Willemijn Velseboer holds an MSc in Marine Sciences from Universiteit Utrecht, with diverse international experience in biogeochemistry, palaeoceanography, coastal ecology, and marine law and policy. In recent years, she has focused on the diversity and distribution of algae symbiotic to soft corals in Japan, and on habitat enhancement through Nature-Inclusive Designs in Dutch multi-use Offshore Wind Farms.

Willemijn’s PhD work is a collaboration of three Horizon Europe projects: Blue Connect, NiD4Ocean, and PHAROS. Her research broadly focuses on biodiversity and water quality processes impacted by MPA design, Multi-Trophic Aquaculture, and NiDs in offshore sites. Combining numerical environmental- and connectivity modelling outputs with biophysical monitoring data, she is looking to highlight important biogeochemical processes underlying ecosystem functioning and -connectivity, and biodiversity conservation.