49 research outputs found
Fisheries Then: American Eel
Once abundant in nearly all Maine rivers, American eels (Anguilla rostrata) were an important food source for residents of Downeast Maine, especially during the fall and winter. This article takes a look at American eels fisheries in historical context
Fishermen\u27s Knowledge of Halibut and Their Habitat
Relatively few scientific data are available to describe the biology, behavior, and distribution of Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) in the Gulf of Maine. This report contains the results of a study aimed at collecting and summarizing fishermen\u27s knowledge of Atlantic halibut and their habitat off the Maine coast
Fisheries Now: American Eel
The American eel is the only species in the Gulf of Maine that spends most of its life in freshwater but spawns in the Sargasso Sea, a large area of the Atlantic Ocean south of Bermuda and east of the Bahamas. American eel larvae (known as leptocephali) are transported by ocean currents for nearly a year until they reach the east coast of North America
Fisheries Now: Alewives and Blueback Herring
Alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), collectively referred to as river herring, are anadromous fish, which means they spend most of their adult lives at sea but spawn in freshwater. The two species look very similar. Fishermen usually harvest both species together and generally do not distinguish between the two. In Downeast Maine, alewives are more common than bluebacks and locals often use the terms âalewivesâ to refer to both species
Stories from the Flood: Promoting Healing and Fostering Policy Change Through Storytelling, Community Literacy, and Community-based Learning
This profile features the authors\u27 shared work to co-create both a community literacy project, Stories from the Flood, and the undergraduate community-based learning courses that supported the effort. Stories from the Flood works to assist community members in southwestern Wisconsin to share their flood experiences, aiming to support community healing and serve as a resource for future conversations about flood recovery and resilience. Our collaboration on Stories from the Flood demonstrates the importance of non-university expertise and aims to daylight and correct structural asymmetries that render these rural watersheds both particularly vulnerable to flooding and absent of government intervention
The role of sand lances (Ammodytes sp.) in the Northwest Atlantic ecosystem: a synthesis of current knowledge with implications for conservation and management
© The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Staudinger, M. D., Goyert, H., Suca, J. J., Coleman, K., Welch, L., Llopiz, J. K., Wiley, D., Altman, I., Applegate, A., Auster, P., Baumann, H., Beaty, J., Boelke, D., Kaufman, L., Loring, P., Moxley, J., Paton, S., Powers, K., Richardson, D., Robbins, J., Runge, J., Smith, B., Spiegel, C., & Steinmetz, H. The role of sand lances (Ammodytes sp.) in the Northwest Atlantic ecosystem: a synthesis of current knowledge with implications for conservation and management. Fish and Fisheries, 00, (2020): 1-34, doi:10.1111/faf.12445.The American sand lance (Ammodytes americanus, Ammodytidae) and the Northern sand lance (A. dubius, Ammodytidae) are small forage fishes that play an important functional role in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean (NWA). The NWA is a highly dynamic ecosystem currently facing increased risks from climate change, fishing and energy development. We need a better understanding of the biology, population dynamics and ecosystem role of Ammodytes to inform relevant management, climate adaptation and conservation efforts. To meet this need, we synthesized available data on the (a) life history, behaviour and distribution; (b) trophic ecology; (c) threats and vulnerabilities; and (d) ecosystem services role of Ammodytes in the NWA. Overall, 72 regional predators including 45 species of fishes, two squids, 16 seabirds and nine marine mammals were found to consume Ammodytes. Priority research needs identified during this effort include basic information on the patterns and drivers in abundance and distribution of Ammodytes, improved assessments of reproductive biology schedules and investigations of regional sensitivity and resilience to climate change, fishing and habitat disturbance. Food web studies are also needed to evaluate trophic linkages and to assess the consequences of inconsistent zooplankton prey and predator fields on energy flow within the NWA ecosystem. Synthesis results represent the first comprehensive assessment of Ammodytes in the NWA and are intended to inform new research and support regional ecosystemâbased management approaches.This manuscript is the result of followâup work stemming from a working group formed at a twoâday multidisciplinary and international workshop held at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Massachusetts in May 2017, which convened 55 experts scientists, natural resource managers and conservation practitioners from 15 state, federal, academic and nonâgovernmental organizations with interest and expertise in Ammodytes ecology. Support for this effort was provided by USFWS, NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (Award # G16AC00237), an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship to J.J.S., a CINAR Fellow Award to J.K.L. under Cooperative Agreement NA14OAR4320158, NSF award OCEâ1325451 to J.K.L., NSF award OCEâ1459087 to J.A.R, a Regional Sea Grant award to H.B. (RNE16âCTHCEâl), a National Marine Sanctuary Foundation award to P.J.A. (18â08âBâ196) and grants from the Mudge Foundation. The contents of this paper are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New England Fishery Management Council and MidâAtlantic Fishery Management Council. This manuscript is submitted for publication with the understanding that the United States Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Governmental purposes. Any use of trade, firm or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government
With All My Worldly Goods I Thee Endow, or Maybe Not: A Reevaluation of the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act after Three Decades
Reducing Waste at the Grab N\u27 Go
The dining halls at Smith College generate approximately 1/3 of the institutionâs total waste stream. A large proportion of this fraction is due to the Grab nâ Go system that two dining halls, Hubbard and Chapin, currently practice during weekdays. Grab nâ Go uses large amounts of packaging and is an area where many improvements could potentially be made to increase the sustainability of Smith dining. This project sought to investigate possible measures that could be taken in the future in order to reduce the amount of waste that is produced by Grab nâ Go. The results of the interviews, observations, and survey that were part of this investigation suggest that although Dining Services is on the whole making significant efforts to reduce waste, there are still a few improvements that can be made. At the present moment the biggest sustainability challenge for Grab nâ Go is to find a cost-effective way of properly disposing of the thousand or more plastic containers that are used every weekday. These containers are compostable and have the potential to be a much more environmentally-friendly option than traditional plastics; however, this potential is not realized because they are not properly disposed of and instead end up in Northamptonâs landfill where they are unable to break down. Significant challenges stand in the way of properly composting these containers at the present time. There are many additional smaller changes that can and are being made to decrease the amount of waste that is produced by Grab nâ Go. Dining Services is already very aware of the waste that it creates and is taking steps to reduce this amount. Student behavior is thus where much future improvement needs to be made
Ejijiky: Une Etude dâune Petite CommunautĂ© au Sud de Madagascar et sa DĂ©pendance sur la Mer
Lâobjectif de cette Ă©tude Ă©tait dâĂ©tudier la vie des pĂȘcheurs traditionnels, leur dĂ©pendance sur la mer, leurs effets sur lâenvironnement marin, et les problĂšmes et difficultĂ©s qui existent pour eux. Les recherches Ă©taient faits en mars et en avril 2008 dans le petit village dâEjijiky dans la commune rurale de Faux Cap, Ă lâextrĂȘme sud de Madagascar. Cette Ă©tude a focalisĂ© sur la pratique, les outils, et lâĂ©conomie de la pĂȘche traditionnelle, et aussi sur les difficultĂ©s humaines et les effets environnementaux. Selon les pĂȘcheurs Ă Ejijiky et Ă Faux Cap, les matĂ©riels sont le plus grand problĂšme pour eux. Dans cet endroit on est vraiment pauvre en matĂ©riels de la pĂȘche. Aussi, ils ont dĂ©crit les problĂšmes environnementaux qui rĂ©sultent dâune augmentation de la quantitĂ© des pĂȘcheurs qui cherchent les ressources marines dans cette rĂ©gion. Les problĂšmes et difficultĂ©s avec la pĂȘche et la gestion des ressources marines sont nombreux et compliquĂ©s. Il nâ y a pas une seule solution qui peut adresser tous les aspects diffĂ©rents. Dans la commune de Faux Cap il existe une association des pĂȘcheurs qui sâappelle Tsy Kivy qui peut, avec lâaide dâun financement du PSDR et de la Banque Mondiale, prendre des mesures pour amĂ©liorer la vie des gens et protĂ©ger lâenvironnement au mĂȘme temps. Cependant, Tsy Kivy est la seule association avec un financement de lâextĂ©rieur, et alors est une des seules organisations malgaches qui peut faire des tels projets dans cette rĂ©gion au sud du pays. Tsy Kivy est une partie de la solution des problĂšmes qui existe pour la pĂȘche traditionnelle, mais elle nâa pas le pouvoir dâamĂ©liorer tous
Assessing Growth and Habitat Preferences of Atlantic Halibut off the Coast of Maine Using Biological Samples and Fishermen\u27s Knowledge
The Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) is a data-poor species in U.S. waters. Abundances remain low after a brief but intense commercial fishery in the mid-nineteenth century caused the population to decline precipitously. Low abundances pose challenges for the study of this species, resulting in many major gaps in the understanding of the life history, stock structure, and distribution of halibut in the Gulf of Maine. The research summarized in this report aimed to address specific data gaps relating to the growth rates and habitat preferences of halibut in the Gulf of Maine, both of which are necessary to understand in order to best manage human impacts on this species of concern.
Growth rates influence population abundance and biomass trends, both of which play an important role in fisheries stock assessment; however, because few data on young halibut are available, growth rates during the entire life cycle of halibut in the Gulf of Maine are poorly understood. This report presents evidence that back-calculations based on otolith measurements can provide accurate estimates of lengths at previous ages, thus filling a major data gap for young halibut. Back-calculated estimates suggest that female and male halibut have different growth rates, that growth rates are not sensitive to inter-annual environmental changes, and that halibut in the Gulf of Maine have different growth rates than those caught in on the nearby Scotian Shelf.
The habitat requirements and preferences of a species influence its abundance and distribution, as well as the ways in which humans interact with that species. The habitat requirements and preferences of Atlantic halibut in the Gulf of Maine are very poorly understood. This research sought to identify key environmental drivers of halibut distribution off the coast of Maine through statistical analysis of existing datasets. A generalized linear model (GLM) suggested that time of year, sediment type, distance to the nearest boundary between sediment types, temperature, depth, and moon phase have significant influences on halibut catches. Habitat suitability indices (HSIs) suggested that juvenile and adult halibut interact with the environment in different ways. Neither the GLM nor the HSIs were able to generate robust predictions of areas of highly suitable habitat for halibut off the coast of Maine.
Fishermenâs knowledge of halibut off the coast of Maine was also assessed as part of this research. Fishermenâs knowledge and statistical models provided different but complementary insights into halibut in the Gulf of Maine. The fishermen interviewed as part of this project shared a wealth of information regarding halibut distribution, abundance, and behavior. Some of the phenomena described by fishermen were not previously documented in the scientific literature.
The results summarized in this report suggest that it is not always necessary to collect additional biological samples in order to generate new and useful information. Back-calculations and fishermenâs knowledge are not commonly used in life history studies of marine fish species; however, this research demonstrates that both are useful techniques which can provide highly relevant information without requiring extensive and expensive data collection efforts