Max Nielsen has been working within fisheries and aquaculture economics and management since 1993. He conducts research and public consultancies, teaching and dissemination. The focus is applied and includes the subjects 1) International fish trade and markets, 2) Fish demand, supply and price formation, 3) Fisheries and aquaculture economics and management, 4) Bio-economic modelling of fisheries and 5) Eco-system economics and management of the marine environment.

Applied research is undertaken within a broad range of externally funded projects and, in recent years, also to a minor extent on basic funds. The work is carried out based on the philosophy that involvement in good research work makes public consultancies better, and that involvement in public consultancies improves the policy relevance of research. He teaches Welfare Economics and Policy for agricultural/environmental economics BA second year students.