NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2013

将早期生长和存活与种群动态联系起来，利用分层贝叶斯模型和全球鱼类生活史特征数据库，研究调节种群人口结构的过程，如依赖密度的生长和生存，提供了对于理解物种如何在其环境中共存和繁荣至关重要的知识。海洋种群尤其难以研究，因为它们生命周期的一部分，如幼虫或幼虫阶段，仍然是一个谜。这项研究的目的是开发一个生活史模型，该模型可以用来自海洋种群评估的公共数据进行参数化。这些关于数百种海洋物种种群动态的数据是由全球各地的国际和联邦机构收集的。利用最近发展起来的统计方法，这些数据可以用来间接推断许多物种的生活史特征(包括卵的大小和数量)与种群弹性之间的关系。这在以前几乎是不可能的，因为以前的统计方法和现有数据的限制。这种比较方法将为决定物种的关键生活史特征提供新的视角？对环境变化的适应能力。除了这些影响，这项研究还允许对早期职业科学家进行新的统计技术方面的培训。它还提供了教授和与其他处理保护问题的人合作的机会，包括生态学家、资源经理和政策制定者。在作为国家科学基金会博士后研究员接受培训后，国际海洋生物研究所将能够继续开发跨学科方法来应对当前海洋生物面临的挑战。

Linking early growth and survival with population dynamics, using hierarchical Bayesian models and a global database of fish life-history traits Studying the processes that regulate population demography, such as density dependent growth and survival, provides knowledge that is critical to understanding how species coexist and thrive in their environment. Marine populations, in particular, are very difficult to study because parts of their life cycle, such as larval or juvenile stages, remain a mystery. The objective of this research is to develop a life-history model that can be parameterized with public data from marine stock assessments of fished populations. These data on the population dynamics of hundreds of marine species are collected by international and federal agencies around the globe. With recently developed statistical methods, these data can be used to indirectly infer the relationship between life-history traits (including egg size and number) and population resilience for many species. This was previously almost impossible to do, because of the limitations of prior statistical methods and available data. This comparative approach will provide new perspectives on the key life-history traits that determine species? resilience to environmental change.In addition to these impacts, this research allows for the training of an early career scientist in novel statistical techniques. It also provides opportunities to teach and work with others tackling problems in conservation, including ecologists, resource managers, and policy makers. With the training received as an NSF postdoctoral fellow, the PI will be able to continue developing interdisciplinary approaches to the current challenges facing marine organisms.