Magnus Wahlberg

Magnus Wahlberg is an Associate Professor at the Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, with cross-affiliations to the STEM Education Research Center – FNUG, the SDU Climate Cluster, and the research group Sound Communication and Behaviour. He is actively engaged in marine bioacoustics and behavioral ecology research.

Education:

• M.Sc. in Physics & Biology, Göteborg University, Sweden (1999)
• Ph.D. in Biology, University of Southern Denmark (2002)

His research focuses on marine mammal communication, echolocation in cetaceans, and the ecological impacts of underwater noise and climate change. He has led and contributed to numerous international studies on harbor porpoises, bottlenose dolphins, and other cetaceans, examining foraging behavior, social interactions, and conservation strategies.

His recent publications (2024–2025) highlight trends in bioacoustic monitoring, age determination techniques, and behavioral adaptations in marine mammals, particularly in the Baltic and North Seas. The work spans disciplines including marine biology, behavioral ecology, and conservation science, with subfields such as echolocation dynamics, predator-prey interactions, and climate-driven species distribution shifts.

Scientific Awards:

• SCC Fast track - uddelingsrunde november 2024

Wahlberg is currently co-supervising four Ph.D. students across multiple universities (University of Southern Denmark, Aarhus University, Universität Tübingen, University of Azores), along with two M.Sc. and two B.Sc. students. He has secured significant research funding, including a 25-million DKK project and grants from Carlsbergfondet and Lundbeckfonden, supporting work on anti-predator responses and marine mammal monitoring. He has also organized eight international Ph.D. classes in Marine Bioacoustics.

He is involved in key research projects such as 'New marine top predators in Denmark – indicators of climate change?' and 'Development of anti-predator responses in Danish harbor porpoises,' contributing to both national and EU-level initiatives like Horizon2020. His work has been widely disseminated through over 260 media appearances and has impacted scientific discourse through datasets, public outreach, and policy-relevant findings.