Face of the LIB: Martin Husemann

What led you to biology?

Basically, my path led a little from my A-level biology course. I've always been interested in nature and already had a fishing licence as a child. I also spent a lot of time out and about in the woods with my father looking for mushrooms. So I've always had a bit of a basic interest. I also had a very good biology teacher who introduced me to the world of insects. Back then, we set traps and learnt how to prepare insects in our advanced course. Before I started studying, I wavered between marketing and biology, but in the end I decided in favour of biology and have never regretted it.

What would you have become if you hadn't become a biologist?

I can't really imagine that nowadays because I'm so deeply immersed in the subject. But as I said, I always found marketing and advertising really exciting. I wanted to do something creative and something that would inspire me. Besides, it's not that much different from what I do now, except that I now do advertising for nature and biodiversity.

Which aspect of your job is a highlight for you?

On the one hand, working with the collection, but also the field work. We have just returned from Georgia and Armenia - travelling like that is of course a big highlight. Being out in the field, seeing the animals live in the field and learning about their interactions is super exciting. That's very important for us biologists. The interactions with museum visitors are just as exciting as they are right now with the insect exhibition "Multifaceted Insects". It allows me to share my enthusiasm for biology and insects with other people.

Why is travelling such a special aspect of your work?

Because it not only brings me into contact with other colleagues, but also allows me to really get to know the countries. We don't travel the way tourists do, but are usually in places where we can also interact directly with local colleagues. In Iran in particular - where I've been travelling a lot recently - I've learned a lot about the people and culture of the country. I enjoy trying out new things - especially in terms of cuisine: In Iran, we ate "kaleh pacheh" for breakfast. This is a goat's or sheep's head cooked overnight and served in a relatively purist way without many extras. I like to try out everything - for me, cultural exchange is simply part of field research in other countries.

What does nature mean to you personally? Do you have a favourite place in nature?

Nature is the basis of our lives. When you think about it, everything is nature in some way. There are many places that are important to me and they are constantly changing. Our student excursions to Pevestorf are always great because there are a few places there that offer very special environmental conditions. In summer, we often visit relatives in Brandenburg who have a garden there. There's a meadow here where I usually spend half of our holiday. There are so many different species of grasshoppers and beetles, many of which are on the Red List and can hardly be found anywhere else, while they fly around in masses there - that's why it's a little paradise for me. We were on holiday in Italy a few years ago and while wandering around I discovered a small basin in Tyrol. It was only about 20 by 20 metres in size and it was much hotter there than in the surrounding area. There were so many rare species in such a small area: It really was total madness. It was like entering another world. Totally crazy.

Which animal species have your personal affection?

Grasshoppers. Although I also worked with fish for a long time: I wrote my doctoral thesis on fish. However, my research has been focussed on grasshoppers for many years, especially wasteland grasshoppers. That was my first great love with insects. I wrote my bachelor's and master's thesis on these animals and I've been fascinated by the subject ever since.

Why did the grasshoppers in particular trigger your passion for research?

I think it's always difficult to really understand as an outsider: My boss at the time asked me whether I wanted to deal with a light or a heavy topic in my Bachelor's thesis. At the time, I wanted the heavy topic and that's why I dedicated my bachelor's thesis to grasshoppers. I wrote about a genus of grasshoppers with over 170 species, in which we have now been able to propose a lot of taxonomic and systematic changes. So far, there are always more open questions than we can solve. If you are deeply involved in a topic, then you are also the central contact person for it in the long term. As a biologist, you often stick with your first love, .

How would you explain the term "biodiversity" in simple terms for children, for example?

Short and concise: the diversity of all life.

What do you want people to associate with the LIB in ten years' time?

Hopefully, it will be seen as a place where people can find out about biodiversity at the various locations and learn interesting things that have a current connection to our research. The LIB should be a place that contributes to making our environment a little bit better.

What is currently the biggest challenge in the field of environmental protection?

We need a systemic change: we need to change the way we think and act sustainably. In particular, we need forms of energy that work sustainably. Even wind turbines or solar plants are comparatively sustainable in their operation, but not really in their production. And energy is only one factor that influences the future of our environment. Actually, there shouldn't be many more people than there are now. But this is of course a difficult issue because we can't really limit it.

What advice would you give to young biologists at the start of their careers?

I would advise them to think about it very carefully and only go down this path if you really put your heart and soul into it. You need passion for this profession and should not do it "just for the money", but as a vocation.

Is there an area at the LIB that is particularly close to your heart?

Environmental education and the exhibitions, because these are windows to the outside world. This is where we can best reach the general public and show what we can do and what it ultimately achieves. Everyone can make a contribution to the preservation of biodiversity and nature and even small steps can have a greater effect if many people join in.

DR. HABIL. MARTIN HUSEMANN heads the Hemimetabolous Insects and Hymenoptera section at the LIB site in Hamburg. He studied organismic biology in Osnabrück until 2008, before completing his doctorate on population genetics of East African cichlids in Waco, Texas. After working in Munich and Halle (Saale), he has been working in the insect collection in Hamburg since 2016.