Maiju Lehtiniemi

Current position

I work as a research professor in the Marine and Freshwater Solutions Unit. I lead research projects related to citizen science, non-indigenous species in the Baltic Sea and marine litter and their impacts on the ecosystem, and I lead the Roskasakki research group together with my colleague. In addition, my research projects relate to the impacts of climate change on the functioning of the pelagic food web, especially changes in zooplankton and other invertebrate communities. I lead national and international research projects, supervise students and participate in expert networks (EU, HELCOM, ICES). I also lead monitoring cruises on the research vessel Aranda.

Background

I am an ecologist and marine biologist by training, and an adjunct professor of aquatic sciences in the University of Helsinki. My research has focused on the functioning of the higher trophic levels of the Baltic Sea, predator-prey interactions, long-term changes in zooplankton communities, and the impacts of invasive alien species and microplastics on the ecosystem functioning. I work as a national and international expert regarding invasive alien species and related legislation, as well as the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in Finland and the Baltic Sea region.

Present research interests

• Long-term changes in zooplankton communities
• Automated imaging of zooplankton
• Citizen science in environmental research
• Management, spread and impacts of non-indigenous species
• Impacts of microplastics in aquatic food webs

Research projects

• Meriroskahankkeet (in Finnish)
• AQUACOSM PLUS (aquacosm.eu) 
• SPARKA 
• PLASTER 

Publications

My publication can be found in my @GoogleScholar or @ResearchGate pages.