Nicholas School of the Environment
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10161/52
Master's projects by Nicholas School of the Environment students, including the Duke Marine Laboratory.
The masters project is done in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements for the professional Master of Environmental Management or the Master of Forestry degree. While the MP may include original laboratory or field research, it may also take the form of management plans, handbooks, educational curricula, or other such products. Each student is advised by a faculty member who reviews and approves the project prior to completion.
A masters projects that is original research should not be as large as a masters thesis although it should be of publishable quality but not necessarily comprehensive enough to stand alone as a publication. A masters projects that does not follow the usual format for scientific research should follow a framework that is considered good practice in an appropriate field.
Duke migrated to an electronic-only system for masters projects between 2006 and 2010. As such, projects completed between 2006 and 2010 may not be part of this system, and those created before 2006 are not hosted here except for a small number that have been digitized.
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Item Open Access Forest Communities of the Tellico Lake Area, East Tennessee(1995-12) Andreu, Michael G.; Tukman, Mark L.This paper is the result of a Pilot Project that was initiated by the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Natural Heritage Division and The Southeast Heritage Task Force of The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The study site consists of approximately 2,700 acres of land managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority in Monroe County, Tennessee. Twenty six community types were described in Tellico Study Area. These types can be divided into three general types: oak - hickory communities, mixed mesophytic communities, and early successional communities. The oak - hickory communities can be divided into three distinct types: those dominated by Quercus alba, those dominated by Quercus prinus, and those dominated by Quercus falcata. The oak - hickory types are found on upland dry mesic sites throughout the study area. They can be considered stable types. The mixed mesophytic communities can be divided into three types: Acer saccharum - Quercus (alba, muehlenbergii), Fagus grandifoba, and Acer saccharum - Liriodendron tubpifera - Fraxinus americana. These communities occur on moist, protected upland slopes. They are limited to the calcareous knobs and ridges in the southern half ofthe study area. Early successional communities are found throughout the study area on low - mid slopes that were formerly in agriculture. These communities can be divided into coniferous types and hardwood types. The coniferous types, dominated by Pinus virginiana, are associated with dry sites. The hardwood types are variable in composition and are associated with wetter sites.Item Open Access Integration of Physical Oceanography with Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Stranded Sea Turtles in North Carolina(2000) Mooreside, Peter DouglasThe conservation status of sea turtles warrants research on their mortality rates (Turtle Expert Working Group 1998). Stranded carcasses document mortality but represent an unknown fraction of total number of dead turtles at-sea (Murphy and Hopkins-Murphy 1989, Epperly et al. 1996). In addition to water temperature, tidal forcing, decomposition rates, scavenging rates, and the spatio-temporal distributions of turtles and mortality sources, wind and water current regimes probably play a major role in the stranding of carcasses on beaches. Fifteen years of hourly wind speed data, recorded off the North Carolina coast, were transformed into vectors, converted into wind stress magnitude and direction values, and averaged by month. Near-shore surface currents were then modeled for the South Atlantic Bight via a three-dimensional physical oceanographic model (Werner et al. 1999). Estimated currents and particle tracks were compared to the spatial locations of sea turtle carcasses stranded along ocean-facing beaches of North Carolina. The seasonal development of along-shelf flow coincided with increased numbers of recorded strandings in late spring and early summer. The model also predicted net offshore flow of surface waters during winter, typically the season with the fewest relative strandings. Modeled lagrangian drogues were retained in shallow (< 20m) bathymetric contours, indicating that turtles killed only very close to the shore may be most likely to strand. During seasons when net along-shelf flow was present, turtles were likely to have died "upstream" from the residual current. A reevaluation of oceanic drift bottle experiments may also provide a reasonable upper bound to describe how far carcasses could theoretically travel and how likely those carcasses could make landfall from points offshore. Though qualitative, this research a.) provides a starting point for more robust analyses and b.) demonstrates that stranding research requires an understanding of ocean physics in addition to sources of mortality.Item Open Access Whale Behavioral Responses and Human Perceptions: An Assessment of Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliac) and Vessel Activity near Juneau, Alaska(2001) Peterson, Heather A.I studied the effects of vessel activity on the behavior of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) near Juneau, Alaska, from 6 July to 25 August 2000. I collected behavioral data from a 7 m inboard-outdrive research vessel in Stephens Passage and Lynn Canal, where feeding Central North Pacific humpbacks are the focus of a burgeoning whale watching industry. Utilizing continuous and point behavioral sampling, I recorded locations, identities, and behaviors of 27 humpback whale focal pods for 39.6 observation hours. I also recorded number, type, approach style, length of stay, and proximity of whale watching boats within 400 m of each focal pod. I observed 16 pods (1404 total min.; 261 surface intervals) when at least one whale watching boat was present for more than ten minutes, and observed 11 pods (972 total min.; 191 surface intervals) when no whale watching boats were present. I compared whale behavior between the two conditions, whale watching vessels present and whale watching vessels absent. Average whale respiratory activity was almost identical in the two conditions. However, individual whales followed by whale watching boats showed significantly greater variance in time spent at the surface and number of blows per surfacing than did whales not pursued by boats (F=2.87, p<0.05; F=3.14, p<0.05). Additionally, whales with whale watching boats showed significantly greater variance in the proportion of time spent engaging in surface-active behavior (F=284.60, p<<0.001), and collectively exhibited surface behaviors more frequently, than did whales without whale watching boats. Over 80% of whale watchers remained at least 200 yards (182.8 m) from focal whales; however, almost 30% of whale watchers violated NOAA Fisheries' Alaska Marine Mammal Viewing Guidelines by staying with pods for more than 30 minutes. I found that humpbacks exhibit subtle short-term behavioral responses to whale watching boats, but that long-term consequences of heavy vessel traffic for this whale population remain to be determined. I provide recommendations to NOAA Fisheries charged with assisting the recovery of the humpback whale and with managing Alaska's whale watchers.Item Open Access Closing the Cycle: Captive Breeding for the Gastropod Strombus(2001) Shawl, AmberThe large gastropod queen conch, Strombus gigas, is a valuable food source throughout the Caribbean and the Florida region. The markets for S. gigas are adult meat for chowders and fritters, and shells for decoration. Excessive over-fishing of S. gigas has led to its listing on Appendix II of CITES and mandated a statewide fishing moratorium in the Florida waters. To help preserve the species, biologists are successfully culturing queen conch from egg stage to market. However, the cycle is not closed. Egg masses are collected from reproductively active adult populations in the field. This means that the aquaculturist is heavily reliant upon spawning aggregations for continued culturing success of this threatened species.
In response to the need for specimens for aquaculture, we began a captive breeding program for Strombus species in June 2000 at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Ft. Pierce, Florida. A breeding arena was built in a large round tank (4.5 m dia x 0.9 m height). The tank was divided into 4 equivalent sections (4.1m^2) and filled with water to 0.42 m above the substrate. This recirculating tank system is equipped with an undergravel filter system, comprised of coarse Bahamian aragonite sand (1-3 mm) at a depth of 10 cm. The tank was located in a greenhouse structure, allowing for natural photoperiod during our experiment. The mean water temperature was 27°C and salinity 34 ppt.
There are seven species of Strombus in the Caribbean and Florida region. We chose 3 non-restricted species (Strombus costatus, milk conch; Strombus raninus, hawkwing; and Strombus alatus; Florida fighting conch) as well as S. gigas to begin our breeding program. These smaller, less threatened Strombus may also prove to be a premium food item and a successful aquarium animal. A total of 24 adult conch were collected: five S. costatus (3 female, 2 male), seven S. raninus (5 females, 2 males), eight S. alatus (4 females, 4 males), and four S. gigas (1 female, 3 males) from the Florida Keys and placed into their respective quadrants on June 16 and July 16 (for S. gigas).
The number of copulating pairs and spawning females were noted on a daily basis for the first 49 days (7 weeks). Collected egg masses were measured for size, number of eggs, and egg capsule and strand diameter. In 36 weeks we collected 401 egg masses. S. raninus began breeding on day 2 and continued to breed persistently through early November. S. raninus laid 336 egg masses. We also had success with S. alatus, 44 egg masses; S. costatus laid a total of 19 egg masses, and we were able to get S. gigas to lay two egg masses in mid-February. The viability of the eggs was confirmed as we successfully hatched several egg masses from all four species and raised them through juvenile stage. Based on breeding success of these species we hope to establish the commercial ability of a captive breeding program, and establish alternative aquarium and juvenile queen conch market.
Item Open Access Community-Integrated GIS in the Bay of Fundy Groundfishery(2002) Hooker, Brian RThis paper is designed examine the development of Community-Integrated Geographic Information Systems (CIGIS) in the marine environment. Through a review of a mapping project, whose information base is Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of spawning and nursery areas of the groundfishery in the Bay of Fundy, Canada, recommendations on data collection, database development, and data visualization are made for their incorporation into a GIS. This paper addresses how CIGIS may be useful not only for the constituents whose knowledge is the basis of the database, but for the fisheries managers who should consider this data in the overall framework of the decision-making process. Conclusions indicate that database development needs to start with the highest resolution possible. In dealing with local knowledge the dataset needs to be fully inclusive of all responses even when the information may not be validated by another source. A ranking system would separate unsubstantiated responses and validated responses. Visualization of local knowledge should also follow the same level of resolution as the database and, where possible, be confined to a single data point. More detailed information on the site should be incorporated as text into the metadata or as an actual record in the attribute table.Item Open Access REDUCING SEA TURTLE DAMAGE TO CRAB POTS USING A LOW-PROFILE POT DESIGN IN CORE SOUND, NORTH CAROLINA(2002) Marsh, Jesse C.The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) supports North Carolina's most valuable commercial fishery; the value of hard blue crabs landed in 2000 was over $30 million dollars. This lucrative fishery may be adversely affected by loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Crabbers in Core Sound, North Carolina, report that sea turtle damage to crab pots has become an increasingly serious issue. Turtles damage crab pots by overturning them while trying to get the bait, tearing up the bottoms and sides of the pots; this damage results in higher gear replacement costs and losses in crab catch. Experimental fishing was conducted to test for differences in crab catch and pot damage using three types of crab pots: low-profile, square mesh, and hexagonal mesh. The hexagonal mesh pot is the most common pot type used by crabbers in Core Sound, and the low-profile pot was designed to reduce the sea turtles' ability to overturn the pots. The number and size of all crabs caught in the experimental pots were recorded. An analysis of variance (ANDVA) was used to analyze the relationship between number of crabs caught per pot and the effect of pot type, location, date, the interaction of date and location, and the interaction of pot type and location. Tukey-Kramer multiple comparison tests were used to determine significant differences among treatments. There was no significant difference in crab catch between the low-profile and the square mesh pots at any of the three experimental fishing locations. There was a significant difference in catch between the low-profile and hexagonal mesh pots at one location. The lowprofile pots sustained considerably less damage than both the square mesh and hexagonal mesh pot types. In interviews with 19 Core and Pamlico Sound crabbers, crabbers estimated that 62% of all crab pot damage, and 37% of lost crab catch, is due to sea turtle damage. The low-profile crab pot has the potential to improve this situation by allowing crabbers to maintain crab catch with a reduction in gear replacement costs.Item Open Access Use of Remote Sensing on the Pamlico Sound with Implications for North Carolina Water Quality Management(2002) Nojek, LarissaThe Pamlico Sound serves a vital role in North Carolina's ecology and economy, but declining water quality threatens the health of this system. Currently, the state of North Carolina does no regular water quality monitoring of the Pamlico Sound so the true condition of the Sound remains unknown. Long-term monitoring is needed to track changes considering the nutrients that enter the Sound as a consequence of land-use change in the watershed. Use of remote sensing in the Pamlico Sound is an ideal way to track phytoplankton changes that occur over a broad range of time and space domains. Remotely sensed data would provide researchers with regular and long-term information that can be used to evaluate the impacts of existing land use and nutrient management programs. Improved information on the Pamlico Sound can help managers create standards aimed at altering human behavior and improving the condition of the Sound. This Masters Project investigates the feasibility of using remote sensing to track water quality in the Pamlico Sound. I conducted interviews with remote sensing experts and North Carolina water quality managers to determine whether remote sensing of the Pamlico Sound will be useful in future water quality monitoring programs. I determined that while water quality managers do not currently have the resources to incorporate remote sensing into existing programs, it is a tool that will be useful and cost effective in future monitoring plans.Item Open Access Stakeholder Perspectives: A Tool for Cooperative Coastal Resource Management in Xcalak, Mexico(2002) Wusinich, Dana CThe establishment of marine protected areas has become an important conservation tool in the effort to manage marine and coastal habitats. Many developing nations have decided to utilize this conservation mechanism in an effort to protect their relatively unexploited marine ecosystems. In several unique cases local communities have taken the initiative to protect their natural resources. The focus of my research is Xcalak, a remote fishing village located on the Caribbean coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. In 1995 the people of Xcalak initiated an effort to protect their reefs and coastal resources from the impending threats of development and overexploitation. Five years later the national marine park, Arrecifes de Xcalak (Reefs of Xcalak), was declared by the Mexican government. The primary objective of my project is to document this unique case of a community-based conservation effort and to promote future cooperative management of the area by identifying all stakeholder groups involved in resource management issues in Xcalak and revealing their interests in and goals for the area. In order to obtain the necessary information I performed a series of focus groups with different sectors of the Xcalak community along with qualitative interviews with representatives from involved government agencies as well as academic and non-governmental organizations. I propose a cooperative management regime for the marine park and hope the results of this research will serve as a link between the involved stakeholder groups and promote cooperation in future efforts to both develop Xcalak as a tourism destination and conserve its abundant and diverse coral reef habitat.Item Open Access Business Solutions to Environmental Issues: A Model Solution to Resource Conflicts in the Powersports Industry(2002) Woodson, PeterThis project explores the use of a for-profit business model and emerging technologies to resolve resource conflicts in the powersports industry. While the business will ultimately address all three segments of the powersports market, initial business development will focus on the PWC segment. A complete 40-page model business plan is provided with supporting investor presentation slides. The hope is that this project can be used as a baseline for future students to address environmental issues through the creation of for-profit products, services, or complete businesses. This business plan was one of five finalists in the 2002 Duke Startup Challenge, and is being pursued as a potentially viable venture.Item Open Access Impact of Boat Traffic on Bottlenose Dolphins in Core Creek, NC, with a Case Study of Dolphin-Watch Activities and Consumer(2002) Latusek, Jennifer N.I conducted a land-based theodolite study from June 27 through August 20,2001, to examine the response of dolphins to vessel traffic in Core Creek, NC. Groups of animals were displaced from the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) when transiting boats passed through the study site. Dolphins changed direction least when multiple boat activities occurred while animals reoriented most when no boats were present. Differences in the directness of groups' travel path were seen among various categories of vessel traffic. Pairs of mothers and calves were closely associated when vessels were present; pairs were farther apart when no boats were in the study site, although this difference was not significant.
I also conducted a social science survey to examine dolphin-watch activities, consumer education, and customer satisfaction on these vessels. I compared customer satisfaction between three boats with varying customer interaction and levels of interactions. Forty-five percent of customers on the operation with highest educational content were satisfied with their trip. Most patrons on the other boats wished to see other activities incorporated into their experiences. Therefore, my study suggests that dolphin-watch patrons to the Beaufort/Morehead City, NC, area value educational content.
From these two studies, I developed policy recommendations to reduce impact of vessel traffic on bottlenose dolphins in Core Creek and to enhance the dolphin-watch .industry in the area. My suggestions include: 1.) Establishment of a regional ecotour operators' association, 2.) Development of a dolphin-watch certification program, 3.) Promotion of land-based operations, and 4.) Integration of naturalists and researchers into daily operations of dolphin-watches.
Item Open Access Potential Effects of Hypoxia on Shrimpers & Implications for Red Snapper Bycatch in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico(2002) Macal, Jennifer M.Red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) is a valuable commercial and recreational fishery on the Gulf of Mexico continental shelf. In recent years red snapper stocks have drastically declined presumably due to a combination of directed overfishing on adults and high mortality of juveniles taken as bycatch in the shrimp trawl fishery. The presence of large-scale hypoxia (1520,000 km2) on the Louisiana shelf that results from nutrient inputs from the Mississippi River system may modify vital rates (growth and mortality) of red snapper via direct effects of low dissolved oxygen or indirect effects mediated by shifts in spatial distribution. This study addresses the hypothesis that hypoxia modifies the distribution of red snapper and their association with shrimpers on the Louisiana continental shelf. Depending on the direction (inshore vs. offshore) and magnitude of shifts in spatial distribution, overlap between snapper and shrimpers and thus, the potential for bycatch interactions, may increase, decrease, or remain the same.
The primary objectives of this study were to examine: (1) annual variation in the spatial distribution of shrimping effort on the Louisiana shelf during the period of most severe hypoxia (July), (2) the spatial distribution of red snapper during the same time period, and (3) annual variation in overlap of shrimping effort and red snapper. I used spatial and statistical ArcViewlInfo Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping and analysis techniques to address the above three objectives. The first dataset that I used for these objectives comes from longterm SEAMAP (Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program) groundfish surveys in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Secondly, I used spatial distribution of shrimping effort on a monthly time scale throughout the Gulf to address objective (1) and (3).
Shrimping effort on the Louisiana shelf shifted offshore during periods of extensive hypoxia, and this shift offshore was greater for the western than eastern Louisiana shelf. Red snapper were distributed primarily offshore during periods of extensive hypoxia and appeared more abundant on the western than eastern Louisiana shelf. The greatest overlap of shrimping effort and juvenile red snapper occurred primarily on the western Louisiana shelf between depths of 15-25 fathoms. I interpret these results in terms of their utility to fishery managers formulating fishery management plans (FMPs) for the Gulf of Mexico red snapper and shrimp fisheries.
Item Open Access AN EVALUATION OF NEST RELOCATION AS A LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE (Caretta caretta) MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUE IN NORTH CAROLINA(2003) Rush, Matthew DA network of volunteers, under the guidance of the North Carolina Sea Turtle Protection Program, monitors and protects loggerhead nests laid on state beaches. Although volunteers are encouraged to allow nest incubation to proceed naturally and with minimal intervention, some volunteers will relocate freshly laid nests that are threatened by possible inundation by high tides, heavy beach traffic, or under a sloughing escarpment. Nest relocation may have negative effects: it may reduce hatching success, alter incubation duration, and reduce hatchling fitness. Thus an evaluation of hatching success and incubation duration at nesting areas under the protection of the NC Sea Turtle Protection Program is warranted. My objective for the evaluation was to use loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nest activity data from four high-density North Carolina nesting areas – Bald Head Island, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and Topsail Island – to assess statistically the management technique of nest relocation in North Carolina. Using 1997 to 2001 data, provided by the North Carolina Sea Turtle Protection Program, I evaluated hatching success and incubation duration among in-situ nests, relocated nests, and in-situ nests affected by tidal inundation. During each of the five years, 1997 to 2001, the average number of nests moved on the study’s four North Carolina nesting areas approached 40 to 60 percent. The evaluation of hatching success showed a tendency of more loggerhead hatchlings hatching in in-situ nests than in relocated nests. Also, the evaluation indicated a tendency of in-situ nests having longer incubation durations than relocated nests. The evaluation showed relocated nests might have shorter incubation periods, and thus present nest relocation techniques in North Carolina might be skewing northern sub-population sexratios more in favor of female hatchling production. I formulated a series of nest relocation recommendations with the evaluation results: use nest relocation as a last resort, only relocate nests that will be over-washed daily by high tides, do not base nest relocation measures on previous summer storms, and do not relocate nests in heavy foot traffic areas.Item Open Access DISTRIBUTION OF HIGHLY MIGRATORY MARINE MAMMALS AND SEABIRDS IN THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC: ARE EXISITNG MARINE PROTECTED AREAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE?(2003) Freeman, KateTo date, only five marine protected areas (MPAs) have been established along the West Coast of the United States, none of which extend more than 30 nautical miles from shore. These areas do not afford habitat protection for a number of highly migratory and often endangered pelagic seabird and cetacean species found in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean. Using sightings data for fourteen species from a Minerals Management Service Computer Database Analysis System, I analyzed species distribution based on oceanographic season (countercurrent, upwelling, oceanic), year (El Nino, La Nina, neutral), patchiness, bathymetry (shelf, shelf-break, slope, pelagic), and index of dispersion (Gx). The species density data were also compared to areas of existing MPAs to determine how well current MPAs protect these species. The results indicate that current MPAs do not protect the habitats of highly migratory species. I therefore compared existing MPA coverage to suggested MPA locations and found much stronger protection in the suggested areas. Recommendations include not only general areas for improved protection, such as the North Bend, Oregon region, but also specific season and bathymetric features to protect as hotspots within the larger regions.Item Open Access Entaglement of Humpback Whales in Fishing Gear: Description of Injuries and Entanglement Patterns(2003) Mooney, Melissa SIn the Gulf of Maine, the entanglement of humpback whales in fishing gear is a substantial source of human-caused mortality. The current mortality and serious injury of humpback whales in the Gulf of Maine is twice the Potential Biological Removal (PBR) level set for this population. Researchers and managers are challenged to reduce entanglement to below PBR without extensive information on many important factors. The goal of this study was to describe entanglement injuries and investigate whether different fishing gear types, particularly pot and net fisheries, resulted in distinctive entanglement patterns of humpback whales from the Gulf of Maine. I searched the Center for Coastal Studies' entanglement database for whales that fit the following criteria: the entanglement occurred between 1995 and 2002, the whale was photographed during the disentanglement, and the gear type or line type of the entangling gear was known. Sixteen cases were identified that fit the criteria. Three cases involved entanglements in pot fishery gear, four in net gear, and nine cases with known line type. I qualitatively analyzed photographs from these sixteen cases to describe the injuries and to investigate whether any entanglement patterns could be determined based on gear type in terms of location of entanglement on whale, presence of trailing gear, presence of buoys or high flyers, free swimming versus anchored in gear, disentanglement success, or type of injury. I was unable to find a relationship between entangling gear type and any of the factors assessed. I discuss potential reasons for the finding of no relationship as well as considerations for future research in this area.Item Open Access IMPLICATIONS OF HISTORICAL CHANGES IN FIXED FISHING GEAR FOR LARGE WHALE ENTANGLEMENTS IN THE NORTHWEST ATLANTIC(2003) Kozuck, AmandaNorth Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) are one of the most critically endangered large whales in the world, with an estimate of 300 animals remaining. Despite international protection from whaling since 1935 and an endangered status listing under the United States Endangered Species Act, this population has been in decline since the 1990s. Factors hindering recovery include entanglements in fishing gear and ship collisions. Today, lobster pots and gillnets are most commonly implicated in large whale entanglements, especially those of right and humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) whales. However, other fixed fishing gear presents entanglement risk to large whales, such as crab pots and slime eel gear. Entanglements typically occur when whales come into contact with lines attached to the gear; any body part can be involved. I present historical data tracking changes in fishing line and fixed fishing gear, as well as changes in fishing practices, from the mid-1940s to the present in the Northwest Atlantic. The introduction of synthetic materials to the fishing industry in the 1950s, coupled with government subsidies and legislation for domestic fishery expansion, led to dramatic increases in fishing effort and efficiency. These attempts to promote the development of the U.S. fishing industry have created entanglement risk for large whales. In 2002, eight right and eleven humpback whale entanglements were documented; two deaths resulted, one of each species. This suggests that existing protective measures are inadequate. I briefly examine current regulations and provide suggestions for further measures to reduce the conflict between large whales and fixed gear fisheries.Item Open Access A CASE STUDY OF GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY AND THE SOCIOPOLITICAL PROCESS: AUTHORIZATION OF PROCESSOR QUOTA SHARES IN THE MAGNUSON-STEVENS FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT(2003) Hunt, Stephanie LSpecial interest groups are trying to change language in the Magnuson-Steven Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA) to allow fishery management councils to create and allocate processor quota (PQ). This limited entry tool is a companion to Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQs) which allocate harvesting rights to individual fishermen or vessel owners. Authorizing PQ would allow councils to give seafood companies exclusive buying rights and would require fishermen to sell their catch to the limited number of buyers holding PQ shares. A grassroots advocacy campaign opposing PQ prevented the 107th Congress from including controversial PQ language in MSFCMA reauthorization. Employing the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen’s Association (CCCHFA) as a case study, I will analyze how strategies of coalition building, constituent mobilization, and media contact were effectively applied in this campaign. Likewise, strategies to activate members of Congress played a prominent role in the effort. The CCCHFA led 225 visits to Congressional offices, trained more than 17 commercial fishermen in advocacy techniques, generated press coverage on both coasts, and produced a hard-hitting advocacy video that was distributed to all 535 members of Congress. To accomplish future goals, the anti-PQ campaign requires a long-term commitment with flexible goals and strategies, which allow the CCCHFA to take advantage of the changing sociopolitical climate. Given its limited resources, the organization must use time efficiently and continue to build upon past victories.Item Open Access The Cost of U.S. Cetacean Bycatch Reduction Measures as a Reason for Supporting International Action(2003) Griffin, ElizabethDue to requirements under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)and the Endangered Species Act (ESA),U.S. fishermen are required to take measures to reduce cetacean bycatch. However, the U.S. imports fisheries products from countries that have significant cetacean bycatch problems which fisherman are not required to mitigate. I examined case studies of the California/Oregon drift gillnet, American lobster and Atlantic cod fisheries to demonstrate the costs of U.S. cetacean bycatch reductions and their economic affect. The cost of cetacean bycatch reduction in the California/Oregon drift gillnet fishery represents 1.9 - 4.5% of the fishery's total ex-vessel value. The annual cost to the lobster fishery is 0.7 - 6.3% of the industry's value and 3.3% - 13.3% of the ex-vessel landings value of an Atlantic cod vessel using sink gillnets is going to cetacean bycatch mitigation. U.S. fishermen face a competitive disadvantage because they have to bear the costs for mitigating cetacean bycatch while their foreign competitors do not. The U.S. is importing products from foreign fisheries with serious bycatch problems. Foreign products are in direct competition with U.S. domestic in which U.S. fishermen have borne substantial costs to mitigate cetacean bycatch. The only way to protect marine mammals and maintain a competitive global fisheries market is to take action on an international level to reduce cetacean bycatch. To do this, influential countries like the U.S. need to support international negotiations and cooperation.Item Open Access EXHIBIT DESIGN AT THE GASKIN MUSEUM OF MARINE LIFE, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA(2003) Vos, ErinPublic outreach and education can effectively improve human behavior toward the natural environment. While communication between the scientific community and the general public is often challenging, scientists can bring about favorable results by promoting awareness and understanding of conservation goals. Such awareness and understanding are essential in resolving many environmental problems, including the protection of endangered marine mammals. With this in mind, I undertook a project to provide guidance in the development of natural history exhibits at a small museum run by a non-profit research station, the Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station in Grand Manan, New Brunswick, Canada. Using the principles of environmental education and the contextual model of learning as guides, I produced a set of overall objectives for the museum. These included desired learning outcomes (e.g. an understanding of the Bay of Fundy ecosystem), as well as aesthetic goals and design principles. With these objectives in mind, I worked with Research Station personnel to renovate the museum space, write exhibit text, design and create layouts for new exhibits, and improve the museum’s collections. The project culminated in the production of a document outlining an overall design plan for the Gaskin Museum of Marine Life, along with a discussion of rationale from environmental interpretation and educational theory, and recommendations for implementation and evaluation of the design plan. The results of this work may be applied to similar projects in public outreach and education.Item Open Access THE DYNAMICS OF SHORELINE MANAGEMENT: AN APPROACH USING RENEWABLE RESOURCE ECONOMICS(2003) Woglom, EmilyThe combination of coastal development and naturally retreating shorelines in sensitive barrier island ecosystems has led to increased demand for shoreline management. The strategy of beach nourishment is commonly used to build an artificial beach in order to maintain recreational benefits and protect oceanfront property. A simulation model was developed to examine the costs and benefits associated with nourishment and to compare these with an alternate strategy of relocating coastal structures. This model uses principles of renewable resource economics to characterize the effect of the natural and anthropogenic rates of growth and decay on the net benefits of a beach. Hedonic property value studies of coastal areas were used to characterize some of the benefits of beaches. A regression analysis was performed to determine the structure of the cost curve for nourishment projects as a function of the volume of sand used. The results of the simulation model highlight the importance of considering the dynamics of these systems and the effects of each strategy over time. The relative efficiency of a repeated nourishment strategy is shown to depend on the frequency with which nourishments must be carried out. In addition, progress was made towards outlining the necessary components for modeling the optimal path of management decisions.Item Open Access Addressing Global Scale Environmental Issues: Developing an International Convention for the Control of Ballast Water(2003) Harris, Adrienne LEnvironmental concerns regarding international shipping transcend national boundaries and therefore need to be addressed through an international forum. One such forum, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is facilitating the creation of a treaty for the management of ballast water to prevent the transfer of invasive species throughout the globe. Having a universal set of regulations for ballast water is important for the shipping industry as well as the global environment. At the international level, there are many hurdles to reaching agreement on an appropriate action, including the complexity of the issue, frequent scientific uncertainty, and a wide range of actors and interests. These obstacles have lengthened the draft negotiation period for the ballast water treaty beyond the original desired timeline and beyond that of the Convention on Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships, which began being drafted at the same time, yet was adopted in 2001. In addition, economic, procedural, and political factors absent from the ballast water negotiation process accelerated the negotiating process for the anti-fouling treaty. The IMO plans to hold a diplomatic conference to adopt the ballast water treaty in 2004; however major aspects of the treaty are still under debate. Consequently, the likelihood that the treaty will prevent transfer of species is still undeterminable in my opinion. Progress in upcoming IMO meetings will determine if the draft will be ready for a 2004 diplomatic conference. If a treaty is to be generated, it is imperative that the organization hold the conference in 2004 to minimize unilateral actions that would create a complex web of regulations. Progress for the group has been slow, but the work the group is doing creates precedent for future pollution treaties.