Coastal zone sensitivity mapping and its role in marine environmental management

The successful management of the coastal zone requires reliable and accurate information which must be available in a &lsquo;user-friendly&rsquo; format. The most effective instruments for providing such information are resource maps and atlases. The paper discusses the characteristics of a &lsquo;good&rsquo; atlas including general design and layout, cartography, symbols and legend, vulnerability index and text. Computer technology as applied to mapping is also briefly discussed. The paper ends with comments on project design and management for the successful production of an atlas which will serve as a versatile tool for coastal zone management.</font

The New GSP+ Benefi ciaries: Ticking the Box or Truly Consistent with ILO Findings?

In the past decade, the European Union (EU) has committed itself to promoting the social dimension of globalization, focusing mostly on the promotion of labour standards internationally through increased cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and by means of its external trade policies. This article addresses these two dimensions of the Union’s global social policies, by examining whether EU practise in Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) labour conditionality has been consistent with ILO assessments. In particular, we utilize a ‘hierarchy of condemnation’ to examine the implementation record of core labour standards (CLS), as evaluated by the ILO committees entrusted with assessing countries’ observance of conventions. This analysis makes clear that, although EU decisions to sanction countries through its GSP scheme are traceable to the level of condemnation by the ILO, consistency between the granting of GSP+ incentives and ILO assessments is less clear-cut and cannot entirely be explained by the EU’s attempts to use GSP+ to stimulate the implementation of CLS. Finally a number of explanations for these fi ndings are given, pointing in particular to path-dependent processes in the EU decision-making system

The European Union’s role in the world and the social dimension of globalisation

This discussion paper is based upon a multidisciplinary academic workshop held at DINÂMIA – Research Centre on Socio-Economic Change, Lisbon on 2-3 March that explored the nature of the external impact of the EU in relation to the social dimension of globalisation. In its widest sense, the social dimension of globalisation concerns the effects on people and societies of the globalisation of economic systems internationally. This workshop focussed largely on themes such as labour standards, decent work, employment, gender, health and human rights. In the current role as the holder of the EU Presidency, Portugal has an important role to play in relation to the EU’s external role; this document provides an overview to orient future actions. Given that the globalisation phenomenon is highly contested in public debate, focussing on its social dimension could provide a way in which to humanise globalisation and diffuse concern. It could, quite simply, legitimise the EU’s role in the world, particularly given the putative European social model, and the fact that the EU is a potentially powerful player in this context. EU initiatives in this area involve development, international relations, trade, governance and other policies, as well as indirect diffusion of social issues. Overall, the best approaches are those that combine different policies and both soft and hard approaches; that are coherent with internal EU policies; and in which social goals are consistent with trade and foreign policy goals. Geographical consistency is also necessary and, further, the role of the various actors should be clearly identified, both in terms of EU institutions and in relation to non-EU actors. Currently there are lacks in consistency and coherence, as well as doubts as to the EU’s commitment, ability and success in promoting the social dimension of globalisation. On the other hand, opportunities clearly exist, not least because the effects of globalisation are largely positive. This is an area in which further attention from both policy-makers and academics should be focussed, particularly in relation to the questions surrounding the success of programmes and policies, their coherence and consistency, the perspective of the developing world, and the involvement of civil society actors. Further, in practical terms, a periodic assessment report addressing the EU’s role in relation to the social dimension of globalisation and an international forum on the subject could usefully raise the profile of the EU’s external role in relation to the social dimension of globalisation and provide the first step in the next stage of this project

Paid domestic work: A private matter or a public policy issue?

In industrialised countries most of the goods and services traditionally undertaken in the home are now largely sourced outside the household. The main exceptions are childcare, food preparation and washing and cleaning, which can be unpaid work or can be undertaken on a paid basis: this is paid domestic work. The ILO estimates that there are over 100 million domestic workers globally. These workers are often the most disadvantaged and vulnerable and, in many countries, are migrants, sometimes working illegally and sometimes part of guest worker schemes. Most domestic workers internationally are women. In New Zealand, domestic work was once an important source of paid employment for women with shortages of workers met by migration from the British Isles. While it had almost disappeared as a paid occupation post World War II, a number of reasons suggest a likely increase in the number of paid domestic workers in the near future, probably met, again, by migration. Nevertheless, little is known about New Zealand domestic workers, and paid domestic work fits uncomfortably with labour law, principally because the workplace is the private home. This has meant that overall, paid domestic work has, in a variety of ways, been a private matter in New Zealand. However, we suggest that it is time that paid domestic work is viewed as a public policy issue, particularly in relation to labour law and migration policy development

Irradiance and nutrient-dependent effects on photosynthetic electron transport in Arctic phytoplankton: A comparison of two chlorophyll fluorescence-based approaches to derive primary photochemistry.

We employed Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry for high-resolution mapping of marine phytoplankton photophysiology and primary photochemistry in the Lancaster Sound and Barrow Strait regions of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in the summer of 2019. Continuous ship-board analysis of chlorophyll a variable fluorescence demonstrated relatively low photochemical efficiency over most of the cruise-track, with the exception of localized regions within Barrow Strait, where there was increased vertical mixing and proximity to land-based nutrient sources. Along the full transect, we observed strong non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence, with relaxation times longer than the 5-minute period used for dark acclimation. Such long-term quenching effects complicate continuous underway acquisition of fluorescence amplitude-based estimates of photosynthetic electron transport rates, which rely on dark acclimation of samples. As an alternative, we employed a new algorithm to derive electron transport rates based on analysis of fluorescence relaxation kinetics, which does not require dark acclimation. Direct comparison of kinetics- and amplitude-based electron transport rate measurements demonstrated that kinetic-based estimates were, on average, 2-fold higher than amplitude-based values. The magnitude of decoupling between the two electron transport rate estimates increased in association with photophysiological diagnostics of nutrient stress. Discrepancies between electron transport rate estimates likely resulted from the use of different photophysiological parameters to derive the kinetics- and amplitude-based algorithms, and choice of numerical model used to fit variable fluorescence curves and analyze fluorescence kinetics under actinic light. Our results highlight environmental and methodological influences on fluorescence-based photochemistry estimates, and prompt discussion of best-practices for future underway fluorescence-based efforts to monitor phytoplankton photosynthesis

Fluorescence-based primary productivity estimates are influenced by non-photochemical quenching dynamics in Arctic phytoplankton

Chlorophyll fluorescence-based estimates of primary productivity typically include dark or low-light pre-treatments to relax non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), a process that influences the relationship between PSII photochemistry and fluorescence yields. The time-scales of NPQ relaxation vary significantly between phytoplankton taxa and across environmental conditions, creating uncertainty in field-based productivity measurements derived from fluorescence. To address this practical challenge, we used fast repetition rate fluorometry to characterize NPQ relaxation kinetics in Arctic Ocean phytoplankton assemblages across a range of hydrographic regimes. Applying numerical fits to our data, we derived NPQ relaxation life times, and determined the relative contributions of various quenching components to the total NPQ signature across the different assemblages. Relaxation kinetics were best described as a combination of fast-, intermediate- and slow-relaxing processes, operating on time-scales of seconds, minutes, and hours, respectively. Across sampling locations and depths, total fluorescence quenching was dominated by the intermediate quenching component. Our results demonstrated an average NPQ relaxation life time of 20 ± 1.9 min, with faster relaxation among high light acclimated surface samples relative to lowlight acclimated sub-surface samples. We also used our results to examine the influence of NPQ relaxation on estimates of photosynthetic electron transport rates (ETR), testing the commonly held assumption that NPQ exerts proportional effects on light absorption (PSII functional absorption cross section, σPSII) and photochemical quantum efficiency (FV/FM). This assumption was violated in a number of phytoplankton assemblages that showed a significant decoupling of σPSII and FV/FM during NPQ relaxation, and an associated variability in ETR estimates. Decoupling of σPSII and FV/FM was most prevalent in samples displaying symptoms photoinhibition. Our results provide insights into the mechanisms and kinetics of NPQ in Arctic phytoplankton assemblages, with important implications for the use of FRRF to derive non-invasive, high-resolution estimates of photosynthetic activity in polar marine waters

Sources of dissolved inorganic carbon to the Canada Basin halocline : a multitracer study

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2016. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 121 (2016): 2918–2936, doi:10.1002/2015JC011535.We examine the dissolved inorganic carbon maximum in the Canada Basin halocline using a suite of geochemical tracers to gain insight into the factors that contribute to the persistence of this feature. Hydrographic and geochemical samples were collected in the upper 500 m of the southwestern Canada Basin water column in the summer of 2008 and fall of 2009. These observations were used to identify conservative and nonconservative processes that contribute dissolved inorganic carbon to halocline source waters, including shelf sediment organic matter remineralization, air-sea gas exchange, and sea-ice brine export. Our results indicate that the remineralization of organic matter that occurs along the Bering and Chukchi Sea shelves is the overwhelming contributor of dissolved inorganic carbon to Pacific Winter Water that occupies the middle halocline in the southwestern Canada Basin. Nonconservative contributions from air-sea exchange and sea-ice brine are not significant. The broad salinity range associated with the DIC maximum, compared to the narrow salinity range of the nutrient maximum, is due to mixing between Pacific and Atlantic water and not abiotic addition of DIC.NSERC; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; US National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs Grant Number: OPP-0424864; Canadian International Polar Year Office2016-11-0

The distribution of methylated sulfur compounds, DMS and DMSP, in Canadian subarctic and Arctic marine waters during summer 2015

© The Author(s), 2018. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Biogeosciences 15 (2018): 2449–2465, doi:10.5194/bg-15-2449-2018.We present seawater concentrations of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) measured across a transect from the Labrador Sea to the Canadian Arctic Archipelago during summer 2015. Using an automated ship-board gas chromatography system and a membrane-inlet mass spectrometer, we measured a wide range of DMS (∼ 1 to 18 nM) and DMSP (∼ 1 to 150 nM) concentrations. The highest DMS and DMSP concentrations occurred in a localized region of Baffin Bay, where surface waters were characterized by high chlorophyll a (chl a) fluorescence, indicative of elevated phytoplankton biomass. Across the full sampling transect, there were only weak relationships between DMS(P), chl a fluorescence and other measured variables, including positive relationships between DMSP : chl a ratios and several taxonomic marker pigments, and elevated DMS(P) concentrations in partially ice-covered areas. Our high spatial resolution measurements allowed us to examine DMS variability over small scales (< 1 km), documenting strong DMS concentration gradients across surface hydrographic frontal features. Our new observations fill in an important observational gap in the Arctic Ocean and provide additional information on sea–air DMS fluxes from this ocean region. In addition, this study constitutes a significant contribution to the existing Arctic DMS(P) dataset and provides a baseline for future measurements in the region.This work was supported by grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through the Climate Change and Atmospheric Research program (Arctic-GEOTRACES)

Patterns and drivers of dimethylsulfide concentration in the northeast subarctic Pacific across multiple spatial and temporal scales.

© The Author(s), 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. The definitive version was published in Biogeosciences 16(8), (2019):1729-1754, doi:10.5194/bg-16-1729-2019.The northeast subarctic Pacific (NESAP) is a globally important source of the climate-active gas dimethylsulfide (DMS), yet the processes driving DMS variability across this region are poorly understood. Here we examine the spatial distribution of DMS at various spatial scales in contrasting oceanographic regimes of the NESAP. We present new high-spatial-resolution measurements of DMS across hydrographic frontal zones along the British Columbia continental shelf, together with key environmental variables and biological rate measurements. We combine these new data with existing observations to produce a revised summertime DMS climatology for the NESAP, yielding a broader context for our sub-mesoscale process studies. Our results demonstrate sharp DMS concentration gradients across hydrographic frontal zones and suggest the presence of two distinct DMS cycling regimes in the NESAP, corresponding to microphytoplankton-dominated waters along the continental shelf and nanoplankton-dominated waters in the cross-shelf transitional zone. DMS concentrations across the continental shelf transition (range < 1–10 nM, mean 3.9 nM) exhibited positive correlations to salinity (r=0.80), sea surface height anomaly (SSHA; r=0.51), and the relative abundance of prymnesiophyte and dinoflagellates (r=0.89). In contrast, DMS concentrations in nearshore coastal transects (range < 1–24 nM, mean 6.1 nM) showed a negative correlation with salinity (r=−0.69; r=−0.78) and SSHA (r=−0.81; r=−0.75) and a positive correlation to relative diatom abundance (r=0.88; r=0.86). These results highlight the importance of bloom-driven DMS production in continental shelf waters of this region and the role of prymnesiophytes and dinoflagellates in DMS cycling further offshore. In all areas, the rate of DMS consumption appeared to be an important control on observed concentration gradients, with higher DMS consumption rate constants associated with lower DMS concentrations. We compiled a data set of all available summertime DMS observations for the NESAP (including previously unpublished results) to examine the performance of several existing algorithms for predicting regional DMS concentrations. None of these existing algorithms was able to accurately reproduce observed DMS distributions across the NESAP, although performance was improved by the use of regionally tuned coefficients. Based on our compiled observations, we derived an average summertime distribution map for DMS concentrations and sea–air fluxes across the NESAP, estimating a mean regional flux of 0.30 Tg of DMS-derived sulfur to the atmosphere during the summer season.We dedicate this article to the memory of Ronald P. Kiene, a wonderful scientist, mentor and friend. His contributions to DMS and DMSP research have shaped our field over the past 3 decades, and he will be missed by many around the world. We also wish to thank many individuals involved in data collection and logistical aspects of the cruises presented here, including scientists from the Institute of Ocean Sciences, the captain and crew of the R/V Oceanus and the CCGS John P. Tully, and members of the Tortell, Kiene, Levine and Hatton laboratory groups. We also thank Theodore Ahlvin for GIS support and both reviewers for their insightful comments. Support for this work was provided from the US National Science Foundation (grant no. 1436344) and from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada