2012 – 2017 Ph.D. Marine Ecology, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands

PhD thesis

Pacific oysters and parasites: Species invasions and their impact on parasite-host interactions. Promotor: Prof.dr. Jaap van der Meer. Co-promotor: Dr. David W. Thieltges

                    

2009 – 2012    MSc Marine Biology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Internship at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ)

Effects of climate change on parasite transmission in marine ecosystems.

Internship at the Arctic Center of the University of Groningen

Development of the immune system of young barnacle goslings in the Arctic.

MSc thesis

Consequences of sea ice melting for top predators in polar ecosystems.

MSc colloquium

Restoration of sea grass beds in the Wadden Sea.

                    

2009 – 2011    MSc Education and Communication in Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (Graduated with honors: Cum laude)

MSc thesis

Marine biologists and their motivation for science communication.

Assignment for the Discovery Truck of the University of Groningen

Educational program for high school students about the Wadden Sea.

Assignment for Muzeeaquarium Delfzijl

Design of exhibition elements in the museum.

                    

2005 – 2008    BSc Biology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Major

Ecology and Evolution

Minor

Marine Biology

BSc thesis

Poly-unsaturated fatty acids in the Antarctic ecosystem.

Current: Postdoctoral position, University of Bordeaux

At the Marine Station of Arachon (UMR EPOC 5805 lab), I will work the coming 17 months on the EU Interreg COCKLES project. I will be responsible for Work Package 6 (Action 4). This task involves 1) the identification of the carrying capacity of ecosystems for cockles and 2) the investigation of cockles food consumption and their competition with other major suspension feeders in the ecosystems.

2012-2017: Ph.D. student, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, The Netherlands

As a member of the Department of Coastal Systems (NIOZ), I investigated the effects of invasive species on parasite-host interactions, with a special focus on the Pacific oyster invasion in the Wadden Sea. One of my most important discoveries was that the invasive Pacific oyster co-introduced an invasive parasite which now infects native bivalve species in the Wadden Sea. In particular native mussels suffer from high infection levels of the parasite, which reduces the condition of mussels by feeding on its host and on the host stomach content. During my studies, I used a variety of research tools as stable isotope analysis, field observations, lab dissections, taxonomic identification, field and lab experiments, molecular techniques and statistical modelling.

2011: Research assistant, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, The Netherlands

As MSc student Marine Biology of the University of Groningen, I assisted for 6 months at the Marine Ecology & Evolution department of NIOZ. In this period, I investigated the effects of climate change and invasive species on parasite transmission rates in marine ecosystems by using a series of laboratory experiments, resulting in a first first-author publication.

2010: Student assistant, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

In the course Reading and Presenting Scientific Research I taught first-year students  how to search, present and read scientific papers.

2011: Research assistant, Arctic Centre/University of Groningen, The Netherlands

As MSc student Marine Biology of the University of Groningen, I was a research assistant of Dr. Maarten Loonen of the Arctic centre. In this period, I investigated the immune system of young barnacle goslings growing up in the Arctic. Furthermore I was a field assistant and helped out with other bird research on Spitsbergen.      

2009-2010: Museum guide, University Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands

In an exhibition about Charles Darwin, I gave visitors and high school students an half‐hour introductory talk about the evolution theory in both English and Dutch. Once the visitors entered the museum, they could come to me to ask questions.

2005-2007: Travel representative, Travel Active, Utrecht, The Netherlands

In cities throughout the Netherlands, I informed Dutch teenagers and their parents about traveling and working abroad. In 2004-2005 I went for 9 months to New Zealand with a work and travel visa and used my gained experience in presentations at several information days and evenings.

Research skills

• Conceptualization of research problems (highly experienced)
• Organisation of large field sampling campaigns (highly experienced)
• Experimental design (lab & field) (highly experienced)
• Taxonomic identification of marine Wadden Sea benthos and their parasites (highly experienced)
• Dissection of marine mollusk species (highly experienced)
• Statistical modelling in R (highly experienced)
• Writing of scientific publications (highly experienced)
• Stable isotope analysis and analysis with isotope mixing models (experienced)
• Conducting peer reviews (experienced)

                    

Computer skills

• Statistical software environment R (highly experienced and courses attended)
• Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, Powerpoint, OneNote (highly experienced)
• WordPress Content Management System (experienced)
• Adobe Photoshop (experienced and course attended)
• Adobe InDesign (basic knowledge)
• Adobe Illustrator (basic knowledge)
• GNU Octave/Matlab (basic knowledge)

                    

Soft skills

• Management of (international) research projects (highly experienced and course attended)
• Supervision of MSc students (highly experienced)
• Examination of BSc and MSc students (highly experienced)
• Prioritizing workload and meeting deadlines (highly experienced)
• Presenting for scientific audiences (highly experienced)
• Presenting for non-scientific audiences (experienced)
• Organization and teaching in BSc courses (experienced)
• Organisation of symposia and workshops (experienced)
• Design of education material (experienced)

                    

Professional courses

• Consumer-resource interactions, Wageningen University
• Beginners guide to GAM and GAMM in R, Highland Statistics
• Zero inflation in R, Highland Statistics
• Statistical aspects of sampling, Wageningen University
• Multivariate Analysis in R, Highland Statistics
• Mixed effects models and GLMM in R, Highland Statistics, NIOZ
• Data exploration, GLM & GAM in R, Highland Statistics, NIOZ
• Dynamic Energy Budget Theory, VU University Amsterdam, NIOZ
• Project management for post-docs and PhD’s, NIBI

                    

Certifications

• International certificate for operators of pleasure craft (Dutch Klein Vaarbewijs I + II)
• Driver license B
• CMAS 1* scuba diver (equivalent to PADI Open Water Diver)
• VMT (ML-1) (to work in gmo-labs)
• Radiation Protection Level 5B

                    

Languages

• Dutch (mother tongue)
• English (fluent)
• German (basic knowledge)
• French (basic knowledge)
• Spanish (basic knowledge)

Awards

• Winner of the VLIZ North Sea Award 2017 for the most innovative fundamental research on the structure, operation and management of the North Sea, Oostende, Belgium (€ 1000,-)
• Winner of the 2^nd place award for the best oral presentation at the 49^th European Marine Biology Symposium 2014, St. Petersburg, Russia (€ 100,-)

                    

Research grant

• University of Groningen Fund (GUF) for fieldwork on Spitsbergen (2009), Groningen, The Netherlands (€ 300,-)

Research interests

• Marine ecology
• Invasive species
• Parasite-host interactions
• Ecology and evolution of parasites
• Emerging diseases

                    

Methodologies

• Field observations
• Field experiments
• Lab experiments
• Taxonomy (morphological and molecular species identification)
• Stable isotope analyses
• Advanced statistical modelling (multivariate statistics, general linear mixed modelling, isotope mixing models)

                    

(Inter)national collaborations

• Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, The Netherlands
• Free University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
• Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Lelystad, The Netherlands
• Wageningen Marine Research, Yerseke, The Netherlands
• Alfred Wegner Institute, Wadden Station Sylt, List, Germany
• University of Koblenz, Landau, Germany
• Sfax University, Sfax, Tunesia

                    

Reviewing acitivities

• Integrative and Comparative Biology
• Marine Biology Research
• Journal of Sea Research
• Journal of Experimental Biology and Marine Biology and Ecology
• Scientific Reports
• Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences

                    

Grant writing

2017 IdEx Bordeaux International Post-doctoral Fellowship (9th place, not rewarded)

2017 Marie Curie Individual Fellowship (not rewarded)

2017 NWO Rubicon Scholarship (7th place, not rewarded)

Teaching experience

---

2012-2014 Teaching assistant, University of Groningen/Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, The Netherlands

In three consecutive years, I was a teaching assistant in the BSc course Marine Biology & Oceanography. My tasks included the design of practical lessons in he laboratory, the organization of field work and the supervision of a group of five students during a small study (2 weeks). This study included the set-up of research questions, the planning of laboratory experiments and field work, assisting by the execution of lab and field work, helping out with statistics, examining students and evaluating the course.

                    

2010 Teaching assistant, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

In the BSc course Reading and Presenting Scientific Research I taught first-year biology students  how to search, present and read scientific papers.

                    

2009-2010 Museum guide, University Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands

In an exhibition about Charles Darwin, I gave visitors and high school students an half‐hour introductory talk about the evolution theory in both English and Dutch. Once the visitors entered the museum, they could come to me to ask questions.

                    

Supervision

---

2015 MSc student R. Cartier, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Does the shellboring polychaete Polydora ciliata spill back from invasive oysters (Magallana gigas) to native mussels (Mytilus edulis)?

                    

2014 MSc student S. Bedolfe, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Impact of the invasive parasitic copepod Mytilicola orientalis on native blue mussels Mytilus edulis in the western European Wadden Sea.

Her work is published in:

Goedknegt, M. A., Bedolfe, S., Drent, J., van der Meer, J. Thieltges, D. W. Impact of the invasive parasitic copepod Mytilicola orientalis on native blue mussels Mytilus edulis in the western European Wadden Sea. Marine Biology Research, doi:10.1080/17451000.2018.1442579

                    

2013    MSc student D. Shoesmith, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Trophic relationship between the invasive parasitic copepod Mytilicola orientalis and its native blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) host.

His work is published in:

Goedknegt, M. A., Shoesmith, D., Jung, A. S., Luttikhuizen, P. C., van der Meer, J., Phillipart, C. J. M., van der Veer, H. W., Thieltges, D. W. Trophic relationship between the invasive parasitic copepod Mytilicola orientalis and its native blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) host. Parasitology 1-8, doi:10.1017/S0031182017001779.

                    

2012    MSc student R. Nauta, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Parasite infection patterns in invasive oysters and native mussel hosts – Are parasite spillover, spillback and transmission interference the underlying processes? (Manuscript in progress)

                    

2012    Supervision of MSc student A-K. Schuster, University of Koblenz, Germany

Spillover but no spillback of two invasive parasitic copepods from invasive Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) to native bivalve hosts.

Her work was published in:

Goedknegt, M. A., Schuster, A-K., Buschbaum, C., Gergs, R., Jung, A. S., Luttikhuizen, P. C., van der Meer, J., Troost, K., Wegner, K. M., Thieltges, D. W. Spillover but no spillback of two invasive parasitic copepods from invasive Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) to native bivalve hosts.  Biological Invasions, 19:365-379.

                    

Design of education material

---

2010 Discovery Truck, University of Groningen

The Discovery Truck wanted an education program to stimulate students to choose for beta studies at the University of Groningen. The program had to be about the World Heritage Site in the Wadden Sea. The education program had to take place in the Discovery Truck, a classroom on wheels. In the truck, the students did experiments in the fields of biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics to become more acquainted with the subjects and learn in fun way more about the Wadden Sea. Together with three other partners, I designed six experiments (in the subjects biology, chemistry and mathematics), six posters and a workbook for a Wadden Sea lesson, to motivate high school students to choose a beta-study.

PhD thesis

Goedknegt M. A. (2017) Pacific oysters and parasites: Species invasions and their impact on parasite-host interactions. PhD thesis, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 271 pages.

                    

Peer-reviewed publications

(12) Boussellaa, W., Neifar, L., Goedknegt, M. A., Thieltges, D. W. (2018) Lessepsian migration and parasitism: richness, prevalence and intensity of parasites in the invasive fish Sphyraena chrysotaenia compared to its native congener Sphyraena sphyraena in Tunisian coastal waters. PeerJ 6:e5558, doi:10.7717/peer.5558. 

(11) Goedknegt, M. A., Thieltges, D. W., van der Meer, J., Wegner, K. M., Luttikhuizen, P. C. (2018) Cryptic invasion of two -parasitic copepods: compromised identification when morphologically similar invaders co-occur in invaded ecosystems. PLoS One 13(3):e0193354.

(10) Goedknegt, M. A., Bedolfe, S., Drent, J., van der Meer, J., Thieltges, D. W. (2018) Impact of the invasive parasitic copepod Mytilicola orientalis on native blue mussels Mytilus edulis in the western European Wadden Sea. Marine Biology Research, doi: 10.1080/17451000.2018.1442579.

(9) Goedknegt, M. A., Shoesmith, D., Jung, A. S., Luttikhuizen, P. C., van der Meer, J., Philippart, C. J. M., van der Veer, H. W., Thieltges, D. W. (2017) Trophic relationship between the invasive parasitic copepod Mytilicola orientalis and its native blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) host. Parasitology 29:1-8, doi: 10.1017/S003118201700177.

(8) Goedknegt, M. A., Havermans, J., Waser, A. M., Luttikhuizen, P. C., Velilla, E., Camphuysen, K. (C. J.), van der Meer, J., Thieltges, D. W. (2017) Cross-species comparison of parasite richness, prevalence, and intensity in a native compared to two invasive brachyuran crabs. Aquatic Invasions 12:201-202.

(7) Goedknegt, M. A., Schuster, A.-K., Buschbaum, C., Gergs, R., Jung, A. S., Luttikhuizen, P. C., van der Meer, J., Troost, K., Wegner, K. M., Thieltges, D. W. (2017) Spillover but no spillback of two invasive parasitic copepods from invasive Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) to native hosts. Biological Invasions 19:365-379.

(6) Waser, A. M., Goedknegt, M. A., Dekker, R., McSweeney, N., Witte, J. IJ., van der Meer, J., Thieltges, D. W. (2016) Tidal elevation and parasitism: patterns of infections of the rhizocephalan parasite Sacculina carcini in shore crabs Carcinus maenas. Marine Ecology Progress Series 545:215-225.

(5) Buschbaum, C., Cornelius, A., Goedknegt, M. A. (2016) Deeply hidden inside introduced biogenic structures – Pacific oyster reefs reduce detrimental barnacle overgrowth on native blue mussels. Journal of Sea Research 117:20-26.

(4) Feis, M. E., Goedknegt M. A., Thieltges, D. W., Buschbaum, C., Wegner, K. M. (2016) Biological invasions and host–parasite coevolution: different coevolutionary trajectories along separate parasite invasion fronts. Zoology 119:366-374.

(3) Goedknegt M. A., Feis, M. E., Wegner, K.  M., Luttikhuizen, P. C., Buschbaum, C., Camphuysen, K. (C. J.), van der Meer, J., Thieltges, D. W. (2016) Parasites and marine invasions: Ecological and evolutionary perspectives. Journal of Sea Research 113:11-27.

(2) Lokmer, A., Goedknegt, M. A., Thieltges, D. W., Kuenzel, S., Fiorentino D., Baines, J., Wegner, K. M. (2016) Spatial and temporal dynamics of Pacific oyster hemolymph microbiota across multiple scales. Frontiers in Microbiology 7:1-18.

(1) Goedknegt, M. A., Welsh, J. E., Drent, J., Thieltges, D. W. (2015) Climate change and parasite transmission: how temperature can decrease parasite infectivity via increased predation on infective stages. Ecosphere 6:96, doi: 10.1890/ES15-00016.1.

                    

Submitted manuscripts

(3) Goedknegt, M. A., Buschbaum, C., van der Meer, J., Wegner, K. M., Thieltges, D. W. Invasive ecosystem engineers and parasitism: trait-mediated indirect interactions initiated by invasive oysters alter infection levels in native mussels. Functional Ecology

(2) Thieltges, D. W., Goedknegt, M. A., O’ Dwyer, K., Senior, A. M., Kamiya, T. Stable isotopes and parasitism: a comparative analysis of discrimination factors (Δ¹³C and Δ¹⁵N) in parasitic trophic interactions. Journal of Applied Ecology

(1) Boussellaa, W., Neifar, L., Goedknegt, M. A., Thieltges, D. W. Lessepsian migration and parasitism: richness, prevalence and intensity of parasites in an invasive fish compared to its native congener in Tunisian coastal waters. Peer J

                    

Non-peer reviewed publications

(1) Goedknegt, M. A., Welsh, J. E., Thieltges, D. W. (2012) Parasites as Prey. IN: Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (eLS). John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester, UK, http://www.els.net, doi: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0023604.

Organization

• International workshop on the impacts of invasive oysters on marine ecosystems. Invading oysters: good, bad or ugly?, NIOZ Texel, The Netherlands (2017)
• International Symposium: Ecology and Evolution of Marine Parasites and Diseases, NIOZ Texel, The Netherlands (2014)

                    

Chair of session

• International workshop on the impacts of invasive oysters on marine ecosystems. Invading oysters: good, bad or ugly?, NIOZ Texel, The Netherlands (2017)
• Netherlands Annual Ecology Meeting (NAEM), Lunteren, The Netherlands (2015)

                    

Oral presentation

• International workshop on the impacts of invasive oysters on marine ecosystems. Invading oysters: good, bad or ugly?, NIOZ Texel, The Netherlands (2017)
• Netherlands Annual Ecology Meeting (NAEM), Lunteren, The Netherlands (2015)
• European Marine Biology Symposium (EMBS), St. Petersburg, Russia (2014)
• NEOBIOTA International Conference on Biological Invasions, Antalya, Turkey (2014)
• Symposium Waddenacademie, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands (2014)
• Netherlands Annual Ecology Meeting (NAEM), Lunteren, The Netherlands (2013)

                    

Poster presentation

• International workshop on the impacts of invasive oysters on marine ecosystems. Invading oysters: good, bad or ugly?, NIOZ Texel, The Netherlands (2017)
• International Symposium: Ecology and Evolution of Marine Parasites and Diseases, NIOZ Texel, The Netherlands (2014)
• BENELUX Conference of Invasive Species, Ghent, Belgium (2013)
• European Marine Biology Symposium (EMBS), Arendal, Norway (2012)
• Netherlands Annual Ecology Meeting (NAEM), Lunteren, The Netherlands (2012)
• ZKO Symposium, Den Haag, The Netherlands (2012)
•  International Scientific Wadden Sea Symposium, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands (2012)

Public talks

2017    Publik lecture at Mengvoer event, Grande Theatre Groningen, The Netherlands

2016    Lecture for high school students, OSG de Hoge Berg, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands

2016    Lecture for Wadden Sea field guides, Hotel Den Berg, Texel, The Netherlands

2015    Public lecture, Public library, Den Burg Texel, The Netherlands

                    

Other outreach activities

2017    Launch of personal science website www.paraseasite.com

2014     Assisted with the open days of the Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research, The Netherlands

2014    Video diary for Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research, The Netherlands
The video appeared on www.nioz.nl, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF9hMnZbW-Y

2014    Photoshoot for Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research, The Netherlands
Banners of this shoot appeared on: www.nioz.nl, www.all-acad.com, www.academictransfer.com

2011    Blog on website Zeeinzicht www.zeeinzicht.nl

                    

Media attention

2018    Article in regional newspaper de Texelse Courant, The Netherlands

2017    Article in VU magazine Advalvas, The Netherlands

2017    Article in national newspaper de Volkskrant, The Netherlands

2017    Article in regional newspaper de Texelse Courant, The Netherlands

2017    Article in regional newspaper het Noordhollands Dagblad, The Netherlands

2017    Article in regional newspaper het Friesch Dagblad, The Netherlands

2017    Radio interview with Omrop Frieslân, The Netherlands

2015    Interview in the magazine the Graduate Guide for upcoming university students (UK)