SCIENCE
I have carried out marine mammal survey and consultancy work for many organisations including Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), the North Sea Foundation (NL), PRO-SEA (NL), The Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Green Heritage Fund of Suriname, Sea Mammal Research Unit (SCANS2 Project), Marine Observers (Denmark), National Environmental Research Institute of Denmark (NERI), various Universities, e.g. Leiden (NL), Utrecht (NL), Exeter (UK), Plymouth (UK), Halifax (CA) and numerous commercial companies that focus on marine renewable developments and oil exploration.
For a full CV or if you have any questions, please contact me via e-mail as I may be away at sea and well beyond the range of mobile phones.
Dr Marijke Nita de Boer
PhD – Marine Mammal Ecology
MSc – Marine Ecology
Director – Seven Seas Marine Consultancy
Marine Fauna Expert – Marine Spatial Planning Project Suriname
Science Coordinator – Marine Discovery Penzance
Guest employee – Wageningen Marine Research, Wageningen University & Research
Marine Mammal Observer – MMO, PSO, MMSO, MMTO
Publications – Research Gate (www.researchgate.net/profile/Marijke_De_Boer/publications)
Qualified Marine Mammal Observer (JNCC/PSO/MMS/GoM/IBAMA-Brazil)
Since 2006, I have worked as a qualified Marine Mammal Observer onboard geophysical survey vessels during expeditions offshore Angola, Gabon, Congo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Namibia, Greenland, Labrador, Newfoundland, Faroese Islands, Shetland Islands, Central North Sea, Aruba, Curacao,Trinidad, Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname. During these surveys I also acted as a Protected Species Observer (PSO), Marine Mammal & Turtle Observer (MMTO) and Marine Mammal & Seabird Observer (MMSO) and assisted with Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) on many occasions. I have also carried out marine megafauna surveys along Cape Verde, Mauritania, Senegal, Western Sahara, Morocco, Canaries, Azores, Madeira, Desertas, Celtic Sea, Bay of Biscay, Irish Sea and the English Channel.
Academic Education
I was educated at the University of Utrecht (Biology) and The Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (MSc Marine Ecology, 1996), where she studied toxic algae blooms in the North Sea. I completed my PhD in 2013 at the University of Wageningen (NL) which focussed on Marine Mammal Ecology, studying the abundance and distribution of cetaceans using different methodology approaches and (low-cost) seagoing ‘Platforms of Opportunity’.
Ph.D Study
In order to address the lack of data and the emerging conservation needs of cetaceans, my Ph.D study set out to design flexible survey designs, using Multi-Method approaches and Platform of Opportunity (PO) based data collection protocols, and in particular adopting these in areas which have received little spatial or temporal cetacean survey coverage. My study focused on several species of cetaceans: the minke whales in the North Sea, harbour porpoises in the Irish Sea & English Channel, short-beaked common dolphins in the English Channel, Risso’s dolphins off Bardsey Island (Cardigan Bay) and two tropical cetacean communities (Gabon in West Africa and Suriname in South America). I used Multi-Method approaches, including line-transect distance sampling techniques during boat-based surveys, mark-recapture on photo-ID images and habitat modelling techniques using land-based data. Several Platforms of Opportunity were used in this study, ranging from ferries, oceanographic and fisheries research vessels, oil exploration vessels, supply vessels and wildlife-watching vessels. These vessels typically cross an area of sea for other purposes but the advantage is that manning such vessels can yield low-cost approaches of collecting large quantities of scientific data on marine fauna. My Ph.D. ‘studying the abundance and distribution of cetaceans using Multi-Method approaches and Platforms of Opportunity’ supervised by Prof. ir. dr. P.J.H. Reijnders (IMARES-Texel), was awarded through the University of Wageningen in 2013.
Wider Caribbean Region
My most recent research project is focusing on the marine fauna within the Guianas (Suriname and neighbouring countries) and I currently work as a marine fauna scientist for an EU-funded project ‘Marine Spatial Planning’ in Suriname. I am also an experienced advisor to the MaMa CoCo Sea group (Marine Mammal Conservation Corridor for Northern South America) an initiative from the French Agency for Marine Protected Areas supported by the CAR-SPAW office for the Wider Caribbean Region. Several scientific papers and a book entitled ‘The Sea of Suriname’ on Marine Fauna, have been published in relation to my research in the waters offshore Suriname.
Cornwall
Since 2004, I have studied the cetaceans occurring off SW England during both offshore and inshore coastal surveys including conducting research onboard the Gry Maritha and the Scillonian III (between Penzance and the Scilly Isles). I have published several papers regarding this work. In 2007 I joined forces with ‘Marine Discovery’ of Penzance to oversee the data collection, photo-ID catalogues and analysis from this valuable research.
Wageningen Marine Research
I currently work as a guest employee for Wageningen Marine Research (Wageningen University in the Netherlands).
Publications
I have produced a wide selection of scientific publications and presented papers to various international conferences and committees. She also regularly peer-reviews scientific papers for a range of scientific journals.
My publications are shown at ResearchGate www.researchgate.net/profile/Marijke_Deboer/publications/
Maritime Certificates
- Basic Offshore Safety Introduction and Emergency Response Training including HUET Airpocket (BOSIET)
- Cyprus, Panamanian and Dutch Seaman’s book
- Medical Examination (UKOOA)
- Norwegian Medical Examination – Seamen’s Norwegian Maritime Directorate.
- Health certificate for Persons engaged in the Petroleum Activity on the Norwegian Continental Shelf
- Panamanian Medical Examination
- Marine Mammal Observer Short Course- JNCC/MMS/PSO/Gulf of Mexico/IBAMA (Brazil)-(University of Plymouth, UK)
- Passive Acoustic Monitoring Course - (Intelligent Ocean, King’s Lynn UK)
- First Aid (reanimation/hypothermia)
- Driving license
- Open water diver
- Inflatable craft driving licence (up to 12 paying guests)
- Qualified to operate larger vessels (more than 20 meters long, restricted)
