Knowledge on the biodiversity and abundance of phytoplankton is key for many ecological and societal (e.g., blue growth) questions. Gathering temporal variation and spatial patterns on key indicators requires reliable and standardized protocols on sampling, species identification and counting. Numerous …

This thesis is a literature review on the impact of global warming on the great whale pump in Europe. Global warming is known to have an effect on different ecosystems around the world. However, what is largely unknown is the impact of global warming on marine systems and specifically large whales that …

Freshwater habitats are under stress from agricultural land use, most notably the influx of neonicotinoid pesticides and increased nutrient pressure from fertilizer. Traditional studies investigating the effects of stressors on freshwater systems are often limited to a narrow range of taxa, depending …

The natural value of Dutch sandy beaches has been declining for decades. These relatively unstable, low nutritious, wave-washed environments lack the primary producers that represent the base of the food web. Thus, the sandy beach food web relies almost entirely on nutrient influx of other systems. Beside …

Early links in the food web are crucial to sustain higher levels in the food web. Molecules of high importance, for example unsaturated fatty acids, play a key role in aquatic ecosystems. Unsaturated fatty acids are produced by primary producers for instance phytoplankton. Almost all organisms need to …

The Wadden Sea is the largest tidal area in the world and is of mayor importance in the sectors ecology, economy and culture. It was therefore added to UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. Hallumer-Ryt is an area in The Wadden Sea which is characterised by a saltmarsh. This habitat is considered to be …

This project explores touristic involvement in the foreshore area of the Netherlands. Current industrial activities at sea all have their separate zones and no go-zones. By combining tourism activities and nature improvement in the estuary of the Haringvliet new benefits for the North Sea and the Netherlands …

The goal of this graduation paper is a literature review on the effect of light and nitrogen availability on the pigment composition, photosynthesis and growth of different phytoplankton groups.

With the increase of offshore activities in the Arctic, the question arises if currently existing oil spill response plans involve effective methods for removing oil slicks in Arctic conditions. The dispersant Corexit9500 is commonly applied as response agent to disperse oil slicks. It has been applied …