Company
Background
Water Insight was founded in 2005 by Steef Peters and Marnix Laanen in order to provide operational services to water management. Water remote sensing studies have been performed for years at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU). Using semi-analytical optical modeling techniques, it has been proven that concentrations of coloured water quality parameters, such as chlorophyll and total suspended matter, can be accurately retrieved from remote sensing data. Water remote sensing has now reached an operational level.
Marnix Laanen
Marnix Laanen (1973) holds an MSc in Physical Geography, graduated in 1996. Until 1999 he worked at Fugro Inpark as a Systems Engineer, mostly in web-related projects. From 1999 to 2004 he worked in a PhD position at the Institute of Environmental Studies (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam). After this, he set up Water Insight together with Steef. In 2007 he completed his dissertation titled "Yellow Matters - Improving the remote sensing of Coloured Dissolved Organic Matter in inland freshwaters". He therefore is an expert in inland water remote sensing, hand-held and laboratory optical measurements (with e.g. a PSICAM) and in characteristics of CDOM. Marnix is working full-time for Water Insight, dividing his time between project work, general management and development a.o. of the WISP-3 and the satellite data processor.
Steef Peters
Steef W.M. Peters (1957) is hydrologist, who finished his Phd research in 1995 at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. His dissertation is titled: Energy- and waterbalance modeling of a semi-arid area using remote sensing. Since 1995, Steef is a senior researcher and project leader remote sensing and water quality at the Insitute for Environmental Studies. He was project leader of the EU-FP5 project REVAMP. Since the foundation of Water Insight he works part time on project acquisition, management and implementation. He is a passionated Delphi and Matlab programmer.
Arjen Vrielink
Arjen Vrielink (1977) is a graduate of Wageningen University and holds MSc degrees in both 'Natural Resource Management in the Tropics' and 'Geo-information Science'. Arjen has extensive experience in (linux) system engineering, (satellite) image processing, web development and consulting. His job experience varies from the design and implementation of (Tropical) Forest Monitoring Systems with Imaging Radar to (technical) eLearning consultant. For both his jobs as a system engineer and as Sr. technical consultant he relied on his excellent (intercultural) communication skills. Based on his experience as an eLearning consultant, Arjen introduced state of the art collaboration tools for distributed teams and set up methods and tools for knowledge management for the Water Insight team. Arjen's core job at Water Insight is the design and implementation of the (satellite) image processing chain including structuring the collection, processing and dissemination of geospatial data. Furthermore, Arjen is responsible for the maintenance of the Water Insight IT systems having set up policies for monitoring & reporting, backup & storage, security and visualization.
Ate Poortinga
Ate Poortinga (1985) is a Msc graduate in Land Degradation and Development. His interests lay in the domain of geo information technology. He completed an internship at Water Insight integrating the DEMI-SEC evaporation model into the STREAM model. Ate works for one day a week at Water Insight, next to his PhD. research at the WUR.
Annelies Hommersom
Annelies Hommersom (1980) studied Environmental Sciences at the Wageningen University and Research Center. During her internship she worked with algae at the Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ); her Msc thesis was on water quality problems in river water at the St. Lawrence River Institute in Canada. In June 2010 she will defend her PhD thesis on remote sensing of the Wadden Sea for the Institute of Environmental Studies (IVM). Currently she works at Water Insight as project leader of the WISP-3 program.
Kathrin Poser
Kathrin Poser (1976) studied Environmental Sciences at the University of Potsdam. She also holds a M.Sc. degree in Photogrammetry and Geoinformatics from the University of Applied Sciences in Stuttgart. She is passionate about geospatial data and technology. Her job experience includes hydrological modelling, flood damage estimation and geographical data analysis and management, including web-based information systems.
Fritz van Deventer
Fritz van Deventer (1987) studied International Land and Water Management at the Wageningen University and is still studying for his MSc degree in Geo-Information Science. At Water Insight he is mostly involved with Web Development and Administration.