Written by Kai Myrberg, Jukka Pönni, Ari Leskela, and Jari Raitaniemi.
Dr. Eero Aro (1951–2024) dedicated his 40-year career to fisheries biology from 1973 to 2014, primarily focusing on the Baltic Sea and other ICES-related marine areas. He worked for several research organizations and universities, with the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute (FGFRI) being his most significant and longest-term employer. Aro began his role as a scientist/senior scientist at FGFRI in the late 1970s and later served as Research Director from 2004 to 2006.
Aro's PhD thesis was titled The spatial and temporal distribution patterns of cod (Gadus Morhua Callarias L.) in the Baltic Sea and their dependence on environmental variability: implications for fishery management. In this thesis, Aro and his colleagues investigated topics such as fish migrations, with a particular focus on the spatial distribution and dispersal of cod eggs and larvae under the varying environmental conditions of the Baltic Sea.
Aro also had a strong interest in Baltic herring and sprat populations, their stock assessments and interactions with cod. At the University of Helsinki, he contributed to the student's fish biology education.
An ICES stalwart
Aro was, in every way, a true ICES scientist. Since 1981, he worked in many ICES Standing Committees, working groups, study groups, and planning groups. He also participated in several ICES-related EU projects. After many years of experience within ICES, Eero served as Finland's Delegate on the Council from 2009 to 2014 and held the position of Vice-President from 2009 to 2012. He also led the organizing Committee for ICES Annual Science Conference 2007 in Helsinki.
In his free time, Eero was an active and skilled golfer for the past twenty years. Music was a favourite hobby, and acoustic guitar music traveled with him throughout his life, both as playing and listening. As a person, Eero was very social, helpful, and easy to approach.
