Describing animal movement with statistical physics methods: insights into the ecology and physiology of migratory sharks

Cross-disciplinary approaches can provide valuable insights into patterns of animal movement across scales. I created thePhysMove R package to facilitate the use of statistical physics approaches in movement ecology and demonstrate the valueof PhysMove by revealing the unique movement strategies of three sympatric shark species, which may help foster their coexistence.I also developed a modelling framework to identify physiological variables driving the movement behaviour of sharksand discovered that diet, energy reserves, and metabolism play key roles. Altogether, my thesis demonstrates how innovativeapplications of cross-disciplinary methodologies can advance the fields of animal movement and foraging ecology.