DR. JAN DIERKING - Geomar

CV Dr. Jan Dierking
DR. JAN DIERKING
Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes Group
Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR)
Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
E-mail: jdierking@geomar.de
Personal information: *8.1.1975, Münster, Germany; German nationality; Married, one child.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
I am a marine ecologist working on the ecology and evolution of fishes and on marine
ecosystem functioning, with a particular interest in integrated approaches. This includes
combining ecological and molecular data to assess the connection of genotype and phenotype,
and ecological, molecular, fisheries and oceanographic data to shed light on processes driving
evolutionary change in marine fishes. My research topics include fisheries induced
evolution, conservation genetics, foodweb studies, and fish feeding ecology and migrations,
both in temperate (Mediterranean, North Sea, Baltic Sea) and tropical (Pacific Ocean)
systems. Throughout my career, I have gathered extensive experience in fisheries
management and conservation work, and I maintain an interest in research with applied
implications in these fields.
My toolkit includes molecular analyses (neutral markers: microsatellites, mitochondrial
DNA; adaptive marker: MHC immune genes), stable isotope analysis, and fish(ery) biology
measures (e.g., otolith analysis, morphometry, maturity and condition indices).
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS
05/2007 PhD degree, University of Hawaii (UH), USA. Dissertation: “Effects
of the introduced predatory fish Cephalopholis argus on native reef
fish populations in Hawaii.” Advisor: Dr. Charles Birkeland.
08/2005 MSc degree, UH Specialization in Ecology, Evolution and
Conservation Biology. Thesis: “The economic value and the social
structure of the aquarium fish industry in West Hawaii.”
08/2001 – 05/2007 Graduate student in the Department of Zoology, UH.
10/1997 - 07/2001 Study of Marine Science (major), Zoology, Business administration
(minors) at the Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet (CAU) Kiel.
1987-1995 German High school diploma, HBG Celle; Class valedictorian.
1992-1993 Exchange student, Ohio, USA, with the American Field Service.
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CV Dr. Jan Dierking
MILITARY SERVICE
07/1995 – 06/1997 Member of the permanent crew of the German navy sail training ship
“Gorch Fock” during 20 country voyage around the world.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
09/2009 – present Postdoctoral researcher, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
(GEOMAR), Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes group (EV).
Principal projects: Local and global patterns in fisheries induced
evolution (Start date: 02/2012); Ecology and conservation genetics
of endangered anadromous whitefishes (Start date: 09/2009, in
collaboration with Dr. Chris Eizaguirre (EV)); MHC-mediated
speciation in Arctic whitefishes (Start date 09/2009, in collaboration
with Dr. C. Eizaguirre (EV) and Dr. K. Praebel (Tromsoe
University, Norway).
07/2007 – 09/2009 Postdoctoral researcher with Dr. Mireille Harmelin-Vivien, Centre
d’Océanologie de Marseille; Projects: Coupling of terrestrial and
coastal ecosystems in the NW Mediterranean assessed by stable
isotope analysis (SIA); Marine flatfish migrations assessed by SIA.
01/2004 – 05/2007 Graduate research assistant with Dr. C. Birkeland, UH
10/2002 – 12/2003 Scientific research consultant for the NGO The Nature Conservancy,
the consulting firm Cesar Environmental Economics Consulting, and
the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources; Projects: Sustainability of
the aquarium fish industry (AFI) in Hawaii; The economic value of
reefs in Hawaii; Reef user fees for conservation in Hawaii; Hawaii
marine aquarium fish industry database construction.
01/2001 – 08/2001 Research assistant, Kiel University; Global carbon cycle project.
04/2000 – 05/2000 Scientific diver, nature documentary project, Aldabra, Seychelles.
09/1998 – 10/1998 Research assistant, Biological Station Sylt; Seagrass ecology study.
ADVISED STUDENTS
Since 2009, (co-)supervision of 2 Ph.D., 4 Master, and 1 Bachelor projects, 1 intern during
her German voluntary year in science and technology, and 1 technician.
Projects: Temporal genetic differentiation of Bornholm Basin (Baltic Sea) cod stocks; Feeding
ecology, migration behavior, and evidence for natural reproduction of endangered North Sea
houting (Coregonus oxyrinchus) in Northern Germany; Patterns of parallel evolution in the
houting complex; Gill raker differentiation between German whitefish populations; Feeding
ecology of the invasive combjelly Mnemiopsis leidyi in the Baltic Sea; Niche segregation
between three species of pipefishes in eelgrass beds in the Baltic Sea assessed by stable
isotope analysis; Eelgrass Zostera marina population structure, and use of Z. marina isotopic
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CV Dr. Jan Dierking
signatures as indicator of eutrophication in the Baltic Sea. Twaite shad (Alosa fallax)
migrations in the Elbe estuary assessed by otolith microchemistry.
TEACHING
Winter 2011/2012 Seminar on Current topics in fish ecology and evolution (co-taught
with O. Roth, C. Eizaguirre, T. Reusch)
Spring 2010 3-week block course Molecular Ecology (co-taught with C.
Eizaguirre, O. Roth, T. Reusch)
01/2005 – 07/2005 Teaching assistant for Limnology, UH
GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AWARDS
09/2012 Project funding for improved fisheries management of sea trout
(Salmo trutta) in Schleswig Holstein, Germany; proposal coauthored
with Dr. C. Petereit and Prof. T. Reusch submitted to the
Fischereiabgabeausschuß (€40,990).
02/2012 – present German Science Foundation (DFG) funding (via the Cluster of
Excellence “The Future Ocean”) for own position and project money
obtained via own proposal “Local and global patterns in fisheriesinduced
evolution” (€180,000).
10/2009 – present Project funding for conservation genetic and ecological work on the
endangered fish species Coregonus oxyrinchus obtained via own
proposals submitted jointly with Dr. C. Eizaguirre to the German
State Agency LLUR (Landesamt für Landwirtschaft, Umwelt und
Ländliche Raeume) (€160,000).
08/2007 – 09/2009 Research stipend by German NGO “Okeanos” obtained via own
proposal (€40,000).
10/2003 – 12/2006 Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative grant in support of dissertation project
on Cephalopholis argus obtained via own proposal ($68,200).
02/2003 EECB graduate student research award.
09/2002 International Student Services Scholarship for outstanding
contribution in promoting intercultural understanding.
08/2002 Dai Ho Chun Scholarship for Outstanding International Students.
08/2001 – 12/2004 Fulbright Scholarship for graduate study in the USA.
PRESENTATIONS AND INVITED TALKS (SELECTED, 5 OF 38)
Dierking, J., Praebel, K., Borcherding, J., Brunke, M., Eizaguirre, C. The return of the
houtings: genetics and ecology of anadromous whitefishes in Germany. 11 th International
Symposium on the Biology and Management of Coregonid Fishes. Mondsee, Austria,
September 2011.
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CV Dr. Jan Dierking
Dierking, J. Conservation genetics of the North Sea houting (Coregonus oxyrinchus). Invited
talk at the Technical University of Denmark National Institute of Aquatic Resources (DTU
Aqua), Population genetics group, Silkeborg, Denmark, June 2010.
Dierking, J., Wafo, E., Lagadec, V., Schembri, T., Nicolas, C., Letourneur, Y., Harmelin-
Vivien, M. When contaminants reveal ecology: Persistent contaminants in the common
sole in the NW Mediterranean as biomarkers of migrations.44 th European Marine Biology
Symposium, Liverpool, UK, September 2009.
Dierking, J., Banaru, D., Hermand, R., Fontaine, M.F., Degiovanni, C., Letourneur, Y.,
Nicolas, C., Salen-Picard, C., Harmelin-Vivien, M. Land and Sea connected: stable
isotopes reveal a role of terrestrial organic matter in nearshore ecosystem functioning in the
Gulf of Lions, Mediterranean sea. 6 th International Conference on Applications of Stable
isotope Techniques to Ecological Studies. Honolulu, Hawaii, August 2008.
Dierking, J., Birkeland, C., Williams, I., Walsh, W., and Stamoulis, K. Effects of the
introduced predatory fish Cephalopholis argus on native reef fish populations in Hawaii.
42 nd European Marine Biology Symposium, Kiel, Germany, August 2007.
REVIEWING
Reviewer for the journals Fishery Bulletin, Journal of Fish Biology, Marine Biology, Marine
Ecology Progress Series, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Archives of Environmental
Contamination and Toxicology.
ORGANIZED CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS
Managing Genetic Diversity of Fishes? Integrative workshop with economists, fisheries
biologists and evolutionary ecologists on understanding and management of fisheries
induced changes in fish populations. Wadden Sea Station Sylt, Germany, August 26-29
2012. (Co-organized with Prof. T. Requate, Prof. M. Quaas, Prof. T. Reusch, and Dr. J.
Schmidt).
3 rd Young Scientist Conference: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Global Chance. Kiel,
October 1-2 2012 (co-organized with postdocs of the Future Ocean Cluster of Excellence,
Kiel).
FURTHER QUALIFICATIONS
Scientific Diver American Academy of Underwater Sciences license (~400 working dives)
Boating
Computer
Languages
EU coastal and US Geological Survey motorboat operator certifications
Access, Minitab, Statistica, PRIMER, Sigmaplot, Photoshop, Illustrator,
MorphoJ, molecular data analysis programs (e.g., Genemapper, CodonCode
Aligner, Arlequin, Structure, etc.)
German (native), English (fluent), French (fluent)
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