Ecology, Conservation, and Public Policy: A Vision for the 21st Century

10 March 2009

Professor Marc Mangel

One of the great challenges of this century is to answer the question: How
do we bring first class basic science to bear on important applied
problems? Although the path is not completely clear, it is becoming more
so. Professor Mangel will address a series of sub-questions including:

• How does the nature of environmental problems differ from other kinds of

problems?

• How do we deal with uncertainty, data and models?
• How can science support policy making?
• How do we and what should we learn from other disciplines?

After answering these questions, he will provide some suggestions to the
next generation of biologists.

Broad Topics: Asia and the Pacific

Sub-topics: Biological Sciences, Economics, Environment

Areas: ANU College of Asia and the Pacific

Marc Mangel is Professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics and Fellow of Stevenson College; he has also directed the Geographic Information Systems Laboratory and served as Associate Vice Chancellor, Planning and Programs. In the latter capacity, he co-chaired the UCSC strategic planning effort. In 2002, he was appointed as Director, Center for Stock Assessment Research, which is a partnership between the UCSC and the Santa Cruz Laboratory of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

His research program in mathematical and theoretical biology, focuses on
ecology, evolution and behaviour and the broad goal of combining first-rate
basic science with important applied questions. Work in the group includes
the evolutionary ecology of growth, aging and longevity, quantitative
issues in fisheries management, the population biology of disease, and the
evolutionary ecology of stem cells and their niches.

Presented by the Crawford School of Economics and Government. 

Part of the Toyota-ANU Public Lecture Series 2009