Use of traditional knowledge by the United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to support resource management

Professionals who collect and use traditional knowledge to support resource management decisions often are preoccupied with concerns over how and if traditional knowledge should be integrated with science. To move beyond the integration dilemma, we treat traditional knowledge and science as distinct and complementary knowledge systems. We focus on applying traditional knowledge within the decision-making process. We present succinct examples of how the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has used traditional knowledge in decision making in the North Slope Borough, Alaska: 1) using traditional knowledge in designing, planning, and conducting scientific research; 2) applying information from both knowledge systems at the earliest opportunity in the process; 3) using traditional knowledge in environmental impacts assessment; 4) consulting with indigenous leaders at key decision points; and 5) applying traditional knowledge at a programmatic decision level. Clearly articulating, early in the process, how best to use traditional knowledge and science can allow for more complete and inclusive use of available and pertinent information

“We Never Get Stuck:” A Collaborative Analysis of Change and Coastal Community Subsistence Practices in the Northern Bering and Chukchi Seas, Alaska

The Indigenous communities of the northern Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea are experiencing extensive social, economic, and technological change. The region’s marine ecosystem is also characterized by a high degree of variability and by rapid change. Residents of eight coastal communities from Savoonga to Utqiaġvik were involved in the Chukchi Coastal Communities Project, which used the results of a literature review together with the experiences of the community participants to co-analyze what is known about societal and environmental change in the region and what the communities’ experiences have been in responding to those changes. Some of the observed changes are transient in duration and effect, such as the passage of an individual ship, whereas others, such as the creation of the Red Dog Mine Port Site, persist and may force coastal residents to make lasting changes in their activities. Some responses can use existing knowledge (e.g., hunting bowhead whales in fall as well as spring), whereas others may require learning and experimentation (e.g., harvesting new species such as the Hanasaki crab). Our findings show that the results of a change are more important than the source of the change. They also emphasize the continuing importance of traditional values and practices as well as attitudes conducive to persistence and innovation. Indigenous leadership is an essential component of continued resilience as the ecosystem continues to change. The resilient characteristics of coastal communities and their ability to determine their own responses to change need greater attention to match the research effort directed at understanding the ecosystem. Les collectivités autochtones du nord de la mer de Béring et de la mer des Tchouktches font face à d’importants changements sur les plans social, économique et technologique. L’écosystème marin de la région est également caractérisé par un grand degré de variabilité et de changement rapide. Les habitants de huit collectivités côtières, de Savoonga à Utqiaġvik, ont participé au projet des collectivités côtières des Tchouktches. S’appuyant sur l’examen de documentation et sur l’expérience des participants des collectivités, les responsables de ce projet ont co-analysé les faits connus au sujet du changement social et environnemental dans la région de même que l’expérience des collectivités en matière de réponse à ces changements. La durée et l’effet des changements observés sont parfois transitoires, comme le passage d’un navire, tandis que d’autres, comme l’aménagement du site portuaire de la mine de Red Dog, perdurent et risquent de forcer les habitants de la côte à modifier leurs activités en permanence. Certaines des réponses peuvent s’appuyer sur des connaissances déjà acquises (comme le fait de chasser la baleine boréale à l’automne ainsi qu’au printemps), tandis que d’autres pourraient nécessiter de l’apprentissage et de l’expérimentation (comme la récolte d’une nouvelle espèce comme le crabe Hanasaki). Nos constatations démontrent que les résultats d’un changement sont plus importants que la source du changement. Elles mettent également l’accent sur l’importance continuelle des valeurs et des pratiques traditionnelles ainsi que sur les attitudes propices à la persistance et à l’innovation. Le leadership autochtone est une composante essentielle de la résilience continue alors que l’écosystème évolue sans cesse. Les caractéristiques de résilience des collectivités côtières et leur capacité à déterminer leurs propres réponses au changement doivent faire l’objet d’une plus grande attention afin d’être à la hauteur de l’effort de recherche visant à comprendre l’écosystème.&nbsp

The Future of Hydrocarbon Development in Greenland: Perspectives from Residents of the North Slope of Alaska

 Although Greenland has pursued hydrocarbon development over the last four decades, no viable reserves have been found to date. Therefore, local Greenland communities have little experience or knowledge of how such development might affect their way of life or how to influence project development and outcomes should a significant reserve be found. On the North Slope of Alaska, in contrast, hydrocarbon extraction was commercialized in the 1970s, and the industry is now highly developed. North Slope residents have experienced dramatic influences on their everyday lives and well-being as a result of large-scale hydrocarbon projects. Some consequences have been welcomed, such as economic development and higher employment rates; however, other impacts are harmful, such as reduced ability of local peoples to maintain subsistence hunting practices. The villages on Alaska’s North Slope share many features in common with settlements in Greenland, such as small size, isolation, and limited political influence. In this study, we explore how Greenlanders might learn from the Alaska experience by examining the comments of North Slope residents. We propose that increased local-to-local recommendation-sharing across the Arctic would better guide sustainable development practices and benefits into potential future projects in Greenland. We conclude that an Arctic “Community Guide” and the process to create one could improve planning and implementation of hydrocarbon projects across the Arctic and promote locally appropriate sustainable development in the affected communities. Bien que le Groenland se soit adonné à l’exploration d’hydrocarbures ces quatre dernières décennies, aucune réserve rentable n’a été trouvée à ce jour. Par conséquent, les communautés du Groenland possèdent peu d’expérience ou de connaissances pour savoir comment des travaux de mise en valeur pourraient modifier leur mode de vie ou comment elles pourraient influencer le développement et les résultats d’un projet en cas de découverte de réserves importantes. En revanche, sur le North Slope de l’Alaska, l’extraction d’hydrocarbures a été commercialisée dans les années 1970, si bien que cette industrie y est maintenant fortement développée. La vie de tous les jours et le bien-être des résidents du North Slope ont connu des influences dramatiques en raison d’importants projets de mise en valeur d’hydrocarbures. Certaines incidences ont été bien accueillies, comme le développement économique et la hausse des taux d’emploi, mais d’autres ont été nuisibles, comme la diminution des occasions de pratiquer la chasse de subsistance dans la région. Les villages du North Slope de l’Alaska ont de nombreuses caractéristiques en commun avec ceux du Groenland, comme leur petite taille, leur isolement et leur influence politique restreinte. Dans cette étude, nous explorons la façon dont les Groenlandais pourraient tirer profit de l’expérience de l’Alaska en dépouillant les commentaires des gens du North Slope. Nous proposons que le partage accru de recommandations locales à l’échelle de l’Arctique permettrait de mieux orienter les pratiques de développement durable et leurs retombées dans le cadre de projets susceptibles de se concrétiser plus tard au Groenland. Nous concluons en affirmant qu’un « guide communautaire » de l’Arctique et le processus de création d’un tel guide pourraient améliorer la planification et la mise en oeuvre de projets d’hydrocarbures dans l’Arctique, en plus de favoriser un développement durable local adéquat dans les localités concernées

Iterative channel equalization, channel decoding and source decoding

The performance of soft source decoding is evaluated over dispersive AWGN channels. By employing source codes having error-correcting capabilities, such as Reversible Variable-Length Codes (RVLCs) and Variable-Length Error-Correcting (VLEC) codes, the softin/soft-out (SISO) source decoder benefits from exchanging information with the MAP equalizer, and effectively eliminates the inter-symbol interference (ISI) after a few iterations. It was also found that the soft source decoder is capable of significantly improving the attainable performance of the turbo receiver provided that channel equalization, channel decoding and source decoding are carried out jointly and iteratively. At SER = 10-4, the performance of this three-component turbo receiver is about 2 dB better in comparison to the benchmark scheme carrying out channel equalization and channel decoding jointly, but source decoding separately. At this SER value, the performance of the proposed scheme is about 1 dB worse than that of the ½-rate convolutional coded non-dispersive AWGN channel.<br/

The Contributions of Community-Based Monitoring and Traditional Knowledge to Arctic Observing Networks: Reflections on the State of the Field

Community-based monitoring (CBM) in the Arctic is gaining increasing support from a wide range of interested parties, including community members, scientists, government agencies, and funders. Through CBM initiatives, Arctic residents conduct or are involved in ongoing observing and monitoring activities. Arctic Indigenous peoples have been observing the environment for millennia, and CBM often incorporates traditional knowledge, which may be used independently from or in partnership with conventional scientific monitoring methods. Drawing on insights from the first Arctic Observing Summit, we provide an overview of the state of CBM in the Arctic. The CBM approach to monitoring is centered on community needs and interests. It offers fine-grained, local-scale data that are readily accessible to community and municipal decision makers. In spite of these advantages, CBM initiatives remain little documented and are often unconnected to wider networks, with the result that many practitioners lack a clear sense of the field and how best to support its growth and development. CBM initiatives are implemented within legal and governance frameworks that vary significantly both within and among different national contexts. Further documentation of differences and similarities among Arctic communities in relation to observing needs, interests, and legal and institutional capacities will help assess how CBM can contribute to Arctic observing networks. While CBM holds significant potential to meet observing needs of communities, more investment and experimentation are needed to determine how observations and data generated through CBM approaches might effectively inform decision making beyond the community level.Dans l’Arctique, la surveillance communautaire (SC) reçoit un appui de plus en plus grand de la part de nombreuses parties intéressées, dont les membres de la communauté, les scientifiques, les organismes gouvernementaux et les bailleurs de fonds. Dans le cadre des initiatives de SC, des habitants de l’Arctique effectuent des tâches permanentes d’observation et de surveillance ou participent à de telles tâches. Les peuples indigènes de l’Arctique observent l’environnement depuis des millénaires. Souvent, la SC fait appel aux connaissances traditionnelles, connaissances qui peuvent être employées seules ou conjointement avec les méthodes classiques de surveillance scientifique. Nous nous sommes appuyés sur les connaissances dérivées du premier sommet d’observation de l’Arctique pour donner un aperçu de l’état de la SC dans l’Arctique. La méthode de SC est centrée sur les besoins et les intérêts de la communauté. Elle permet d’obtenir des données à grain fin à l’échelle locale, données qui sont facilement accessibles par la communauté et les preneurs de décisions municipaux. Malgré ces avantages, il existe peu de documentation au sujet des initiatives de SC et souvent, ces initiatives ne sont pas rattachées aux grands réseaux, ce qui fait que bien des intervenants ne comprennent pas clairement ce qui se passe sur le terrain et ne savent pas vraiment comment appuyer la croissance et le développement de la surveillance communautaire. Les initiatives de SC respectent les cadres de référence nécessaires en matière de droit et de gouvernance, et ceux-ci varient considérablement au sein des contextes nationaux. L’enrichissement de la documentation en ce qui a trait aux différences et aux similitudes qui existent entre les communautés de l’Arctique en matière de besoins d’observation, d’intérêts et de capacités juridiques et institutionnelles aidera à déterminer en quoi la SC pourra jouer un rôle au sein des réseaux d’observation de l’Arctique. Bien que la SC ait la possibilité de jouer un rôle important dans les besoins d’observation des communautés, il y a lieu de faire plus d’investissements et d’expériences pour déterminer comment les observations et les données découlant des méthodes de SC pourront favoriser la prise de décisions au-delà des communautés

Equivalent-Capacity-Based Design of Space-Time Block-Coded Sphere-Packing-Aided Multilevel Coding

A multilevel coding (MLC) scheme invoking sphere packing (SP) modulation combined with space time block coding (STBC) is designed. The coding rates of each of the MLC component codes are determined using the so-called equivalent capacity based constituent-code rate-calculation procedure invoking a 4-dimensional (4D) sphere packing bit-to-symbol mapping scheme. Four different-rate Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC) constituent-codes are used by the MLC scheme. The performance of the resultant equivalent capacity based design is characterized using simulation results. Our results demonstrate an approximately 3.5dB gain over an identical scheme dispensing with SP modulation. Furthermore although a similar performance gain is attained by both the proposed MLC scheme and its benchmarker, which uses a single-class LDPC code, the MLC scheme is preferred, since it benefits from the new classic philosophy of using low-memory, low-complexity component codes as well as providing an unequal error protection capability

Exploring and Evaluating E-Business Models: A Preliminary Study of a Community-Based Website

Social media is the use of the Internet and mobile technologies to share user-generated content. At a broader level, social media has been providing an increasing amount of the information that is presented to very wide audiences. However, hyper-local media is a form of such social media that tries to target a comparably narrow but focused group of audience with timely and related content. OpenAnchorage presents our vision of a hyper-local information site. It was developed to collect community information created by the local providers and present this information on a local area map where interested users can select the data relevant to their hyper-local geographic area. OpenAnchorage website simultaneously requires a process of providing both new technology and new content. The research design is an iterative analysis-adjustment and adaption-data collection with an integrated process of using Business Model Canvas and Customer Development Stack. The goal of this project is to determine the potential business model or models that will serve our site best by using this innovative, iterative, experiment approach. The desire is that, eventually, the site will be able to get a critical mass of participation, to generate socio-economic values to serve our community, and to support its own long-term sustainability