IBED researchers frequently appear in the media to present their research and its applications to a wider audience to strengthen the link between Science and Society. Here you can find an overview of IBED research that appeared in magazines/newspapers or was broadcasted on radio/TV (mainly in Dutch).

Sarah Solomon in various media about her research on the challenges of climate change for coral reefs

In the quest to understand how coral reefs—the vibrant underwater cities housing nearly a third of all known marine species—might endure the unprecedented challenges of climate change, recent research has uncovered the remarkable resilience found in corals thriving in environments historically deemed too harsh.  Sarah Solomon’s groundbreaking work investigates corals inhabiting coastal bays of Curaçao, where fluctuating temperatures, elevated acidity, and diminished oxygen levels create natural laboratories reflecting the future ocean conditions imposed by global warming. Her study offers profound insights into coral physiology, symbiotic relationships, and adaptive strategies that could redefine approaches to reef conservation and restoration worldwide.

Crystal McMichael and two UvA students in Folia about the research into reforestation of the Amazon region in Ecuador

In Ecuador's Quijos Valley, grasslands and grazing cattle are being replaced by palm trees and legumes. Local farmers are investing in ecotourism and reconnecting their farmland with the Amazon. UvA students Marleen Leek and Eva van der Veek are researching how to encourage the right trees to grow better. "If you replant more trees, the animals and birds will return."

Astrid Groot comments in NRC a publication on the effect of ozone air pollution on Ants

Ozone air pollution isn't just harmful to humans—animals suffer as well. Ants exposed to ozone become unrecognizable to their own kind, German researchers write in PNAS. As a result, they are considered unwanted intruders and treated aggressively. Astrid Groot, who was not involved in the research, says: "Very thorough, the way they approached it,". "They filmed the ants when they were released, so you can actually see the aggression happening before your eyes. Their results are very convincing, and worrying for many other insects that also have CHCs. Butterflies, beetles, you name it. If their recognition mechanism is switched off, it could seriously harm the species."

Linda Amaral-Zettler in NRC about organisms that live on all the plastic scraps in the oceans

Single-celled organisms that attach themselves to a scrap of fishing net, or algae to the remains of a water bottle. That's what Linda Amaral-Zettler (57), a microbial oceanographer at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) on Texel, calls the plastisphere. Much about it remains unknown. What kinds of organisms live there, what do they do, and—the most important question for Amaral-Zettler—can they break down plastic?

Franciska de Vries in various media about carbon in agricultural land

Various media outlets published an interview of Franciska de Vries about carbon in agricultural land

Michiel Kraak and Milo de Baat in de Volkskrant about pesticides

Michiel Kraak and Milo de Baat are co-authors of an opinion piece published in the Volkskrant newspaper, titled: Opinion: If new science doesn't count, who will protect us from pesticides?