Youssef Saadaoui
My research explores how plant traits and microbial processes interact to shape carbon dynamics in estuarine and coastal ecosystems. I am particularly interested in the role of root oxygen loss (ROL) and root exudation in regulating greenhouse gas fluxes under varying environmental conditions. During my PhD, I developed a trait-based, process-oriented model that integrates these biotic interactions with abiotic drivers such as soil moisture and temperature.
At Hereon, within the AGRIO project, I focus on coupling biogeochemical and hydrodynamic models to better understand the carbon and greenhouse gas dynamics along the river-ocean continuum of the Elbe North Sea system. My work aim to bridge terrestrial level physiological processes with system-scale modeling, contributing to scenario analyses of estuarine responses to anthropogenic and climatic pressure.
My research focuses on:
• Trait-Based modeling of plant-soil-microbe interactions in marsh ecosystems
• The role of root oxygen loss and exudation in shaping carbon fluxes
• Coupled hydrodynamic-biogeochemical modeling using tools like SCHISM and FABM
• The response of estuarine systems to climate variability and direct anthropogenic stressors
2025 | Doctorat (Dr. rer. Nat.) In ecological modeling | Universität Hamburg, Germany |
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2021 – 2024 | Research associate at Fakultät für Mathematik, Informatik und Naturwissenschaften | Universität Hamburg, Germany |
2018 | Research stay at UPC School | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona Spain |
2016 -2018 | Master’s degree M. Sc. in environmental engineering and water management | EUROMED University of Fes, Morocco |
2012 -2016 | Bachelor’s degree B. Sc. in plant biotechnology | Ibn Zohr university, Agadir, Morocco |