NIOZ Directorate

The NIOZ directorate is formed by Prof. dr. Henk Brinkhuis and Deputy Director Prof. dr. ir. Herman Ridderinkhof. They develop and implement the general and science policies for the institute and are responsible for the day to day management.

Prof. dr. H. (Henk) Brinkhuis

Prof. dr. Henk Brinkhuis took office as general director on October 1, 2011. Henk earned a master's degree in marine geology and biostratigraphy/paleoceanography from Utrecht University, with a subject in organic geochemistry at Delft Technical University. He received his doctorate in Eocene-Oligocene marine geology, micropaleontology and paleoceanography from Utrecht University, where he will continue his chair in Marine Palynology and Paleoceanography.

Henk has a strong taste for Phanerozoic extreme climate change and paleoecology. He (co-)authored over 125 peer-reviewed scientific publications and (co-)supervised over 25 PhD students. As a Dutch national representative, Henk is strongly involved in the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). He helped form many integrated national and international scientific education programs in paleo-climatology and -ecology and served on numerous scientific advisory panels and committees.

Prof. dr. ir. H. (Herman) Ridderinkhof

Prof. dr. ir. Herman Ridderinkhof serves as deputy director of NIOZ since 2007 and holds a chair in Physical Oceanography at Utrecht University. Herman Ridderinkhof earned his master's degree from Delft Technical University in civil and hydraulic engineering and his doctorate from Utrecht University in physical oceanography.

Herman Ridderinkhof's research focus is on sediment transport in Dutch coastal waters and he is running a ferry observation program since 1998 in order to quantify the exchange of sediment between the North Sea and the Dutch Wadden Sea. He initiated and facilitated several large-scale oceanographic studies on hydrodynamic processes along continental margins (PROCS) and on the formation of eddies in the Agulhas Current (Indian Ocean) and their subsequent injection and dissipation in Atlantic waters (ACSEX; LOCO). Herman Ridderinkhof has (co-)authored over 50 scientific publications and serves several international scientific panels and committees.