My scientific curriculum and career path are perhaps a bit unusual; I choose to orient my mathematical skills (master degree) beyond the abstract mathematical universe to tackle real-world problems in marine science (2nd master degree). During my master thesis research, I found my passion for optical remote sensing of tropical mangrove forests, which I continued for two years as a university project scientist and part-time as coordinator of an international master program in Marine Science. I then re-oriented my career to research in optical oceanography, embarking on a PhD in temperate coastal waters, and postdoctoral research in the subpolar and polar oceans.
The research questions I tackled have become increasingly pluridisciplinary, resulting in research at the interface of marine optics, ocean biogeochemistry, and ecology.
The research questions I tackled have become increasingly pluridisciplinary, resulting in research at the interface of marine optics, ocean biogeochemistry, and ecology.
Education
2008-2012 |
PhD in Physics, Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale, Wimereux, France. Optical in situ and geostationary satellite-borne observations of suspended particles in coastal waters, with greatest distinction. (Mentors : H. Loisel and K. Ruddick) |
2004-2005 |
Teacher education in Mathematics, Brussels University, Belgium |
2002-2004 |
MSc. Oceans and Lakes, Brussels University, Belgium. Remote sensing of mangroves in Gazi Bay (Kenya) with very high resolution QuickBird satellite imagery: automated methods for species and assemblage identification, with greatest distinction. (Mentors: N. Koedam and F. Dahdouh-Guebas) |
2000-2002 |
MSc. Applied Mathematics, Brussels University, Belgium. Delta Scuti variability of GSC223-1761 (GP Cnc). (Mentor: C. Sterken) |
1997-2000 |
BSc. Mathematics, Brussels University, Belgium |
Positions held
05/2020-present |
Associate Research Professor, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Belgium. Head of Marine Optics and Remote Sensing Group (MarSens). |
2017-2019 |
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LOV), Sorbonne Université, France. A calcifying phytoplankter’s response to climate change and its role in sinking carbon in the Subarctic Ocean (Mentors: H. Claustre, G. Beaugrand, and U. Riebesell) |
2014-2017 |
Banting Postdoctoral Fellow, Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval, Canada. Impact of recent climate change on phytoplankton blooms in Arctic shelf seas using remote sensing (Mentor: M. Babin) |
2012-2014 |
Postdoctoral researcher, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, USA. Optical detection of particle concentration, size, and composition within Arctic waters (Mentors: D. Stramski and R. A. Reynolds). Project: ICESCAPE funded by NASA |
2007-2012 |
Research Scientist (permanent position) at the Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences, Belgium (parallel to PhD research). Optical properties and remote sensing of suspended matter in coastal waters (Mentor: K. Ruddick). Projects: BELCOLOUR and GEOCOLOUR funded by Belgian Science Policy Office |
8-11/2007 |
Research assistant at NATO Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE), Italy. Development of a visualization tool for high resolution sonar images and bathymetry data in NASA World Wind (Mentor: M. Pinto) |
2-7/2007 |
Coordinator ad interim of International Master Program in Oceans and Lakes, Brussels University, Belgium |
2005-2007 |
Researcher at Brussels University, Belgium. Spatiotemporal dynamics of mangroves in East-Africa using very high resolution multispectral satellite imagery and historic aerial photography (Mentors: N. Koedam and F. Dahdouh-Guebas). Project: PUMPSEA funded by EU-FP6 INCO |
Visiting researcher positions
05/2018 |
Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, GEOMAR, Kiel, Germany (U. Riebesell). |
12/2007 |
Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences, Wimereux, France (G. Beaugrand) |
1-3/2017 |
Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche, France (H. Claustre) |
1-4/2016 |
Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche, France (H. Claustre) |
Field and laboratory experience
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SHIPS. Collection of sea-borne optical and biogeochemical measurements during 15 cruises (±150 days, 2008-present), including four cruises as chief scientist, where I was responsible for coordination and management of research operations of an international interdisciplinary scientific party consisting of up to 15 scientists. I was also solely responsible for providing a clear and unambiguous line of communication between the ship operating crew and the scientific party. During my work at sea, I trained >10 MSc. students, visiting scientists, and technical staff in at-sea optical and laboratory measurements.
ICE CAMP. I led the work package on optical properties of the ice-covered water column during the GreenEdge project expedition, monitoring a phytoplankton spring bloom beneath sea ice (04-05/2015). LAB WORK. I designed an improved measurement protocol for suspended particulate matter concentration, inorganic and organic fractions (published as Neukermans et al., 2012, Limnology and Oceanography Methods). |
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Awards and honors
2019 2017 |
European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant CarbOcean: An integrative approach to unravel the ocean's biological carbon pump (2021-2026) European Commission award for exemplary Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellow, Brussels, Belgium |
2016 |
VLIZ (Flanders Marine Institute) Award for best oral presentation, Bruges, Belgium |
2016 |
Invited scientist EUMETSAT Expert Exchange Copernicus Marine Data Stream, IOC project office for IODE, Ostend, Belgium (by E. Kwiatkowska) |
2016 |
Invited scientist ESA/SOLAS workshop, ESA-ESRIN, Frascati, Italy (by E. Boss) |
2012 |
VLIZ North Sea Award for PhD dissertation, Bruges, Belgium |
2010 |
European Commission distinguished poster award, Oceans From Space, Venice, Italy |
2009 |
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2008 |
The Oceanography Society Honourable Mention Student Paper, Ocean Optics, Barga, Italy |
2004 |
Academic service
Associate Editor for Frontiers in Marine Science Journal, section Ocean Observations (2017-present).
Journal peer-reviewer for Earth System Science Data, Marine Ecology Progress Series, Remote Sensing of Environment, Journal of Geophysical Research, Methods in Oceanography, Limnology and Oceanography, Optics Express, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Journal of Applied Sciences.
Proposal peer-reviewer for the National Science Centre of Poland, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, France), and Schmidt Ocean Institute, USA.
Co-Chair Session on Emerging new technologies for ocean colour science, International Ocean Colour Science meeting (2019)
Steering Committee member of the ORSECT-UK project (Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK, 2018-2019).
Jury member for student poster awards Québec Océan General Assembly meeting (2014).
Selection committee member for twenty VLIR-UOS fellowships (2007).
Journal peer-reviewer for Earth System Science Data, Marine Ecology Progress Series, Remote Sensing of Environment, Journal of Geophysical Research, Methods in Oceanography, Limnology and Oceanography, Optics Express, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Journal of Applied Sciences.
Proposal peer-reviewer for the National Science Centre of Poland, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, France), and Schmidt Ocean Institute, USA.
Co-Chair Session on Emerging new technologies for ocean colour science, International Ocean Colour Science meeting (2019)
Steering Committee member of the ORSECT-UK project (Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK, 2018-2019).
Jury member for student poster awards Québec Océan General Assembly meeting (2014).
Selection committee member for twenty VLIR-UOS fellowships (2007).
Mentoring
2021 2019 |
PhD thesis promotor of Sun, Qiming; Optical characterization and robotic monitoring of biogenic carbon particles in the ocean. Ghent University, Belgium. Co-promoter: Prof. Kristiaan Neyts (Liquid Crystals and Photonics Lab, UGent). PhD thesis co-supervisor of Terrats, Louis; Cocolithophore blooms and their role in sinking carbon: a novel synergetic approach using satellite ocean colour remote sensing and autonomous profiling floats. Sorbonne University, France. Promoter: Hervé Claustre (Sorbonne). |
2018 |
Master thesis co-supervisor of Terrats, Louis; Coccolithophore blooms in the Subarctic Ocean and the conditions that trigger their onset and demise. AMU Marseille, France. |
2010 |
Master thesis co-supervisor of Vaes, Tom; Improving the spatial resolution of total suspended matter maps using the HRV band of the SEVIRI geostationary satellite in the North Sea. Brussels University, Belgium. |
2008 |
Master internship advisor of Vanhellemont, Quinten; Optimization and quality control of of turbidity measurements in the North Sea. Ghent University, Belgium. |
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