On May 8, 2026, Dr Jürgen Alheit, a longtime scientist at the IOW, was presented with the Small Pelagic Fish (SPF) Career Contribution Award in La Paz, Mexico. With this award, the North Pacific Marine Science Organisation (PICES), the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) honoured the fisheries biologist for his lifetime scientific achievements. The award, newly established in 2026, recognises outstanding and sustainable contributions to the understanding and management of small pelagic fish, as well as exceptional commitment to international scientific cooperation. Alheit is the first recipient of the award.

Jürgen Alheit, who worked at the IOW from 1992 to 2013, shaped the research on small pelagic shoaling fish such as sardines, anchovies, herring and sprats over several decades. These types of fish are equally important for marine food webs and for the fishing industry: They account for more than 30 % of global fish catches and, at the same time, form a key food source for numerous larger marine animals. Alheit was particularly interested in how climate and ocean processes influence the sometimes enormous long-term fluctuations in their stocks. To this end, he combined, amongst other things, studies on reproductive biology and fish egg production with field studies, physiological experiments, modelling and the comparative analysis of long-term fish stock, ocean and climate data.

Alheit's work has made a significant contribution to the understanding of climate-driven ecological regime shifts and large-scale population trends in various marine regions around the world. His Baltic Sea research, for instance, included examining how environmental conditions and fishing influence the dynamics of cod and sprat stocks. One of his particularly influential contributions was an international synthesis published in the late 1990s, which, for the first time, brought together stock data on small pelagic fish from numerous regions around the world and revealed consistent boom-and-bust patterns over decades.

Alheit's ability to bring together research across national and disciplinary boundaries was equally profound. For 16 years, he led the 'Small Pelagic Fish and Climate Change' initiative within the 'Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics' research programme, launched by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) – a programme that addressed very early on the question of how climate and ocean processes influence marine ecosystems. Later, he played a key role in revitalising global collaboration in this research field by initiating the SPF symposia. Alheit's nomination for the newly established award also reflects his role far beyond scientific publications: Colleagues from various countries made the case for him, praising in particular his scientific rigour, his role as a mentor and his exceptional ability to build sustainable international networks.

Dr Jürgen Alheit (born in 1948) studied biology and chemistry at the University of Mainz and marine biology at the University of Liverpool. In 1980, he was awarded a PhD in fisheries biology at Kiel University. Before joining the IOW in 1992 – which had been founded that same year – his career included positions at the Peruvian fisheries institute IMARPE in Lima-Callaodas, the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven, and the IOC in Paris. His career took on an international focus from an early stage: in 1983, he took part in an expert meeting organised by the FAO and the IOC, which provided important impetus for globally coordinated research into sardines, anchovies and other small pelagic fish; he later took on a leading role in this work himself.

PICES, ICES and the FAO, which jointly present the new SPF Career Contribution Award, are among the leading international organisations for marine and fisheries research and the sustainable management of marine resources. PICES brings together the scientific cooperation of the North Pacific coastal states, whilst ICES has been coordinating international marine research in the North Atlantic for over a century and provides scientific advice to policymakers and fisheries management authorities. The FAO, as a specialised agency of the United Nations, sets global standards for food security and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.