Compelled Disclosure of Scholarly Research: Some Comments on “High Stakes Litigation”

Resisting compelled disclosure in court will continue to be at best a tenuous and uncertain journey for researchers who have been subpoenaed

Dispersants and Risk Communication

Risk communications is a research area of the social sciences which is closely associated with human dimensions and external communications. External communications, traditionally in the purview of public affairs, may have multiple purposes including influencing public beliefs, opinions, and judgments about the incident. There are many approaches toward risk communications. Some of them focus on improving the way external communications about risks are conducted, e.g., developing better messages, and some focus on the content of risk communications, that is, sharing technical information to support the assessment of the potential for risks

Participatory Conservation of Coastal Habitats: The Importance of Understanding Homeowner Decision Making to Mitigate Cascading Shoreline Degradation

Along densely populated coasts, the armoring of shorelines is a prevalent cause of natural habitat loss and degradation. This article explores the values and decision making of waterfront homeowners and identifies two interlinked and potentially reversible drivers of coastal degradation. We discovered that: (1) misperceptions regarding the environmental impacts and cost-effectiveness of different shoreline conditions was common and may promote armoring; and (2) many homeowners reported only altering their shorelines in response to damage caused by armoring on neighboring properties. Collectively, these findings suggest that a single homeowner’s decision may trigger cascading degradation along a shoreline, which highlights the necessity of protecting existing large stretches of natural shoreline. However, our study also found that most homeowners were concerned with environmental impacts and preferred the aesthetics of natural landscapes, both of which could indicate nascent support and pathways for conservation initiatives along residential shorelines

Integrating Societal Perspectives and Values for Improved Stewardship of a Coastal Ecosystem Engineer

Oyster reefs provide coastal societies with a vast array of ecosystem services, but are also destructively harvested as an economically and culturally important fishery resource, exemplifying a complex social-ecological system (SES). Historically, societal demand for oysters has led to destructive and unsustainable levels of harvest, which coupled with multiple other stressors has placed oyster reefs among the most globally imperiled coastal habitats. However, more recent studies have demonstrated that large-scale restoration is possible and that healthy oyster populations can be sustained with effective governance and stewardship. However, both of these require significant societal support or financial investment. In our study, we explored relationships among how coastal societies (1) perceive and value oyster ecosystem services, (2) recognize and define problems associated with oyster decline, and (3) perceive or support stewardship initiatives. We specifically focused on the SES of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and coastal societies in the northern Gulf of Mexico, a region identified as offering among the last and best opportunities to sustainably balance conservation objectives with a wild fishery. We found that, in addition to harvest-related benefits, oysters were highly valued for providing habitat, mitigating shoreline erosion, and improving water quality or clarity. Our results also showed that although most respondents recognized that oyster populations have declined, many respondents characterized the problem differently than most scientific literature does. Among a variety of initiatives for enhancing sustainability, spawning sanctuaries and reef restoration were well supported in all states, but support for harvest reductions was less consistent. Our study suggests that public support for maintaining both harvest and ecosystem services exists at societal levels and that enhancing public awareness regarding the extent and causes of oyster decline could garner additional support for stewardship initiatives. Collectively, the societal, economic, and biophysical complexities of the northern Gulf of Mexico oyster SES illustrate the need and public support for developing more comprehensive management schemes for exploited ecosystem engineers

Social Impacts Of Hurricane Katrina On Displaced K-12 Students And Educational Institutions In Coastal Alabama Counties: Some Preliminary Observations

Hurricane Katrina devastated communities along the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama Gulf coast. Over 300,000 students were displaced and evacuees relocated throughout the United States. K-12 schools in Mobile and Baldwin counties, situated along coastal Alabama, hosted 3,681 students from the devastated areas. From an analysis of quantitative data and qualitative information obtained from school personnel, we summarize problems and issues that characterized displaced students, families, and host schools. Suggestions for immediate and long-term support for host K-12 schools and displaced families are provided along with suggestions for future research