Sara De Clerck

Sara De Clerck

Doctoral Researcher | Marine mammal top predator ecology | Faroe Islands <-> Greenland

Kapellen, Flemish Region, Belgium
491 followers 462 connections

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About

I am a young marine biologist with a lot of experience. My goal to become a marine mammal researcher has brought me around the globe - from sitting in the field, or on a research vessel, to sitting behind a desk. Together with some confidence and persistence, I reached my goal.

I am currently working on my PhD on the Faroe Islands. The project focusses on top predator (killer whales, pilot whales and dolphins) ecology in the North Atlantic Ocean, and is in collaboration with Greenland. The project is perfect for me, as I am an enthusiastic team player, eager to learn and always up for a challenge.

Activity

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Experience

  • Grønlands Naturinstitut Graphic

    PHD Student

    Grønlands Naturinstitut

    - Present 2 years 2 months

    Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

    My PhD fellowship is part of the project 'Marine top predators as ecosystem indicators in the central North Atlantic' (TOPLINK) funded by the Research Council Faroe Islands (https://www.gransking.fo/en/). TOPLINK is a collaboration between the Faroe Islands and Greenland. I am based at Havstovan, the Faroe Marine Research Institute, but work closely together with colleagues from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources.

    I aim to increase knowledge on the Atlantic white-sided dolphin,…

    My PhD fellowship is part of the project 'Marine top predators as ecosystem indicators in the central North Atlantic' (TOPLINK) funded by the Research Council Faroe Islands (https://www.gransking.fo/en/). TOPLINK is a collaboration between the Faroe Islands and Greenland. I am based at Havstovan, the Faroe Marine Research Institute, but work closely together with colleagues from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources.

    I aim to increase knowledge on the Atlantic white-sided dolphin, white-beaked dolphin, long-finned pilot whale, and orca, within my research area, the East-Greenland-Iceland-Faroe-Scotland Ridge. Fieldwork is carried out in the Faroe Islands, as well as in East-Greenland, to collect samples from all four species. Additionally, we established a collaboration with Iceland.

  • University of Antwerp Graphic

    PHD Student/Project Officer

    University of Antwerp

    - 1 year 1 month

    Antwerp, Belgium

    I was part of the bioengineering laboratory EUREC-Air, part of research group ENdEMIC, at the University of Antwerp. As project leader of citizen science project CLAIRE, my tasks ranged from contacting volunteers and running social media accounts, to analysing data and writing reports. CLAIRE aimed to identify the effect of slow roads on local air quality.

    Besides my duties for CLAIRE, I assisted in data collection for other projects, and wrote a grant proposal.

  • Teacher

    Stella Matutina

    - 3 months

    Wuustwezel

    I taught biology to pupils of the 4th (2nd grade) and 6th (3rd grade) year.

  • Student Job

    Radarwerk

    - 1 year 11 months

    Belgium

  • Smooth Communication Graphic

    Student Job

    Smooth Communication

    - 1 year 11 months

    Belgium

  • Sunny Europe N.V. Graphic

    Student Job

    Sunny Europe N.V.

    - 7 months

    Antwerp Area, Belgium

  • Student Job

    Hof Leverancier

    - 1 month

    Ekeren, Belgium

Education

  • Háskóli Íslands Graphic

    Háskóli Íslands

    Master's degree International Master of Science in Marine Biological Resources

    -

    I spent four months at the Icelandic university to work on my master thesis.

  • Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology Graphic

    Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology

    Master's degree International Master of Science in Marine Biological Resources

    -

    - Specialization track: Applied Marine Ecology and Conservation.
    - Courses covered a broad range; from ecology to policy and governance,
    from statistics to genomics, from acoustic monitoring to population
    assessment techniques.
    - Many aspects such as fieldwork, labwork, teamwork, individual work, etc.
    - Master thesis: The effects of noise on the acoustic behaviour of killer
    whales in Iceland (University of Iceland).

  • Ghent University Graphic

    Ghent University

    Master's degree Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography

    -

    - Specialization track: Applied Marine Ecology and Conservation.
    - Courses covered a broad range; from ecology to policy and governance,
    from statistics to genomics, from acoustic monitoring to population
    assessment techniques.
    - Many aspects such as fieldwork, labwork, teamwork, individual work, etc.
    - Master thesis: The effects of noise on the acoustic behaviour of killer
    whales in Iceland (University of Iceland).

  • University of Antwerp Graphic

    University of Antwerp

    Bachelor's degree Biology, General

    -

    Activities and Societies: For three years I was board member at Fabiant (Faculteit Biologie Antwerpen), the student association club for biology at the University of Antwerp.

    - Covering all general biology topics.
    - Good basic to start the master programme.
    - Variety of labwork, fieldwork and lectures.
    - Bachelor thesis: Personality in natal multimammate mouse (Tanzania).

Licenses & Certifications

Volunteer Experience

  • A Seal Stellendam, zeehondenopvang en bezoekerscentrum Graphic

    Seal care assistant

    A Seal Stellendam, zeehondenopvang en bezoekerscentrum

    - Present 4 years 1 month

    Animal Welfare

    I help taking care of rescued seal pups to get them ready to go back to the sea. I prepare food, help them feeding and weighing. Further, a lot of material has to be washed, as well as the enclosures.

  • Research Assistant

    Far Out Ocean Research Collect

    - 1 month

    Science and Technology

    I collected data through offshore boat-based seabird and mega fauna surveys, as well as through acoustic recordings and CTD's.

  • Research Assistant

    Icelandic Orca Project

    - 1 month

    Science and Technology

    Being skipper of a small RIB (rigid inflatable boat) and behavioural observer were my main roles during this field season. These boat-based surveys had to be prepared (such as making sure the boat had enough fuel, etc.). There also had to be taken care of the volunteers and an I occasionally helped with the land-based surveys.

  • Research Assistant

    Icelandic Winter Whales

    - 1 month

    Science and Technology

    I was field assistant mainly collecting data, driving, driving the boat and processing data.

  • Research Assistant

    Icelandic Orca Project

    - 1 month

    Science and Technology

    I carried out land based fieldwork, doing land-based surveys focussing on marine mammals, mainly killer whales. Going for groceries and cooking with volunteers was also part of the job.

  • DMAD - Marine Mammals Research Organisation Graphic

    Intern

    DMAD - Marine Mammals Research Organisation

    - 3 months

    Environment

    I participated in fieldwork and data analysis. A lot of experience was gained regarding marine mammal research. With a small group we worked out a research question and made a report about this.

  • Leidster

    Scouts

    - 2 years 1 month

    Children

    Teamwork, creativity, communication and flexibility

  • Praesidiumlid

    Studentenclub Fabiant

    - 2 years 11 months

    Communication and teamwork were key to organise different events. Creativity, student support, planning.

Projects

  • Acoustic study killer whales

    -

    Project title: The effects of noise on the acoustic behaviour of killer
    whales in Iceland.

    Vestmannaeyjar & Reykjavik, Iceland

  • Rocky shore community in Sweden

    -

    Project title: Biotic and abiotic factors affecting community composition of the rocky shores of Saltӧ.

    Saltӧ, Sweden

  • Striped dolphin presence Adriatic Sea

    -

    Project title: Photo-identification of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) in Montenegrin waters.

    Bar, Montenegro

  • Behavioural study multimammate mouse

    -

    Project title: Personality in natal multimammate mouse.

    Morogoro, Tanzania

Languages

  • Dutch

    Native or bilingual proficiency

  • English

    Professional working proficiency

  • French

    Elementary proficiency

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