Friday, October 24, 12:00h – 14:00h (lunch time)
Workshop Description:
“Dive into a drop of water and experience the world of plankton! Equip yourself with traits. Fight microscopic monsters. Survive environmental challenges. Cooperate with others… but remember, there can only be one winner!”
This is a serious game developed by the Phytoplankton Research Group, led by D. Van de Waal, at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology, to teach the principles of trait-based ecology through the fascinating world of plankton. It is a deck-building game where players represent different algal groups. As you build your deck by acquiring new traits, you will enhance your resilience against a range of abiotic and biotic stressors. Throughout the game, you’ll face off against “microscopic monsters,” adapt to shifting environmental conditions, and navigate a landscape where collaboration and competition go hand in hand. While you may choose to cooperate with fellow players—or even sabotage their progress—only one can ultimately emerge victorious. This engaging and educational game offers a unique opportunity to explore the diversity and adaptability of plankton, making complex ecological concepts accessible and memorable through interactive play.
Program:
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- Short introduction about trait-based ecology and the game.
- Playing the game.
Presenter Details:
Name: Arnaud Louchart
Title: Postdoc researcher
Affiliations: Netherlands Institute of Ecology
Biography: Arnaud Louchart works as a postdoc at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology. His research has focused on the functional ecology of phytoplankton, particularly on how functional traits respond to variations (at small spatial and temporal scales) and changes (at large spatial and temporal scales) in abiotic parameters, with the aim of integrating the consequences of these responses across ecological scales, from individuals to ecosystems.
Name: Andrea Budiša.
Title: Postdoc researcher.
Affiliations: Netherlands Institute of Ecology.
Biography: Andrea Budiša is a postdoctoral researcher at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology. She studies how phytoplankton communities and individual species deemed harmful respond to global change factors, such as climate warming and nutrient enrichment. Her work explores how multiple drives and their combinations shape bloom dynamics and community structure. By integrating community-level analyses with single-species experiments, she aims to gain a better understanding of the resilience, adaptability, and ecological consequences of phytoplankton under changing environmental conditions.
Register Now:
Registration will be done directly to the coordinator´s email adress :
Arnaun Louchart; e-mail: a.louchart@nioo.knaw.nl
Andrea Budiša ; e-mail: a.budisa@nioo.knaw.nl
Notice: Workshops are held with a maximum of 35 people. Registration will close when the maximum capacity is reached.
Contact: Please contact us if you have any further question.
