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The Computational Ecologist’s Toolbox
Citation:
Kreakie, B. The Computational Ecologist’s Toolbox. New England Estuarine Research Society (NEERS) Spring Meeting, Bristol, RI, April 16 - 18, 2015.
Impact/Purpose:
Abstract for a general talk on elements of computional ecology, which will focus mainly on data management issues.
Description:
Computational ecology, nestled in the broader field of data science, is an interdisciplinary field that attempts to improve our understanding of complex ecological systems through the use of modern computational methods. Computational ecology is based on a union of competence in software programming, advanced mathematical/statistical methods, and ecological subject-specific expertise. Typically, this research relies heavily on large data sets that often cover large spatial extents and can also be expansive in temporal coverage. The data are also commonly assembled from several diverse data sources which adds complexity to uncertainty predictions. This field fundamentally embraces the culture of open science and reproducible research. During the course of my talk, I will present a general introduction to the field of computational ecology. I will use examples from my research to illustrate how computational methods can be used to address complex ecological questions. These case studies will cover a wide range of topics, from waterfowl migration modeling to social network analysis. The second half of my talk will focus on specific tools that computational ecologists use and that can be directly applied to other research fields. I will primarily focus on data management, because this will be most applicable to a wide range of research areas. However, this talk will also briefly cover tools and resources for statistics, coding, and version control.