Becker, Tatiana

Position / Title

Part-Time Lecturer

Fields of Specialization

Marine Ecology
Environmental Sciences

Last updated July 8, 2025

Biography

Tatiana Becker is a part-time STEM lecturer in the Academic Foundation Year program at the University of Aruba. Tatiana holds a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Studies from the Inholland University of Applied Sciences and a Master's Degree in Aquaculture and Marine Resource Management from Wageningen University. She is passionate and interested in researching Marine Ecology.

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6

Beach debris on Aruba, Southern Caribbean: Attribution to local land-based and distal marine-based sources
(Elsevier, 2016) de Scisciolo, Tobia; Mijts, Eric; Becker, Tatiana; Eppinga, Maarten
Accumulation of marine (plastic) debris from local land-based and distal marine-based sources along coastlines is a pressing modern issue. Hitherto, assessing the relative contribution of pollution sources through beach surveys is methodologically challenging. We surveyed ten beaches along the leeward and windward coastlines of Aruba (southern Caribbean) to determine differences in macro- and meso-debris densities. Differences were quantified using three metrics: 1) the gradient in macro-debris density away from the waterfront; 2) the proportion of plastic within macro-debris; 3) the meso-:macro-debris ratio. Overall 42,585 macro-debris items and 884 meso-debris items were collected. The density of near-shore macro-debris, proportion of plastic debris herein, and meso-:macro-debris ratio were highest on the windward coastline. These results suggest that southern Caribbean windward coastlines are mainly exposed to debris originating from distal marine-based sources, and leeward coastlines to local land-based sources. Our metrics clearly reflect these differences, providing novel means to survey debris source origin.
Beach debris on Aruba
(Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA),, 2016) Eppinga, Maarten; de Scisciolo, Tobia; Mijts, Eric; Becker, Tatiana
A large-scale study of beach debris on Aruba has shown just how much marine debris pollution there is on the island’s beaches. The study also locates the different sources of this debris, emphasizing the need for both local and global action.
Nutrient content of agricultural soils in SIS: A case study in Aruba
(University of Aruba and Utrecht University, 2023) Van den Berg, Stef; Becker, Tatiana; John, Nigel; Mijts, Eric
Carbon Sequestration - Engaging Youth in Science and Conservation
(2021-10) Becker, Tatiana; de Scisciolo, Tobia; Becker, Tatiana; de Scisciolo, Tobia
An inventory of Sustainable Development Projects in Aruba, Dutch Caribbean and the Caribbean Region (2018-2023)
(2023) Moreno Ramirez, Alejandra; Ulacio, Alexandra; Kusmus, Celia; Becker, Tatiana
How island researchers navigate the wicked nature of small island research. A conversation continued
(2025-06) Mertens, Anouk; Acevedo, Diego; Arens, Patrick; Becker, Tatiana; Brinklow, Laurie; de Scisciolo, Tobia; Drew, Ryan; Facun, Kryss; Hall, Iain; Halliday, Andrew Mark; John, Nigel; López Márquez, Violeta; McDonald, Anne; Mitchell, Jean; Moncada, Stefano; Noll, Dominik; Richardson, Yolanda; Sultan, Salys; van Veghel, Amber; Werleman, Stephanie; Mijts, Eric
Small islands across the globe face the direct consequences of climate change and alarming biodiversity loss. In this context, islands and islanders are sometimes framed as a “litmus test” or “the ideal laboratory” for experiments to advise larger continental areas on how to address the effects of climate change and the biodiversity crisis. Due to the specific island context, islanders are the primary problem solvers in addressing and mitigating these challenges, and finding ways to adapt to them; however, in the first place, to protect their territories, populations, ecosystems, and cultures. It is therefore crucial and urgent to adopt and integrate inter- and transdisciplinary scientific knowledge embedded within the local contexts. Given their leadership role, island-centred research by the local island-based knowledge institutes and researchers is key. Island-centred research should play a pivotal role in generating contextualized knowledge and solutions, whether or not embedded in reciprocal international partnerships with other knowledge institutes. In this presentation, we will dive deeper into the island researchers’ operating space for such island-centred research, based on insights from semi-structured interviews and interactive sessions with island researchers from a wide range of contexts and disciplines. Our data reveal that despite the many challenges of conducting research from within the islands (incl. availability and accessibility of data, or technical and logistic challenges, funding, etc.), island researchers have found an array of ways to overcome these challenges and to produce valuable and impactful results for their societies and the rest of the world. This contribution aims to be a conversation starter amongst island researchers from insular and continental (institutional) contexts to further strengthen productive and equal collaborations in island-centred research.