Prof.dr. Gerard M. Janssen

t: +31 622689177
e:  gerard.janssen@rws.nl

Introduction

Gerard Janssen is a Dutch marine ecologist with particular interest in coastal ecology. He has special interest in the ecological processes of beach and foreshore as part of the coastal zone and the effect of human activities, e.g. sand nourishment, recreation and nature conservation, on the coastal area.
He has been appointed extra ordinary professor “Ecology of  the Sandy Shore and Wadden Sea area” as part of a Memorandum of  Understanding between the Dutch Centre of Water Management, Rijkswaterstaat, Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management and the Department of Systems Ecology of the Free University.

Research context

Due to “coastal squeeze”, the increasing pressure of human activities in the coastal zone and the consequences of climate change and sea level rise, the coastal area are living ecosystems under pressure. The coastal zone has both terrestrial (dry beaches and dunes) and marine aspects (tidal beaches, surf zone and fore shore). Wildlife on the beaches and in the surf zone is mostly out of sight and out of mind. Several coastal habitats and there most of the time hidden beauty are protected under Nature Conservation acts. The interaction between the conservation of natural processes in the dynamic coastal ecosystem and the impact of human activities is the main focus of the research.

Ing. Lies Leewis MSc

Bijzondere leerstoel

Ecologie van de zandige kust en het waddengebied