Marc Verdegem

Aquaculture Systems Management, Ph.D

Dr. Verdegem started his career more than 30 years ago. He holds a Ph.D. in Marine Sciences with specialization in Aquaculture (University of Puerto Rico). Until 1998 the focus was on tropical aquaculture development with facility design, training (at vocational and academic level), institution building and curriculum development as major activities. He was involved with the execution, coordination and management of numerous projects in the Caribbean, Central America, Africa and Asia. In 1999 he became lecturer at the Fish Culture and Fisheries Group of Wageningen University.

Dr. Verdegem is specialized in ‘aquaculture systems management’ and his research focuses on (1) closed (zero-effluent) aquaculture systems, looking in depth at feeding ecology and microbial processes and (2) open integrated multitrophic aquaculture systems, elucidating nutrient cycles. Present research deals with recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) resilience for Pangasius culture in Vietnam and Nile tilapia in Malaysia, microbial ecology of RAS, shrimp pond culture in Indonesia and mussel culture in the Dutch North sea. He is also study coordinator of the MSc course ‘Aquaculture and Fisheries’ of Wageningen University and teaches the master course ‘Aquaculture Production Systems’. In 2013, Dr. Verdegem received the highest Wageningen University award for his teaching. More than 70 master and 10 Ph.D. students finished their thesis under his supervision. At present, Dr. Verdegem is involved in the daily supervision of 5 Ph.D. students.
Dr. Verdegem is also chief editor of the journal ‘Aquaculture Research’ and member of the editorial board of the journal ‘Aquaculture’. He published more than 90 peer reviewed papers and contributed to numerous reports and presentations at conferences (for overview see www.library.wur.nl/way) .