GiMaRIS Marine Research Inventory & Strategy

Since 2006 GiMaRIS specialises in marine research, inventory, & strategy solutions focusing on consultancy next to international monitoring projects and rapid assessments in temperate Atlantic and in Indo-Pacific waters. More recently marine invasive species projects have been the main focus because of the dramatically increasing impact that these species have had on temperate water ecosystems around the world. Substantial ecological and economical damage has been caused by the introduction of invasive marine species and their diseases, parasites, and predators. These invaders can e.g. threaten public health, be a great nuisance for tourists, and cause substantial damage to aquacultural organisations and other companies as fouling organisms that overgrow shellfish, boats, floating docks and sluices, or hamper through-flow within pipes and water channels.

The additive value of GiMaRIS becomes most apparent in projects in which correct species identifications are of the uttermost importance. Misidentifications and incomplete biodiversity assays have caused companies to unwillingly and unknowingly take unnecessary high risks when applying for tenders or when proceeding with their maritime activities and constructions. Vice versa, risks may be much lower than expected when for example so-called endangered species turn out to be invasive species or when they are known for a preference for disturbed environments. Natural regeneration mechanisms that depend on certain species being present, play a critical role in the vulnerability of ecosystems and their ability to restore after a disturbance. In support of fieldwork research, the GiMaRIS laboratory that was opened May 2008 in the Leiden BioScience Park, enables aquarium studies and molecular analyses to be done instantly.

Fundamental research and public education form an important part of GiMaRIS. Over the years the fundamental research at and for GiMaRIS has mostly been done by students from the studies Biology (Institute of Biology, Leiden University), BioInformatics (Leiden University of Applied Sciences), Molecular diagnostics (TOPlab, Leiden University of Applied Sciences), Coastal Zone Management (Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, part of Wageningen University and Research Centre), Aquatic Ecotechnology (HZ University of Applied Sciences, Vlissingen), and Forestry and Nature Management (Helicon Velp). To stay in touch with the scientific community, industry, politicians and the general public, research results are published through a variety of media including the worldwide web, newspapers, governmental reports, popular scientific magazines and SCI-journals. The multidisciplinary research projects of GiMaRIS involve, mostly in cooperation with other SMEs like MatureDevelopment, Maad Advies and TPS, theoretical methodology development, invasive species risk assessments, short and long term marine monitoring projects, and consultancy for the purpose of providing marine research, inventory, & strategy solutions according to the People-Planet-Profit philosophy.

The founder of GiMaRIS, Dr. A. Gittenberger, has worked for e.g. the national natural history museums of The Netherlands (Naturalis), France (MNHN), and the USA (Smithsonian), for National Geographic magazine (USA), AtosOrigin, Expert Centre of Taxonomic Identification (ETI), The ANEMOON Foundation, the Netherlands Central Bureau of Statistics, and in the EU Networks MARBEF, BIOCOMBE, EDIT, Green Spider Network, WORMS, and FRONTIERS. The company’s clients include the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management; the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality; The European Shellfish industry; CABI; IMARES Institute for Marine Resources & Ecosystem Studies; the Dutch Institute for Delta Technology Deltares, and the marine research institutes of the European MarPACE project that is coordinated by the Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ). In addition GiMaRIS aims at studying biodiversity patterns with marine and brackish water from a holistic point of view by actively working and cooperating with MESA+, Institute for Nano-technology, Twente University; the Center for Functional Nanostructures, University of Karlsruhe; the Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programmes; the Institute of Biology, Leiden University; the University of Applied Sciences Leiden; the Coastal Zone Management study, Van Hall Institute, Leeuwarden; and the SMEs TPS and MatureDevelopment.

The multidisciplinary research:
* Methodology development
* Molecular analyses
* Invasive species risk assessments
* Organisation and coordination of short and long term marine monitoring projects
* Organisation and coordination of public awareness activities / events
* Consultancy: marine research, inventory, & strategy solutions
* Construction of customized marine monitoring equipment
* Use of research vehicles, boats, ROVs, fouling plates, Van Veen grabs, plankton & seize nets
* Aquarium based experiments
* Transect based monitoring
* Database and website design (e.g. The Dutch Ascidians Website; The SANTO2006 expedition blog; Gastropod Parasites of Corals)

- The invasive American ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi video

GiMaRIS
* Visiting address & GiMaRIS laboratory: BioScience Park Leiden, J.H. Oortweg 21, 2333 CH Leiden, The Netherlands
* GiMaRIS administration office: Karolusgulden 24, 2353 TA Leiderdorp, The Netherlands.
* Phone: +31-6-29032229 / +31-71-3322275 * Fax: +31-71-3322275 * Email: Info@GiMaRIS.com
* Chamber of Commerce / KvK nr. 28111249 * BIK-code: 73101 * VAT/BTW nr. NL.1755.98.216.B01
* Bank: ABNAMRO; BIC/SWIFT: ABNANL2A; IBAN: NL17ABNA0479605696