Jolanda Verspagen

My current work

I'm an aquatic ecologist with a background in phytoplankton population dynamics. I have experience in field monitoring, laboratory experiments and modelling. Currently, I'm working as a post-doctoral researcher at the department of Aquatic Microbiology.

I'm currently working on the role of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels on the stoichiometry of phytoplankton in freshwater ecosystems. More precisely, I'm studying the coupling between aquatic carbon chemistry and phytoplankton dynamics. I have built a model that is able to describe changes in aquatic carbon chemistry (pH, Dissolved Inorganic Carbonconcentrationsand alkalinity) and phytoplankton biomass and stoichiometry (C:N ratio). In the lab, I have studied phytoplankton dynamics and aquatic chemisty under different resource limitations (carbon, nitrate and light limitation) in a chemostat. The model can predict the observed changes in aquatic carbon chemistry, phytoplankton biomass and stoichiometry at different atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Furthermore, the model is used to predict the outcome of competition between different Microcystis species under carbon, nitrate and light limitation. I am now working on competition for carbon between different types of phytoplankton (cyanobacteria and chlorophytes).

The stoichiometry project is a collaboration with Anthony Verschoor and Ellen van Donk of the department of Food Web Studies at the Centre for Limnology of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology and other members of the department of Aquatic Ecology (Dedmer van de Waal).

website Food Web Studies at Centre for Limnology