International Polar Year 2007 - 2008
Who's who?
 | Name: | Ad Huiskes |
| Institute: | Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Unit for Polar Ecology, Yerseke, The Netherlands | |
| Function: | Senior Scientist, head of the Unit for Polar Ecology | |
| Research: | Effects of climate change on terrestrial polar ecosystems | |
| Locations: | Antarctic Peninsula, Falkland Islands, Svalbard | |
| From 1989 onwards Ad started studies on the vegetation in the Antarctic since 1996 focusing on the influence of enhanced UV-B radiation and global change (temperature and moisture changes). His group has a number of open-top chambers in three locations in the (sub)Antarctic region, which artificially increase the temperature in the vegetation and in the substrate. They study the effects on the vegetation (growth, species diversity) and on the decomposition process. Ad collaborates with the University Centre in Svalbard in research with open-top chambers on Spitsbergen. He is also involved in the IPY project “Aliens in Antarctica”, in which the number and diversity of dispersal units that visitors to the area may import in backpacks, clothing, shoes, etc., are studied. Co-chair of the Netherlands IPY committee, chairman of the Netherlands SCAR committee, chief officer of the Life Sciences Standing Scientific Group of SCAR and Netherlands delegate to SCAR. Personal webpage
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 | Name: | Han Lindeboom |
| Institute: | Wageningen IMARES (Institute for Marine Resources & Ecosystem Studies) and The Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) | |
| Function: | Directielid (Wageningen IMARES), medewerker (NIOZ - deeltijd) | |
| Research: | marine ecologie | |
| Locations: | Marion Island, Sub-Antarctic, King George Island and Spitsbergen | |
| Han Lindeboom is a graduate microbiologist who, in the course of time, has evolved into a marine ecologist with a wide interest for marine nature and its use. He spent a year and a half on the South Pole for his doctoral research, during which time he studied the nitrogen cycle in a penguin colony. In 1990 he also participated in the Dutch Antarctic Expedition to King George Island. Since 2000 he has joined Alterra (now IMARES) as head of the Texel office, apart from his work at the NIOZ. In 2006 he became a board member of Wageningen IMARES and as such is responsible for the scientific course within this institute. After various projects in Indonesia and Vietnam, Mr. Lindeboom became chair of NWO’s Polar Research Committee in 2000, as well as co-chair of the Netherlands IPY Committee. In this function he has visited Spitsbergen, as part of his co-responsibility for the current Netherlands Polar Research Programme.
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 | Name: | Peter van Velthoven |
| Institute: | Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) | |
| Function: | Head of the Chemistry and Climate Division | |
| Research: | life cycles of methane, nitrous oxide and hydrogen in the atmosphere | |
| Locations: | ||
| His division at KNMI develops numerical models of the chemical composition of the atmosphere, such as the ozone layer, greenhouse gasses and air pollution. By using a trajectory model it is also possible to calculate the transportation of (polluted) air to, for instance, the polar regions. The division also makes generous use of observations from planes and satellites to evaluate the calculations by the models. Dr. Peter van Velthoven is a member of the Netherlands IPY Committee. Personal webpage
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 | Name: | Louwrens Hacquebord |
| Institute: | University of Groningen, Arctic Center | |
| Function: | Director of the Arctic Center. | |
| Research: | Exploration and exploitation of the Arctic; Ecological consequences of prehistoric hunting activities in polar regions; Impact of large scale industrial activities in the Arctic Polar heritage | |
| Locations: | Spitsbergen | |
| Louwrens Hacquebord is professor of Arctic and Antarctic studies at the University of Groningen. Physical geographer and archaeologist and North Pole researcher for over 25 years. Co-chair of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and member of the Netherlands IPY Committee.
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 | Name: | Carleen Tijm-Reijmer |
| Institute: | Utrecht University, Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht (IMAU) | |
| Function: | Assistant professor (UD) researcher | |
| Research: | Polar meteorology | |
| Locations: | Glaciers on Svalbard (Nordenskiöldbreen), Iceland (Vatnajökull), Greenland, Switserland (Morteratsch) | |
| Personal webpage
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 | Name: | Ellen Dorrepaal |
| Institute: | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Department of Systems Ecology | |
| Function: | Postdoctoral researcher | |
| Research: | Climate changes, Arctic ecology | |
| Locations: | Abisko (Swedish Lapland) | |
| Since the summer of 2000, Ellen has been researching how changes in both the summer (temperature) and winter (snow) season influence the plants and processes in the soil of the Northern peat grounds. With small synthetic “tents”, she purposely influences the climate of a small peat area in the Swedish part of Lapland. In this experiment, Ellen researches the consequences as far as the growth of the plants, the rivalry between plants as well as the absorption by plants and the discharge of the greenhouse gas COz by the soil. Active in the Netherlands IPY Committee. Personal webpage
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| Name: | Peter Abbink | |
| Institute: | Arctic Centre/University of Groningen | |
| Function: | PhD Student | |
| Research: | History, Antarctic policy | |
| Locations: | The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany | |
| The central theme of this historical research is the policy of the Dutch government with regard to Antarctic research. During the last fifty years, the Netherlands was involved in Antarctic research from time to time. What were origins and consequences of the Dutch Antarctic policy? The relation between politics and science is very important in this research. The Dutch Antarctic policy will be compared with the Belgian and German Antarctic policies in order to get a better understanding of the Dutch Antarctic policy. NPP project "Dutch Antarctic policy and research since 1945 in comparison with that of Belgium and Germany"
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 | Name: | Hauke Flores |
| Institute: | Wageningen IMARES-Texel (Institute for Marine Resources & Ecosystem Studies) | |
| Function: | PhD student | |
| Research: | Antarctic sea-ice region | |
| Locations: | ||
| NPP project "Seabird food chains in the Antarctic seasonal sea-ice zone: challenging the dominant role of krill."
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 | Name: | Jacqueline Stefels |
| Institute: | University of Groningen, Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies | |
| Function: | Postdoctoral researcher | |
| Research: | Mechanisms that control the marine sulphur cycle; Antarctic sea-ice algae | |
| Locations: | ||
| Jacqueline Stefels is a biologist at the University of Groningen. She researches the mechanisms that control the marine sulphur cycle and the Antarctic sea-ice algae . Personal webpage
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 | Name: | Janneke de Vries |
| Institute: | Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directie Economische en Ecologische Samenwerking | |
| Function: | policy employee | |
| Research: | ||
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| Since September 2004 secretary of the Interministerial Polar Committee, chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Representative for The Netherlands for the ATCM and Dutch acting representative in the Arctic Board. Member of the Netherlands IPY Committee.
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 | Name: | Martine van den Heuvel-Greve |
| Institute: | RWS National Institute for Coastal and Marine Management (RWS RIKZ) | |
| Function: | Senior consultant ‘water quality and ecotoxicology’ | |
| Research: | Marine biology and ecotoxicology | |
| Locations: | No current research activities in the polar regions | |
Martine van den Heuvel-Greve has a MSc in marine biology (specialisation ecotoxicology) from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. During her graduation projects she spent three months at Casey station, Antarctica, to study the sensitivity of Antarctic marine organisms to contaminants. After positions at the Netherlands Ministry for Environmental Health and Stanford University (California, USA), she now is employed as a senior consultant by the Netherlands National Institute for Coastal and Marine Management. She is active in the Netherlands IPY Committee and the IPY-NL EOC Committee.
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 | Name: | Jan Andries van Franeker |
| Institute: | Wageningen IMARES (Texel) | |
| Research: | Marine birds and mammals; polar marine ecosystems | |
| Locations: | various Arctic en Antarctic | |
| Jan Andries van Franeker is senior scientist at Wageningen IMARES. His involvement in Dutch polar research started in 1980. Since 1986 he leads the Antarctic research conducted by his institute for the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) as a part of the Netherlands obligations in the Antarctic Treaty. The research focuses on the major role of sea ice in supporting the higher trophic levels, and thus the vulnerability of the Antarctic ecosystem to climate change. Studies of marine birds and mammals are complemented with investigations of krill and fish living in association with the undersurface of sea ice, using a specially constructed ice net. Also see: Hauke Flores. Webpage
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 | Name: | Maarten Loonen |
| Institute: | University of Groningen | |
| Research: | Ecology of Polar areas | |
| Locations: | Spitsbergen | |
| Over 20 years, Maarten Loonen is studying geese in the Arctic. His research ranges from energetics and behaviour, via studies on the effect of geese on the tundra towards bird diseases (www.birdhealth.nl ). He is member of the Arctic Centre Arctisch Centrum, observer from the Netherlands in CAFF Conservation Arctic Flora and Fauna and member of the science planning committee on polar reearch in the Netherlands. Every summer, is spends two months on Spitsbergen for fieldwork and is than stationsmanager of the Netherlands Arctic Station. During his field work he keeps a daily weblog of his activities. Personal web page
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Name: | Ron A.M. Fouchier |
| Institute: | Virology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam | |
| Function: | Professor | |
| Research: | Virology | |
| Locations: | Global | |
| Ron Fouchier is professor in Molecular Virology at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. His research team is interested in respiratory viruses, in particular influenza A virus. Since 1998 he coordinates a research program on influenza viruses in wild birds. After initial focus on virological studies, within the birdhealth project (www.birdhealth.nl) the team is in now performing studies on the impact of virus infections on their natural hosts and the interplay between virus and host ecology
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 | Name: | Bart Nolet |
| Institute: | Netherlands Institute of Ecology | |
| Function: | Senior Scientist | |
| Research: | Animal Ecology | |
| Locations: | Taimyr (northern Russia) | |
| Many of the geese wintering in Western Europe breed on the Arctic tundra. The birds are time-pressed to raise their young in the short summer season. Bart Nolet investigates the importance of reserves, gathered on migration, for the breeding success of geese. Personal webpage
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