Dr. Brian Rothschild Appointed
Hjort Scholar

Distinguished marine scientist Brian Rothschild, president and CEO of the Center for Sustainable Fisheries recently received news from Norway of his appointment as a Hjort Scholar. New Bedford resident Dr. Rothschild is known internationally for his work in fisheries science

The Hjort Centre for Marine Ecosystem Dynamics in, Bergen which extended the honor is named for Norwegian fisheries scientist Johan Hjort (1869-1948), the preeminent marine scientist and oceanographer of his era and the first to apply statistical methods to the study of fish populations.

Recipients of Hjort Scholarships are scientists whose research is “deemed to promote scientific innovation and understanding of marine ecosystem dynamics” according to the letter informing the professor of the award. It includes a grant in the amount of 50.000 Norwegian krone, or about $7000, and comes following an October address Dr. Rothschild gave at a symposium in Bergen in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the publication of Hjort’s important book Fluctuations in the Great Fisheries of Northern Europe.

Dr. Rothschild is also Professor Emeritus and founding Dean of the UMass Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology. He now heads the non-profit Center for Sustainable Fisheries, an organization dedicated to the conservation of our fisheries and the economic development of our fishing communities.