Arjun Banik, University of Victoria

Laura Cowen (supervisor), Dr. Saman Muthukumarana, University of Manitoba (co-supervisor)

Project Description: We are studying the northern form of the Dolly Varden (Salvelinus
malma malma), using capture-recapture data provided by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
Specifically, we are estimating demographic parameters through the development of a Bayesian
multistate capture-recapture model with covariate considerations. DFO is primarily interested in
estimating survival, but also interested in comparing survival on the five rivers of interest. This
Ph.D. project is supervised by Dr. Laura Cowen, a Professor at the University of Victoria, and
co-supervised by Dr. Saman Muthukumarana, a professor at the University of Manitoba. Additionally,
this collaborative effort involves Dr. Colin Gallagher, a Stock Assessment Biologist with
DFO, based in Manitoba. This cross-institutional collaboration bridges the gap between academia
and governmental research.