Research professor Maiju Lehtiniemi: Marine research on the waves of the Baltic Sea
Maiju Lehtiniemi, Research professor
Unit and group: Marine and freshwater solutions unit
Where do you work at? Different campus locations at Helsinki, Viikki, remotely and in nature doing field research
Which species would represent you the most? ‘Maybe a dog? I could be a sort of adaptive science-based mediator between different parties.’
Maiju works as a research professor in the Marine and freshwater solutions unit. She is an animal ecologist and earned her PhD in marine biology from the University of Helsinki. After the PhD, she continued her career as a researcher, first at the Finnish Marine Research Institute and since 2009 at the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke). Currently, Maiju works in a supportive role in the management of the Marine and freshwater solutions unit and leads research projects.
Originally, the mysterious nature of the sea led Maiju to marine research. ‘The sea is really fascinating, vast, and unknown, and it strongly influences everything, such as climate regulation’, Maiju explains. Her workdays include meetings, administrative tasks, and office work, but Maiju finds field research to be the highlight of her job. Throughout her career, she has primarily studied the Baltic Sea, but through research projects, she has also studied e.g. the southern Atlantic in Namibia and Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania. Maiju has enjoyed working at Syke because the work is diverse and adaptable. ‘At the Syke, researchers can apply for funding for research projects on topics that feel important and interesting’, Maiju says.
According to Maiju, the best part of working at Syke is the comprehensive diversity. ‘There are many different research topics, from land to water and from natural sciences to social sciences, and even within marine research, the expertise is diverse. The diversity also relates to the people you work with’, Maiju says. She highlights that at Syke you get to work with people of different ages, educational backgrounds, and career stages.
For Maiju, the best memories of her career at Syke have been the research cruises on the marine research vessel Aranda: ‘There, you develop a family-like connection with others, as you spend a long time with the same group and work closely together towards a common goal’, Maiju says. Particularly memorable are the challenging winter research cruises: ‘Those trips are always eventful because of the rough weather, and if you don’t get seasick, you can just admire the storms’, Maiju smiles.
Maiju sees her role in the sustainability transformation as providing background information through biological cause-and-effect research. According to Maiju, the sustainability transformation actually extends to all aspects of life: ‘Attention should be paid to it in travel, the food you eat, consumption, and everything.’ The topic has become concrete in her work, for example, through studying water pollution and the life cycle of plastics. Through her research network, Maiju has been able to explore ways to improve recycling and environmental policy. ‘I have become aware of consumption issues through plastic research; it is not always sensible to buy new things, even if economic growth demands it. This is a message I have tried to convey to my friends as well,’ Maiju says.
Why should you come to work at Syke?
‘Syke is a great workplace for all kinds of environmental experts. There are good positions for all career paths and stages. You don’t have to be a researcher to find a job here; we have many other types of roles as well. Syke has a diverse work community with nice people!’