.
October 2015 - September 2019
FWO Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Marine Biology Research Group, UGent
Topic: Understanding the influence of benthic biodiversity on biogeochemical cycling in polar marine ecosystems subject to rapid climate change.
October 2013 - September 2015
UGent Doctoral Assistant – 2y Full time Visiting Researcher at Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
Topic: Rapid climate warming effects on the relation between benthic biodiversity and biogeochemical functioning in polar marine ecosystems.
April 2011 - September 2013
UGent Postdoctoral Researcher, Marine Biology Research Group, UGent
Topic: Benthic biogeochemistry and communities in the Belgian part of the North Sea.
October 2006 - March 2011
FWO PhD fellow fundamental research, Marine Biology Research Group, UGent (4y)
PhD student, Marine Biology Research Group, UGent (6 months)
FED-tWIN researcher on the METRIC (Marine EcosysTem Responses In a multiple pressures Context) project.
Assistant Professor Ghent University (TT) and senior researcher at Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) in the Marine Ecology and Management Team.
October 2019 - September 2022
FWO senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Marine Biology Research Group, UGent.
Topic: Influence of glacial melt on Antarctic benthic carbon cycling.
October 2015 - September 2019
FWO Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Marine Biology Research Group, UGent
Topic: Understanding the influence of benthic biodiversity on biogeochemical cycling in polar marine ecosystems subject to rapid climate change.
October 2013 - September 2015
UGent Doctoral Assistant – 2y Full time Visiting Researcher at Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
Topic: Rapid climate warming effects on the relation between benthic biodiversity and biogeochemical functioning in polar marine ecosystems.
April 2011 - September 2013
UGent Postdoctoral Researcher, Marine Biology Research Group, UGent
Topic: Benthic biogeochemistry and communities in the Belgian part of the North Sea.
October 2006 - March 2011
FWO PhD fellow fundamental research, Marine Biology Research Group, UGent (4y)
PhD student, Marine Biology Research Group, UGent (6 months)
Education
2006-2010 PhD in Sciences, Biology, UGent.
PhD Thesis Title: Macrobenthos structuring the seafloor: Influence of its functional biodiversity for the benthic ecosystem.
PhD mentors: dr. Jan Vanaverbeke, Prof. dr. Karline Soetaert and Prof. dr. Magda Vincx
2005-2006 Master in Marine and Lacustrine Sciences, UGent (great distinction)
Master Thesis Title: The impact of beam trawl fisheries on the fauna associated with Lanice conchilega reefs. An in situ experiment.
2003-2005 Master in Biology, UGent. Erasmus year at Université II Montpellier (F) (great distinction)
Master Thesis Title: Macrofauna from the North Sea: Impact of bottom trawling on the diversity of benthic fauna.
2001-2003 Bachelor in Biology, UGent (great distinction)
PhD Thesis Title: Macrobenthos structuring the seafloor: Influence of its functional biodiversity for the benthic ecosystem.
PhD mentors: dr. Jan Vanaverbeke, Prof. dr. Karline Soetaert and Prof. dr. Magda Vincx
2005-2006 Master in Marine and Lacustrine Sciences, UGent (great distinction)
Master Thesis Title: The impact of beam trawl fisheries on the fauna associated with Lanice conchilega reefs. An in situ experiment.
2003-2005 Master in Biology, UGent. Erasmus year at Université II Montpellier (F) (great distinction)
Master Thesis Title: Macrofauna from the North Sea: Impact of bottom trawling on the diversity of benthic fauna.
2001-2003 Bachelor in Biology, UGent (great distinction)
Teaching experience
I co-developed the curriculum for 5 courses at for the International Master in Marine Biological Resources (IMBRSea) at UGent:
- Quantitative Methods in Marine Science (2021 - )
- Online course Quantitative Methods in Marine Science (2020)
- Methods in Experimental Marine Ecology (2017 - )
- Responses in a Changing Marine Environment - Experiments in Marine Global Change Ecology (2017 - )
- Marine Ecology integrated field exercise (2017 - )
- Marine Extreme Systems: Arctic systems (2020 - )
- Biodiversity and Ecosystem functioning (2014 - )
- Advanced applied biostatistics (VUB/UA/UGent Master 1) or
- Biostatistics: Experimental design (UGent Bachelor 3) since 2016.
Student mentoring
PhD theses
Official co-supervision
Internships of Master students
Supervision of Bachelor students
Official co-supervision
- Samuel Hermant (2024 - 2028), UGent - RBINS - UA. 'Role of benthic fauna in natural alkalinity generation'.
- Hannah Gaber (2023 - 2027), UGent, GINR, RBINS: 'Food webs of Greenlandic fjords'.
- Abril Reynes Cardona (2023 - 2027), UGent - RBINS: 'Food webs of the North Sea in a multiple pressure world'.
- Cathrin Wittig (2022 - 2027), UGent - UA: 'Role of benthic fauna in iron cycling of Arctic fjords'. FWO fellowship.
- Esther Cepeda (2021 - 2025), UGent: 'Quantifying the contribution of fouling fauna to the local carbon budget of an offshore wind farm.'
- Marius Buydens (2021 - 2025), UGent: ‘Impact of melting glaciers on role of Greenland’s fjords as carbon sinks.’
- Nanou Goedefroo (2021 - 2025), UGent: ‘Effects of human activities on benthic ecosystem functioning in the North Sea.’
- Gabriella Pantò (2020 - 2024), UGent: ‘Microplastics in benthic ecosystems.’
- Nene Lefaible (2019 - 2023), UGent: ‘Anthropogenic stressors and their impact on marine benthic communities.’
- Elise Toussaint (2016 - 2021), UGent: ‘Investigating the effect of fining and hardening of marine coastal areas on the ecosystem functioning in the Belgian Part of the North Sea.'
- dr. Emil De Borger (PhD defended 29 Jan 2021 at UGent): 'Effects of natural processes and human activity on North Sea sediment biogeochemistry.'
- dr. Maryam Yazdani Foshtomi, PhD at UGent (2017): 'Biotic interactions across size classes as structuring factors for
marine benthic ecosystem functioning.' - dr. Ralf Hoffmann, PhD at Bremen University, Germany (2018): 'Oxygen dynamics and exchange rates in polar ecosystems.'
- UGent: Hélène Thylys (2024), Carla Mateo Lopez (2024), Almaru Marius Ten Napel (2024), Angeline Nyambu (2023), Iona Birnie (2024), Marina Briones (2023), Milan Vansteelandt (2023), Abril Reynes Cardona (2023), Berdien Daniels (2023), Rhea Toppil (2022), Ellen Blomme (2022), Elke Lycke (2022), Charles Makio (2022), Marianne Lolivier (2022), Christelle Jammar (2022), Elisabeth Bruns (2020), Stéphanie Roy (2020), Alexander Hooyberg (2018), Nene Lefaible (2017), Camille Fossano (2017), Luz Amadei Martinez (2017), Nelson Coomans (2017), Naomi De Roeck (2015), Sonila Gogo (2010)
- Haute École Provinciale de Hainaut - Concordet, Ath (B): Robin Sales (2019)
- Bremen University: Yasemin Bodur (2018)
Internships of Master students
- IMBRSea, UGent: Tibo Simons (2021), Esther Cepeda (2019), Aurélien Calas (2019), Simon Schnebert (2017)
- Université de Aix-Marseille: William Fernandez (2023)
- Voluntary: Simone Brito (2019), Jolien Claes (2019)
- Bachelor Chemistry - Environmental Management: Jochen Crappé (2021), Joris Bril (2012), Sofie Jacob (2011)
Supervision of Bachelor students
- UGent: a.o. Jarno Tuytschaever (2023), Kobejoren Van Vooren (2021), Istvan Vansteene (2021), Ines Temmerman (2019), Marie Defraigne (2019), Ward Van Den Bosch (2017) [non exhaustive list]
Academic service
- Contribution to ICES working group on Fisheries Benthic Impacts and Trade-offs (FBIT) with expertise on the relation between infaunal functional traits and biogeochemical cycling (Nov 2021).
- Active participation in the Think Tank of the North Sea - Living with Climate Change, Ostend (2019).
- Member of ICES WG on Marine Benthal and Renewable Energy Developments, Brussels (2019) and online (2021).
- Translation of new insights in functional importance of benthic biodiversity generated in my PhD in the selection of new areas for marine protection in the framework of the European Natura2000 Habitat directive (2009).
- Journal peer-reviewer for Aquaculture International, Biogeochemistry, Biogeosciences, Communications Biology, Deep Sea Research, Ecosystems, Elementa, Environmental Science and Technology, Hydrobiologia, ICES Journal of Marine Science, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Journal of Sea Research, Limnology and Oceanography, Marine Biology, Marine Ecology Progress Series, Marine Environmental Research, Polar Biology, Scientific Reports, ...
- Guest editor of Biogeosciences, special issue ‘Towards an understanding and assessment of human impact on coastal marine environments’ (2021-2022).
Institutional responsibilities
- Member of the Educational Board for IMBRSea (2020)
- Course developer and advisor for the online course ‘Quantitative Methods in Marine Science’ IMBRSea (2020 - )
- Organizer of interuniversity R working group IMBRSea (2020 - )
- PhD Examiner (2014 - ):
- 8 UGent PhDs (2 in collaboration with NIOZ)
- 2 joint UGent/Plymouth University PhDs
- 1 joint UGent/Bremen University PhD
- 1 PhD for Bremen University.
- 8 UGent PhDs (2 in collaboration with NIOZ)