Native European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) reefs have strongly declined in the Dutch Delta, motivating restoration efforts that use engineered substrates to support settlement and early reef development. In Lake Veere, Project Asta tests the Mother Reef concept: biodegradable clay blocks that are conditioned …

The restoration of native flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) reefs in Lake Veere is a key ecological goal of the Oyster Heaven project. However, successful reef development may be hindered by predation. The European green crab *(Carcinus maenas),* a known bivalve predator in Lake Veere. This study investigated …

Oyster reefs were once abundant in European waters, but they are now rare. In Zeeland, the wild population of the native flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) has declined significantly in recent decades, with serious implications for coastal water health in relation to biodiversity and water quality (Colsoul …

This paper presents the preliminary design of the Horti-database, a digital tool supporting the development of drone-based monitoring systems (DBMS) for greenhouse crops. With increasing demand for sustainable food production and reduced pesticide use, DBMS offers a promising solution for automated, …

Residing atop the trophic ladder, the jaguar plays a crucial role in the functioning, stability, and resilience of neotropical forest ecosystems. They influence the entire food web and have wide-ranging effects on various ecological processes. However, jaguars are a highly at-risk and near-threatened …

Currently there is an increasing political discussion in the Netherlands about declining farmland bird populations and the appropriate measures for their protection. The Dierenbescherming (DB) thinks that the birds cannot be saved by solely removing predators and is pledging for a predation management …

We humans have characteristics of both prey and predators. As mammals, great apes are also roughly in the middle of the food chain, although technology (fire, leverage and language) has enabled us to manoeuvre ourselves upwards on our own. Digital (mass) communication technology helps us to strengthen …

Webinar Get ready for smart technology part 1: https://youtu.be/h1HVsz2xGQs Webinar Get ready for smart technology part 2: https://youtu.be/vO11s_a8sm8 This webinar looks at both the merits, and dangers of smart technology from a psychological point of view. The combination of (smart) technology, …

This study shows that the main predation pressure in the Dutch Wadden Sea is found to be on calanoid copepods, being the main prey item of C. harengus, A. tobianus, C. edulis, A. aurita and M. leidyi. Bivalve veligers are also found to be widely ingested by predator species, with the main predators being …

The invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) started invading the Caribbean Sea since the 1980’s and were first sighted on the Saba Bank since 2009 where they established themselves fully during the following two years. They have no specific preference for prey species and their predation …