Bill Ricker

William Edwin (Bill) Ricker (1908 – 2001) is one of the founders 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 how many fish will be present in a fishery. [Ricker (1954)] [de Vries et al] [Marland] He was also internationally recognized as an entomologist and a scientific editor.He published 296 papers and books, 238 translations, and 148 scientific or literary manuscripts.Beamish et al]

Achievements

Ricker was an authority in the taxonomy of stoneflies, and developed a system of classification which fellow entomologists wrote was a thing of beauty and simplicity that made evolutionary sense.

In fisheries, he researched issues important to Canada’s commercial fisheries and to the science needed to manage them. He is best known for his 1954 paper on stock and recruitment.

He is also known for his "Handbook of Computation for Biological Statistics of Fish Populations", first published in 1958. [Ricker (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 [http://journalseek.net/cgi-bin/journalseek/journalsearch.cgi?field=issn&query=0015-296X "Journal of the Fisheries Research Board"] , and during his twelve year tenure, he turned what was a parochial journal into perhaps the world’s most influential fisheries science publication.

In his 1969 paper, "Food from the sea", he reasons that the quantity of food available from the sea would be 150–160 million tonnes or 2.5 times the level in 1968. He shows that other estimates of 100 million tonnes are low and 200 million tonnes too high. [Ricker (1969)]

Ricker was aware of the accomplishments of the Russian fisheries scientist, Feodor Baranov. He taught himself Russian so he could read Baranov’s original papers. 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. [Ricker (1973)]

Honours

He received numerous medals and awards including in 1970 the Flavelle Medal, 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 was honored by the American Fisheries Society for his contributions to fisheries science and received their first Award of Excellence. The Society later established the William E. Ricker Resource Conservation Award in 2001. He received honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Manitoba, Dalhousie University, and the University of Guelph, 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.

Notes

References

* Beamish, R J; Noakes, D J; Noakes D L G and Beamish, F W H (2003) [http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/rp/rppdf/f03-900.pdf 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: " [http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=Vz1pL7FxHN8C&pg=PA212&lpg=PA212&dq=%22Ricker+model%22&source=web&ots=CNxKPbRDK3&sig=AyuPP5aBQyBbtct7efNoH3nwvsA&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=18&ct=result "The Ricker model"] SIAM. pp 212–219. ISBN 9780898716122
* Marland, Eric [http://www1.appstate.edu/~marland/math_bio/fisheries.htm "Analysis of the Ricker Model"]
* Noakes, David L.G. (ed) (2006) [http://books.google.co.nz/books?hl=en&id=8aYNrPg5KhgC&dq=%22Bill+Ricker%22&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=P4GhiY7Cyd&sig=qNC34O135HmkUmZz0VWCfylk3es&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result "Bill Ricker: An Appreciation."] Springer. ISBN 978-1402047077
* "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, 11: 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.