Peter grew up on the west coast of Sweden and early on developed a love for nature and adventure. After completing his PhD in Sweden on Arctic sea ice and oceanography, he moved to the US in 2002 to work at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) where hespearheaded Arctic research and taught at the WHOI-MIT Joint Program. In 2008 he moved to Alaska to start a lab at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF).

Peter has worked in the Arctic for over 25 years as an oceanographer, professor, and lead scientist. He has written over 40 publications and book chapters in leading international journals covering oceanography, climate and ecosystems of the Arctic and Antarctica. He served on advisory boards for the NSF, NOAA and NASA, and as Chief Scientist on several large expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctica. Most recently, he served as the director of WWF’s global Arctic Program, leading all of WWF’s Arctic work spanning from Arctic governance and the Arctic Council to supporting indigenous-lead projects focusing on resilience and climate change. Peter has been deeply involved in climate change research and was part of the IPCC climate negotiations. In Alaska, his work at UAF spanned from ecosystem function and relation to changing ocean conditions to developing novel technology to study climate change effects on the marine and coastal environment. During his time at UAF, Peter’s work migrated from offshore oceanography to community-based science programs, with a focus on terrestrial-coastal ecosystems and the services they provide to local communities. Peter has also served as the executive director for Alaska Wilderness League and interim director for the Gwich’in Steering Committee.

Peter resides in Fairbanks, Alaska where he has lived for the last 17 years. In his spare time, he enjoys exploring wild places with his camera, and guides in Katmai and other remote Alaskan locations in summer. He enjoys climbing, backcountry skiing, hiking, caving, canyoneering, and perfecting the art of roasting coffee and smoking wild Alaskan salmon.