Early Career Aquatic Scientists Forge New Connections at Eco-DAS XV

A sense of kuleana (personal responsibility) in caring for the land and sea. An appreciation for laulima (many hands cooperating). An understanding of aloha ’āina (love of the land). The University of Hawai’i at Manoa hosted the 2023 Ecological Dissertations in Aquatic Sciences (Eco-DAS) program, which fostered each of these intentions by bringing together a team of early career aquatic ecologists for a week of networking and collaborative, interdisciplinary project development (Fig. 1)

Actigraph Accelerometer-Defined Boundaries for Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity Intensities in 7 Year Old Children

Background: Accurate objective assessment of sedentary and physical activity behaviours during childhood is integral to the understanding of their relation to later health outcomes, as well as to documenting the frequency and distribution of physical activity within a population.Purpose: To calibrate the Actigraph GT1M accelerometer, using energy expenditure (EE) as the criterion measure, to define thresholds for sedentary behaviour and physical activity categories suitable for use in a large scale epidemiological study in young children.Methods: Accelerometer-based assessments of physical activity (counts per minute) were calibrated against EE measures (kcal.kg(-1).hr(-1)) obtained over a range of exercise intensities using a COSMED K4b(2) portable metabolic unit in 53 seven-year-old children. Children performed seven activities: lying down viewing television, sitting upright playing a computer game, slow walking, brisk walking, jogging, hopscotch and basketball. Threshold count values were established to identify sedentary behaviour and light, moderate and vigorous physical activity using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results: EE was significantly associated with counts for all non-sedentary activities with the exception of jogging. Threshold values for accelerometer counts (counts. minute(-1)) were = 3841 for light, moderate and vigorous physical activity respectively. The area under the ROC curves for discrimination of sedentary behaviour and vigorous activity were 0.98. Boundaries for light and moderate physical activity were less well defined (0.61 and 0.60 respectively). Sensitivity and specificity were higher for sedentary (99% and 97%) and vigorous (95% and 91%) than for light (60% and 83%) and moderate (61% and 76%) thresholds.Conclusion: The accelerometer cut points established in this study can be used to classify sedentary behaviour and to distinguish between light, moderate and vigorous physical activity in children of this age

Pangolins in global camera trap data: Implications for ecological monitoring

Despite being heavily exploited, pangolins (Pholidota: Manidae) have been subject to limited research, resulting in a lack of reliable population estimates and standardised survey methods for the eight extant species. Camera trapping represents a unique opportunity for broad-scale collaborative species monitoring due to its largely non-discriminatory nature, which creates considerable volumes of data on a relatively wide range of species. This has the potential to shed light on the ecology of rare, cryptic and understudied taxa, with implications for conservation decision-making. We undertook a global analysis of available pangolin data from camera trapping studies across their range in Africa and Asia. Our aims were (1) to assess the utility of existing camera trapping efforts as a method for monitoring pangolin populations, and (2) to gain insights into the distribution and ecology of pangolins. We analysed data collated from 103 camera trap surveys undertaken across 22 countries that fell within the range of seven of the eight pangolin species, which yielded more than half a million trap nights and 888 pangolin encounters. We ran occupancy analyses on three species (Sunda pangolin Manis javanica, white-bellied pangolin Phataginus tricuspis and giant pangolin Smutsia gigantea). Detection probabilities varied with forest cover and levels of human influence for P. tricuspis, but were low (<0.05) for all species. Occupancy was associated with distance from rivers for M. javanica and S. gigantea, elevation for P. tricuspis and S. gigantea, forest cover for P. tricuspis and protected area status for M. javanica and P. tricuspis. We conclude that camera traps are suitable for the detection of pangolins and large-scale assessment of their distributions. However, the trapping effort required to monitor populations at any given study site using existing methods appears prohibitively high. This may change in the future should anticipated technological and methodological advances in camera trapping facilitate greater sampling efforts and/or higher probabilities of detection. In particular, targeted camera placement for pangolins is likely to make pangolin monitoring more feasible with moderate sampling efforts

Pangolins in Global Camera Trap Data: Implications for Ecological Monitoring

Despite being heavily exploited, pangolins (Pholidota: Manidae) have been subject to limited research, resulting in a lack of reliable population estimates and standardised survey methods for the eight extant species. Camera trapping represents a unique opportunity for broad-scale collaborative species monitoring due to its largely non-discriminatory nature, which creates considerable volumes of data on a relatively wide range of species. This has the potential to shed light on the ecology of rare, cryptic and understudied taxa, with implications for conservation decision-making. We undertook a global analysis of available pangolin data from camera trapping studies across their range in Africa and Asia. Our aims were (1) to assess the utility of existing camera trapping efforts as a method for monitoring pangolin populations, and (2) to gain insights into the distribution and ecology of pangolins. We analysed data collated from 103 camera trap surveys undertaken across 22 countries that fell within the range of seven of the eight pangolin species, which yielded more than half a million trap nights and 888 pangolin encounters. We ran occupancy analyses on three species (Sunda pangolin Manis javanica, white-bellied pangolin Phataginus tricuspis and giant pangolin Smutsia gigantea). Detection probabilities varied with forest cover and levels of human influence for P. tricuspis, but were low (M. javanica and S. gigantea, elevation for P. tricuspis and S. gigantea, forest cover for P. tricuspis and protected area status for M. javanica and P. tricuspis. We conclude that camera traps are suitable for the detection of pangolins and large-scale assessment of their distributions. However, the trapping effort required to monitor populations at any given study site using existing methods appears prohibitively high. This may change in the future should anticipated technological and methodological advances in camera trapping facilitate greater sampling efforts and/or higher probabilities of detection. In particular, targeted camera placement for pangolins is likely to make pangolin monitoring more feasible with moderate sampling efforts

Proposed Methodology for Performance Prediction and Monitoring for an Acknowledged Systems of Systems

Proceedings Paper (for Acquisition Research Program)Program managers (PMs) are expected to quantifiably justify that their program will result in the delivery of a system with the required performance through development. Traditionally, the PM has several technical management tools at their disposal, including Technical Performance Measures (TPMs), modeling and simulation, etc., that provide insight and predictive capability in system performance. When the program matures to a point where actual test data can be gathered, it is compared against expected system performance. The increasing use of the system of systems (SoS) model for the rapid fielding of warfighting capabilities poses new systems engineering challenges for the DoD. Due to the complex nature of SoS interdependencies, PMs are especially challenged when asked to quantifiably predict progress made toward full-capability SoS performance in an incremental development. To support the PM in making technical trades and tracking performance progress for an acknowledged SoS, the U.S. Navy (PMS 420 and SSC Pacific) have been collaborating on the development and verification of an SoS Performance Measure (SPM) tool set. The SPM tool applies a modified TPM-type approach to an SoS construct. However, instead of focusing on a single measurable technical value that can be monitored during development of an individual system, the SPM links the SoS Key Performance Parameters (KPPs) to individual component capabilities, their maturity, and their potential usage rates. The System Maturity Model (SMM), Concept of Operations (CONOPS), and usage rate variance analyses are all considered in the SPM calculation. The SPM tool will be reviewed and valuable lessons learned to date within the Mission Modules Program will be discussed.Acquisition Research ProgramApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

GIS as a Tool for Decision Making and Evaluation

The pilot project detailed in this paper was designed to explore the potential for an information tool and education sector engagement model to benefit the sector and its communities in the transport corridor to the north of Brisbane. By allowing participants, community, government and non-government organisations (NGO) to access information at a regional level to assist with decision making and the evaluation of shared cross-sectoral service provision and planning initiatives. As part of this pilot project a prototype information system has been developed integrating both technology and organisational process. The result is a Community Information System (CIS) developed using open sourced software and eventually able to provide regionally specific public access layered data online. This prototype CIS allows the exploration of whether visualisation technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) could be used as a tool to create and display information in a form to assist organisational and community decision-making and evaluation. Thus testing the validity of the above concept from both the technical and organisational/community perspective. GIS have been used since the 1960’s for town planning, environmental, event, resource, epidemiological mapping and in military applications. Generally, the applications of GIS have been used to display various phenomena that have a spatial location within the physical environment. Now with advances in technology, data management and subsequent availability, GIS technology has the ability to be integrated into and more effectively applied to social, service delivery, evaluation, and change management applications. QUT and partners over the past 12 months have been developing the prototype CIS designed to test the concept outlined above and generate application and process knowledge as an additional outcome. The initial focus of the pilot project was concentrated on service provision, demographics and associated change within the regional education sector and their communities of influence and practice. As a result, of this application cross-sectoral learning and process improvement practices were enhanced. The next phase of the prototype CIS development is planned to provide the capability for a third party user to be able to map and then provide commentary on policy and program initiatives including projections for future impacts and development alternatives at the local level. This will be achieved through three degrees of visualisation of information, representing public access, interactive access with the ability to incorporate local data and thirdly stakeholder database access. Giving the users potential to access and develop evidence-based data for investigative and evaluation purposes for the justification of specific community initiatives

Mapping Youth-At-Risk: GIS and its Potential as a Service Integration Tool

This paper examines the utility of a spatial information tool in the form of a Geographic Information System (GIS)) in assisting human service agencies involved in integrated service approaches to engage in coordinated planning and service delivery initiatives. In accordance with an action research strategy, the aim of this study was to engage with stakeholders in the area of youth services and supports in a reflexive multidisciplinary environment regarding the potential of a spatial information tool in assisting integration and service delivery efforts. A number of maps depicting snapshots of demographic, disadvantage and housing data were produced, with the present paper reporting on stakeholders’ perceptions of both the mapped content and the potential of GIS in the development of a shared information system. Key issues relating to data collection, positioning in the information hierarchy and trust are discussed

Proposed Methodology for Performance Prediction and Monitoring for an Acknowledged Systems of Systems

Symposium Presentation (for Acquisition Research Program)Symposium PresentationAcquisition Research ProgramApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Deception Bay Life Long Learning Project Evaluation (Stage 2 - Up to June 2005)

Deception Bay is a coastal community located within Caboolture Shire which is located north of Brisbane in South East Queensland. It has a small but growing population of 18,349 people compared with a population of 17,044 in 2001 (Australian Bureau of Statistics., 2005). In comparison with the national average, Deception Bay is a relatively disadvantaged community, with limited employment opportunities and subsequent high rates of unemployment. To illustrate this point, in the year 2003, the national unemployment rate was 6.2%, while in Deception Bay this figure was significantly higher with an unemployment rate of 11.6%. (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005) The DBLLL project has sought to promote greater life opportunities from its inception for the community of Deception Bay by providing access to learning activities. It aims to stimulate community interest and achieve participation in life long learning by creating pathways to further training, employment and skill development. Stage 1 of the DBLLL project commenced in 2003 and aimed to assess what the learning priorities of the Deception Bay Community were. Stage 2, the implementation phase commenced in 2004 with the stated objective “to assist in providing learning pathways for Deception Bay residents – for a range of purposes including to enrich individual lives, engage with other members or groups within the community or progress towards further training or employment at a later stage. It is therefore important that qualitative data – as well as quantitative data – is used in the evaluation of the project.‿ This report will focus predominantly on evaluating the implementation phase from 2004 until mid-2005

Deception Bay Life Long Learning Project Evaluation\ud (Stage 2 - Up to June 2005)

Deception Bay is a coastal community located within Caboolture Shire which is located north of Brisbane in South East Queensland. It has a small but growing population of 18,349 people compared with a population of 17,044 in 2001 (Australian Bureau of Statistics., 2005). In comparison with the national average, Deception Bay is a relatively disadvantaged community, with limited employment opportunities and subsequent high rates of unemployment. To illustrate this point, in the year 2003, the national unemployment rate was 6.2%, while in Deception Bay this figure was significantly higher with an unemployment rate of 11.6%. (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005) \ud \ud The DBLLL project has sought to promote greater life opportunities from its inception for the community of Deception Bay by providing access to learning activities. It aims to stimulate community interest and achieve participation in life long learning by creating pathways to further training, employment and skill development. Stage 1 of the DBLLL project commenced in 2003 and aimed to assess what the learning priorities of the Deception Bay Community were. Stage 2, the implementation phase commenced in 2004 with the stated objective “to assist in providing learning pathways for Deception Bay residents – for a range of purposes including to enrich individual lives, engage with other members or groups within the community or progress towards further training or employment at a later stage. It is therefore important that qualitative data – as well as quantitative data – is used in the evaluation of the project.‿ \ud \ud This report will focus predominantly on evaluating the implementation phase from 2004 until mid-2005