Biography of Peter Maitland

Peter Maitland is an Honorary Professor in the Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology. He is also a graduate of the University with a BSc (1959) and a PhD (1963).

He studied Zoology the University of Glasgow during the 1950s and went on to study for a PhD supervised by Dr Harry Slack, submitting his thesis ‘Ecological studies on the fauna of the river Endrick’ in 1963.

The river Endrick, which runs into Loch Lomond, was central to Maitland’s early research and the unique research facilities offered by the University Field Stations at Rossdhu and Rowardennan greatly aided his work. He later returned to this research, demonstrating the importance of the area to the study of fish and ecology. During his doctoral years he also conducted other research, such as sampling and netting for Powan (Coregonus clupeoides), one of the rarest fish in Scotland and native to only two lochs.

After completing his PhD Maitland became an assistant lecturer and then lecturer in 1966 at the University of Glasgow. During this time he continued his work on Powan, including the threat it faced from the introduced species, the Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua), and wider research on fish ecology at Loch Lomond.

Maitland was appointed to the Nature Conservancy (later the Nature Conservancy Council) in 1967. He was later appointed to the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology and taught at the University of St Andrews. Since retiring in 1986 he has continued his work on fish conservation and ecology as an independent freshwater biologist. Maitland is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and is a Visiting Professor at the Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment (SCENE)and the research building has been named for him.

Summary

Peter Maitland
University Link: Alumnus, Graduate
GU Degrees: BSc, 1959; PhD, 1963;
Occupation categories: ecologists
Record last updated: 29th May 2014

University Connections

University Roles

• Alumnus
• Graduate

Images

Peter Maitland