Prof. Dr. Ir. Tjisse van der Heide

My work primarily focuses on how habitat-modifying species, often called ‘ecosystem engineers’ shape coastal landscapes. How do clonally growing grasses accumulate sand to build dunes, allowing them to escape stress from flooding by seawater? They also offer us protection against flooding during storms. On intertidal flat and in the subtidal, I study seagrasses and mussels that form large beds that attenuate waves and accumulate sediment particles, thereby building a landscape for a biodiverse associated community. I study causes and consequences of coastal ecosystem degradation, and development of novel applications to preserve and/or restore coastal ecosystems.