Mareike has a strong background in Marine Biology and is a passionate research diver. She specialises in tropical marine ecology and has previously worked in reef restoration with a focus on artificial reefs and reintroducing populations of the long-spined sea urchins in the Caribbean Netherlands. She is currently interested in finding antagonistic candidates that have the potential to improve coral holobiont health under environmental stress, thereby reducing coral bleaching. For her MSc thesis Mareike will be investigating the short-term effects of probiotics on the coral holobiont functioning with an emphasis on nitrogen pathways (nitrogen fixation and denitrification).