EcoMaMa thesis opportunities 2007-2008

1. EcoMaMa thesis opportunities 2007-2008 Suggestions for possible thesis topics Overview of collaborating universities, laboratories and research institutes Presented by: Griet Neukermans (replacing Natalie Beenaerts until 31/07/2007)

2. Thesis Study load • Total of whole academic year: 60ECTS • Scientific reporting and didactics: 3 ECTS • Thesis: 27 ECTS (from 2007 onwards) • This is almost half of the total study load!!!!! • Extremely important that you identify on time: • A thesis topic of your interest • An appropriate (co-)promoter and research institute

3. Important stages • Identification of research topic and promoter • Submission of abstract • Presentation of thesis objectives and methodology, preliminary results and future perspectives and work load (exam of scientific reporting and didactics) • Final submission of thesis manuscript • First session: May (written)+ June/July (oral) • Second session: August (written)+ September (oral)

4. Dept. of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry (ANCH-VUB) • Research topics • Biogeochemical and ecological functioning of tropical coastal ecosystems • Link between biodiversity and ecological/biogeochemical functioning • Contact • F. Dehairs (fdehairs@vub.ac.be) • S. Bouillon (sbouillo@vub.ac.be)

5. Dept. of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry (ANCH-VUB) • Research topics • Sources and sinks of Carbon in seagrass beds: release and fate of dissolved organic Carbon • Contact • F. Dehairs (fdehairs@vub.ac.be) • C. Barron (cbarron@vub.ac.be)

6. VUB-library • Research topic • contributions and improvement of the system that supports learning in the area of information management for marine science and oceanography. Additional contributions and improvement of the system can form the subject of research and development. • Contact: • P. Nieuwenhuysen: pnieuwen@vub.ac.be • In collaboration with UNESCO-IOC-IODE

7. Dept. of Hydrology and hydraulic engineering • Research topics • Spatial and temporal variation in suspended matter composition (S. Wartel & M. Chen) • Investigation of radioisotope levels and variations in estuarine sediments, Scheldt estuary (S. Wartel & M. Chen & P. Claeys) • Small-scale temporal and spatial biota effects on sediment erodibility (M. Chen & N. Brion) • Sediment transport in estuarine environment (S. Wartel & M. Chen) • Assessment of suspended sediment stratification in estuarine environment (S. Wartel & M. Chen) • Contacts • S. Wartel: swartel@vub.ac.be • M. Chen: margaret.chen@vub.ac.be

8. Laboratory of Plant Biology and Nature Management (APNA-VUB, L. triest) • Research topics: • Freshwater • Highly invasive exotic aquatic weeds: impact on plankton biodiversity? • Highly invasive exotic aquatic weeds: does one aquatic weed facilitate the invasion of another weed? • Interactions between phytoplankton, zooplankton and periphyton in managed ponds with clear and turbid water • Marine/Coastal: • Mangrove genetics: spatial patterns of genotypes within pollinator distances • Phylogeography of a coastal continental seagrass in Europe • Gradients from coast to inland: genetic distances in water plants • Contact: Ludwig Triest (ltriest@vub.ac.be)

9. Laboratory of Plant Biology and Nature Management (APNA-VUB, N. Koedam) • Research topics: • Temperate forests and urban ecology • See webpage: http://www.vub.ac.be/APNA/ • Contact: Sandrine Godefroid (sagodefr@vub.ac.be) • Biocomplexity • how and why spatio-temporal dynamics in vegetation and landscape occur • Using VHR RS and ground truth, socio-economic survey research, historic archive research • Assist ecosystem management • Thesis topics are available on: http://www.vub.ac.be/APNA/restricted/topics_FDG.html • Contact: Farid Dahdouh-Guebas (fdahdouh@vub.ac.be)

10. MUMM • MUMM=The Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models and the Scheldt estuary • Modelling: • Operational forecast of • Currents • Water height • Model sediment transport • Model oil pollution at sea • Monitoring: collecting marine information required to validate the models and make them operational, along with the various techniques used to assess the condition of the marine environment • Management • Contact: Kevin Ruddick (K.Ruddick@mumm.ac.be) • Webpage: http://www.mumm.ac.be/EN/

11. Marine Biology section (Biology dept. of Gent university) • Benthic ecology: community and structure • European ecosystems • Temperate ecosystems • Tropical ecosystems • Copepoda-seagrasses biodiversity • Benthos of Ecuadorian beaches • Polar ecosystems • Global patterns • http://www.marinebiology.ugent.be/, for more details • Contacts: • Magda Vincx (magda.vincx@ugent.be) • Ann Van Reusel (ann.vanreusel@ugent.be) • Steven Degraer (steven.degraer@ugent.be) • Marleen De Troch (marleen.detroch@ugent.be)

12. Marine Biology section (Biology dept. of Gent university) • Suggestion • The effect of increased rainfall on beach meiofauna: a field experiment • Contact • Magda Vinx • Jan Vanaverbeke

13. Biology campus Kortrijk (KUL) • Research topic • Phytoplankton community composition in saline lakes in the Camargue wetland (France) • Contact • Koeraad Muylaert (koenraad.muylaert@kuleuven-kortrijk.be)

14. Department Biology (Antwerp University) • Research topics: • Effects of stress on aquatic organisms and ecosystems • Physiology and biochemistry of aquatic organisms • Contact: • Valentine Mubiana (kayawe.mubiana@ua.ac.be)

15. Attention • This is a non-exhaustive list! • You can always suggest your own thesis topic • Contact the scientist with experience in that field of science • If you don’t have any idea who to contact, you can always ask me or Valentine