Dispersal is a primary process that impacts the population dynamics of animals. However, quantifying and modeling animal dispersal in space and time remains a major challenge, due in part to the paucity of analytical methods. Yet, this type of modeling holds great promise for applications to pressing biological problems, ranging from predicting the spread of diseases to planning conservation strategies for endangered species. The physical models of diffusion might provide a convenient, precise, and rigorous methodology to describe dispersal, but these models remain largely untested for use in biological systems. Can we quantitatively describe the movement of endangered, keystone, or commercially-valuable species across a heterogenous landscape in space and time using the physics of diffusion? I explore a simple dynamic model of diffusion for use in evaluating the criteria necessary for effective habitat protection. I used the model predictions to assess if and how a marine reserve can protect populations of two commercially-valuable and heavily-exploited species, Caribbean spiny lobsters and queen conch. Does Biophysics have a more expansive role to play in the future of applied ecology?

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