New University of Alberta research on managing aquatic invasive species in Canada combines the power of machine learning with expertise in biology and statistics to build a simple, easy-to-use tool for environmental managers.
The tool, which produces decision trees, helps environmental managers decide which approach to take in their waterways by predicting the outcomes of various invasive species management strategies.
“The economic cost of invasive species is in the tens of billions of dollars—and because the cost is so high, there is a great deal of interest in preventing and controlling invasions,” said Mark Lewis, a U of A mathematical and statistical sciences expert and Canada Research Chair in Mathematical Biology, who developed the tool with his research collaborators.
There are many kinds of aquatic invasive species in Canada in both marine and freshwater environments, ranging from invasive seaweed to fish to water fleas. Many are spread by shipping routes and through pet trade, like when you release your goldfish into a lake.
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Image via University of Alberta.