Professor Len Thomas delivered his Inaugural Lecture "Fantastic beasts and how to count them" on Wednesday 23rd November 2022.
Abstract:
Our natural world is full of fantastic beasts, but many are under treat from human-caused changes to their environment. Effective conservation of wildlife populations relies on our answering four Ws: what (current population size), where (spatial distribution), when (trends over time) and why (causes of trends). In this lecture, I will show how statistical research and technological advances are used to enable better answers. Fantastic beasts showcased include punk monkeys (critically endangered cottontop tamarin), mysterious breath-hold champions (beaked whale species, mostly unknown conservation status) and panda-eyed porpoises (critically
endangered vaquita). Human-caused stressors range from the obviously bad (Deepwater Horizon oil spill) to those that are more nuanced (e.g., marine wind farms). The lecture will not involve any magic. It will, however, be followed by a reception in Lower College Hall to which all are welcome.
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