Population Dynamics, Ecology, and Viability of Species at Risk
National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
NWFSC’s Mathematical Biology program conducts research developing and improving models to asses the status of species and populations at risk, and to understand the role of different types of variation. This research has included analyzing data at the level of individual (population censuses investigating variability in demographic rates) and patterns of individual movement (satellite tags). We have also analyzed data from multiple time series to investigate subpopulation spatial structure and long-term viability. Our group often conducts research using hierarchical models, primarily in a Bayesian framework. Ongoing and future research areas include (1) estimating population status, trends, and demographic rates in the presence of both observation error (sampling or measurement uncertainty) and environmental stochasticity; (2) improving forecasting tools for populations at risk, particularly when data can be combined from multiple sources; (3) improving risk assessment in the presence of rare catastrophic events; and (4) investigating ecological effects of hierarchical variation such as the diet niche of individuals, families, and populations on viability and stability of ecological communities.
Experience Supplement: Postdoctoral and Senior Associates will receive an appropriately higher stipend based on the number of years of experience past their PhD.