13 research outputs found
Evaluating the Potential Effectiveness of Compensatory Mitigation Strategies for Marine Bycatch
Conservationists are continually seeking new strategies to reverse population declines and safeguard against species extinctions. Here we evaluate the potential efficacy of a recently proposed approach to offset a major anthropogenic threat to many marine vertebrates: incidental bycatch in commercial fisheries operations. This new approach, compensatory mitigation for marine bycatch (CMMB), is conceived as a way to replace or reduce mandated restrictions on fishing activities with compensatory activities (e.g., removal of introduced predators from islands) funded by levies placed on fishers. While efforts are underway to bring CMMB into policy discussions, to date there has not been a detailed evaluation of CMMB's potential as a conservation tool, and in particular, a list of necessary and sufficient criteria that CMMB must meet to be an effective conservation strategy. Here we present a list of criteria to assess CMMB that are tied to critical ecological aspects of the species targeted for conservation, the range of possible mitigation activities, and the multi-species impact of fisheries bycatch. We conclude that, overall, CMMB has little potential for benefit and a substantial potential for harm if implemented to solve most fisheries bycatch problems. In particular, CMMB is likely to be effective only when applied to short-lived and highly-fecund species (not the characteristics of most bycatch-impacted species) and to fisheries that take few non-target species, and especially few non-seabird species (not the characteristics of most fisheries). Thus, CMMB appears to have limited application and should only be implemented after rigorous appraisal on a case-specific basis; otherwise it has the potential to accelerate declines of marine species currently threatened by fisheries bycatch
Harnessing the NEON data revolution to advance open environmental science with a diverse and data-capable community
It is a critical time to reflect on the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) science to date as well as envision what research can be done right now with NEON (and other) data and what training is needed to enable a diverse user community. NEON became fully operational in May 2019 and has pivoted from planning and construction to operation and maintenance. In this overview, the history of and foundational thinking around NEON are discussed. A framework of open science is described with a discussion of how NEON can be situated as part of a larger data constellationâacross existing networks and different suites of ecological measurements and sensors. Next, a synthesis of early NEON science, based on >100 existing publications, funded proposal efforts, and emergent science at the very first NEON Science Summit (hosted by Earth Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder in October 2019) is provided. Key questions that the ecology community will address with NEON data in the next 10 yr are outlined, from understanding drivers of biodiversity across spatial and temporal scales to defining complex feedback mechanisms in humanâenvironmental systems. Last, the essential elements needed to engage and support a diverse and inclusive NEON user community are highlighted: training resources and tools that are openly available, funding for broad community engagement initiatives, and a mechanism to share and advertise those opportunities. NEON users require both the skills to work with NEON data and the ecological or environmental science domain knowledge to understand and interpret them. This paper synthesizes early directions in the communityâs use of NEON data, and opportunities for the next 10 yr of NEON operations in emergent science themes, open science best practices, education and training, and community building
Appendix A. Model selection for estimation of survival rates for island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) based on annual captureârecapture data from 11 grids on four islands using Program MARK.
Model selection for estimation of survival rates for island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) based on annual captureârecapture data from 11 grids on four islands using Program MARK
Enhancing internationalisation and understanding of sustainability through a remotely delivered hands-on STEM challenge. Social Media as medium of Participatory pedagogy
No abstract available
Endoanal Ultrasound Findings and Fecal Incontinence Symptoms in Women With and Without Recognized Anal Sphincter Tears
âA Witness in My Own Caseâ: VictimâSurvivorsâ Views on the Criminal Justice Process in Iceland
âTeach to Goalâ: Theory and Design Principles of an Intervention to Improve Heart Failure Self-Management Skills of Patients with Low Health Literacy
Self-management is vital for achieving optimal health outcomes for patients with heart failure (HF). We sought to develop an intervention to improve self-management skills and behaviors for patients with HF, especially those with low health literacy. Individuals with low health literacy have difficulty reading and understanding written information and comprehending numerical information and performing calculations, and they tend to have worse baseline knowledge, short-term memory, and working memory compared to individuals with higher health literacy. This paper describes theoretical models that suggest methods to improve the design of educational curricula and programs for low literate audiences, including cognitive load theory and learning mastery theory. We also outline the practical guiding principles for designing our intervention, which includes a multi-session educational strategy that teaches patients self-care skills until they reach behavioral goals (âTeach to Goalâ). Ourintervention strategy is being tested in a randomized controlled trial to determine if it is superior to a single-session brief educational intervention for reducing hospitalization and death. If this trial shows that the âTeach to Goalâ approach is superior, this would support the value of incorporating these design principles into educational interventions for other diseases