MSCI 649 - Ecosystem Modeling

Fall, odd years (3) Brush

This course provides an introduction to quantitative modeling in marine science, with an emphasis on the process of constructing mechanistic models of biological, ecological, and biogeochemical processes. General topics include determination of modeling objectives and assumptions, model formulation and parameter estimation, determination of model accuracy through calibration, validation, and sensitivity analysis, and use of models to address scientific questions through simulation analysis. Types of models covered include compartmental ecosystem models, age/size-structured population models, and food web network analysis, with consideration of deterministic, stochastic, and spatially explicit approaches. Lectures are supplemented with readings from the primary literature and students receive hands-on experience building and using models through in-class lab exercises.