- Community dynamics
- Fish ecology, Species interactions
- Size-structured population dynamics
- Nonlinear dynamics
- Life-history
Dr. Anieke van Leeuwen
‘Mathematics helps to introduce ecology into fish research’
Ecologist Anieke van Leeuwen tries to understand the dynamics of fish communities by describing their entire life cycle in mathematical terms. ‘That work is relevant, amongst other things, for determining realistic fishing quotas. The mathematics behind fish ecology might sound drier than it actually is. For me, mathematics is nothing more than an instrument, just like another colleague might use a fishing net to do research, and yet another uses a microscope. By describing the eggs, larvae, young fish and adult animals, as well as their food and the reproduction of a fish species, as the X, Y and Z of a mathematical formula, I can very accurately describe how the various factors are connected to each other. And then the reality proves to be a bit less black and white than we had thought for a long time in fish research.’
Predator helps prey
‘In the Baltic Sea, I have described the relationship between cod and sprat by using such mathematical formulas. This revealed, for example, that cod helps to keep the population of their prey, sprat, healthy. If we catch too many cod, then so many young sprat remain alive that they literally get in each other’s way and too few individuals grow large enough to produce food for cod in the form of newborn sprat. Eventually, thanks to these analyses, I discovered that in a system where too many cod are fished, the system can tip over a threshold and cod will not recover easily, even when fishing stops.'
Understanding or predicting
‘Previously, we mainly focused on understanding ecological relationships in the past. In the Swimway project of the Wadden Fund, we are looking into the future, to find starting points for management of the Wadden Sea to enhance fish populations and ecosystem resilience.’
‘Ultimately, I hope that when bodies such as the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) calculate fish stocks, they will also consider the complex relationship between the different life stages of a single species and between different species and their environment. Up until now, the fish stocks and fish quota are determined by fairly black and white bookkeeping methods. Fortunately, we are seeing the first very careful steps towards a more ecological calculation of the fish quota. We really must start by understanding biodiversity before we can effectively protect it. Mathematical models can be a very useful tool in that regard.’
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Research interests
I study the dynamics of marine ecosystems with emphasis on the roles of individual life-history, species interactions, fisheries, and parasites. Ecologically diverse, these subjects share some crucial aspects: energy is the common currency for organismal interactions and low-level processes shape high-level dynamics. I use mathematical modeling to study interactions and feedbacks, within and between species.
My research questions revolve for example around the mechanisms that lead to population collapses of Atlantic cod, how size-structure in fish populations shapes the top-down and bottom-up regulation in marine ecosystems, and how predation can influence the size-structure of host species to the benefit of parasites.
My scientific approach and expertise are focused on the conceptual and theoretical aspects of research. At the same time, I study ecological questions with direct implications for real-world systems and I rely on the insights from empirical research to stay grounded with the fundamental ecology of these systems. The most beautiful science bridges various modes of research and integrates conceptual levels.
Functions
From 2022: Senior Scientist; Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ)
From 2017: Tenure track Scientist; Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ)
From 2016: Writing in Science and Engineering Fellow Instructor for the Princeton Writing Center; Princeton University
From 2015: Postdoctoral Research Associate; Social-ecological complexity and adaptation in exploited marine systems; Princeton University
2013 – 2015: Postdoctoral Research Associate; Trophic dynamics of Trematode parasites in size-structured networks; Princeton University
Publications
Please find my complete list of NIOZ-publications at the bottom of this webpage or on Google Scholar. You can download all my publications on ReserearchGate.
Professional education
2008-2012: Ph.D. Theoretical Ecology; The Cod delusion – Implications of life history complexity for predator-prey community dynamics; University of Amsterdam
2008: M.Sc. Biological Sciences with distinction; How Cod shapes its world; University of Amsterdam
2007: B.Sc. General Biology; Empirical evidence for apparent competition; University of Amsterdam
Awards and Prizes
2014: Netherlands Ecological Research Network publication award 1st prize Predators with multiple ontogenetic niche shifts have limited potential for population growth and top-down control of their prey (van Leeuwen et. al. 2013. The American Naturalist)
2009: University of Amsterdam Master thesis award 2nd prize How Cod shapes its world (van Leeuwen et al. 2008. Journal of Sea Research)
Teaching and supervision
From 2016: Princeton Writing Program: Writing in Science and Engineering – Six-week graduate student and postdoc workshop resulting in full manuscript drafts. Instructor & Editor
From 2015: Prison Teaching Initiative: Algebra and Statistics for incarcerated students. Instructor
From 2010: BSc thesis advising and supervision, 2 students, University of Amsterdam Senior thesis advising and supervision, 2 students, Princeton University
2013- 2014: Parasitology (undergraduate level, instructed at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama) Princeton University. Guest lecturer
2014: Tropical Field Ecology (graduate level, instructed at Mpala research center, Laikipia, Kenya) Princeton University. Assistant
2007- 2012: Theoretical Biology (BSc. level) University of Amsterdam. Teaching assistant (TA)
2010- 2011: Introduction to Ecology & Evolution (MSc. level) University of Amsterdam. TA
2007–2011: Quantitative Population Ecology (BSc. level) University of Amsterdam. TA
Conference contributions
2015: Main organizer of Organized Oral Session titled: Parasites in trophic networks: complex life cycles, coinfection dynamics, and community structure. ESA 100th Annual Meeting, Baltimore MD
2014: Convener of the session: Intraspecific body-size dynamics on ecological and evolutionary time scales. Netherlands Annual Ecology Meeting (NAEM), Lunteren, The Netherlands
Linked news
NIOZ publications
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2023
Lemrabott, S.Y.C.; El-Hacen, E.-H. M.; Piersma, T.; Sall, A.A.; Sidina, E.; Mahmoud, L.Y.A.; Olff, H.; van Leeuwen, A. (2023). Twenty years of monitoring reveal overfishing of bony fish stocks in the coastal national park Banc d’Arguin, in Mauritania. Aquat. Conserv. 33(8): 833-844. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3948
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2022
Bom, R.A.; Brader, A.; Batsleer, J.; Poos, J.-J.; van der Veer, H.W.; van Leeuwen, A. (2022). A long-term view on recent changes in abundance of common skate complex in the North Sea. Mar. Biol. (Berl.) 169(11). https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-022-04132-w
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2021
Rademaker, M.; Smallegange, I.M.; van Leeuwen, A. (2021). Causal links between North Sea fish biomass trends and seabed structure. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 677: 129-140. https://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps13845
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2020
Bom, R.A.; van de Water, M.; Camphuysen, C.J.; van der Veer, H.W.; van Leeuwen, A. (2020). The historical ecology and demise of the iconic Angelshark Squatina squatina in the southern North Sea. Mar. Biol. (Berl.) 167(7): 91. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-020-03702-0Brook, C.E.; Boots, M.; Chandran, K.; Dobson, A.P.; Drosten, C.; Graham, A.L.; Grenfell, B.; Müller, M.A.; Ng, M.; Wang, L.-F.; van Leeuwen, A. (2020). Accelerated viral dynamics in bat cell lines, with implications for zoonotic emergence. eLIFE 9. https://dx.doi.org/10.7554/elife.48401Poiesz, S.; van Leeuwen, A.; Soetaert, K.; Witte, J.IJ.; Zaat, D.S.C.; van der Veer, H.W. (2020). Is summer growth reduction related to feeding guild? A test for a benthic juvenile flatfish sole (Solea solea) in a temperate coastal area, the western Wadden Sea. Est., Coast. and Shelf Sci. 235: 106570. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2019.106570
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2019
Bom, R.A.; van de Water, M.; Brader, A.; van der Veer, H.W.; van Leeuwen, A. (2019). The historical occurrence of the angelshark Squatina squatina and common skate Dipturus batis in Dutch coastal waters. NIOZ-rapport, 2019(1). NIOZ: Texel. 36 pp.van Leeuwen, A.; Budischak, S.A.; Graham, A.L.; Cressler, C.E. (2019). Parasite resource manipulation drives bimodal variation in infection duration. Proc. - Royal Soc., Biol. Sci. 286(1902): 20190456. https://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0456
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2018
Budischak, S.A.; Hansen, C.B.; Caudron, Q.; Garnier, R.; Kartzinel, T.R.; Pelczer, I.; Cressler, C.E.; van Leeuwen, A.; Graham, A.L. (2018). Feeding Immunity: Physiological and Behavioral Responses to Infection and Resource Limitation. Frontiers in Immunology 8: 1914. https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2017.01914
