Alwin Hylkema

 

I’m a marine biologist specifically interested in the ecology, conservation, and restoration of tropical coral reefs. I work as associate professor ‘Coastal Ecosystem Restoration’ at Van Hall Larenstein university of applied sciences and as researcher – lecturer at Wageningen University, the Netherlands. 

 

Since 2016 I’m doing research on Saba and St. Eustatius, initially traveling back and forth between the Netherlands and the Caribbean. In 2019 my family and I moved to Saba. Starting off in an old sea container, my research now takes place at the Saba Research Center, which I established in close partnership with the Saba Conservation Foundation. 

 

As Reef Grazer Research group, my team and I do research into the use of grazers to aid in reef restoration. I have always been fascinated by old stories about how Caribbean reefs changed after a mass mortality of the long-spined sea urchin Diadema. It blows my mind how a single species can have such huge effects on how an ecosystem functions. Caribbean coral reefs changed almost over night, with the disappearance of this key herbivore. When I studied the function of artificial reefs around Saba and St. Eustatius, I saw firsthand how algae overgrowth inhibited coral recruitment. This convinced me that before we can successfully restore coral reefs in this region of the Caribbean, we first must do something about the algae and this is why I initiated the Reef Grazer Research. 

In 2019 we started the Diadema I project, in which we pioneered small scale approaches to culture and restock Diadema. This project was followed-up by the Diadema II project, in which we currently work on upscaling the established methods. At the same time we look into complementary grazers, such as other sea urchins, whelks, and Caribbean king crabs. Little is known about their effects on coral or on each other, we want to find out if it would be a good idea to culture and enhance their densities. Come to check-out my presentation or other activities to learn more about how reef grazers can contribute to healthier coral reefs!

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Presentation: Monday, October 27th 5:30 PM @ Amonhana

Field Project: Sunday, October 26th 1:00 PM @ Fort Bay

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