Context, objective and level
The application of geostatistics to fisheries survey data is now a well-accepted method for estimating fish stock abundances and its precision. But novel applications are needed for the ecosystem approach to fisheries management, ranging from survey precision for stock assessment to various types of mapping and characterization of variability in spatial distributions. For instance, geostatistical methods can be used to characterize spatial distributions of species and habitats, produce maps from survey series and identify changes over time. There is a growing need for training in appropriate methods and software to analyze spatial issues in fisheries science.
The objective of the course is to provide a thorough grounding in the use of geostatistical methods to analyze spatially geo-referenced survey data. Students will be guided through the different steps of geostatistical analyses based on case studies.
The course will consider principles of theory and applications of basic and advanced methods. It is targeted at individuals who are new to geostatistical methods. However, it will also benefit researchers already familiar with geostatistics, who will further improve their skills and understanding.
Following the courses performed in 2013 and 2014 and the publication of their corresponding course notes and R scripts in
the ICES Cooperative Research Report 338, this course is a revised and new course organized around practical problem-solving sessions.
Programme
The course will extend for five days. Each day will be dedicated to one topic and comprise various sessions. Morning sessions will consist of lectures on background and theory. Other sessions will be arranged as computer ‘practicals’ in geostatistics where participants will be guided to analyze survey data using
the freely available software RGeostats.
Participants will be able to work with their own data during these sessions and will interact with trainers for problem solving. Scripts in R will be available to course attendees, who will customize them and learn by practice. Courses and practicals will allow solving questions, such as, how to characterize a spatial distribution with indices, compute and model a variogram, estimate survey precision, produce maps depending on different purposes, deal with temporal variability, or reproduce variability using simulations.
Course lectures and practicals
- Spatial indices to characterize the many aspects of spatial distributions (location, dispersion, aggregation, overlap); application to time series of surveys
- Capturing and modeling the geostatistical structure: variogram and variants
- Abundance estimation and survey precision; kriging and mapping
- Mapping from multiple information: exceeding thresholds, kriging with a trend, spatio-temporal kriging
Register online, but
please wait for confirmation of your place on the course, before making your travel arrangements.