A5031763288- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Coastal and Marine Dynamics
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Aeolian processes and effects
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Marine and fisheries research
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Turfgrass Adaptation and Management
- Plant responses to water stress
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Sustainability and Ecological Systems Analysis
- Bryophyte Studies and Records
- Complex Systems and Decision Making
- Geological formations and processes
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research
2018-2025
University of Antwerp
2024
Utrecht University
2018-2023
University of Groningen
2018-2022
Restoration is becoming a vital tool to counteract coastal ecosystem degradation. Modifying transplant designs of habitat-forming organisms from dispersed clumped can amplify restoration yields as it generates self-facilitation emergent traits, i.e. traits not expressed by individuals or small clones, but that emerge in large clones. Here, we advance science mimicking key locally suppress physical stress using biodegradable establishment structures. Experiments across (sub)tropical and...
The intensity of marine heatwaves is increasing due to climate change. Heatwaves may affect macroinvertebrates' bioturbating behavior in intertidal areas, thereby altering the deposition-erosion balance at tidal flats. Moreover, small-scale topographic features on flats can create pools during low tide, thus changing heat capacity These could then potentially operate as refuge environments heatwaves. We studied responses waves using well-known cockle Cerastoderma edule a model species....
Forecasting transitions between tidal ecosystem states, such as bare flats and vegetated marshes, is crucial because it may imply the irreversible loss of valuable services. In this study, we combine geospatial analyses three European estuaries with a simple numerical model to demonstrate that development micro-topographic patterning on an early indicator marsh establishment. We first show patterns precedes vegetation establishment, tend form only slope <0.3 degrees. Numerical modelling then...
Abstract In degraded landscapes, recolonization by pioneer vegetation is often halted the presence of persistent environmental stress. When natural expansion does occur, it commonly due to momentary alleviation a key variable previously limiting new growth. Thus, studying circumstances in which occurs can inspire restoration techniques, wherein establishment provoked emulating events through artificial means. Using salt‐marsh zone on tidal flats as biogeomorphic model system, we explore how...
Abstract Ecosystems are degrading world‐wide, with severe ecological and economic consequences. Restoration is becoming an important tool to regain ecosystem services preserve biodiversity. However, in harsh ecosystems dominated by habitat‐modifying organisms, restoration often expensive failure prone. Establishment of such habitat modifiers hinges on self‐facilitation feedbacks generated traits that emerge when individuals aggregate, causing density‐ or patch size‐dependent establishment...
Restoration of coastal ecosystem engineers that trap sediment and dampen waves has proven to be difficult, especially in the wave‐exposed eroding areas where they are needed most. Environmental stressors, such as hydrodynamic stress predation, can only overcome if transplanted organisms able establish self‐facilitating feedbacks. We investigate artificial lowering multiple environmental stressors used give juveniles opportunity form a self‐sustainable system thereby increase their long‐term...
Combining foreshore ecosystems like saltmarshes and mangroves with traditional hard engineering structures may offer a more sustainable solution to coastal protection than alone. However, ecosystems, are rapidly degrading on global scale due human activities climate change. Marsh-edges could be protected by using connected such as shellfish reefs seagrass beds, which can trap stabilize sediments, thereby reducing hydrodynamics loads the saltmarsh edge. In our study, we aimed test effect of...
Abstract Reef‐forming species form integral aspects of coastal ecosystems, but are rapidly degrading world‐wide. To mitigate these declines, nature managers increasingly rely on the restoration habitat‐structuring, reef‐forming by, for example, introducing artificial reefs that may directly function as complex reef habitat. Since use biodegradable structures to restore biogenic is becoming a popular technique, its effectiveness habitat must be assessed. Therefore, we examine trophic...
Abstract Background and Aims The growth rate of pioneer species is known to be a critical component determining recruitment success marsh seedlings on tidal flats. By accelerating growth, recruits can reach larger size at an earlier date, which reduces the length disturbance-free window required for successful establishment. Therefore, pursuit natural mechanisms that accelerate rates local scale may lead better understanding circumstances under new establishment occurs, suggest insights with...
Nature-based coastal defense schemes commonly value bivalve reefs for i) reducing erosion in the intertidal and ii) forming fringing near salt marsh edges to protect them against lateral retreat. The capacity a reef reduce increases at higher position tidal frame as lower over-lying water level magnifies influence of on wave attenuation. Unfortunately, ecological constraints development typically limit their practical application protection intertidal, bivalves grow best with long inundation...
The establishment of young organisms in harsh environments often requires a window opportunity (WoO). That is, short time which environmental conditions drop long enough below the hostile average level, giving organism to develop tolerance and transition into stable existence. It has been suggested that this kind dynamics is noise-induced between two alternate states. Understanding how temporal variability (i.e. noise) affects therefore key, yet not well understood or included explicitly WoO...
In face of sea-level rise and increasing risks for storm impacts on shorelines, there is a growing demand developing nature-based flood defenses, example by restoring or creating salt marshes in front engineered structures such as dikes. However, can only optimally provide defense if their sediment beds are erosion resistant, even under very high flow velocities. It remains unknown how fast strength develops restored created defense. Therefore, this study investigated 1) type, 2) tidal...
Seagrass ecosystems are undergoing rapid degradation and losses around the world. In Banc d'Arguin, off coast of Mauritania, seagrass beds experience episodic die-off events related to sulfide poisoning desiccation stress due dust deposition from Saharan storms combined with heat waves. These external stressors on may be impacted by two more biotic interactions, which could either oxygenate sediment or, conversely, cause further sedimentation suffocation. a series manipulative field...
Worldwide, coastal ecosystems are rapidly degrading in quality and extent. While novel restoration designs include facilitation to enhance success stressful environments, they typically focus on a single life-stage, even though many organisms go through multiple life-stages accompanied by different bottlenecks. A new approach – life cycle informed was designed ameliorate bottlenecks throughout an organism's cycle. It has successfully been tested small scale facilitate intertidal bivalve reef...
Delayed gametophytes are able to grow vegetatively for prolonged periods of time. As such, they potentially very valuable kelp aquaculture given their great promise in opening up novel opportunities breeding and farming. However, large‐scale application would require more in‐depth understanding how control reproduction delayed gametophytes. For newly formed gametophytes, many environmental factors have been identified, with key drivers being light intensity, temperature, the initial...
Mangrove forests are increasingly valued as wave-attenuating buffers in coastal flood defence strategies. However, mangroves vulnerable to wave-induced erosion, this raises the question, how can stability of these protective mangrove be promoted? To address we investigate dynamics a microtidal system related different types foreshores. We used remote sensing fringe over multiple years relation intertidal mudflat width (i.e., emerged at low tide) and presence cheniers, which sand bodies on...
Abstract The theory of critical slowing down, i.e. the increasing recovery times complex systems close to tipping points, has been proposed as an early warning signal for collapse. Empirical evidence reality such signals is still rare in ecology. We studied this on Zostera noltii intertidal seagrass meadows at their southern range limit, Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania. analyse environmental covariates rates using structural equation modelling (SEM), based experiment which we assessed whether...
Abstract Aquatic ecosystems provide vital services, and macrophytes play a critical role in their functioning. Conceptual models indicate that shallow lakes, plants with different growth strategies are expected to inhabit contrasting habitats. For peat characterized by incohesive sediments, roles of forms, life-history environmental factors determining the occurrence aquatic vegetation remain unknown. In field survey, we sampled 64 points lake complex related macrophyte forms...
During the last decades many salt marshes worldwide have suffered important losses in their extent and associated ecosystem services. The of San Vicente de la Barquera estuary (N Spain) are a clear example this, with drastic reduction vegetation surface over 60 years. This paper provides insights into main factors controlling marsh functioning sheltered estuarine areas. Regional local been disaggregated to identify drivers develop appropriate management measures according evolution system....
Abstract Heatwaves affect tidal flat ecosystems by altering the bioturbating behavior of benthic species, with potential consequences for sediment oxygenation, particle mixing, and erodibility. Although frequency duration heatwaves are expected to increase under global warming scenarios, we lack insights into how heatwaves' temporal dynamics behaviors. Using widely distributed bioturbator Cerastoderma edule as model quantified identical heat‐sum but different (i.e., 3‐ vs. 6‐d heating normal...
Abstract Tidal flats are valuable ecosystems that depend on complex biogeomorphic processes between organisms and sediment transport. Climate change has led to a rise in extreme weather events, such as storms. This, turn, increased dynamics created risks for the benthic communities inhabiting tidal flats. However, replicating disturbances caused by is difficult. To overcome this, we used plow rake enhance natural currents wave conditions simulate intensified dynamics. The raking disturbance...
Understanding the sensitivity of tidal flats to environmental changes is challenging. Currently, most studies rely on process-based models systematically explain morphodynamic evolution flats. In this study, we proposed an alternative empirical approach explore flat dynamics using statistical indices based long-term time series daily surface elevation development. Surface dynamic (SED) focus magnitude and period changes, while signature (MDS) relate sediment drivers. The analyses were...
Abstract Striking large‐scale spatial patterns in ecosystems, generated by self‐organization through biotic and abiotic feedback processes, influence ecosystem functioning response to global environmental change. A remarkable example of this are the regular ridge‐runnel found on tidal flats, which play an important role mudflat‐marsh transitions. Yet mechanisms driving their formation, whether they or origin, have not been elucidated. The underlying unraveled study a combination field...
Globally, peatlands have been affected by drainage and peat extraction, with adverse effects on their functioning services. To restore peat-forming vegetation, drained bogs are being rewetted a large scale. Although this practice results in higher groundwater levels, unfortunately it often creates deep lakes parts where was extracted to greater depths than the surroundings. Revegetation of these deeper waters mosses appears be challenging due strong abiotic feedbacks that keep systems an...