Michael Fettweis

Michael Fettweis is a senior scientist working on the fluxes and the interactions of suspended mineral and organic particles and dissolved substances (nutrients).

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Function

Currently, Michael works as a marine geologist at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, where he focuses on the physical, sedimentological and biogeochemical dynamics of suspended particles in marine and estuarine environments. He uses numerical models, remote sensing products and in situ to investigate the land-ocean transition zone and its importance in the global carbon cycle. His research involves the organization and execution of multidisciplinary measuring campaigns at sea.

Research team: Ecodam
Research theme: Science for a sustainable marine management

Area of Expertise

Michael has expertise in the natural variability of fine-grained particle transport due to physical and biological processes along the land-ocean transition. It includes the interaction of organic and mineral particles, flocculation and the sinking and transport of particles and the coastal ocean carbon cycle. His works leads to the optimization of measuring strategies and to the assessment of the representativeness of point measurements considering the temporal and spatial variability of all involved processes. His research is embedded in the sustainable use of marine ecosystems and in understanding and quantifying the threads due to human activities and climate change.

Professional Experience

Michael has worked since more than 35 years in oceanography and engineering, from which 8 years at a consultancy company (IMDC) and the rest in academic research (KULeuven and RBINS). He has been the chief scientist of more than 100 measuring campaigns at sea, has organized workshops and was the coordinator of several national research projects and partner in international ones. In 2019 he received the JJ Mehta award for outstanding contributions to observations and insights on coastal cohesive sediments transport.

Dissemination activities

Video : A universe of particles in a sip of sea water

Publication highlights

Desmit X, Schartau M, Terseleer N, Van der Zande D, Riethmüller R, Fettweis M. 2024. The transition between coastal and offshore areas in the North Sea unraveled by the suspended particle composition. Science of the Total Environment 915, 169966. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.169966

Fettweis M, Schartau M, Desmit X, Lee BJ, Terseleer N, Van der Zande D, Parmentier K, Riethmüller R. 2022. Organic matter composition of biomineral flocs and its influence on suspended particulate matter dynamics along a nearshore to offshore transect. Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences, 126, e2021JG006332. doi:10.1029/2021JG006332

Fettweis M, Riethmüller R, Verney R, Becker M et al. 2019. Uncertainties associated with in situ long-term observations of suspended particulate matter concentration using optical and acoustic sensors. Progress in Oceanography, 178, 102162. doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2019.102162

Fettweis M, Baeye M. 2015. Seasonal variation in concentration, size and settling velocity of muddy marine flocs in the benthic boundary layer. Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans, 120, 5648-5667. doi:10.1002/2014JC010644

Fettweis M, Nechad B, Van den Eynde D. 2007. An estimate of the suspended particulate matter (SPM) transport in the southern North Sea using SeaWiFS images, in-situ measurements and numerical model results. Continental Shelf Research 27, 1568-1583. doi:10.1016/j.csr.2007.01.017