Electrical phase angle as a new method to measure fish condition

In this study, phase angle (the ratio of resistance and reactance of tissue to applied electrical current) is presented as a possible new method to measure fish condition. Condition indices for fish have historically been based on simple weight-at-length relationships, or on costly and timeconsuming laboratory procedures that measure specific physiological parameters. Phase angle is introduced to combine the simplicity of a quick field-based measurement with the specificity of laboratory analysis by directly measuring extra- and intracellular water distribution within an organism, which is indicative of its condition. Phase angle, which can be measured in the field or laboratory in the time it takes to measure length and weight, was measured in six species of fish at different states (e.g., fed vs. fasted, and postmortem) and under different environmental treatments (wild vs. hatchery, winter vs. spring). Phase angle reflected different states of condition. Phase angles 15° indicated fish that were in better condition. Phase angle was slightly affected by temperatures (slope = – 0.19) in the 0–8°C range and did not change in fish placed on ice for <12 hours. Phase angle also decreased over time in postmortem fish because of cell membrane degradation and subsequent water movement from intra- to extracellular (interstitial) spaces. Phase angle also reflected condition of specific anatomical locations within the fish

A Conceptual Model of Impacts of Environmental Change on Human Well-Being

Human well-being is dependent on goods and services provided by well-functioning ecosystems. Changes in ecosystem status and integrity can therefore impact directly and indirectly on human well-being. However, neither current measures of ecosystem health nor methods to value ecosystem services incorporate methods to assess impacts of changes in ecosystem health on human well-being. Assessment of these impacts is potentially useful in improving the sustainability of coastal management decision making. This paper presents a conceptual model developed to identify the potential links between ecosystem condition and human well-being. Based on existing literature, it is hypothesised that changes in coastal ecosystem condition may affect aspects of social and community relations through affecting people's sense of place, degree of involvement in the community and the extent to which they undertake recreation in the coastal environment. Changes in these aspects of social relations can have flow-on impacts on social capital, social networks, levels of trust and physical and mental health. Changes in ecosystem condition may also have more direct impacts on human health, through bacterial contamination of recreational waters, the presence of toxicants in seafood, or through the presence of toxic algal blooms in recreational waters. Regional economic production is also affected by changes in coastal ecosystems, through changes in the production of fishing, aquaculture and tourism industries. The conceptual model provides a basis for the development of a dynamic systems model to assess the impacts of changes in ecosystem health on human well-being. This information is necessary to ensure that decisions regarding the use of natural ecosystems are well-informed and therefore appropriate

Effects of Coastal Recreation on Social Aspects of Human Well-being

Coastal ecosystems are under increasing pressures from a wide variety of human impacts. As the coastal zone provides many goods and services essential to the well-being of people, there is potential for changes in the condition of coastal ecosystems to have reciprocal impacts on the human population. Based on existing literature, it was hypothesised that changes in coastal ecosystem condition could affect aspects of social and community relations through affecting residents' coastal recreational activities, sense of place, social interactions and networks, health and overall quality of life. These relationships were investigated in the Pumicestone catchment in south-east Queensland with the aim of identifying the interactions between coastal condition and human well-being. Information on key variables was collected by surveying catchment residents, and data were analysed using path analysis. The results indicate that the recreation in coastal areas can impact on the well-being of coastal residents. Understanding the positive relationship between ecosystems and human well-being can potentially reduce the apparent conflict between environmental improvement and human interests, thus improving management of local ecosystems

Assessing the Social and Economic Impacts of Changes in Coastal Systems

Humans have wide ranging impacts on many of the world's ecosystems. Understanding the contribution of ecosystems to human well-being is an important part of improving management of these systems. Current methods to value ecosystems rely on economic techniques that do not adequately reflect contributions of ecosystems to all aspects of human well-being and do not incorporate objectives such as ecological sustainability or fairness. It is proposed therefore that a dynamic model demonstrating the contributions of ecosystems to specific aspects of well-being, such as health, economic production, employment, recreation and social interaction, would be a useful tool in informing and improving environmental management and decision making. This model would be valuable as it could include multiple objectives, be used to make quantitative predictions of impacts, and could be used in parallel with existing valuation and decision making techniques. The need for this type of model, and an outline of the model proposed are presented in this paper

Tips for successful stepfamilies: Help! I'm a stepparent!

The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311

Life and challenges of low-income couples living in America: A resource guide for relationship educators

The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311

Tips for working with an uncooperative co-parent!: Why forgiveness is key

The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311

Tips for working with an uncooperative co-parent!: 10 things you should not do

The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311

Tips for successful stepfamilies: Moving your marriage from surviving to thriving - Part 2

The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311