Gerlien Verhaegen

Dr. Gerlien Verhaegen is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Greifswald's Zoological Institute and Museum, primarily based at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven. Her research centers on the ecology and evolution of aquatic invertebrates, with current focus on Southern Ocean gelatinous zooplankton diversity, distribution, and genetic connectivity.

Her research spans Marine Biology and Aquatic Ecology with expertise in Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, and Bioinformatics. She employs environmental DNA analysis, population genetics, and ecological niche modeling to investigate gelatinous zooplankton dynamics in polar marine ecosystems, contributing to understanding biodiversity patterns and climate change impacts in the Southern Ocean.