Institute of

Sea Fisheries

Teaching and graduation theses

Our lecture hall in the Palmaille (© Thünen-Institut/ N. Hielscher)

Scientists at our Institute contribute to teaching at the universities of Rostock, Hamburg and Oregon State University. We supervise trainees, student assistants, BSc, MSc and PhD students working on fish and fisheries and oceanography related topics. The core of the thesis topics are addressed to students of:

  • Fisheries biology, Marine biology, Oceanography and Biology in general
  • Mathematics / Statistics
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Engineering (such as electronics and marine engineering)
  • Socio-economic studies in the field of fisheries and aquaculture
  • or related disciplines

We offer the following topics for graduation theses that may be of interest to students of the above mentioned disciplines:

TopicField of activityCorresponding person
The design of fisheries management taking account of fisher behaviour, under the framework of behavioural economics and nudging.Economic analysesDr. Leyre Goti
Multi-species modeling with the stochastic multi species model SMS. Skill assessment of the model compared to species-specific approaches in the assessment.Marine living resourcesDr. Alexander Kempf
Management strategies with FLBEIA, a model for simulating mixed fisheries. How to ensure the protection of all stocks in a mixed fishery, without losing sight of socio-economic aspects of fisheries?Marine living resourcesDr. Alexander Kempf

If you are interested in any of our current topics for your thesis, please contact the corresponding person.

Your own ideas and proposals for thesis topics are always welcome and can be sent to us at sf@  thuenen.de, including a short application - consisting of one pdf document - with the following contents:

  • Cover letter (if possible, point out the field of activity or the project you are interested in),
  • your current CV as well as
  • the most recent thesis (e.g. BSc work of MSc candidates)

There is also the possibility of gaining practical experience as a student assistant - at our institute or on one of our research vessel.

Successfully completed final theses

2020

  • Rybicki, Sandra: "Evaluating the spatio-temporal impacts of environmental, political and economic changes on the stocks of Northeast Atlantic mackerel and North Sea herring and fisheries". Dissertation at University of Hamburg. Supervisors: Axel Temming und Katell Hamon.
  • Werner, Karl-Michael: "Population dynamics and trophic interactions of Atlantic cod along the Greenland shelf". Dissertation at University of Hamburg. Supervisors: Heino Fock, Christian Möllmann.

2019

  • Stoltenberg, Ina: "Regional influences on condition and reproductive outcome of female Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in Greenland waters". MSc at Universität Kiel. Supervisors: H. O. Fock, K.-M. Werner.
  • Koschmieder, Katharina: "A comparative study of the stage dependent abundances and distribution of Calanus finmarchicus between Eastern Greenland (Tasiilaq Bay) & South-Western Greenland (Cap Desolation)." MSc at Universität Hamburg. Supervisor: H. O. Fock.
  • Malagoli, Sylvia: "Temporal scles of trawling fishing impacts on the benthic fauna of the German Bight." MSc at Universität Bremen. Supervisor: H. O. Fock.

2018

  • Goti, Leyre: "Primary sector and sustainability, economic and institutional aspects." Dissertation at the University of the Basque Country (Spain). Supervisors: Ralf Döring and Gregorio Etxebarria.

2017

  • Tiedemann, Maik: "Larval fish dynamics in coastal and oceanic habitats in the Canary Current large marine ecosystem (12-23°N)". Dissertation at Universität Hamburg. Supervisors: C. Möllmann (IHF Hamburg), H. O. Fock
  • Badji, Luc: "Horizontal distribution of dominant pelagic fish eggs in West African waters". Dissertation at Universität Dakar, Senegal. Supervisor: H. O. Fock
  • Dove, Shawn: "Larval Fish Assemblages in the Eastern Central Atlantic, from the Equator to the Bay of Biscay". MSc at Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel. Supervisors: T. Reusch (GEOMAR Kiel), H. O. Fock
  • Börner, Gregor: "The Larval Fish Assemblages of two coastal habitats in North - Western Africa and their role as potential nurseries: A comparison". M.Sc. at Humboldt-Universität, Berlin. Supervisors: F. Kirschbaum (Humboldt-Uni Berlin), H. O. Fock
  • Rybicki, Sandra: „Comparison of the diversity of groundfish assemblages at different spatial scales in the North Sea – Implications for future monitoring programmes“. Supervisors: C. Möllmann (IHF Hamburg), A. Sell
  • Becken, Joost: „Nachhaltige regionale Verarbeitung und Vermarktung einer Premium-Nordseekrabbe“. MSc im Studiengang Sustainability Economics & Management, Univ. Oldenburg. Supervisor: R. Döring
  • Rambo, Henrike: “From fish biodiversity indicators to spatial risk assessments - Towards the integration of Blue Growth and conservation objectives in the German Bight.” Dissertation at Universität Hamburg. Supervisors: C. Möllmann (IHF Hamburg), V. Stelzenmüller
  • Stäbler, Moritz: “Effects of and on the food-web when fishing for maximum sustainable yields in the southern North Sea.” Dissertation at Universität Hamburg. Supervisors: A. Temming (IHF Hamburg), A. Kempf. Link: ediss.sub.uni-hamburg.de/volltexte/2017/8755/pdf/Dissertation.pdf

2016

  • Sun, Ming: “Assessing the Effects of Trophic Interactions on the Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) for North Sea Cod.” MSc at Universität Hamburg. Supervisors: A. Temming (IHF Hamburg), A. Kempf
  • Wieben, Kim: "Investigations on the reproduction of the electric lanternfish Electrona risso (Cocco, 1829) in the subtropical-tropical Atlantic." MSc at Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel. Supervisors: P. Puebla (GEOMAR Kiel), H. O. Fock
  • Beyraghdar Kashkooli, Omid: “A quantitative and qualitative approach to assess climate-driven influences on the population dynamics of two bentho-pelagic key species in the southern Caspian Sea.” Dissertation at Universität Rostock. Supervisor: J. Gröger

2015

  • Fischer, Simon: “Assessing Harvest Control Rules (HCRs) deploying Management Strategy Evaluations (MSEs).” MSc at Universität Hamburg. Supervisors: A. Temming (IHF Hamburg), A. Kempf
  • Khosravizadeh, Mohammad: “An explorative analysis of climate driven effects on the population dynamics of three pelagic clupeid species in the southern Caspian Sea.” Dissertation at Universität Rostock. Supervisor: J. Gröger

2014

  • Friese, Julia: “Spatial distribution of fishing effort in relation to stock status and distribution: Assessing criteria of hyperstability derived from fleet behaviour of German satithe (Pollachius virens) fishery.” MSc at Universität Hamburg. Supervisors: A. Temming (IHF Hamburg), A. Kempf
  • Keth, Alexander: „Analyse der strukturellen Unsicherheit in einem statistischen Mehrarten-Assessment Modell der Nordsee - die Implementierung von "other food“. MSc at Universität Hamburg. Supervisors: A. Temming (IHF Hamburg), A. Kempf