Franciska de Vries in De Volkskrant about the Dutch nitrogen problem

In a section in De Volkskrant in which the science editors answered readers' questions, this week it was the turn of the question how big the nitrogen problem in the Netherlands really is. Franciska de Vries explains why, although nitrogen emissions have indeed been halved compared to 1990, nature is still having such a hard time that emissions must be reduced considerably.

International media attention for research by Monika Soja-Woźniak and Jef Huisman on melting sea ice that changes the color of light in the ocean

The disappearance of sea ice in the polar regions changes the colour of light in the ocean. This has far-reaching consequences, according to new research by marine biologists Monika Soja-Woźniak and Jef Huisman. International media have paid attention to this news this week.

Jasper de Goeij on NOS about the decree and fishing plans of Donald Trump

President Trump has announced that a large reserve in the Pacific Ocean will now be reopened to commercial fishing by the US. The area includes coral reefs and protected sea turtles and whales. What does this decree mean for these and other vulnerable species? Jasper de Goeij tells NOS why the plans worry him.

Annemarie van Wezel in NU.nl about the harmful effects of PFAS

News medium NU.nl has an article about the harmful effects of PFAS, the group of widely used chemicals whose harmful effects on the environment and our own health are only now slowly coming to light. Annemarie van Wezel provides an expert explanation.

Jasper de Goeij in the local newspapers about his work on sponges

Several local newspapers all have the same interview with marine biologist Jasper de Goeij. In it he talks about the role and importance of sponges in our seas and oceans. The article appeared in Dagblad van het Noorden, the Leeuwarder Courant and the IJmuider Courant.

Harm van der Geest and UvA bachelor students involved in a large-scale study of biodiversity in a number of Amsterdam parks

About ten to fifteen bachelor students who will complete their Biology or Future Planet studies at the UvA this summer are – just like last year – closely involved in a large-scale study of biodiversity in a number of Amsterdam parks. They are mapping the diversity of flora and fauna in seven city parks. In the East, this includes the Flevopark, the Oosterpark and Frankendael, as well as the Bijlmerweide, the Sarphatipark, the Vondelpark and the Erasmuspark. They started their observations in March and will continue until June or July of this year. Harm van der Geest, their supervisor and independent expert in the field of wet transitions between land and water, emphasised during the walk that he sees no arguments in favour of the Water Board's decision to place the dike right on the bank. Raising the path and thus wetting the forest zone between the path and the bank of the Nieuwe Diep will increase biodiversity

Franciska de Vries in Trouw about the importance of fungi

The new Red List of Threatened Species draws attention to fungi. There are now 1300 species of fungi on the list of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature IUCN, of which one in three is threatened with extinction. In the daily newspaper Trouw, Franciska de Vries explains why fungi are so important for ecosystems and why so many species are threatened in their existence.

Jasper de Goeij in the AD and the provincial newspapers about his Eureka moment

In the ‘Eureka’ section of the Algemeen Dagblad and the provincial newspapers of the same publisher, scientists talk about their greatest moment of insight. This time it was Jasper van Goeij’s turn (UvA-IBED), who tells how he got his most important insight when he once took a look in a pathology lab as an ecologist.

Harm van der Geest on AT5 on the discussion about felling trees for raising the Flevopark dike

The ground in the Flevopark in Oost is subsiding and the water is rising. This means that the ground is already very marshy and to prevent worse, the Water Board is working on plans to protect the park. They have the idea to raise the existing dike next to the water of the Nieuwe Diep, but for that, more than a hundred trees have to be cut down. Harm van der Geest thinks it would be a shame if the natural transition were lost due to the Water Board's plans. According to him, such a piece of marshland also belongs in the Netherlands. "That is attractive to the otter. Otter tracks have already been found around Amsterdam, for example in the Diemerpark. If the marshland is created, there is a chance that the otter will also dock in the Flevopark."

Vincent Merckx in the AD papers about research into fungi

In an article published in the AD, and all regional newspapers of the same publisher, Vincent Merckx talks about the role of fungi in communication between trees and plants. 

Corina Brussaard in the Noordhollands Dagblad about Sunday afternoon lectures in Den Hoorn

Three female scientists from Den Hoorn, including Corina Brussaard, conduct fundamental research into life in the sea and its impact on human evolution. In three Sunday afternoon lectures, the professors provide insight into their scientific activities and explain what they are working on. 

Erik Cammeraat in Folia about the desertification of the soil in Spain

Although the Spanish sol makes the country attractive for holidaymakers, the hot sun is also the cause of rising cauliflower prices in the Netherlands. For more than thirty years, Erik Cammeraat has been researching the culprit of expensive cauliflowers: desertification of the soil.

Thomas Blankers in EOS Science on the question of whether spacecraft are too sterile

EOS Science has an article about a recent study of microbes living in the International Space Station (ISS). They ask the question whether spacecraft are too sterile. In the article, Thomas Blankers  speaks.

Kenneth Rijsdijk in the newspaper Dagblad van het Noorden about the importance of hedges

Kenneth Rijsdijk (UvA-IBED) wrote a book about the usefulness of hedges in the landscape. In the past, there were many more hedges in the Netherlands, and according to Rijsdijk, it would be good for both nature and us humans to plant them again. The Dagblad van het Noorden reports on a meeting in Zweelo in Drenthe, where he made his plea for the hedge.

Kenneth Rijsdijk in National Geographic about the aggressive Rodrigues solitaire

The Rodrigues solitaire lived on the island of Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean until the eighteenth century – until the arrival of humans proved fatal. Whether they were males or females, all were extremely aggressive. They had even developed special bone protrusions on their wings to better attack each other. ‘Almost ten percent of the fossils found have healed bone fractures, which is really a lot,’ says earth scientist Kenneth Rijsdijk . 

National Geographic NL/BE - February 2025 

Karline Janmaat in the radio program Vroege Vogels 

Karline Janmaat gave an interview in the radio program Vroege Vogels, dedicated to Frits Portielje (one of the founders of animal psychology in the Netherlands). Karline Janmaat annually researches animal cognition with about 50 students in the park: "I continue Portielje's work, as it were. For example, he observed that great apes roll their eyes when they eat something very tasty. I now also let my students look at this in their research into the eating behavior of great apes."

Astrid Groot in the podcast Net Goed Kennislink 

What does experimental biologist Astrid Groot's moth lab have to do with internet dating? You will hear it in this episode

Harm van der Geest in a documentary on fountainweed in the port of Spakenburg

Is fountainweed a threat to the port of Spakenburg, or should we be happy with the fountainweed? 

Pim de Voogt in De Groene Amsterdammer about PFAS

Weekly magazine De Groene Amsterdammer has an extensive background article about PFAS. It covers, among other things, the discovery of this class of substances, how widely they are used, the problems with them, the environmental pollution, the health risks, and what to do next. One of the experts featured in the piece is environmental chemist Pim de Voogt