About Anouk Blauw

Anouk Blauw is an expert in monitoring and modeling of marine phytoplankton. Combing data-driven and numerical modeling with monitoring data she provides optimal information on harmful algal blooms, carrying capacity and eutrophication issues. She works both on real-time forecasting of for early warning purposes on harmful algal blooms and bathing water quality and on analyses on longer time scales for trend detection and ecological assessments.


During her PhD study on monitoring and prediction of phytoplankton dynamics in the North Sea she applied sophisticated statistical methods, such as wavelet analysis and Generalized Additive Modeling (GAM) to analyze the relation between phytoplankton variability and environmental variability. The results provide valuable insights for phytoplankton monitoring strategies and modeling.


At Deltares Anouk has lead and participated in many national and international projects on marine phytoplankton. These included studies aiming at reduction of eutrophication in the North Sea, the Philippines and the Sea of Marmara using Delft3D modeling. Also she used Delft3D to estimate carrying capacity for shellfish aquaculture in Dutch, Irish and Scottish waters. She led the European research project HABES developing fuzzy logic models for harmful algal bloom prediction of the dominant harmful algal species in Europe. Subsequently she participated in the development of a harmful algal bloom information service for the Eastern Scheldt in the Netherlands combining operational Delft3D modeling, with near real time satellite remote sensing and field measurements. Within the European research project CITCLOPS she contributed to the application of citizen science to assess marine water quality.


At present Anouk Blauw works as a Senior Scientist, responsible for Deltares’ activities in the field of phytoplankton monitoring strategy and harmful algal bloom prediction and health impacts of marine water quality, with smart combinations of monitoring data and ecological models.

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