Introducing Theresa Henke, co-founder of Ice Fish Research

Hi, my name is Theresa, and I am 31 years old. I grew up in Germany but right now I am living in Iceland where I am finishing up my PhD on European flounder (Flundra) in the next few months.  

Moving to Iceland

Iceland was not at all on my radar when I was finishing up my bachelor’s degree at the University Bremen in Germany and was trying to figure out where I wanted to go next. But one day in 2015 I saw an advertisement on Facebook for the University Centre of the Westfjords in Isafjörður. So, in the summer of 2016 I packed my bags and moved to Iceland with the plan to stay there for 1 year. But then I met my favorite fish, the flounder (Flundra), and the plan changed. Now Iceland has been home for the last 8 years.

Research 

In 2017/2018 I wrote my thesis on the flounder. I looked at what they eat and how they compete with another flatfish species, the European plaice (Skarkóli), in different parts of Iceland. I really enjoyed spending time in the field collecting my samples and then I measured each fish and looked at what they had in their stomachs. During that time, I met a lot of people, especially recreational fishermen, who were often very happy to tell me what they think of this fish and where they have seen it. I became very interested in how their knowledge can help us better understand the flounder in Iceland and I made this part of my PhD. In my research I have been looking at where the flounder came from, how people like or dislike it and whether their knowledge can help me to map where the flounder currently is in Iceland. I really enjoy working on questions about biological invasions because this is a big problem that causes a lot of issues around the world.

About me

If I am not busy talking about flounder (which happens a lot), I enjoy spending time with friends, knitting or reading, and turning my home piece by piece into a little jungle. I also really appreciate some good fish jokes.

Ice Fish Research

I am excited that Ice Fish Research is becoming a reality and that we have a chance to show everyone how fun fish and research can be and how important it is. It has already been a lot of fun to create this platform where we can share our passion about fish.

Learn more about me

What is your favorite fish? Flounder 😊

What is your research topic? European flounder in Iceland & human dimensions of biological invasions

What did you want to be when you grow up? First, I wanted to be a vet, then an interior designer only to change that for marine biologist when I was 16

Where do you work? At the University of Iceland Research Center of the Westfjords in Bolungarvik, Iceland

What inspired your research? My current research is very much shaped by the many great encounters I had with people who shared their experiences with my study species, they inspired me to look beyond the traditional scientific approaches and knowledge and explore integrating people in research.

What is your favorite part of being a scientist? The many different possibilities to learn and discover something new & the exchange with other people both with the public as well as with other scientists working in the field

How would you explain a scientist to a child? I like to think of research as one big puzzle that keeps on growing with new puzzle pieces being discovered every day. A scientist collects different puzzle pieces and tries to find out how these fit together in his/her corner but also in the bigger picture.

How would you explain your research to a child? I work with a fish that has only been in Iceland for a short time. I look at how this fish has become part of the nature in Iceland, where it came from and how people like this fish.