Biography

1999-2009

Major: Geography, Minors: Zoology & Traffic Sciences at the University of Cologne, intermediate diploma in Hydraulic Engineering at the University of Bonn

since 10/2009

as PhD student & scientific assistant in the working group "Environmental Modelling" supervised by Prof. Dr. Boris Schröder

03/2010- 09/2010

Scientist at the Institute of Inland Fisheries in Potsdam-Sacrow

09/2010-11/2010

Eel Project Ätran, Karlstad University, Sweden

06/2011-07/2011

Scientist at the Institute of Inland Fisheries in Potsdam-Sacrow

08/2011-11/2011

Eel Project Ätran, Karlstad University, Sweden

Research

PhD project:

Understanding downstream migration of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) - Analysis and modelling of anthropogenic impacts and triggers -

The European eel stock is in steep decline and consequently has been added to the  IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as 'critically endangered'. In order to reduce the anthropogenic mortality caused by the turbines of hydroelectric power plants it is absolutely necessary to identify the environmental triggers for downstream migration towards the maritime spawning grounds. The aim of the field study is the trigger identification by sampling a set of preparatory environmental factors and potential triggers with high spatial and temporal resolution during the 3 x 3 month data logging periods (fall 2010-2012) in three consecutive years. Subsequently, the environmental data will be combined with catch data and IR-video data of European eels (Anguilla anguilla) from several trapping sites in the Ätran river catchment by means of advanced statistical modelling approaches. For the analysis of migration patterns, we will apply the well-developed methodological framework of species distribution modelling. This will help to identify environmental windows of optimal migration conditions, described by thresholds, or threshold combinations of triggers. The results will support an enhanced turbine management for hydroelectric power plants.

Study area: Ätran catchment, Falkenberg / Sweden

PhD student: Dipl.-Geogr. Florian Stein

Student: Eric Hübner

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Boris Schröder

Cooperation Partner: Dr. Uwe Brämick (Institute of Inland Fisheries), Dr. Olle Calles (Karlstad University, Institute of Biology)

Duration: 2010-2011

Funding: DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service)

Cooperations

• Institute of Inland Fisheries in Potsdam-Sacrow (Germany)
• Landesfischereiverband Westfalen und Lippe (LfV) " LFV Hydroacoustics " (Germany)
• Institute of Biology, Karlstad University (Sweden)
• Eel Projekt Ätran (Sweden)
• Swedish Board of Fisheries, Stockholm (Sweden)
• Living North Sea (Sweden / EU Project)

Fields of interest:

• Aquatic ecology
• Diadrome fish migration
• European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.)
• Hydroacoustics / Infrared camera monitoring
• GIS
• Telemetry
• European Eel Managementplan (EC No 1100/2007)

Publications

Stein, F., Bareth, G., Borcherding, J. (2009): GIS-basierte Analysen zum Verbund von zwei Seenkomplexen - Fallbeispiel Unterer Niederrhein. In: Angewandte Geoinformatik 2009 - Beiträge zum 21. AGIT-Symposium Salzburg.