Prof. dr. Johan van de Koppel

I study the processes that lead to complex physical forms in ecosystems between the low and high tide lines. Mussel beds, arid bush lands, and salt marshes are composed of different patterns, accumulations, and fronts. I attempt to determine which principles cause these patterns and how they influence the functioning of ecosystems. This involves a lot of mathematics: I examine whether models developed by mathematicians such as Alan Turing and Albert Einstein can be used to predict how an ecosystem will develop. I then test my theories about the spatial ecology of intertidal areas with experiments in the lab.