dr.ir. HM (Henrice) Jansen

Dr.ir. H (Henrice) Jansen works on the application of the ecosystem approach to aquaculture and the reciprocal interactions between aquaculture and the environment aiming to increase the sustainability of aquatic food production. Within her research there is special reference to Low Trophic Aquaculture such as the cultivation of shellfish and seaweed, including eco-physiological studies and evaluation of the balance between beneficial ecosystem services and environmental trade-offs e.g. with regard to carrying capacity and biodiversity. She works closely together with Wageningen Marine Research on shellfish production in the Dutch coastal and offshore waters, and with the Institute of Marine Research (Norway) on the development of sustainable/circular aquaculture systems such as Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA).

It is my ambition to make a significant contribution to the transition towards sustainability driven food production in the aquatic realm, which targets SDGs while taking into account the continuously changing ecological and social boundary conditions. Sustainability aspects of aquatic production have been the red line throughout my career. This started off in Wageningen where I graduated with specializations in both Animal Production System (APS) and Aquaculture & Fisheries (AFI),  already by then (2005) showing my interest in combining the disciplines ‘sustainability’ and ‘aquatic food production’. Ever since I have worked as an (applied) scientist and project manager focussing on circularity, environmental trade-offs and optimization of aquatic food production in The Netherlands, Europe and Asia. Within my work there has been a special interest towards shellfish eco-physiology and efficiency of integrated production systems (IMTA). Approaches applied in my research involved field and laboratory experiments that answer basic ecological questions related to e.g. nutrient cycling, biodiversity and system productivity, and provide solutions to management problems. Although the majority of my experimental work consist of farm and ecosystem scale studies, this work is also placed into the broader context of global food system analysis and within an interdisciplinary setting. Besides scientific work, I have been involved in (networking) organisations such as the scientific committee in province of Zeeland, board member of the European Aquaculture Society and participated in the ICES working group on aquaculture.

Short CV

2021-Present: Scientist Sustainable Aquaculture (Aquaculture & Fisheries Group, Wageningen University): Integration of Low Trophic (shellfish) production in the food systems approach; Development of approaches to assess the circularity of aquatic food production; Optimization and sustainability of shellfish cultivation through in-depth insight in eco-physiological responses and ecosystem interactions

2012-2021 Researcher Sustainable Shellfish and Seaweed Culture (Wageningen Marine Research): Work included research on the interactions between shellfish & seaweed aquaculture and the environment (incl nature values), ecosystem services, bivalve eco-physiology, feasibility of offshore production, efficiency of integrated production systems, indicators for sustainable aquaculture, and circular production. Approaches applied involved field and laboratory experiments that answer ecological questions related to nutrient cycling, carrying capacity, biodiversity and system productivity, stakeholder participation, desk-studies, data-mining, expert advice and provide solutions to management problems.

2015-2021 Researcher development sustainable aquaculture production (Institute of Marine Research, Norway): Development of approaches to optimize resource use and minimize environmental impact of salmon aquaculture, through implementation of new/adapted techniques for integrated and circular culture.

2012-2015 Post-Doctoral Position Environmental Impacts of Aquaculture (Institute of Marine Research, Norway): The PostDoc was carried out within the EXPLOIT project (RCN—216201) which had the overall aim of investigating the potential for integrated multi trophic aquaculture (IMTA) in Norwegian fjords, by exploiting waste nutrients originating from salmon aquaculture to grow bivalves and seaweed. I was responsible for the workpackage on waste dispersal kinetics from salmon culture, and was involved in studies on bivalve assimilation. The output include scientific publications and advice to both the industry as well as government for further development of IMTA production.

2008-2011 PhD degree Bivalve nutrient Cycling (collaboration between Aquaculture & Fisheries Group  of Wageningen University and Institute of Marine Research in Norway): The study focused on carrying capacity of bivalve production by studying eco physiological processes and feedback-mechanisms between bivalve cultures and the surrounding ecosystems. Nutrient cycling, regeneration, retention, reallocation and nutrient losses were key areas in this work.

2005-2007 Researcher Fish ecology and Fresh water fish aquaculture, Institute for Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies (IMARES, The Netherlands). The work included a broad range of research projects in the field of fish culture in recirculating productions systems (RAS), as well as freshwater ecology (fish migration, population dynamics) and marine ecology (ecosystem approach to fisheries management, impacts of land reclamation). The work was carried out at national and international level.

1999-2005 MSc degree Wageningen University, with specialisations in both Aquaculture and Fisheries (AFI), and Animal Production Systems (APS)