Vydhourie R.T. Thiyageswaran ’21
Operations Research and Financial Engineering
Drivers of Variability in Exploited Marine Fish Populations: The Case of Atlantic Cod in the Gulf of Maine
My research focused on the dynamics of Atlantic cod in the Gulf of Maine, which seem doomed to permanent population collapse. I studied how their abundance is affected by environmental and economic factors coupled with internal population dynamics and the fishing industry. I had the opportunity to access and analyze an array of data and improve my programming skills. I also gained familiarity with the Network Common Data Form (NetCDF) format, which is the standard system used by Earth System scientists to manage and interchange environmental information. I used bioeconomic models to study the effect of sea surface temperature on cod survival and explored how fluctuations in market prices influence harvest. I learned the importance of running simulations and how to turn interest in papers into hypotheses and further research. Working with my mentors gave me great insights into the scientific community and life as a researcher.
2018
Biodiversity and Conservation
Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University- Princeton, New Jersey
Jorge Sarmiento, George J. Magee Professor of Geoscience and Geological Engineering, Professor of Geosciences; Fernando González Taboada, Associate Research Scholar, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences