Franz Mueter

Franz Mueter is a President’s Professor of Quantitative Fisheries and Ecosystems and Chair of the Department of Fisheries at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He holds a Ph.D. in Fisheries Oceanography (1999) and two M.S. degrees in Statistics (1998) and Biological Oceanography (1992), alongside a B.S. in Biology from Rhino-Westphalian Technical University.

His research focuses on climate impacts on fish populations, Arctic marine ecosystems, and fisheries management. Key areas include subarctic and Arctic fish dynamics, mechanisms driving population productivity, and climate adaptation strategies. Current projects include the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Observing Network (AMBON) and the Arctic Integrated Ecosystem Survey Phase II, funded by NOAA and BOEM.

Dr. Mueter co-chairs the Ecosystem Studies of Sub-Arctic Seas (ESSAS) and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee. He also contributes to ICES/PICES climate-impact working groups and editorial roles at Marine Ecology Progress Series.

• Education:
  • Ph.D., Fisheries Oceanography, University of Alaska Fairbanks (1999)
  • M.S., Statistics, University of Alaska Fairbanks (1998)
  • M.S., Biological Oceanography, University of Alaska Fairbanks (1992)
  • B.S., Biology, Rhino-Westphalian Technical University
• Research Highlights:
  • Climate-driven borealization of Arctic shelf ecosystems
  • Arctic cod hatching and growth dynamics
  • Walleye pollock distribution shifts in the Bering Sea
  • Polar cod diet analysis via DNA metabarcoding
  • Sperm whale behavior in the Gulf of Alaska
• Awards: None explicitly listed.
• Grants/Projects:
  • AMBON (NOAA-NOPP/BOEM)
  • Arctic Integrated Ecosystem Survey (BOEM/NOAA)
  • NSF EPSCoR Fire and Ice project