Lukas Mueller

Project Leader

lukas.mueller[@]marinemegafauna.org

Research Interests

Lukas’ research aims to provide essential information about the movement ecology and species diversity of elasmobranchs in Mozambican marine protected areas (MPAs). As a PhD candidate his project focuses on revealing movement patterns of bull sharks within and around the Bazaruto Seascape via satellite and acoustic telemetry. Furthermore, he applies environmental DNA (eDNA) research to assess population diversity of bull sharks as well as elasmobranch species diversity across the different habitat types of local MPAs. The integration of additional innovative technologies allow Lukas to incorporate crucially important data on fisheries and ecosystem dynamics. From the outset his work with MMF has been aimed at providing managing entities with actionable insights for the development of effective shark conservation strategies.

Education

2020 PhD Candidate
Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
Thesis title: Sharks in the park: Multi-methodological tools revealing bull shark movement ecology and elasmobranch diversity in Mozambican Marine Protected Area

2018 Master of Science, Marine Resources Management
Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
Thesis title: Horizontal and Vertical Habitat Use of the Endangered Great Hammerhead Shark, Sphyrna mokarran in The Northwestern Atlantic Ocean

2014 Bachelor of Science, Biology
Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
Thesis title: Analysis of intra- and intercolonial genotypic variability in the stony coral Porites lobata

Biography

Born in a blue-collar industrial area in the heart of Western Germany, the ocean was not at his doorstep. His parents instilled a deeply rooted passion for the ocean and sharks in him when exploring the Mediterranean Sea via mask and snorkel during family vacations on the island of Menorca.

During his Bachelor and Master studies Lukas worked closely with The Watermen Project, using freediving skills to study large predatory sharks in challenging marine ecosystems. In 2018 he followed Andrea Marshall’s calling to explore the uniquely rich waters of the Bazaruto Archipelago in Mozambique. Lukas has been studying bull sharks along this Seascape under the umbrella of MMF and Wageningen University ever since. Together with his new research family he is working to develop new innovative techniques on how to study elasmobranch species in order to provide managing stakeholders with the actionable scientific intelligence in order to protect our ocean giants.

Outside of his research, Lukas follows his passion of freediving and hosting apnea expeditions to Austria, Azores and Menorca. When not at sea he spends his time with family, friends, ice baths and ranting on about the future of crypto currencies.