Bill Ricker
Encyclopedia
William Edwin Ricker, OC
, FRSC
(Born August 11, 1908 in Waterdown, Ontario, Canada – Died September 8, 2001) is an important founder of fisheries science
. He is best known for the Ricker model
, which he developed in his studies of stock
and recruitment in fisheries. The model can be used to predict the number of fish that will be present in a fishery. He also had an international standing as an entomologist and a scientific editor. He published 296 papers and books, 238 translations, and 148 scientific or literary manuscripts.
In fisheries, he researched issues centred on Canadian fisheries and how to manage them. He is known particularly for his 1954 paper on recruitment and stock. He is also known for his Handbook of Computation for Biological Statistics of Fish Populations, published in 1958. This 348 page handbook became the standard reference for students and professionals around the world. It is still used in China as the standard text for fisheries science.
In 1950 Ricker became editor of the Journal of the Fisheries Research Board, and during his twelve year tenure developed this into perhaps the most influential fisheries science journal in the world.
In his 1969 paper, Food from the sea, he reasoned that the quantity of food that could be harvested from the sea would be 150–160 million tonnes or 2.5 times the level in 1968. He demonstrated that an estimate of 100 million tonnes was too low and an estimate of 200 million tonnes was too high.
Ricker taught himself Russian so he could read the original papers of Feodor Baranov, a Russian fisheries scientist. In 1973 he published a 428 page Russian–English dictionary on terminology in hydrobiological science for students of fisheries and aquatic biology (Ricker 1973). This dictionary remains the only specialized text on fisheries terminology.
, in 1966 the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada Gold Medal, and in 1983 the F.E.J. Fry Medal. In 1969, he received the first Award of Excellence of the American Fisheries Society. On his death in 2001, the Society established the William E. Ricker Resource Conservation Award. The University of Manitoba, Dalhousie University, and the University of Guelph, awarded him honorary doctoral degrees, and in 1986 he was appointed to the Order of Canada
.
The Canadian Coast Guard
fisheries research vessel
W.E. Ricker
is named after him.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, FRSC
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
(Born August 11, 1908 in Waterdown, Ontario, Canada – Died September 8, 2001) is an important founder of fisheries science
Fisheries science
Fisheries science is the academic discipline of managing and understanding fisheries. It is a multidisciplinary science, which draws on the disciplines of oceanography, marine biology, marine conservation, ecology, population dynamics, economics and management to attempt to provide an integrated...
. He is best known for the Ricker model
Ricker model
The Ricker model, named after Bill Ricker, is a classic discrete population model which gives the expected number a t+1 of individuals in generation t + 1 as a function of the number of individuals in the previous generation,Here r is interpreted as an intrinsic growth rate and k as...
, which he developed in his studies of stock
Fish stock
Fish stocks are subpopulations of a particular species of fish, for which intrinsic parameters are the only significant factors in determining population dynamics, while extrinsic factors are considered to be insignificant.-The stock concept:All species have geographic limits to their...
and recruitment in fisheries. The model can be used to predict the number of fish that will be present in a fishery. He also had an international standing as an entomologist and a scientific editor. He published 296 papers and books, 238 translations, and 148 scientific or literary manuscripts.
Achievements
Ricker was an authority in the taxonomy of stoneflies, and evolved an elegant classification which his fellow entomologists praised as "a thing of beauty and simplicity that made evolutionary sense".In fisheries, he researched issues centred on Canadian fisheries and how to manage them. He is known particularly for his 1954 paper on recruitment and stock. He is also known for his Handbook of Computation for Biological Statistics of Fish Populations, published in 1958. This 348 page handbook became the standard reference for students and professionals around the world. It is still used in China as the standard text for fisheries science.
In 1950 Ricker became editor of the Journal of the Fisheries Research Board, and during his twelve year tenure developed this into perhaps the most influential fisheries science journal in the world.
In his 1969 paper, Food from the sea, he reasoned that the quantity of food that could be harvested from the sea would be 150–160 million tonnes or 2.5 times the level in 1968. He demonstrated that an estimate of 100 million tonnes was too low and an estimate of 200 million tonnes was too high.
Ricker taught himself Russian so he could read the original papers of Feodor Baranov, a Russian fisheries scientist. In 1973 he published a 428 page Russian–English dictionary on terminology in hydrobiological science for students of fisheries and aquatic biology (Ricker 1973). This dictionary remains the only specialized text on fisheries terminology.
Honours
His medals and awards include: in 1970 the Flavelle MedalFlavelle Medal
The Flavelle Medal is an award of the Royal Society of Canada "for an outstanding contribution to biological science during the preceding ten years or for significant additions to a previous outstanding contribution to biological science". It is named in honour of Joseph Wesley Flavelle and is...
, in 1966 the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada Gold Medal, and in 1983 the F.E.J. Fry Medal. In 1969, he received the first Award of Excellence of the American Fisheries Society. On his death in 2001, the Society established the William E. Ricker Resource Conservation Award. The University of Manitoba, Dalhousie University, and the University of Guelph, awarded him honorary doctoral degrees, and in 1986 he was appointed to the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
The Canadian Coast Guard
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
fisheries research vessel
Research vessel
A research vessel is a ship designed and equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel, others require a dedicated vessel...
W.E. Ricker
CCGS W. E. Ricker
The CCGS W.E. Ricker is a Canadian Coast Guard offshore fisheries research vessel. The vessel was built in 1978 by Narasaki Senpakukogyo Limited of Muroran Hokkaido, Japan. . The ship sails with six officers and a crew of 13....
is named after him.
Other references
- Beamish, R J; Noakes, D J; Noakes D L G and Beamish, F W H (2003) William Edwin Ricker, OC, FRSC, LLD, DSc
- de Vries, Gerda; Hillen, Thomas; Lewis, Mark; Schonfisch, Birgitt and Muller, Johannes (2006) A Course in Mathematical Biology: The Ricker model SIAM. pp 212–219. ISBN 9780898716122
- Marland, Eric Analysis of the Ricker Model
- Noakes, David L. G. (Ed.) (2006) Bill Ricker: an appreciation シュプリンガー・ジャパン株式会社, ISBN 9781402047077.
- A Passion for Science: Bill Ricker — A Scientific Journey VHS Videotape, Canada, IM, 1994.
- Ricker, W. E. (1954) Stock and Recruitment Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 11(5): 559–623.
- Ricker, W E (1958) Handbook of computation for biological statistics of fish populations. Bulletin 119 of the Fisheries Resource Board, Canada, Ottawa.
- Ricker, W E (1969) Food from the sea. In Resources and man, a study and recommendation report of the Committee on Resources and Man, US National Academy of Sciences, Chap 5. W H Freeman, San Francisco, pp. 87–108.
- Ricker, W E (1973) Russian–English dictionary for students of fisheries and aquatic biology. Bulletin 183 of the Fisheries Resource Board, Canada, Ottawa.
External links
- William E. Ricker, 1908-2001 Fisheries Centre Newsletter, 7(5): 1–2.