Wouter Courtens has been working as an ornithologist in the seabird team of the Institute for Nature and Forest Research (INBO) since 2003. This team studies the occurrence of seabirds at sea and the influence of human activities (such as wind turbines, oil pollution and plastics) and food availability on seabird populations. The research also includes the monitoring of coastal breeding birds (such as gulls and terns) and of the population dynamics, food ecology and habitat use of these species. Initially these were mainly Belgian projects, but in the meantime a lot of research is being done in the Netherlands as well. Wouter also has extensive expertise in breeding bird monitoring, including long-term projects around meadow, marsh and reed birds.