Meet the team

Team members

Katja Mäkinen Senior researcher, Title of docent, PhD

Key focus:
Project PI,
Coordinating monitoring efforts,
Research on reproductive biology, herring physiology, lipids etc.

Aarne Lauerma MSc student, Project worker 2026

Thesis topic:
Maternal thyroid hormones, egg and larval traits

Max Tallberg Doctoral researcher, MSc

Thesis topic: Mapping Baltic herring natal origins, migration routes, and population structure using otolith elemental composition and genetic analyses

Laura Lammi MSc, Project researcher 2026

MSc thesis topic:
The impact of environmental factors on the reproduction of Baltic herring males from the 1990s to the present.

Mikko Kaasinen MSc student, research assistant 2026

Thesis topic: Mapping the genetic diversity of Baltic herring populations by spawning area in the Bothnian Bay, Archipelago Sea, and southern Baltic Sea regions.

Tuuli Gustafsson BSc, Research assistant 2026

BSc thesis topic: Comparison of age determination of Baltic herring using scales and otoliths

Nea Lindsten Research assistant 2026
Jari Hänninen Docent, PhD

Key focus:
Pelagic ecosystem dynamics,
Time-series analyses

Päivi Laine PhD, visiting researcher

Key focus:
Ecological aspects of spawning areas and
population dynamics,
Reproductive biology

Previous team members

  • Saara Miinala, MSc
  • Marjut Rajasilta, Docent, PhD
  • Johannes Sahlstén, MSc
  • Jan Eklund, MSc
  • Mikael Elfving, MSc
  • Ilppo Vuorinen, Prof.
  • Petri Vahteri, MSc
  • Juha Kääriä, PhD
  • Kari Ranta-aho, MSc

In addition numerous summer interns, students, and short-term project researchers  have supported our work over the years.