Profile

My research combines knowledge of ecological processes, advanced statistics and collaboration with stakeholders at the interface between natural, social and economic science to solve pressing management questions. I enjoy the process of unraveling challenges to understanding and managing ecosystems through quantifying ecosystem processes and subsequently considering how to adapt human activities to achieve stated objectives. I focus my work in four areas: 

• Linking changes in ecosystems to natural variation, population dynamics and human impacts
• Developing and using indicators for biodiversity, food webs and pelagic ecosystems, predator and prey growth and condition, species distribution and measures of natural mortality
• Defining management objectives and advice to achieve these in a way that is robust to ecosystem changes by developing and analysing indicators in a full ecosystem context and developing and using ways to address trade-offs between management objectives
• Ecosystem based advice that is scientifically justifiable, reflects wider societal objectives and is feasible in a cooperative management setting.

Other information

Invited expert to CAMEO workshops on predator–prey interactions and surplus production modelling (2010, 2011); Invited expert to Development of Technical Guidelines for the Provision of Scientific Advice on the Various Elements of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Precautionary Approach Framework (2012); Keynote speaker at ICES/NAFO Gadoid Fisheries Symposium (2013); Invited expert to meetings on ecosystem based management in the European Commision Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (2015, 2019), Directorate-General for Environment (2016) and the European Parliament (2016); Invited expert to Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance workshops (2018, 2019); Invited expert to NOAA workshop to explore multispecies models in support of fisheries management (2020).

Working groups and workshops using biological knowledge in advice for small pelagic fish: Working group on demersal stocks in the North Sea and Skagerrak (1998-1999, 2010-2012), Herring Assessment Working Group (2013-2020), benchmarks on sandeel (2010, 2016) and sprat (2013, 2018) and Workshop to review the ICES advisory framework for short lived species (2019).

Working groups and workshops incorporating multispecies interactions in fisheries advice: ICES Working Group on Multispecies Assessment (2008-2020, co-chair 2009-2012), Workshop on North Sea and Baltic Sea Multispecies Trade-offs (2012, chair), ICES Benchmark Workshop on Baltic Multispecies Assessments (2014, chair) and joint ICES-MYFISH Workshop to consider the basis for FMSY ranges for all stocks (2015, chair).

Working groups providing advice on ecological impacts of fishing: ICES Working Group on Ecosystem Effects of Fisheries (1999, 2012-2020, chair 2014-2016), ICES workshop to review the 2010 Commission Decision on criteria and methodological standards on good environmental status (GES) of marine waters; Descriptor 4 Foodwebs I and II (2014-2015, chair), Workshop on providing a method to aggregate species within species groups for the assessment of GES for MSFD D1 (2016, chair), Advice drafting group on Fisheries Benthic Trade-Offs (2017), OSPAR Fish Group (2019-2020).

Language Skills:
Danish
English