Meet the MISSION ATLANTIC Scientists: Martin Lindegren, Lead on Assessing state, drivers and tipping points (WP5)

Where are you from and where are you currently based?

I'm from Sweden and now working in Denmark.

Academic background and research areas:

I've a PhD in marine ecology and my research area is community ecology. My work focuses on patterns, drivers and underlying mechanisms determining biodiversity and composition of species.

Current role and work within MISSION ATLANTIC:

I'm a senior scientist in the project and leading WP5. I'm mainly involved in the analysis of indicator trends, drivers and tipping points.

Do you have anything about the Atlantic Ocean you would like to share?

Well, I like this quote and recommendation I heard once (which I guess is inspired by Einstein) to “keep things as simple as possible, but as complex as necessary” - this is a guiding principle when trying to understand and describe something as overwhelmingly complex as ecosystems and food webs.

Favourite ocean fact:

I'm not sure what you mean here…. but, if I were to highlight something interesting and relevant about our ocean and ocean science, it is the need to invest more in ocean observations to be able to better understand its dynamics and responses to change. Unfortunately, such monitoring is notoriously underfunded (see this paper in Nature), at least compared to the huge amount of money we spend to explore and understand the empty space surrounding our planet.

That's something very relevant and important! What is your highlight from the project so far?

The highlight of my work has not been my own science per se but rather providing training and guidance about concrete tools to be used in IEAs.

Contact details:

Email: mli@aqua.dtu.dk