Tyler BONNELL

Mots clés : 3MTSim, Beluga movement models, collective behaviour, social network analysis, photo ID, statistics, agent-based modeling

Titre : 3MTSim Beluga movement model

Projet de recherche : Population-level approaches have often been used to estimate noise exposure from shipping on marine life. With this approach the spatial distribution of the species in question is overlaid with shipping routes, and the total impact of noise exposure is estimated. This approach, however, assumes that individuals within the population use the habitat in an unstructured manner. Data from a long term photo-ID database have shown that this is not likely the case for beluga whales in the St-Lawrence. Rather, individuals are more likely to be seen in certain sectors rather than others, suggesting a more structure habitat use. This structured use of habitat can have important implications for measuring the impacts of noise exposure, leading to a disproportionate impact on certain individuals or communities within the population. Our goal is to develop an individual-based movement model within 3MTSim that can integrate a more realistic assumption of habitat use. With this individual-level movement model we aim to estimate the distribution of noise exposure within the population of beluga whales in the St-Lawrence.

Communications scientifiques : 

Clément Chion, Tyler Bonnell, Dominic Lagrois, Adrien Guetté, Robert Michaud, Angélique Dupuch, Jérôme Dupras. (2019) “Modélisation du trafic maritime et des déplacements des baleines dans l’estuaire du Saint-Laurent et le Saguenay pour informer le processus de réduction des impacts cumulatifs de la navigation sur les bélugas et les grands rorquals dans le contexte du déploiement de la Stratégie maritime du Québec” Rapport présenté à Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec (https://scholar.google.com.tr/citations?user=8mWrfOEAAAAJ&hl=en)

Diplômes et cursus universitaire : 

2010-2014 : Ph.D. in Geography, McGill University. “Spatial simulations of infectious disease: environment, behaviour, and their interaction in a primate population.” Co-Advised by: Raja Sengupta (Geography), and Colin Chapman (Anthropology/School of Environment).

2008-2010 : M.Sc. in Geography, McGill University. “Agent-based modeling for use in wildlife diseases: a case study on how environmental variables can affect host-parasite interactions in the red colobus monkey.” Co-Advised by: Raja Sengupta (Geography), and Colin Chapman (Anthropology/School of Environment)

2004-2008 : B.Sc. in Agriculture and Environmental sciences, McGill University. Environmetrics, Minor: Geographic information systems. Supervised by: Pierre Dutilleul (Plant Science)