Out at sea, nothing ever stays still for long. Not the weather, not the equipment, not the work. For Kristian Maar, that’s exactly the point.

Now a Marine Survey Specialist in Field Services in Denmark, Kristian’s career started in marine biology and gradually shifted into something more hybrid. He’s worked through rough North Sea campaigns and into developing new tools for habitat mapping, and he’s currently working right in that space between people, data and an ocean that never really behaves the same way twice.

How did you get into marine surveying? 

I started my career as a marine biologist but quickly became interested in all types of oceanographic surveying. Though I still maintain my core interest in biology, the technical side of surveying is increasingly becoming my area of focus. I am generally broad in my interests, and I can easily get excited about new topics which serves me well in my current role. I also think there is a lot of benefits in the combination of biological and technical skills, and they enable me to bridge the gap between biologists and engineers and bring both groups closer to each other.  

Tell us about a field day you’ll never forget.

I will never forget my first campaign in the North Sea where bad weather and equipment malfunctions combined to create very challenging circumstances. We had to push through a lot of seasickness and general discomfort for more than a week, which demanded a lot of sustained determination. In the end, we managed to overcome the obstacles and solve the problems which ended up being very rewarding, even though I was very happy to set foot on dry land again by the end of it.  

Field services is very much a team effort. What does good teamwork look like during a survey campaign?  

Teamwork is at the core of working in the field and I am fortunate to be surrounded by some of the very best teammates imaginable. All my colleagues in Field Services strive to deliver results, and on the personal level, we also manage to have a lot of fun while doing it. We often work long hours, doing work which is physically and mentally demanding, so having a team of competent and dedicated colleagues inspires me to do my very best when we go out. Often it is the can-do attitude of the team members more than the logistics or conditions that ensures success in the field. 

Where do you see the biggest opportunities (or even dream innovations) for improving how marine field data is collected or used?

Autonomous vehicles and machine learning algorithms are revolutionising marine surveying and data analyses. I am involved in this process, and along with colleagues I am currently developing new habitat mapping technology to improve biological monitoring. At the same time, I also strongly believe that as our industry gradually hands over control to the machines, we must focus on maintaining the highest standards of data quality and methodological transparency. I am convinced that the value of quality over quantity will increase dramatically the coming years and I see my role during the transition as a guardian of data quality and accuracy. 

What would people be surprised to know about you outside of work?

I spent five years working as a firefighter before I started pursuing an academic career and the experiences and skills I got from that come in handy surprisingly often in my current line of work.