Scientific Method, Stochastic Dynamics & Deterministic Forcing: Integrated Modelling, Field Research, & Educational Outreach to Understand Population Dynamics of the B

小行星9734472埃格莱斯顿 动物和植物的种群经常以一种看似混乱的方式波动。基本挑战包括制定人口模型， 不同环境力的影响 种群动态，并确定生物反馈机制和环境之间的相互作用。 这个项目 解决了决定 在北卡罗来纳州的青蟹（Callinectes sapidus）的种群动态， 通过全面和 集成 野外观察和实验，长期丰度数据的种群模型，以及水流的计算机可视化。 总的假设是，环境扰动，主要是热带气旋的形式， 明显 改变 生物反馈 机制，产生大量的青少年和成年蟹的波动。 学生/教师充实计划的总体目标是提高科学素养，并通过将公立学校，国家和学术科学家联系在一起，使学生和教师参与传统上在科学中代表性不足的科学方法。 渔业物种是一个理想的焦点，因为它们对沿海国家具有重要的文化和经济意义，并且处于过度捕捞，水质退化和栖息地丧失等关键问题的中心。

9734472 Eggleston Populations of animals and plants often fluctuate in a seemingly chaotic manner. Fundamental challenges include formulating population models that can tease apart the precise effects of different environmental forces on population dynamics, and determining the interaction between biological feedback mechanisms and the environment. This project addresses processes that determine population dynamics in the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) in North Carolina, through comprehensive and integrated field observations and experiments, population modeling of long- term abundance data, and computer visualizations of water currents. The overall hypothesis is that environmental perturbations, primarily in the form of tropical cyclones, will markedly alter biological feedback mechanisms, producing large fluctuations in abundance of juvenile and adult crabs. The overall goal of the student/teacher enrichment program is to enhance scientific literacy, and involve students and teachers in the scientific method that have traditionally been under-represented in science, by linking public schools, state, and academic scientists together with a common research goal. Fisheries species are an ideal focal point since they are of significant cultural and economic importance to coastal counties, and lie at the center of such critical issues as overfishing, water quality degradation, and habitat loss.