Contact Info
Department of Applied Mathematics
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada N2L 3G1
Phone: 519-888-4567, ext. 32700
Fax: 519-746-4319
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader
MC 6460
Russell Milne | Applied Math, University of Waterloo
Addressing Challenges for Coral Reef Conservation Using a Multi-Patch Difference Equation Model
Coral reefs, including coral species and the fish that live on them, currently face a variety of threats. Some of these, including overfishing, nutrient loading and sedimentation, are directly influenced by human behaviour. For instance, the fishing rate on a reef is affected by whether commercial or subsistence fishing is taking place there, and nutrient inflows into a coral reef system depend on agricultural and industrial chemical use in the watersheds that feed out onto the reef. Also, in order to protect coral reefs, the establishment of marine protected areas with minimal human interference has become popular, but the optimal configuration of these remains an open question. To address these issues, a spatially explicit coral reef model is adapted by adding a component based on human opinion, with feedback into the rest of the model, to represent anthropogenic effects on coral reefs. Discrete time is used in the model for the purposes of greater generalizability. This thesis aims to determine the best course of action for preserving coral reefs in the face of the mentioned threats, translating mathematical results on the robustness of coral and fish populations into concrete policy recommendations.
Contact Info
Department of Applied Mathematics
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada N2L 3G1
Phone: 519-888-4567, ext. 32700
Fax: 519-746-4319
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.