A new Strategic Initiative within ICES aims to better integrate early career scientists in the organization

I am a Fisheries Acoustician at Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly NIWA), based in Wellington. My work focuses on integrating acoustic and trawl data to estimate the abundance and biomass of key commercial fish stocks such as hoki, blue whiting, and orange roughy, as well as mesopelagic and Antarctic species that play important roles in marine ecosystems. As project leader for scampi (Metanephrops challengeri) trawl and camera surveys, I am responsible for survey design, planning, and execution. I have participated in more than 15 research voyages to date, serving as both voyage and shift leader. My work includes the collection and analysis of acoustic, oceanographic, and biological data. A key part of my current research is combining environmental DNA (eDNA) with active acoustics to better understand the distribution, diversity, and biomass of mid-trophic level organisms. I have successfully applied this approach in both the Ross Sea MPA in Antarctica and the North Atlantic. I currently serve as Principal Investigator on an international collaboration between Earth Sciences NZ and India’s Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), advancing eDNA and acoustic methods and building long-term partnerships between India and New Zealand contributing to CCAMLR and the 2027 review of the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area. I regularly prepare and present technical and scientific reports for ICES, Fisheries New Zealand and CCAMLR, including to stakeholder groups such as the Deepwater Working Group and the Antarctic Working Group. I serve on the editorial board of the ICES Journal of Marine Science, handling manuscript review, editorial decisions, and contributing to the journal’s strategic direction. Before joining Earth Sciences NZ in 2022, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. David Reid’s team at the Marine Institute in Galway, Ireland, as part of the EU Horizon 2020 MEESO project. My research there focused on the abundance and ecology of Mueller’s pearlside (Maurolicus muelleri) and deep scattering layer dynamics, using hull-mounted acoustics, trawling, and environmental DNA. I completed my PhD at the National University of Ireland, Galway, in 2019, supervised by Prof. Peter Croot and Dr. Tom Doyle, investigating microplastic pathways in marine pelagic systems. View all posts by Alina Madita Wieczorek