Education of the Marine Animal Ecology Group
The Marine Animal Ecology Group provides education and training at the BSc, MSc and PhD level. It is possible to perform a thesis, research practice, or internship at our group.
Thesis and internship
We are always looking for motivated students for BSc and MSc theses, internships and short research projects. Do you want to know more about our projects? Contact mae.education@wur.nl.
Highlighted MSc thesis projects
| Project title | Where | Who | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exploring the Fate of Elevated Ammonia in Seawater: Microbial Dynamics Across Concentration Gradients | Wagenigen | Michael Yeboah | As soon as possible |
| Exploring the impact of aeration and on ammonia volatilization from seawater under diverse environmental and chemical conditions | Wagenigen | Michael Yeboah | As soon as possible |
| Fish and harbour porpoise presence and behaviour in windfarms and at shipwrecks | Wageningen | Jeroen Hubert | As soon as possible |
| Assessing benthic diversity along environmental gradients | MAE & PEN | Merlijn Hulsenboom | As soon as possible |
| Is animal welfare relevant for bivalves | MAE & APS | Edwin Foekema | As soon as possible |
| Various restoration projects of oyster beds | Wageningen or Yerseke | Pauline Kamermans | Ongoing |
| REEFolution: Coral restoration work | Kenya | Ewout Knoester, Ronald Osinga | Ongoing |
| Various projects in CARUS facility | Wageningen | Multiple people | Ongoing |
| Understanding coral larval settlement | Natalia Hurtado Lopez | Bahamas | January 2025 |
| Effects of coral nursery depth on growth and survival | Wageningen | Ewout Knoester | January 2025 |
| Settlement of native and non-native barnacles | Wageningen | Lara Jansen | January-February 2025 |
| Evaluating the impact of active restoration strategies on marine biodiversity using underwater imaging | NIOZ-Yerseke, working in underwater labs | Zhiyuan Zhao | Starting between February and April 2025, lasting at least six months |
| Physiological and behavioural responses of bivalves to environmental stressors | WMR, Den Helder | Edwin Foekema | Available anytime (can also be internship) |
| Various projects at the Reef Grazer research group | Saba | Alwin Hylkema | June 2025 |
| How is larval settlement preference affected by grain size & temperature | MAE & PEN | Merlijn Hulsenboom | September 2025 |
Highlighted MSc internship projects
| Project title | Where | Who | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benthic Communities around turbines with a Nature-Inclusive Design | WMR | Lea Kornau | As soon as possible |
| Sea urchin restoration | Saba | Van Hall Larenstein | Ongoing |
| Various projects relating to mangrove restoration | Aruba | Turning the Tide | Ongoing |
| Various projects at the NGO Under the Wave relating to dolphin behaviour, sea cucumber farming and more | Zanzibar | Under the Wave | Ongoing |
| Restoring coral reefs in Shimoni | Kenya | REEFolution | Ongoing |
| Productivity regimes and plankton community in the upwelling system of the Azores | NIOZ, Texel | Eleonora Puccinelli | Available from January 2025 |
| Determing effect of Caribbean king crab on other grazing species | Saba | Saba Research Centre | Available from February 2025 |
| Alaskan salmon fisheries assessment | Alaska, USA | University of Washington | Yearly in spring/summer |
| Identifying settlement hotspots for Diadema antillarum | Bonaire | Reef Renewal Bonaire | Available from March 2025 |
| Fisheries monitoring on the Saba Bank | Saba | WMR & Saba Conservation Foundation | May 2025 |
Highlighted BSc thesis projects
| Constructing Species Sensitivity Distribution Curves for Determining Ecotoxicological Thresholds of Ammonia | Wageningen | As soon as possible |
|---|---|---|
| Why do we need biodiversity? | Wageningen | Any time |
| Photo-analysis of nudibranches to discover what they eat | Wageningen | Any time |
| State-of-the-art of culturing sea cucumbers | Wageningen | Any time |
| What makes an invasive species? | Wageningen | Any time |
| Seagrass: Past, present and future | Wageningen | Any time |
| Eco-based mari- and aquaculture | Wageningen | Any time |
| What is needed for successful introduction of eel and sturgeon in Dutch rivers | Wageningen | Any time |
Our courses
Courses with MAE course code
| Course code | Course title |
|---|---|
| MAE10806 | Introduction to Marine Sciences |
| MAE50806 | Advanced Molecular Ecology |
| MAE30306 | Marine Animal Ecology |
| MAE10302 | Scientific Diving - Theoretical Course |
| MAE20803 | Scientific Diving - Practical Course |
| MAE21306 | Research Methods for Marine Sciences |
| MAE50306 | Short Research Project in Marine Animal Ecology |
Other courses with contribution of MAE
| Course code | Course title |
|---|---|
| AFI31306 | Life History of Aquatic Organisms |
| AEW32306 | Marine Systems |
| AEW10303 | Marine Ecology |
| ENP35806 | Environmental Quality and Governance |
| GEN20306 | Molecular and Evolutionary Ecology |
| WEC21306 | Introduction Animal Ecology |