Back to Departmental Colloquium: Spring 2022
Departmental Colloquium
Date: Tuesday, Jan 25, 2022
Time: 4:00PM
Location: JWB 335
Jody Reimer
University of Leeds
Title |
Mathematics for a changing Arctic – from polar bears to algae |
Abstract |
Sea ice is one of the largest and most dynamic biomes on Earth. This extreme, ephemeral environment supports organisms ranging from ice-adapted algae to charismatic polar bears. I will highlight several ways in which mathematics plays a vital role in understanding this ecosystem and anticipating future changes. For example, polar bear behavior can be understood through the lens of optimal control theory (e.g., stochastic dynamic programming). The responses of seal populations to environmental change can be modeled using matrix population models. Finally, ice algae provide the foundation for this ecosystem, and our understanding of regional algal blooms is improved by using methods from uncertainty quantification. I will discuss how my work in these areas has revealed underexplored mathematical connections between seemingly disparate mathematical approaches and propose future research questions at the interface between applied mathematics and ecological modeling. |
Probability
Data Science and Machine Learning
Applied Mathematics