Biography 

Dr Cees Laban is marine geologist. He was between 1968 and 1996 employed by the Geological Survey of the Netherlands as deputy head and head of the Marine Geology Division, and between 1996 and 2005 head of the Marine Geology Department of Netherlands Institute of Applied Geoscience-TNO, and manager of the Business Unit Geology. Between 2007 and 2015 director of the company Marine Sampling Holland. Since July 1st 2009 he is owner of Marine Geological Advice.

He has been involved in reconnaissance and applied mapping programmes of the Dutch sector of the North Sea, and applied geological studies for beach nourishment, sand and gravel exploration, sediment transport processes, coastal erosion, artificial islands and coastal extensions in the North Sea. He was involved in the marine geological aspects of dredging projects in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Ecuador, Nigeria, Suriname, Singapore, Myanmar, the Dutch Carribean islands, and Indonesia.  Furthermore he was participant of ocean expeditions in the Atlantic Ocean and the Antarctic, and leader of expeditions in the offshore zones of the Dutch Caribbean islands and Greenland.

He has been and is involved in EU-financed projects in The Southern North Sea Project (stratigraphy, data-management), Baltic Sea MASS (marine geological and geo-chemical studies), WADSIS; TRAPESE; Black Sea Scene 1 and 2 and Caspian Sea (CASPScience (both marine geology and data-management); EU-SEASED;EUROSEISMIC;GEOSEAS.

Memberships:

  • Member EEZ Task Force 2003-2008
  • Editor geological magazine Grondboor & Hamer 1988-
  • Member Advisory Board Centre of Excellence REA, Polish Geological Institute 2003-2011
  • Chairman EGS Marine Contact Group 2004-2009
  • Steering Committee Interreg MESH 2005-2007
  • Chairman Dutch Ocean Group Foundation 2006-
  • Treasurer Committee Van der Lijn, Hellinga and Boelens 2006-
  • Teacher environment at Skilltrade 2007-
  • Chairman European Marine Sand & Gravel Group (EMSAGG) 2012-
  • Member Steering Committee European Marine Sand & Gravel group 1998-
  • Advisor Sea going equipment Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research 2000-2015
  • Member Waddenacademie-Geowetenschappen 2008-2009
  • Member Advisory Board EU-project GeoSeas 2011-2012
  • Member National Vetting Committee vor Nederland - Accreditatie European Federation of Geologists (EFG) 2013-
  • Commissioner of Marine Information Service (MARIS) 2013-
Awards
  • August 2010 honorairy professor at Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, Geological Survey China 
  • September 2008 Qingdao City Award
  • September 2009  Certificate of Friendship PR of China
  • September 2016 Awarded by the Polish Geological Instuitute
  • November 2020 Waterschoot van der Grachtpenning

Editing experience:

1969-1974 Macro, editorial board 
1974-1988 

Aarde & Kosmos, editor 

1979-1982  Het Spectrum, Encyclopedie van de natuur van Europa, editor  

1981-1985 

Spiegel der Natuur, editor 
1988-2005  Mens & Wetenschap, editor 
2005-2006  Explore, editor 
1988-present  Grondboor & Hamer, editor