Sien Van Der Plank

Dr. Sien Van Der Plank is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Southampton's School of Geography and Environmental Science, holding an Anniversary Fellowship. She earned her PhD from the University of Southampton and holds degrees from the University of Oxford and Leiden University College. Her research focuses on coastal communities' adaptation to environmental changes, integrating qualitative methods, oral history, and citizen science. Key projects include:

• Resilience of Coastal Communities (ROCC): Enhancing marine resource-users' resilience to ecological and socio-cultural changes.
• More Than Maps: Global workshops empowering youth in climate adaptation research.
• SARTRAC: Addressing sargassum seaweed challenges in the tropical Atlantic.

Her work emphasizes transformational adaptation, policy analysis, and equitable stakeholder engagement. She has received awards including the FELS Dean's Prize for Public Engagement (2024) and leads initiatives like the Coastal Communities SMMI Special Interest Group.

Dr. Van Der Plank collaborates internationally, serving on the UK National Committee for the UN Decade of Ocean Science and as a Royal Geographical Society Fellow.