Understanding the influence of spatial heterogeneity on ecosystem functioning is crucial for effective ecosystem-based management of threatened systems like coral reefs. Remote sensing and imaging technologies that can provide spatially explicit data are quickly developing, but their application in the marine environment is still lacking behind. As a PhD student of the Integrated Ocean Processes lab, I am therefore researching the ecological applications of remote sensing tools in the tropical marine environment. My focus lies on the extraction of ecological information from various remote sensing platforms and the automation of this process. 

Integrating a UAV-derived DEM in Object-Based Image Analysis Increases Habitat Classification Accuracy on Coral Reefs

Nieuwenhuis, Brian O.; Marchese, Fabio; Casartelli, Marco; Sabino, Andrea; van der Meij, Sancia E. T.; Benzoni, Francesca

Remote Sensing, 2022, 14(9), 5017, doi: 10.3390/rs14195017

• Master of Science, Marine Biology (Summa Cum Laude) University of Groningen, Netherlands Sep ’19 – May ‘22
• Bachelor’s Honours Programme University of Groningen, Netherlands ’15 – Aug ‘18
• Bachelor of Science, Biology – Ecology & Evolution (Cum Laude) University of Groningen, Netherlands Sep ’15 – Aug ‘18                                                                   

• PhD Student, Marine Science IOP lab, Red Sea Research Center, KAUST, the Netherlands Oct ’22 - present
• Research Assistant Marine Ecology lab, GELIFES, University of Groningen, the Netherlands May ’22 – Jul ‘22 Visiting
• Student  HaBB lab, Red Sea Research Center, KAUST, Saudi-Arabia ’21 – Mar ‘22
• Student Teaching Assistant University of Groningen, the Netherlands Oct ’18 – May ‘21

Outstanding Master Student Fund

Groningen University Fund, the Netherlands Oct ‘21