prof. dr. L.L. (Laura) Govers
For more information please visit my website, Research Gate, Google Scholar and LinkedIn Profiles
I am an enthusiastic and passionate marine ecologist, dedicated to science and conservation. I am broadly interested in coastal ecosystems functioning, conservation ecology, seagrass biology and biogeochemistry.
Ever since I was little, I dreamed of becoming a marine biologist. Inspired by fantasies on colourful seascapes, I started my Bachelor in Biology in 2003 at the Radboud University Nijmegen, graduating in 2006 with additional courses in marine biology from the University of Amsterdam. During my Masters I studied the food web structure of anchialine lagoons in the Indo-Pacific, Migration mechanisms of tropical nursery fish species and sea turtle grazing in Indonesia.
After obtaining my Masters degree in Marine Ecology (cum laude) at the Radboud University Nijmegen (the Netherlands) in 2009, I pursued my dreams by starting a PhD on seagrass ecology at the same university. During my PhD, I studied many aspects of seagrass ecosystems and visited seagrass beds on five continents. My research focussed on seagrass biogeochemistry, seagrass-benthos interactions, restoration and pollutants. In 2014 I graduaded with a thesis entitled: "The effects of biogeochemical stressors on seagrass ecosystems"
In 2014 I started my first postdoc at the Radboud University studying the effects of two newly discovered pathogens on eelgrass, Zostera marina and the consequences for restoration and conservation.
In 2015 I moved to the University of Groningen, starting as a postdoc on project Waddensleutels, studying the food web of the Wadden Sea.
I am currently employed as a postdoc on several projects - working on public outreach of scientific research for project Metawad, a project focussed on five coastal migratory birds species.
At the same time, I am now starting a new postdoc project on restoration of the Wadden Island Griend, where we will study the effects of restoration measures on the island (geomorphology) itself and on the vegetation, breeding bird species (e.g. sandwich tern), wading birds on the surrounding mudflats, but also the importance of long-distance interactions between habitats for the ecological functioning of mudflats.
Peer Reviewed Papers
- Van der Zee EM, Angelini C, Govers LL, Olff H, Christianen MJA, Altieri AH, Van der Reijden KJ, Silliman BR, Van de Koppel J, Van der Geest M, Van Gils JA, Van der Veer HW, Piersma T, Van der Heide T (2016) How habitat-modifying organisms structure the food web of two coastal ecosystems. Proceedings of the Royal Society B
- De Fouw J, Govers LL, Van de Koppel J, Van Belzen J, Dorigo W, Sidi Cheikh MAS, Christianen MJA, Van der Reijden KJ, Van der Geest M, Piersma T, Smolders AJP, Olff H, Lamers LPM, Van Gils JA, Van der Heide T (2016) Drought, mutualism breakdown and landscape-scale degradation of seagrass beds. Current Biology
- Suykerbuyk W, Govers LL, Giesen W, Giesen K, Bouma TJ, Van Katwijk MM (2016) External forcing and stochastic processes rather than positive feedbacks determine seagrass transplantation success in a dynamic, intertidal environment. Journal of Applied Ecology
- Suykerbuyk W, Van Oven P, Govers LL, Giesen K, Giesen WBJT, De Jong DJ, Bouma TJ, Van Katwijk MM (2015) Surviving in changing seascapes: sediment dynamics as bottleneck for long-term seagrass presence. Ecosystems DOI: 10.1007/s10021-015-9932-3
- Govers LL, Suykerbuyk W, Hoppenreijs J, Giesen K, Bouma TJ, Van Katwijk MM (2015) Rhizome starch as indicator for temperate seagrass winter survival. Ecological Indicators 49:53-60
- Govers LL, Pieck T, Bouma TJ, Suykerbuyk W, Smolders AJP & Van Katwijk MM (2014) Seagrasses are negatively affected by organic matter loading and Arenicola marina activity in a laboratory experiment. Oecologia 175:677-685
- Govers LL, de Brouwer JHF, Suykerbuyk W, Bouma TJ, Lamers LPM, Smolders AJP & van Katwijk MM (2014) Toxic effects of sediment nutrient and organic matter loading on the seagrass Zostera noltii. Aquatic toxicology 155:253-260
- Govers LL, Lamers LPM, Bouma TJ, De Brouwer JHF, Hendriks AJ, Huijbers CM, and Van Katwijk MM (2014) A global benchmark list for seagrasses as bioindicators for coastal trace metal loading and a Caribbean case study. Environmental Pollution 195:210-217
- Govers LL, Lamers LPM, Bouma TJ, De Brouwer JHF & Van Katwijk MM (2014) Eutrophication threatens Caribbean seagrasses – a case study from Curaçao and Bonaire. Marine Pollution Bulletin 89:481-486
- Lamers LPM, Govers LL, Janssen ICJM, Geurts JPM, Van der Welle MEW, Van Katwijk MM, Van der Heide T, Roelofs JGM & Smolders AJP (2013) Sulfide as a soil phytotoxin – a review. Frontiers in Plant Science 4:268
- Van der Heide T, Govers LL, De Fouw J, Olff H, Van der Geest M, Van Katwijk MM, Piersma T, Van de Koppel J, Silliman BR, Smolders AJP & Van Gils JA (2012) A three-stage symbiosis forms the foundation of seagrass ecosystems. Science 336:1432-1434
- Suykerbuyk W, Bouma TJ, Van der Heide T, Faust C, Govers LL, Giesen W, de Jong DJ & van Katwijk MM (2012) Suppressing antagonistic bioengineering feedbacks doubles restoration success. Ecological Applications 22(4):1224-1231
- Van Gils JA, Van der Geest M, Jansen EJ, Govers LL, De Fouw J & Piersma T (2012) Trophic cascade induced by molluscivore predator alters porewater biogeochemistry via competitive release of prey. Ecology 93(5): 1143-1152
- Christianen MJA, Govers LL, Kiswara W, Roelofs JGM, Bouma TJ, Lamers LPM & van Katwijk MM (2012) Marine megaherbivore grazing may increase seagrass tolerance to high nutrient loads. Journal of Ecology 100: 546-560
- Huijbers CM, Nagelkerken I, Govers LL, van de Kerk M, Oldenburger JJ & de Brouwer JHF (2011) Habitat type and schooling interactively determine refuge-seeking behaviour in a coral reef fish throughout ontogeny. Marine Ecology Progress Series 437:241-251
Reports
- Govers LL, Meffert JP, Van Rijswick PCJ, Man in ‘t Veld W, Heusinkveld JHT, Van Katwijk MM, Bouma TJ, Van der Heide T (2015) Effecten van Phytophthora spp. – besmetting op de zaadkieming van groot zeegras (Zostera marina), implicaties voor zeegrasherstel.
- Christianen, MJA, Holthuijsen S, Van der Zee E, Govers LL, Van der Eijk A, Van der Heide, T, De Paoli H, Olff H (2015) Ecotopen- en Kansrijkdomkaart van de Nederlandse Waddenzee. Eindrapportage Waddensleutels.
- Giesen WBJT, Giesen K, Giesen PT, Govers LL, Suykerbuyk W, Van Katwijk MM (2015) Zeegrasmitigaties Oosterschelde, proeven met verplaatsen van klein zeegras Zostera noltii in de Oosterschelde: mitigatiemaatregel bij dijkwerkzaamheden. Eindrapport
- Giesen WBJT, Giesen K, Giesen PT, Govers LL, Suykerbuyk W, Van Katwijk MM (2014) Zeegrasmitigaties Oosterschelde, proeven met verplaatsen van klein zeegras Zostera noltii in de Oosterschelde: mitigatiemaatregel bij dijkwerkzaamheden. Fasen 9-13.
- Giesen WBJT, Giesen K, Giesen PT, Govers LL, Suykerbuyk W, Van Katwijk MM (2012) Zeegrasmitigaties Oosterschelde, proeven met verplaatsen van klein zeegras Zostera noltii in de Oosterschelde: mitigatiemaatregel bij dijkwerkzaamheden. Fasen 6-8.
- Giesen WBJT, Giesen PT, Govers LL, Suykerbuyk W, Van Katwijk MM (2010) Zeegrasmitigaties Oosterschelde, proeven met verplaatsen van klein zeegras Zostera noltii in de Oosterschelde: mitigatiemaatregel bij dijkwerkzaamheden. Fasen 3-5.
International Reseach Experience and collaborations
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2015 |
Research expedition US East Coast (in collaboration with UF, Duke, National Estuarine Research Reserves (NOAA) network) – ‘Spartina & Geukensia carbon sequestration along a latitudinal gradient’ (5wk) |
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2015 |
Research expedition to Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania – ‘Seagrass bed dynamics’ (2wk) |
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2014 |
Research expedition to Sapelo Island (GA, in collaboration with University of Florida) – ‘Mutualism in salt marshes’ (2wk) |
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2013 |
Research expedition to Rhode Island salt marshes (in collaboration with Brown University, Duke University, University of Florida) – ‘Non-trophic interactions in salt marsh food webs’ (2wk) |
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2013 |
Expedition leader of fieldtrip to Shark Bay, Western Australia (in collaboration with University of Western Australia, Department of Environment and Conservation) – ‘Formation of multi-scale seagrass patterns in Shark Bay, Western Australia’ (4wk) |
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2012 |
Research expedition to Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania (in collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research) – ‘Mutualism breakdown in degrading seagrass beds’ (5wk) |
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2011 |
Expedition leader Shark Bay research (in collaboration with University of Western Australia) - ‘Formation of multi-scale seagrass patterns in Shark Bay, Western Australia’ (7wk) |
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2011 |
Large field experiment in three seagrass populations in western Europe (in collaboration with University of Nantes and Alfred Wegner Institute) – ‘ European seagrass dynamics after disturbance’ (8wk) |
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2011 |
Research expedition to Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania (in collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research) – ‘Ecosystem functioning of Banc d’Arguin seagrass beds’ (5wk) |
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2010 |
Research expedition to Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania (in collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research) – ‘Effect of molluscivore predators (red knot) on benthic fauna in seagrass beds’ (5wk) |
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2010 |
Research expedition to the Caribbean islands Bonaire & Curaçao – ‘Assessment of nutrient and trace metal status of local seagrass beds’ (3wk) |
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2008 |
Research expedition to Kalimantan, Indonesia – ‘Eutrophication and grazing in heavily grazed seagrass meadows’ (4mo) |
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2007 |
Research expedition to Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles – ‘Migration mechanism of a nursery fish species, Haemulon flavolineatum’ (5mo) |
Grants
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2015 |
Fieldwork Grant (€6000) for US salt marsh research – KNAW Ecology fund |
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2013 |
Fieldwork grant (€3000) for research in Australia – Jo Kolk Studiefonds, the Netherlands |
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2013 |
Fieldwork grant (€1500) for research in Australia - PhD mobilization fund, Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands |
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2011 |
Fieldwork grant (€4500) for research in Australia, KNAW Schure-Beijerinck-Poppe fund, the Netherlands |
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2011 |
Fieldwork grant (€1500) for research in Australia - PhD mobilization fund, Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands |
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2008 |
Fieldwork grant (€1000) for research in Indonesia – Jo Kolk Studiefonds, the Netherlands |
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2007 |
Fieldwork grant (€1000) for research in the Caribbean – Stichting Nijmeegs Universiteit’s Fonds, the Netherlands |
Awards
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2012 |
Student Presentation award, International Seagrass Biology Workshop, Brazil |
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2011 |
Poster award, Netherlands Annual Ecology Meeting, the Netherlands |
Oral presentations at conferences
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2015 2014 |
CERF, Portland, USA Netherlands Annual Ecology Meeting, Lunteren, The Netherlands |
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2013 |
CERF, San Diego, USA |
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2013 |
Netherlands Annual Ecology Meeting, Lunteren, The Netherlands |
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2012 |
International Seagrass Biology Workshop 10, Buzios, Brazil |
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2010 |
Plant Population Biology: crossing borders, Nijmegen, the Netherlands |
| Last modified: | 25 June 2022 2.46 p.m. |