Keynote Speakers
Carbon transfers and transformation along the aquatic continuum
By Pr. Jack J. Middelburg (Dept. of Earth Sciences - Utrecht University -- THE NETHERLANDS)
Research Field Keywords :
Biogeochemistry, Ecosystems, Inland waters, Coastal, Ocean, Sediments
Prof. Jack J. Middelburg is a biogeochemist chairing the Department of Earth Sciences of Utrecht University. His research is at the interface of geochemistry, ecology, microbiology, limnology, and oceanography. His research portfolio comprises field studies from the tropics to the poles and from lakes to the deep sea, laboratory and in situ experimentation using stable isotopes as deliberate tracers, and theory and model development to quantify biogeochemical dynamics.
His most recent research deals with the biogeochemistry of global inland waters, alkalinity and calcium carbonate dynamics in the ocean, silicate alteration in marine sediments and cable bacteria and sponges at the sea floor. He has authored a graduate text on Marine Carbon Biogeochemistry (2019) and an introductory text on Thermodynamics and Equilibria in Earth System Sciences (2024).
The benthic fusion : direct and indirect effects of sediment-dwelling organisms on biogeochemistry
By As. Pr. S. Bonaglia (Dept. of Marine Sciences - University of Gothenburg -- SWEDEN)
Research Field Keywords :
Marine sediments, nitrogen cycle, carbon cycle, meiofauna, macrofauna, holobionts, greenhouse gases
I am a marine biogeochemist who uses a combination of field- and lab-based empirical methods to understand the functions of marine ecosystems. I enjoy being at sea on research vessels and doing lab work using isotope tracers, microsensors, optodes, and other analytical techniques.
My research focuses on marine geochemistry, with a particular emphasis on microbial nitrogen and carbon cycling processes. A central theme of my work is understanding how biotic, abiotic, and human factors shape aquatic biogeochemical cycles. I have investigated both the direct and indirect impacts of sediment-dwelling animals on carbon degradation and nitrogen cycling. My findings demonstrate that the activities of even the smallest organisms can have profound cascade effects on essential ecosystem functions. These insights underscore the importance of preserving these ecosystems and the endangered organisms that inhabit them.
Unlocking the Role of Tidal Flats in the Global Carbon Budget: Insights from Remote Sensing and Interdisciplinary Research
By Pr. V. Méléder (Dept. of Biology - Nantes University -- FRANCE)
Research Field Keywords :
mudflat, microphytobenthos, remote sensing, Gross Primary Production, restoration, rewilding
Pr. Vona Méléder is a marine scientist specializing in the contribution of tidal flats to the global carbon budget, with a focus on microphytobenthos communities inhabiting intertidal sediments. Leveraging expertise in radiometry, pigment analysis, taxonomy, and ecophysiology, she develops innovative algorithms for remote sensing to map biodiversity, biomass, and primary production at various scales. As the coordinator of the EU-funded REWRITE project, she fosters interdisciplinary collaborations to restore ecosystem services provided by intertidal sediments. Pr. Méléder’s extensive international collaborations reflect her commitment to advancing sustainable management of coastal ecosystems through cutting-edge research and stakeholder engagement.
Exploring the complexities of our urban coasts: Anthropocene beaches, historic landfill risks and making space for nature to improve urban coastal resilience
By Pr. L. Naylor (School of Geographical & Earth Sciences - University of Glasgow -- UNITED KINGDOM)
Research Field Keywords :
geomorphology, ecology, coastal management, climate change, marine flooding, policy makers
Pr.Larissa Naylor is Professor of Geomorphology and Environmental Geography at the University of Glasgow, UK. She is a coastal geomorphologist who works at the interface of geomorphology, ecology and engineering and applies this to address ecological and climate change challenges facing society. Larissa helped establish the UK’s Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership; informed the IPCC’s 4th and 5th Assessments; and advised the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). She has shaped climate change, marine, flooding and planning policies and climate change adaptation action plans from national to local scales across Scotland and Wales. She was an invited expert advisor to the World Bank's Inspection Panel. She also led two NERC-funded projects, looking at ecosystem-based urban coastal adaptation to climate change with partners in England and Scotland and a NERC Green Infrastructure Innovation project focused on improving multi functionality of hard infrastructure that must remain primarily grey via greening.