His extensive knowledge of this aquatic vegetation is applied to devise strategies, pilot experiments and many other activities on the major European projects the Centre is involved in, such as BIOSEA, SIMBA or INTEGRATE.

He holds a doctorate in natural sciences from the University of Radboud-Nijmegen, and also a biology degree from the University of Leiden (both in the Netherlands). He has lived in Spain since 2001, and has worked on national and international research projects in the ecology sector, and on the cultivation and applications of macroalgae.