A RISING TIDE? THE ROLE OF ALTERNATIVE NETWORKS FOR WOMEN OYSTER FARMERS IN MAINE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing forms of food production globally. In the United States, there has been a renewed interest in aquaculture development in domestic waters. With widespread expansion of shellfish aquaculture started by local entrepreneurs and fishermen, the states of Maine and New Hampshire have experienced aquaculture driven economic development in coastal communities impacted by the decline in wild capture fisheries. Additionally, aquaculture farming practices can provide ecosystem services such as water quality improvement, nutrient removal, and habitat availability. When implemented carefully, marine food products from aquaculture can be among some of the most environmentally responsible choices for consumers, and as such, they are in high demand. New England supports some of the highest numbers of women owned oyster farms in the country. Although women make up half of the global workforce, their roles in the fisheries and aquaculture sector are poorly understood and have largely been unaccounted for, which may have pervasive impacts on opportunities for social and economic progress. This research analyzes women’s experiences as oyster producers in Maine and New Hampshire, identifies gender-specific institutional barriers and resources, and the ways in which the use of a social network may support their businesses. A food system wide survey and a photovoice case study methodology was implemented with photography, narratives, interviews, and a focus group to accomplish the research objectives. Investigating aquaculture development through a gender lens can provide insights to inform more socially equitable management and policy decisions for aquaculture development in the region. The gender norms of the aquaculture industry create systemic barriers that impact the oyster businesses owned by the women who participated in this research. Using institutional analysis and social-ecological theory combined with a gender analysis, gender-specific barriers were identified. These barriers include lack of funding opportunities, training that does not meet their needs and business goals, farm equipment and clothing that does not fit, and gender discrimination in the workplace. As a tool to address the areas where institutional barriers are occurring, the women in this research leverage alternative social networks of women oyster farmers. Based on the study findings, recommendations to address gender equity in the region’s oyster industry include investing in women’s networks and providing multiple opportunities for engagement, funding opportunities for women owned aquaculture, and collecting demographic data to account for women’s presence in the industry and to be able to track change over time

A RISING TIDE? The role of social networks for women aquaculture producers in Maine and New Hampshire

This is a recording of Natalie Lord\u27s thesis defense A RISING TIDE? The role of social networks for women aquaculture producers in Maine and New Hampshire . A file with the slides is linked below

Citizen science demonstrates need and importance at Whatcom County beaches

The Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) is a volunteer-run, water testing, education and advocacy program of the Surfrider Foundation. The purpose is to engage citizen scientists in monitoring pollution and provide pollution prevention awareness at popular marine recreation areas. The Northwest Straits (NWS) Chapter samples monthly at six sites in the Bellingham Bay area for enterococcus, an indicator bacteria. Whatcom County often has beach closures throughout the summer due to poor water quality that does not meet the federal standards for recreation. One such location is Little Squalicum Beach, which has a permanent swimming advisory due to high bacteria levels. The NWS Chapter continues to sample the site monthly, often finding the highest hits during the summer season possibly due to the dog park that is up watershed. The chapter is partnering with local organizations such as RE Sources for Sustainable Communities to mitigate bacteria pollution from the dogs with programs such as Poop Patrols. Chapter members also volunteer for the Department of Ecology’s BEACH Program, monitoring two sites with high use and high hits of bacteria at Little Squalicum and Larrabee State Park. Larrabee State Park is a recent success story for BWTF, open in 2017 for swimming for the first time in over 6 years thanks to collaborative efforts of water quality monitoring and public outreach. The goal for BWTF at Little Squalicum is for the water quality levels to improve enough to allow the public to swim and recreate safely again at one of Bellingham’s favorite beaches. The chapter plans to use methods applied at Larrabee along with Poop Patrols to reach our goal: consistent sampling, increase public awareness, shift behaviors, and build partnerships with local organizations to ensure we can effectively get Little Squalicum back to a beach that is clean and safe for swimming

A Rising Tide: Oyster Aquaculture Survey Results

This document provides the results from a survey conducted August-October 2021 on the Maine and New Hampshire oyster aquaculture industry. The purpose of the survey was to gain a food system-wide perspective on gender dynamics in the region’s aquaculture industry, inclusive of different genders and identify potential gender-based barriers and opportunities to participation for men, women, and non-binary/third gender oyster aquaculturists. The published survey results include qualitative responses and demographic data for a subset of farmers in the oyster aquaculture industry of Maine and New Hampshire

A Rising Tide: Oyster Aquaculture Survey Instrument

This document provides the survey instrument for the oyster aquaculture survey that was conducted throughout August and October of 2021. The purpose of the survey was to gain a food system-wide perspective on gender dynamics in the region’s aquaculture industry, inclusive of different genders and identify potential gender-based barriers and opportunities to participation for men, women, and non-binary/third gender oyster aquaculturists

A Rising Tide Photovoice Photobook

This document provides the results of the photographic documentation and written narrative portion of the photovoice case study conducted from November, 2021 to March, 2022 by (n=4) research participants. The goal of the Photobook is to share the data collected by the research participants on their experiences as women owning and operating an oyster farm in Maine and New Hampshire

The ‘long tail’ of anthropogenic CO₂ decline in the atmosphere and its consequences for post-closure performance assessments for disposal of radioactive wastes

AbstractThe extended timescales involved in the decay of radioactive wastes to safe levels mean that geological disposal facilities must continue to function effectively long into the future. It is therefore essential to consider long-term climate evolution in post-closure performance assessments in order to evaluate a geological disposal system's response and robustness to a variety of potential environmental changes, driven by both natural and anthropogenic forcings. In this paper, we illustrate the multiple decay components that characterize the primary driver of climate change – atmospheric CO2 – in response to fossil fuel carbon emissions. We perform a multi-exponential analysis on a series of atmospheric CO2 decay curves predicted by an Earth system model and create an empirical response function that encapsulates the long-term (&gt;1 kyr) removal of excess CO2 from the atmosphere. We present this response function as a simple tool for rapidly projecting the future atmospheric CO2 concentration resulting from any plausible cumulative release of CO2. We discuss the implications of the long 'tail' to this atmospheric CO2 decay curve, both in terms of future climate evolution as well as potential impacts on radioactive waste repositories.</jats:p

Speleothem record of mild and wet mid-Pleistocene climate in northeast Greenland

The five interglacials before the Mid-Brunhes Event (MBE) [c.430 thousand years (ka) ago] are generally considered to be globally cooler than those post-MBE. Inhomogeneities exist regionally, however, which suggest that the Arctic was warmer than present during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 15a. Using the first speleothem record for the High Arctic, we investigate the climatic response of northeast Greenland between c.588 and c.549 ka ago. Our results indicate an enhanced warmth of at least +3.5 degrees C relative to the present, leading to permafrost thaw and increased precipitation. We find that delta O-18 of precipitation was at least 3 parts per thousand higher than today and recognize two local cooling events (c.571 and c.594 ka ago) thought to be caused by freshwater forcing. Our results are important for improving understanding of the regional climatic response leading up to the MBE and specifically provide insights into the climatic response of a warmer Arctic

High expression of Cathepsin E in tissues but not blood of patients with Barrett’s esophagus and adenocarcinoma

Background Cathepsin E (CTSE), an aspartic proteinase, is differentially expressed in the metaplasia–dysplasia–neoplasia sequence of gastric and colon cancer. We evaluated CTSE in Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and cancer because increased CTSE levels are linked to improved survival in several cancers, and other cathepsins are up-regulated in BE and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Methods A total of 273 pretreatment tissues from 199 patients were analyzed [31 normal squamous esophagus (NE), 29 BE intestinal metaplasia, 31 BE with dysplasia (BE/D), 108 EAC]. CTSE relative mRNA expression was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and protein expression was measured by immunohistochemistry. CTSE serum levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Median CTSE mRNA expression levels were ≥1,000-fold higher in BE/intestinal metaplasia and BE/D compared to NE. CTSE levels were significantly lower in EAC compared to BE/intestinal metaplasia and BE/D, but significantly higher than NE levels. A similar expression pattern was present in immunohistochemistry, with absent staining in NE, intense staining in intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia, and less intense EAC staining. CTSE serum analysis did not discriminate patient groups. In a uni- and multivariable Cox proportional hazards model, CTSE expression was not significantly associated with survival in patients with EAC, although CTSE expression above the 25th percentile was associated with a 41 % relative risk reduction for death (hazard ratio 0.59, 95 % confidence interval 0.27–1.26, p = 0.17). Conclusions CTSE mRNA expression is up-regulated more than any known gene in Barrett intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia tissues. Protein expression is similarly highly intense in intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia tissues