Tracking how ocean currents transport plastic, plankton and other materials
The Lagrangian Ocean Analysis team at Utrecht University
The Lagrangian Ocean Analysis team within the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research at Utrecht University's Department of Physics, uses the OceanParcels framework to create and analyse simulations of the transport of material (plastics, plankton, fish) by ocean currents and its impact on climate and marine ecosystems. Within the group, we adhere to Open Science principles and aim to create a collaborative and inclusive atmosphere.The team
Erik van Sebille
Associate Professor
Erik investigates how ocean currents move 'stuff' around, and leads the OceanParcels project.
Delphine Lobelle
Postdoctoral researcher
Delphine investigates how 3D ocean circulation impacts plastic transport.
Christian Kehl
Postdoctoral researcher
Christian investigates how Parcels can best be optimised for High Performance Computing.
Steffie Ypma
Postdoctoral researcher
Steffie creates a tool that supports plastic cleanup in the Galapagos.
Laura Gomez Navarro
Postdoctoral researcher
Laura investigates how to track floating material in currents from remote sensing.
David Wichmann
PhD researcher
David investigates how ocean currents and waves transport plastic litter around.
Peter Nooteboom
PhD researcher
Peter investigates how microplankton can be used to validate paleo-climate models.
Mikael Kaandorp
PhD researcher
Mikael investigates how to use machine learning to incorporate plastic distribution data into models.
Cleo Jongedijk
PhD researcher
Cleo investigates how plastic litter ends up on beaches.
Daan Reijnders
PhD researcher
Daan investigates how to incorporate diffusion into particle simulations in biogeochemical oceanography.
Victor Onink
PhD researcher
Victor investigates the global dispersion patterns of marine plastic pollution.
Claudio Pierard
PhD researcher
Claudio investigates the origin and fate of nanoplastics in our ocean.
Darshika Manral
PhD researcher
Darshika investigates how plankton interact with nutrients and plastic in the Atlantic Ocean.
Sophie Schmiz
MSc student
Sophie investigates the distribution of floating plastic in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Tycho Bovenschen
MSc student
Tycho investigates the anisotropic nature of particle diffusion.
Mariana de Botton Falcon
MSc student
Mariana investigates how floating plastic accumulates in ocean eddies.
Ilja Deurloo
BSc student
Ilja investigates how plastics move through the Caribbean.
Reint Fischer
Developer
Reint provides technical support to users of the OceanParcels framework.
Current Projects
Tracking Of Plastics In Our Seas (TOPIOS)
Funded by an ERC Starting Grant from the European Commission's Horizon2020 ProgrammeNanoplastics: Origin, Structure and Fate
Funded by an NWO ENW-Groot projectTowards a plastic-free Galapagos: A new model to optimise beach cleanup strategies in complex island regions
Funded by the Galapagos Conservation Trust, an UU Pathways to Sustainability Acceleration Grant, and the K.F. Hein FondsBackward Lagrangian Tracking of the Patchiness of Oceanic Nutrients in a Turbulent Ocean
Funded by an NWO ENW-Klein projectDynamics and climatic imprint of the early Antarctic Circumpolar Current
Funded by an NWO Open Competition project
Funded by the European Commission's Horizon2020 Programme
Funded by the European Space Agency
Funded by the European Commission's Horizon2020 Programme