Junior researcher and doctoral candidate at the Thünen Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries Rostock
Studies of Biology (BA) and Conservation, Restoration and Management of Biodiversity (MA) in Granada (Spain) | Volunteer in a Center for Primates (Spain) | Staff member Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary in Tasmania (Australia) | Internship in the Center Delfini del Ponenete Imperia (Italy) | Research Assistant Sociedad para el Estudio de los Cetáceos del Archipélago Canario (SECAC) Lanzarote (Spain) | Project staff member in the project PEARLNET- OP Thünen Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries Rostock | Research Assistant Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation (Samos, Greece) | since February 2022 Research assistant and PhD student at Thünen Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries Rostock on the topic of alternative fishing gear, especially fish traps.
In the STELLA2 project, I am working on the development of alternative fishing gear in the field of passive fishing. I am working on designing fish traps in such a way that only the desired fish is caught. The other fish species should not swim into the fish trap in the first place. To do this, I think about what the entrance to the trap should look like so that a cod or plaice fish will like it and the fish will be happy to swim into it. It's part of my creativity to put myself in the animal's place.
Every day is different and varied. I test the fish traps in various experiments. For this purpose, I observe how the fish behave with different traps during our field tests in Denmark and off Warnemünde. On land, I plan the deployment and sometimes also build the various trap entrances and restraining devices. To set the traps, I go out on the big research ships or fishing cutters. We film the fish with underwater cameras. Afterwards, I evaluate the video material. I'm still sifting through it myself. But we are also working on automatic fish recognition with artificial intelligence. I also write scientific papers and present my results at conferences. For example, I was in Kochi (India) at the symposium "Innovations in Fishing Technologies for sustainable and resilient fisheries" organized by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas.
I enjoy the creative part of the work the most and thinking like a fish. I like having so many different tasks and not just sitting at the computer. Of course, the best part is being on the water, it's beautiful. I have always loved the sea and animals. That's why I specialized in it. The oceans make up the largest part of the earth. It's important to protect them and their creatures. But we need more knowledge about these habitats. When a fish goes down, what is it doing down there? And there is still a lot to explore about the production of fish as food. Where exactly does the fish in the supermarket come from? That's what I want to talk to people about.
For me, fish traps are the future of fishing: First of all, passive fishing with fish traps is particularly environmentally friendly: The traps have hardly any contact with the bottom and can be used by small boats close to the coast. This means that much less fuel is consumed than when large fishing trawlers are used. Another important aspect is that the fish continue to live in the traps. As a result, the product quality is excellent. On the other hand, the by-catch also lives on and the fishermen can throw it back into the water alive. If we only catch the quantity and species that we eat, we contribute to species protection and resource conservation.
Marine science and ocean technology are so diverse. It doesn't matter if you take a few detours. Here you can apply your experience and knowledge, even if you come from a different field.
