Bruno Ibanez Erquiaga will defend his PhD thesis

Bruno Ibanez Erquiaga, DTU Aqua, will defend his PhD thesis "The importance of oil and gas platform foundations on fish communities in the North Sea" on Monday, 10 March 2025 at 13:00 p.m.

You can attend the defence online on Teams via this link or in person at DTU, Bygningstorvet, building 116, auditorium 82, 2800 Kongens Lyngby. 

In his thesis, Bruno Ibanez Erquiaga examines the unexpected ecological value of offshore oil and gas platforms for marine ecosystems. These platforms may end up functioning as artificial reefs and provide shelter from extraction for marine life and have hitherto unexplored ecological implications.

Through various methods including angling surveys and underwater recording, Bruno Ibanez Erquiaga has discovered that the platforms enhance fish biodiversity and abundance around them, especially within 50 meters of the structures. For example, Atlantic cod were more abundant and larger near platforms, suggesting platform habitats may be crucial for their growth and survival.

The results underscore the ecological relevance of offshore oil and gas platforms as potential hotspots for fish in the North Sea, raising questions about the optimal strategies for balancing marine conservation and infrastructure development.

A copy of the thesis is available for reading at DTU Aqua. Please contact PhD Coordinator Susan Zumbach Johannesen, szjo@aqua.dtu.dk

Examiners

• Senior Researcher Martin Lindegren, DTU Aqua (chair)
• Professor Peter A. U. Stæhr, Aarhus University, Denmark
• Associate Professor Even Moland, University of Agder, Norway

Chair at defence

• Senior Researcher Niels Jepsen, DTU Aqua

Supervisors

• Principal supervisor: Senior Researcher Henrik Baktoft, DTU Aqua
• Co-supervisor: Researcher Tobias Mildenberger, DTU Aqua
• Co-supervisor: Senior Researcher Jon C. Svendsen, DTU Aqua

Learn more

• Read the popular science summary of the PhD thesis