Prof, Dr. Ann Vanreusel is head of the research group Marine Biology of Ghent University (BE). She's an expert in benthos research with a focus on meiofauna (nematodes) . Ann Vanreusel has focused her most recent research on the ecology of extreme marine environments including abyssal ecosystems including poly-metallic nodule areas, submarine canyons, cold water corals, cold seeps, polar deep-sea and Antarctic coastal systems.
She is participating to national and international projects related to deep-sea mining such as the EU project MIDAS and the Joint Programme Initiative on Oceans with a Pilot action on deep-sea mining.