Coupled economic-ecological models for ecosystem-based fishery management: Exploration of trade-offs between model complexity and management needs

Ecosystem based fishery management has moved beyond rhetorical statements calling for a more holistic approach to resource management, to implementing decisions on resource use that are compatible with goals of maintaining ecosystem health and resilience. Coupled economic-ecological models are a primary tool for informing these decisions. Recognizing the importance of these models, the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) formed a Study Group on Integration of Economics, Stock Assessment and Fisheries Management (SGIMM) to explore alternative modelling approaches that bring the multiple disciplines of economics, ecology, and stock assessment into integrated ecosystem models. The theme session was designed to be an extension of a series of workshops and theme sessions organized by the SGIMM, but highlighted the economic component of coupled models. Although economic and ecological systems are inherently complex, models are abstractions of these systems incorporating varying levels of complexity depending on available data and the management issues to be addressed. The objective of this special session was to assess the pros and cons of increasing model complexity to incorporate linkages between ecosystem components and processes. While more complex ecosystem models may provide greater insight into how management decisions and human actions propagate through the ecosystem and impact the value of ecosystem services, the resources and information required to develop and parameterize them is greater and these models tend to require trade-offs such as the inability to quantify uncertainty or model human behaviour as accurately as can be done with models of individual fisheries. The theme session was organized as a moderated panel format representing a progression of economic-ecological models from less to increasingly complex. The panel was selected to represent a range of models from fully integrated, highly detailed and dynamic economic-ecological models such as Atlantis to models that may be less detailed or not fully dynamic or integrated. The special session focused primarily on management issues that are of a longer term strategic nature such as the implications of climate change, fundamental regime change, or the role of forage species in an ecosystem. Each panellist provided an overview of their model including the management questions the model was designed to address, the data and time requirements, as well as any lessons learned. The panellist presentations were followed by an open discussion among the panellists and the audience. The abstracts for each of the panellist presentation are provided below followed by a summary of the issues raised during the moderated discussion sessio

Work-related airway symptoms, nasal reactivity and health-related quality of life in female hairdressers: a follow-up study during exposure.

OBJECTIVES: Hairdressers often complain of work-related rhinitis (WR). They are infrequently sensitized to persulphates. The cause and mechanism of the symptoms and the effects on their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remains unclear. The objectives were to follow female hairdressers with WR mainly from bleaching powder regarding nasal reactivity to persulphate and to evaluate symptoms, HRQoL and inflammatory markers in nasal lavage during a working period after vacation and compared with hairdressers without symptoms and pollen allergic women. METHODS: Skin prick tests to persulphate were performed in the hairdressers. Participants kept a diary of symptoms and of work tasks (hairdressers only). They completed HRQoL questionnaires. Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in nasal lavage fluid was examined. The symptomatic hairdressers performed nasal challenges with persulphate before and after the exposure. RESULTS: Skin prick tests were negative. Although the nasal reactivity to persulphate did not change a steady increase in nasal symptoms, especially blockage, and in ECP was noticed in the symptomatic hairdressers. The HRQoL deteriorated in the symptomatic hairdressers indicating an effect on their working situation and daily life. The atopics had more, but varying symptoms (itching, sneezing and secretion). CONCLUSIONS: The difference in the clinical picture between the symptomatic hairdressers and the pollen allergic women, the increase in symptoms and ECP in the nasal lavage support the view that a sensitization to hairdresser chemicals by a mechanism not yet understood is operating. The deterioration of the HRQoL in the symptomatic hairdressers indicates a considerable effect on their life

First records of the Z-Race of European Corn Borer Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner 1796) from Scandinavia

Der Maiszünsler (Ostrinia nubilalis) ist einer der bedeutendsten Schädlinge im Mais in Europa und in den Gebieten seiner Einschleppung. Er tritt in 2 Pheromonrassen (E und Z) mit in Mitteleuropa derzeit unterschiedlichen Hauptwirtspflanzen auf. Die E-Rasse ist häufig in Beifuß (Artemisia vulgaris) zu finden, während die hauptsächlich im Mais auftretende Z-Rasse in Deutschland den ökonomisch bedeutenden Schaden verursacht. Beide Ras­sen können jedoch auch andere Pflanzen befallen. So kann beispielsweise die E-Rasse auch am Mais auftreten. Eine morphologische Unterscheidung der Rassen ist nicht möglich. Für Skandinavien lagen bisher zwar Daten über das Vorkommen des Maiszünslers vor, jedoch keine Berichte über das Auftreten in Mais. In 2010 wurden Maiszünsler-Larven an einem Standort im Mais auf der Insel Sjaelland (Seeland), Dänemark, gefunden. Ein Moni­toring in Dänemark 2011 mit Pheromonfallen für die Z-Rasse erbrachte keine weiteren Funde. 2011 wurden jedoch in Südschweden am Mais an 3 Standorten Befall durch Maiszünsler-Larven festgestellt. Mittels PCR wurden Larven von 2 Standorten untersucht und als zur Z-Rasse gehörig bestätigt. Unabhängig davon wurden in 2010 Falter von der schwedischen Ostseeinsel Gotland ebenfalls als Tiere der Z-Rasse bestätigt. Dies sind die ersten Nachweise der Z-Rasse für Skandinavien und in Europa bislang die nördlichsten belegten Funde dieser Rasse. Implikationen für den Pflanzenschutz werden diskutiert.    European Corn Borer (ECB, Ostrinia nubilalis) is among the main pests of maize in Europe and throughout its intro­duced range. Two morphologically indistinguishable phero­mone races of the species exist, the so-called E-race and Z-race. In Germany the E-race is most common in mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) whereas the Z-race occurs mainly in maize and is responsible for the main proportion of the economic damage. But both races have several alternative host plants. For example, the E-race can also occur in maize. The species has been known from Scandinavia already for a considerable time period, but no occurrence in maize was reported until recently. In 2010 larvae were found in maize at one site on the isle of Sealand, Denmark. A monitoring with Z-race pheromone traps in Denmark in 2011 did not result in any catches of ECB. In the same year however, ECB larvae were found in maize at 3 sites in southern Sweden. Larvae from 2 sites were assigned to Z-race via PCR. Independently from these finds, adult moths caught on the isle of Gotland in 2010 were also confirmed to be Z-race by PCR. This is the first evidence of the occurrence of the Z-race in Scandinavia and the northernmost find of the Z-race in Europe so far. Implications for plant protection are discussed.   &nbsp

Running Neutrino Masses, Mixings and CP Phases: Analytical Results and Phenomenological Consequences

We derive simple analytical formulae for the renormalization group running of neutrino masses, leptonic mixing angles and CP phases, which allow an easy understanding of the running. Particularly for a small angle theta_13 the expressions become very compact, even when non-vanishing CP phases are present. Using these equations we investigate: (i) the influence of Dirac and Majorana phases on the evolution of all parameters, (ii) the implications of running neutrino parameters for leptogenesis, (iii) changes of the mass bounds from WMAP and neutrinoless double beta decay experiments, relevant for high-energy mass models, (iv) the size of radiative corrections to theta_13 and theta_23 and implications for future precision measurements.Comment: 39 pages, 21 figures; v2: minor changes, references added, acknowledgements extende