Local stressors
Guido Leurs
Apart from global stressors such as climate change with associated sea surface temperature rise and ocean acidification, there are also many local stressors affecting the health marine organisms. Leaking of electro-magnetic fields from subsea power cables, oil spills, and heavy metals are just to name but a few. Marine Animal Ecology studies the effect of these stressors on marine life through various experiments.
Projects
Alwin Hylkema
The long-spined sea urchin, Diadema antillarum, is a key herbivore on Caribbean reefs.In 1983 and again in 2022 large die-off events occurred, reducing D. antillarum population densities with subsequent effects on reef health. Our research aims to elucidate the mechanism behind scuticociliate infection and disease process.
Guido Leurs
We investigate how predators influence species interactions, how their ecological roles vary across scales, and how these wide-ranging species connect ecosystems. Beyond advancing ecological understanding, our work is motivated by the urgent need for marine predator conservation, the misconceptions surrounding these species (‘sharks are dangerous’), and future changes that may impact these species.
Research themes
Biodiversity
We perform fundamental research to answer questions such as how biodiversity is generated and maintained and what the underlying processes are.
Climate change
Marine Animal Ecology aims to increase climate resilience of reefs through understanding how organisms respond to change and how we can best protect them.
Local stressors
Marine Animal Ecology studies the effect of stressors on marine life through various experiments.
Nature-based solutions
Marine Animal Ecology works in Kenya, the Dutch Caribbean and the North Sea on various restoration projects.
Marine Animal Ecology
The Marine Animal Ecology group, led by Tinka Murk, studies how marine animals adapt in response to a changing environment.