Date of Completion
2015
Document Type
Honors College Thesis
Department
Mathematics and Statistics
Thesis Type
Honors College
First Advisor
Jason Stockwell
Second Advisor
James Bagrow
Third Advisor
Daniel Bentil
Keywords
Agent-Based, Modeling, Ecology, Migration
Abstract
Recent work indicates that the macro-invertebrate Mysis diluviana exhibits partial diel vertical migration (DVM), whereby one part of the population remains on the lake bottom at night while the other migrates up the water column. The drivers underlying the decision to migrate remain unknown. We developed an agent-based model that can simulate thousands of individual mysids decision-making processes at an hourly time step throughout a year. The model takes into account a daily and seasonally changing environment, including light, temperature, food availability across habitats and body con- dition. We found that the simulated Mysis population is highly sensitive to changes in the energy cost of performing migration. We have also devel- oped a graphical user interface to help disseminate the results and testing of hypotheses without the need for the researcher to edit code. In addition to testing hypotheses about migration drivers, the model, once parameters have been calibrated with real data, will help facilitate more efficient field sampling and prediction of resource availability for mysivorous fishes by evaluating the potential for seasonality in Mysis migration patterns.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Strayer, Nicholas J.; Stockwell, Jason D.; O'Malley, Brian P.; and Hansson, Sture, "An Agent Based Model of the Diel Vertical Migration Patterns of Mysis diluviana" (2015). UVM Patrick Leahy Honors College Senior Theses. 71.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/hcoltheses/71