Peter is a naturalist who has more than 25 years of experience in researching Flora and Vegetation of the Ruhr Area, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Germany. Moreover, he has skills in Biogeography, Zoology, and Conservation. His research work currently includes some biogeographical studies on the worldwide distribution of sharks of the genus Carcharhinus. His long-lasting interest in sharks can be backdated to his early childhood before he became a scientist. The focus of his shark research is on the distribution of Carcharhinus leucas (bull shark) in low-salinity habitats. He now devotes himself to questions concerning the spatial distribution and conservation of whaler sharks (e.g., Carcharhinus leucas, C. galapagensis), which have been occupying him for some time. Currently, he is engaged both in research and conservation of sharks. As such, Peter has joined the German Elasmobranch Society (D.E.G.) as well as the American Elasmobranch Society (AES) for contributing to elasmobranch research and to support conservation. Currently, he is part of the board of the German Elasmobranch Society in the role of the secretary.

Peter is a graduate of the Department of Geography as well as the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology (Ruhr University Bochum, Germany). He was a research assistant in the Geobotany Working Group, in the Landscape Ecology and Biogeography Working Group, and at the Department of Special Botany. In addition to teaching activities, he particularly looked after graduates with a topic in botany or zoology and supervised many academic theses. Although he works no longer full-time for the university, he continues to supervise university theses as a senior lecturer and publishes scientific works. Moreover, he is editor-in-chief of the traditional periodical "Floristic Letters". Peter´s work includes also reviewing activities on manuscripts dealing with elasmobranch topics as well as vegetation-related topics for several scientific journals.

Since 1999, he is involved in nature conservation on a voluntary and professional basis, mainly in biotope/landscape maintenance and species conservation. He has also been a lecturer in environmental education for various organizations and institutions for many years and is experienced in the transfer of knowledge. For example, he is a lecturer at the Herne Adult Education Center and offers various environmental education events.