Abstract: Mathematical biology is an interdisciplinary scientific research field with a range of applications in general biology, ecology,
biotechnology, and medicine. The large and small data problems elicited by these fields require mathematical , statistical and computational models to solve, which presents a great opportunity for the mathematical community. In this talk we discuss how mathematics has aided me in solving ecological problems at different levels of ecological realism and mathematical sophistication through three case studies. Through these case studies we show that mathematics can offer substantial insights into conservation of ecological systems at a time where such systems face substantial external pressure from, among other things, climate change.