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Even though I wanted to become a marine biologist as a child (I was particularly fascinated by whales), I went in a different direction from most of my fellow lab members.
I studied Earth Sciences at Utrecht University, the Netherlands, where I learned about environmental changes and the severity of the anthropogenic impact on the environment. However, I also learned that intervention is still possible. This inspired me to pursue a professional career in sustainability.
After my studies, I started work as a Soil, Groundwater and Remediation Consultant. My work involved conducting environmental quality investigations of the soil and groundwater.
As a research associate at EMEL, I continue to adhere to my belief by contributing to the MaxBETH project, where I investigate the impact of hybrid coastal solutions on the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles.
Research interests
Research interests
Carbon and nutrient cycling, geochemistry, coastal nature-based solutions, climate change
Research group: Maximizing the beneficial environmental effects of tropical hybrid shorelines (MaxBETH)
Research group: Maximizing the beneficial environmental effects of tropical hybrid shorelines (MaxBETH)
As the demand for coastal protection intensifies in the face of climate change and urbanization, alternatives to traditional hard engineering ─ such as ‘hybrid’ and ‘green-grey’ shorelines ─ are gaining traction. However, even these solutions require a very substantial built component. Given the projected scale of coastal protection required for a safe future, it is critical that the negative environmental impact of any coastal construction is kept to a minimum and the positive effects are maximized. Currently, there is limited knowledge on how integrated nature-based solutions affect sediment dynamics, gas transfer, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem functioning. These are all interrelated and should be examined together. Here, we will compare both traditional coastal engineering structures (“grey solutions”) and natural coastal ecosystems (“green solutions”) to quantify the relative degree of additionality such integrated solutions can provide.
Specifically, we will:
Assess the challenges and benefits of scaling up hybrid shoreline solutions.
Identify the impacts of hybrid shorelines on biophysical processes.
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