Tom Buijse

Specialist in freshwater ecosystem health and restoration

+31(0)6 2387 9381

Tom.Buijse@deltares.nl

Prof. Dr. Tom Buijse (1962) is a specialist in ecological restoration of inland waters and fish-based assessment. He graduated from Wageningen University in 1987 as population biologist and obtained his PhD degree in 1992 on fish population dynamics in a large shallow freshwater lake. From 1993 onwards his research and consultancy concentrated on ecological rehabilitation of large rivers such as the Rhine, Danube and Volga and fish communities as indicator for freshwater ecosystem quality. His expertise on the potential to restore freshwater ecosystems was subsequently applied to implement the European Water Framework Directive in the Netherlands and to develop fish-based assessment methods for rivers. He has 50+ peer-reviewed scientific publications and H-index of 29 (Google Scholar 2020). April 2020 he has been appointed as extraordinary professor freshwater fish ecology at the WUR to optimize fish resources and species diversity in inland waters

His present research focuses on the hydromorphological rehabilitation of rivers and tuning the implementation of environmental legislation with other socio-economic demands such as flood protection and navigation and fisheries management. From 2011-2015 he coordinated the 4-yr large integrated EU-funded research project REFORM (Restoring Rivers for Effective Catchment Management) involving 26 European partners. He was the prime organizer of and guest-editor for international conferences on “Large river rehabilitation” in 2003 and on “Novel Approaches to Assess and Rehabilitate Modified Rivers” in 2015. His 30-yrs research and consultancy experience covers rivers, floodplains, lakes and deltas.

Click here for Google Scholar Citations.

Working experience

2008 - present	Deltares	Department of Freshwater Ecology & Water Quality, specialist ecology.
1998 - 2008	Rijkswaterstaat - RIZA	Ecology Department, senior advisor/specialist.
1993 - 1998	Rijkswaterstaat - RIZA	Research Department, senior researcher.
1992 - 1993	Wageningen University	Department of Fish Culture and Fisheries. Vice-project coordinator; responsible for scientific support of research projects in developing countries.
1987 - 1993	Wageningen University	Department of Fish Culture and Fisheries. Ph.D. - student

REFORM - Restoring Rivers for Effective Catchment Management

Europe, 2011 - Present

EC FP7 (Grant no 282656). Role Project coördinator.
EFI+ - Extending the European Fish Index

Europe, 2007 - 2009

(EC-FP6). Role: chair of the advisory board; scientific partner.
Directorate General for Water

The Netherlands, 2006 - 2010

• Directorate General for Water, Rijkswaterstaat: policy-supporting consultancy and research on ecological issues. Role: project coordinator
• Knowledge strategy Ecology & Water-relate nature (2008). Role: organisator
• Intercalibration (see abroad); Benelux Order free fish migration). Role: national representative
• Support fish-related policy issues e.g. prioritising fish migration routes, fish guidance for hydropower. Role: project coordinator, consultant
Changing flood pulse dynamics and their impact on fish recruitment in large rivers

Russian Federation, 2005 - 2009

Volga, Russia
Research project financed by NWO. Role: project employee
Rijkswaterstaat: Implementation WFD (metrics, monitoring measures, effectiveness of measures, climate-proof, GEP for heavily modified and artificial large water bodies)

The Netherlands, 2005 - present

Roles: coordinator (2005 -2009); specialist regarding fish as ecological indicator
Quality assurance (2010 – Present)
AME Fish-Based Assessment for the Ecological State of European Rivers (EC-FP 5)

Europe, 2002 - 2004

Role: applied partner
Ecology of Floodplain Lakes

The Netherlands, 1998 - 2002

Cooperation between RWS-RIZA and Wageningen University to identify steering variables, that influence the ecological states of floodplain lakes along the River Rhine. This to develop guidelines for conservation and rehabilitation.
Role: project leader.
Evaluation of the Rehabilitation of the Ven Duna side channel

Hungary, 1997 - 2002

Gemenc National Park, Donau
Cooperation with Vituki (Budapest)
Role: project leader
Opportunities for rheophilic fish

The Netherlands, 1996 - 2001

Cooperation between RWS-RIZA, Wageningen University en the Organisation for Improvement of Inland Fisheries. Assessing the potential of river rehabilitation projects for fish communities in large lowland rivers.
Role: project leader.
Ecological rehabilitation of polders and evaluation of the ecological state of lakes in the Danube delta

Rumania, 1994 - 2003

Interdisciplinaire cooperation between the Danube Delta National Institute, the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority en RWS-RIZA.
2002-2003: project leader
994-2001: project employee

Fish recruitment in a large, temperate floodplain: the importance of annual flooding, temperature and habitat complexity

2011
Górski, K., J.J. De Leeuw, H.V. Winter, D.A. Vekhov, A.E. Minin, A.D. Buijse & L.A.J. Nagelkerke (2011). Freshwater Biology. 56: 2210–2225. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2427.2011.02647.
Post-damming flow regime development in a large lowland river (Volga, Russian Federation)

2011
Górski, K., L.V. Van Den Bosch, K.E. Van De Wolfshaar, H. Middelkoop, L.A.J. Nagelkerke, O.V. Filippov, D.V. Zolotarev, D.A. Vekhov, S.V. Yakovlev, A.E. Minin, H.V. Winter, J.J. De Leeuw, A.D. Buijse & J.A.J. Verreth (2011) Implications for floodplain inundation and fisheries. River Research and Applications DOI: 10.1002/rra.1499
Trophic gradients in a large-river delta: ecological structure determined by connectivity gradients in the Danube Delta (Romania)

2008
Coops, H., L.L. Buijse, A.D. Buijse, A. Constantinescu, S. Covaliov, J. Hanganu, B.W. Ibelings, G. Menting, I. Navodaru, W. Oosterberg, M. Staras & L. Török (2008). River research & applications 24: 698–709.
Fast response of lake plankton and nutrients to river inundations on floodplain lakes

2008
Roozen, F.C.J.M., E.T.H.M. Peeters, R. Roijackers, I. van den Wyngaert, H. Wolters, H. de Coninck, B.W. Ibelings, A.D. Buijse & M. Scheffer (2008). River research & applications 24: 388–406.
Challenges in developing fish-based ecological assessment methods for large floodplain rivers

2007
Leeuw, J. J. de, A.D. Buijse, G. Haidvogl, M. Lapinska, R. Noble, R. Repecka, T. Virbickas, W. Wiśniewolski & C. Wolter (2007). Fisheries Management and Ecology 14: 483–494.
Rehabilitating large regulated rivers

2005
Buijse, A.D., F. Klijn, R.S.E.W. Leuven, H. Middelkoop, F. Schiemer, J.H. Thorp & H.P. Wolfert [eds.] (2005) Archiv für Hydrobiologie Supplement 155 (Large Rivers 15). 738 pp.
Succession of aquatic vegetation driven by reduced water-level fluctuations in floodplain lakes

2005
Geest, G. J. van, H. Coops; R.M.M. Roijackers; A.D. Buijse & M. Scheffer (2005). Journal of Applied Ecology 42: 251-260.
Vegetation abundance in lowland floodplain lakes determined by surface area, age and connectivity

2003
Geest, G.J. van, F.C.J.M. Roozen, H. Coops, R.M.M. Roijackers, A.D. Buijse, E.T.H.M. Peeters & M. Scheffer. 2003. Freshwater Biology 48: 440-454.
Suitable habitats for 0-group fish in rehabilitated floodplains along the lower River Rhine

2003
Suitable habitats for 0-group fish in rehabilitated floodplains along the lower River Rhine
Lake age and water level affect turbidity of floodplain lakes along the lower Rhine

2003
Roozen, F.C.J.M., G.J. van Geest, B.W. Ibelings, R. Roijackers, M. Scheffer & A.D. Buijse. 2003. Freshwater Biology 48: 519-531.

2011- present	member Steering group	The Netherlands. Dutch Platform Stream and River Restoration.
2011- present	PresentDeltares research coordinator eco-engineering	The Netherlands.
2008 - 2010	Deltares Deputy head of the department of Freshwater Ecology and Water Quality	The Netherlands.
2006 - 2008	coordinator lowland-midland GIG, national representative	Europe. WFD - Intercalibration River Fish.
2006 - 2008	Secretary	the Netherlands. Interministerial Directors Consultation regarding fish-related issues.
2002 -2005	Coordinator	‘Rehabilitating large regulated rivers’. Organising an international conference and guest-editor of peer-reviewed proceedings.
2006 - 2010	National epresentative	Belgium. Benelux expert group fish migration.
1998 - 2009	expert group fish; role: Netherlands representative	Germany. International Commission for Protection of the Rhine (expert group fish; role: Netherlands representative)

Tom Buijse

Working experience

REFORM - Restoring Rivers for Effective Catchment Management

EFI+ - Extending the European Fish Index

Directorate General for Water

Changing flood pulse dynamics and their impact on fish recruitment in large rivers

Rijkswaterstaat: Implementation WFD (metrics, monitoring measures, effectiveness of measures, climate-proof, GEP for heavily modified and artificial large water bodies)

AME Fish-Based Assessment for the Ecological State of European Rivers (EC-FP 5)

Ecology of Floodplain Lakes

Evaluation of the Rehabilitation of the Ven Duna side channel

Opportunities for rheophilic fish

Ecological rehabilitation of polders and evaluation of the ecological state of lakes in the Danube delta

Fish recruitment in a large, temperate floodplain: the importance of annual flooding, temperature and habitat complexity

Post-damming flow regime development in a large lowland river (Volga, Russian Federation)

Trophic gradients in a large-river delta: ecological structure determined by connectivity gradients in the Danube Delta (Romania)

Fast response of lake plankton and nutrients to river inundations on floodplain lakes

Challenges in developing fish-based ecological assessment methods for large floodplain rivers

Rehabilitating large regulated rivers

Succession of aquatic vegetation driven by reduced water-level fluctuations in floodplain lakes

Vegetation abundance in lowland floodplain lakes determined by surface area, age and connectivity

Suitable habitats for 0-group fish in rehabilitated floodplains along the lower River Rhine

Lake age and water level affect turbidity of floodplain lakes along the lower Rhine

Activities