A tough egg to crack: recreational boats as vectors for invasive goby eggs and transdisciplinary management approaches

Non-native invasive species are a major threat to biodiversity, especially in freshwater ecosystems. Freshwater ecosystems are naturally rather isolated from one another. Nonetheless, invasive species often spread rapidly across water sheds. This spread is to a large extent realized by human activities that provide vectors. For example, recreational boats can carry invasive species propagules as ‘aquatic hitch-hikers’ within and across water sheds. We used invasive gobies in Switzerland as a case study to test the plausibility that recreational boats can serve as vectors for invasive fish and that fish eggs can serve as propagules. We found that the peak season of boat movements across Switzerland and the goby spawning season overlap temporally. It is thus plausible that goby eggs attached to boats, anchors or gear may be transported across watersheds. In experimental trials we found that goby eggs show resistance to physical removal (90mN attachment strength of individual eggs) and stay attached if exposed to rapid water flow (2.8m s-138 for 1h). When exposing the eggs to air, we found that hatching success remained high (>95%) even after eggs had been out of water for up to 24h. It is thus plausible that eggs survive during pick up, within water and overland transport by boats. We complemented the experimental plausibility tests with a survey on how decision makers from inside and outside academia rate the feasibility of managing recreational boats as vectors. We found consensus that an installation of a preventive boat vector management is considered an effective and urgent measure. This study advances our understanding of the potential of recreational boats to serve as vectors for invasive vertebrate species, and demonstrates that preventive management of recreational boats is considered feasible by relevant decision makers in- and outside academia

On the Automation of Ports and Logistics Chains in the Adriatic Region

Recently, automation is gaining an even more important role in the port and maritime industry. In particular, several technological innovations are changing both the freight and passenger transport sector. The introduction of these technologies in port terminals (smart ports) require involved stakeholders to adapt their asset and organisations in order to improve the economic competi-tiveness in global markets. The geographical context where new technologies are put in place can also influence their deployment and foreseen impacts. Hence, in order to take the proper decisions at a strategic level and maximize the positive effects in a selected scenario, a feasibility analysis is essential. In the present study, this challenge is addressed for the Adriatic region by proposing a proce-dure for evaluating and selecting the most promising innovations. Several rele-vant stakeholders from the selected area are inquired to assess the relevance and deployment difficulties for a set of new technologies dealing with automation in port areas. Then, the impacts on technical operation and labour market are as-sessed, thus, providing valuable information to support the regional organisations in facing the change and deploying procedures to be potentially replicated in other geographical areas

An estimation of the future adoption rate of autonomous trucks by freight organizations

This paper presents a model to estimate the future adoption of connected autonomous trucks (CATs) by freight transportation organizations. An accurate estimation of the market penetration rate of CATs is necessary to adequately prepare the infrastructure and legislation needed to support the technology. Building upon the theory of Diffusion of Innovations, we develop Bass models for various freight transportation innovations, including improved tractor and trailer aerodynamics, and anti-idling technologies for trucks. The proposed model accounts for heterogeneity between organizations by using a modified Bass model to vary parameters within a designated range for each of the potentially adopting organizations. The results of the paper are Bass models for existing freight organization innovation adoption and estimates of multiple scenarios of CAT adoption over time by freight organizations within the case study region of Shelby County, Tennessee and provide a foundation for organizational innovation adoption research. Our analyses suggest that the market penetration rate of CATs within 25 years varies from nearly universal adoption (i.e., more than 95%) to 20% or less depending on the rate at which autonomous technology improves over time, changes in public opinion on autonomous technology, and the addition of external influencing factors such as price and marketing