Marine Zoology

Research in the department of Marine Zoology is focused on marine biodiversity, especially with regard to coral reefs, which are the world’s most species-rich marine biotopes. Although Indo-Pacific coral reefs are richer in species than those of the Atlantic, the latter is important with regard to comparing circumtropical evolutionary patterns. Furthermore, Atlantic coral reef biota are supposed to be well known but, like their Indo-Pacific counterparts, they still have a potential for the discovery of unknown species.

Due to climatic change and human impact the coral reefs are under pressure. Sea level fluctuations as a result of climatic change have had a large long-term impact on marine biodiversity patterns. Recently, siltation resulting from deforestation, pollution due to urbanization, and coral bleaching linked to elevated seawater temperatures, are seen as major human-induced impacts on marine species diversity that play a role in tropical marine coastal areas.

Invasive marine species form a global problem and are an important research topic world-wide. Much of the information obtained on marine biodiversity is also relevant for nature conservation.

The Naturalis Marine Team ("Zeeteam") organizes a monthly meeting on marine biodiversity topics (recent and past). The meetings deal with ongoing marine biodiversity research in the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and in the Indo-Pacific. Marine species (animals and plants) recorded as new in the Netherlands (exotics) are also discussed. The meetings are attended by biologists, paleontologists, students and others with a special interest in marine life.

Marine scientists of NCB Naturalis are members of AcroporaNet, the consortium of Dutch research institutes dealing with tropical marine biology.

News about fieldwork and other Zeeteam activities are shown on our Facebook page.

A list of recent research topics in the department of Marine Zoology is presented below.

Research staff

Staff researchers
Bert W. Hoeksema (head of department) - Stony corals
Charles H.J.M. Fransen - Crustaceans
Dick S.J. Groenenberg - Molecular phylogenetics
Leen P. van Ofwegen - Soft corals
Martien J.P. van Oijen - Fishes
Ronald Vonk - Groundwater crustaceans
Nicole J. de Voogd - Sponges

Postdoctoral research fellow
Katja T.C.A. Peijnenburg - Phylogeography of zooplankton

PhD Students
Alice K. Burridge - Phylogeography of pterodpods
Sancia E.T. van der Meij - Coral gall crabs (Cryptochiridae)
Bastian T. Reijnen - Octocorals and their associated snails (Ovulidae)
Jacco C. van Rijssel - Fishes (Lake Victoria)
Zarinah Waheed - Stony corals of Malaysia

Project researchers and research associates
Marjan Addink - Cetaceans
Leontine E. Becking - Sponges in marine lakes
Arthur Bos - Echinoderms, corallimorpharians, reef fishes
Martijn Dorenbosch - Reef fish
Marco A. Faasse - Marine invasive species
Harry A. ten Hove - Serpulid worms
Arjan Gittenberger - Marine invasive species
Rob J. Leewis - Marine invasive species
Annelies C. Pierrot-Bults - Chaetognaths
Han Raven - Recent and fossil marine mollusks (Borneo)
Kaveh Samimi Namin - Coral fauna Persian Gulf
Menno Soes - Fishes (Dutch fresh water), leeches, crayfish
Rob W.M. van Soest - Sponges
Gerard van der Velde - Flatworms, reef ecology
Wim Vervoort, deceased - Hydrozoans
Walentina H. de Weerdt - Sponges
Frans Witte - Fishes (Lake Victoria)

Research topics

Student projects

Over the years the staff of the Marine Zoology department has supervised a large number of student topics. Undergraduates can carry out work in the scientific collections of Naturalis, whereas graduates can carry out their own field work and / or work in the molecular laboratory. For an overview of past and present student projects, click here.

At Naturalis several internship places are available for both BSc and MSc students.

Expeditions

During fieldwork in Indonesia the research team keeps almost daily web logs. Examples can be found, like Raja Ampat 2007 http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/124392 and Ternate 2009 http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/193936. Reports of expeditions can be found in the Naturalis repository: the 2009 expedition toTernate and Halmahera, the 2007 Raja Ampat expedition, as well as the report of the 2003 Berau expedition.

For a dynamic impression of our participation in the Semporna Marine Ecological Expedition (SMEE2010), see our movies. and for the Tun Mustapha Park Expedition (TMPE2012), see more movies.

The SMEE2010 report can be downloaded, here: Kassem K, Hoeksema BW, Affendi YA (eds) (2012) Semporna Marine Ecological Expedition. WWF-Malaysia, NCB Naturalis, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Kota Kinabalu. Malaysia. i-vii, 1-267.

TMPE group