Sample records for unit effort cpue

  1. Comparison of catch per unit effort among four minnow trap models in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) fishery.

    PubMed

    Budria, Alexandre; DeFaveri, Jacquelin; Merilä, Juha

    2015-12-21

    Minnow traps are commonly used in the stickleback (Gasterostidae) fishery, but the potential differences in catch per unit effort (CPUE) among different minnow trap models are little studied. We compared the CPUE of four different minnow trap models in field experiments conducted with three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Marked (up to 26 fold) differences in median CPUE among different trap models were observed. Metallic uncoated traps yielded the largest CPUE (2.8 fish/h), followed by metallic black nylon-coated traps (1.3 fish/h). Collapsible canvas traps yielded substantially lower CPUEs (black: 0.7 fish/h; red: 0.1 fish/h) than the metallic traps. Laboratory trials further revealed significant differences in escape probabilities among the different trap models. While the differences in escape probability can explain at least part of the differences in CPUE among the trap models (e.g. high escape rate and low CPUE in red canvas traps), discrepancies between model-specific CPUEs and escape rates suggests that variation in entrance rate also contributes to the differences in CPUE. In general, and in accordance with earlier data on nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) trapping, the results suggest that uncoated metallic (Gee-type) traps are superior to the other commonly used minnow trap models in stickleback fisheries.

  2. Comparison of catch per unit effort among four minnow trap models in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) fishery

    PubMed Central

    Budria, Alexandre; DeFaveri, Jacquelin; Merilä, Juha

    2015-01-01

    Minnow traps are commonly used in the stickleback (Gasterostidae) fishery, but the potential differences in catch per unit effort (CPUE) among different minnow trap models are little studied. We compared the CPUE of four different minnow trap models in field experiments conducted with three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Marked (up to 26 fold) differences in median CPUE among different trap models were observed. Metallic uncoated traps yielded the largest CPUE (2.8 fish/h), followed by metallic black nylon-coated traps (1.3 fish/h). Collapsible canvas traps yielded substantially lower CPUEs (black: 0.7 fish/h; red: 0.1 fish/h) than the metallic traps. Laboratory trials further revealed significant differences in escape probabilities among the different trap models. While the differences in escape probability can explain at least part of the differences in CPUE among the trap models (e.g. high escape rate and low CPUE in red canvas traps), discrepancies between model-specific CPUEs and escape rates suggests that variation in entrance rate also contributes to the differences in CPUE. In general, and in accordance with earlier data on nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) trapping, the results suggest that uncoated metallic (Gee-type) traps are superior to the other commonly used minnow trap models in stickleback fisheries. PMID:26685761

  3. Japanese and Taiwanese pelagic longline fleet dynamics and the impacts of climate change in the southern Indian Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Michael, P. E.; Wilcox, C.; Tuck, G. N.; Hobday, A. J.; Strutton, P. G.

    2017-06-01

    Climate change is projected to continue shifting the distribution of marine species, leading to changes in local assemblages and different interactions with human activities. With regard to fisheries, understanding the relationship between fishing fleets, target species catch per unit effort (CPUE), and the environment enhances our ability to anticipate fisher response and is an essential step towards proactive management. Here, we explore the potential impact of climate change in the southern Indian Ocean by modelling Japanese and Taiwanese pelagic longline fleet dynamics. We quantify the mean and variability of target species CPUE and the relative value and cost of fishing in different areas. Using linear mixed models, we identify fleet-specific effort allocation strategies most related to observed effort and predict the future distribution of effort and tuna catch under climate change for 2063-2068. The Japanese fleet's strategy targets high-value species and minimizes the variability in CPUE of the primary target species. Conversely, the Taiwanese strategy indicated flexible targeting of a broad range of species, fishing in areas of high and low variability in catch, and minimizing costs. The projected future mean and variability in CPUE across species suggest a slight increase in CPUE in currently high CPUE areas for most species. The corresponding effort projections suggest a slight increase in Japanese effort in the western and eastern study area, and Taiwanese effort increasing east of Madagascar. This approach provides a useful method for managers to explore the impacts of different fishing and fleet management strategies for the future.

  4. Evaluation of capture techniques for long-billed curlews wintering in Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Woodin, Marc C.; Skoruppa, Mary K.; Edwardson, Jeremy W.; Austin, Jane E.

    2012-01-01

    Texas coast harbors the largest, eastern-most populations of Long-billed Curlews (Numenius americanus) in North America; however, very little is known about their migration and wintering ecology. Curlews are readily captured on their breeding grounds, but experience with capturing the species during the non-breeding season is extremely limited. We assessed the efficacy of 6 capture techniques for Long-billed Curlews in winter: 1) modified noose ropes, 2) remotely controlled bow net, 3) Coda Netgun, 4) Super Talon net gun, 5) Hawkseye whoosh net, and 6) cast net. The Coda Netgun had the highest rate of captures per unit of effort (CPUE = 0.31; 4 curlew captures/13 d of trapping effort), followed by bow net (CPUE = 0.17; 1 capture/6 d of effort), whoosh net (CPUE = 0.14; 1 capturel7 d of effort), and noose ropes (CPUE = 0.07; 1 capturel15 d of effort). No curlews were captured using the Super Talon net gun or a cast net (3 d and 1 d of effort, respectively). Multiple capture techniques should be readily available for maximum flexibility in matching capture methods with neophobic curlews that often unpredictably change referred feeding locations among extremely different habitat types.

  5. Fish and fisher behaviour influence the vulnerability of groupers (Epinephelidae) to fishing at a multispecies spawning aggregation site

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robinson, J.; Graham, N. A. J.; Cinner, J. E.; Almany, G. R.; Waldie, P.

    2015-06-01

    Targeted fishing of spawning aggregations is a major contributor to extinction risk in numerous species of grouper (Epinephelidae). Marine reserves are often used to protect spawning aggregation sites, including multispecies sites shared by several species of grouper. However, marine reserves may be biologically, socioeconomically or culturally unviable in some fisheries, and alternative management actions must be explored. Implementing effective management actions that control rather than prohibit fishing requires an improved understanding of how species vary in their vulnerability to fishing gears and respond to changes in fishing effort. To estimate sources of variability in vulnerability to fishing (i.e. catchability), catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and other fisheries data were collected in parallel with underwater visual census-derived estimates of aggregation size at a multispecies spawning site of Epinephelus fuscoguttatus and E. polyphekadion. Despite having similar abundances, E. polyphekadion was eightfold more vulnerable to capture by hook-and-line gear, clearly outcompeting its congener for bait. Contrasting with the common assumption of a proportional relationship, the CPUE of both species was unrelated to the size of their respective aggregations. Moreover, the CPUE of each species was unrelated to hook size and depth fished. However, E. polyphekadion CPUE declined as the density of fishing effort increased at the site, with gear saturation identified as the likely mechanism for this effect. E. fuscoguttatus CPUE was negatively related to the size of aggregations formed by its congener, stemming from the superior competitiveness and therefore higher selectivity of the gear for E. polyphekadion. Our findings demonstrate that CPUE is an unreliable indicator of spawning aggregation status. The other sources of variation in CPUE that we identify have implications for gear-based management, which must be based on understanding of gear selectivity for aggregating species, and fishing effort controls, which must consider the potential for effort-dependent patterns in catchability.

  6. Trends and stability of inland fishery resources in Japanese lakes: introduction of exotic piscivores as a driver.

    PubMed

    Matsuzaki, Shin-ichiro S; Kadoya, Taku

    2015-07-01

    Although many studies have focused on marine resources, few studies have considered the resources of inland fisheries. Inland fishery resources are typically either monitored on the basis of catch data alone or are not assessed quantitatively at all, despite their social, economic, and ecological importance. Because freshwater ecosystems have been severely degraded by human activities, evaluating the trends and current status of fishery resources and assessing their drivers are urgent tasks. We compiled long-term data on the annual catch, fishing effort, and fishing power of 23 Japanese lakes, using two sets of government statistics that date back to the 1950s, which were previously neglected because of the large number of missing values. Using Bayesian state-space models, we examined the trajectories of the catch per unit effort (CPUE) of entire communities, considering changes in fishing effort and fishing power, and quantified both changes in the CPUE over the 10-, 20-, and 30-year periods preceding 2008 and the temporal detrended stability of the CPUE over the three periods. We also investigated the relationships among the CPUE changes and stability, anthropogenic drivers, and lake morphometric characteristics. The CPUE declined in 17, 19, and 15 of the 23 lakes over the past 10-, 20-, and 30-year periods, respectively. Our macroecological analyses demonstrate that the functional group richness of exotic piscivores was the most important predictor of changes in the CPUE among the drivers we considered. The stability of the CPUE was positively related to lake area; larger lakes have more stable CPUE. The functional group richness of exotic piscivores also negatively affected the stability of the CPUE. The effect of overfishing was considered to be small because both fishing effort and power declined in almost all of the lakes. Thus, our findings suggest that increasing exotic piscivore species may diminish the resources and their stability, particularly in Japanese lakes where native piscivores are rare. This might lead to a substantial decline in ecosystem services. Our study highlights the importance of assessing inland fishery resources in a comprehensive manner and the need for restoration strategies to mitigate the effects of exotic piscivores.

  7. A standardized sampling protocol for channel catfish in prairie streams

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Vokoun, Jason C.; Rabeni, Charles F.

    2001-01-01

    Three alternative gears—an AC electrofishing raft, bankpoles, and a 15-hoop-net set—were used in a standardized manner to sample channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus in three prairie streams of varying size in three seasons. We compared these gears as to time required per sample, size selectivity, mean catch per unit effort (CPUE) among months, mean CPUE within months, effect of fluctuating stream stage, and sensitivity to population size. According to these comparisons, the 15-hoop-net set used during stable water levels in October had the most desirable characteristics. Using our catch data, we estimated the precision of CPUE and size structure by varying sample sizes for the 15-hoop-net set. We recommend that 11–15 repetitions of the 15-hoop-net set be used for most management activities. This standardized basic unit of effort will increase the precision of estimates and allow better comparisons among samples as well as increased confidence in management decisions.

  8. Comparative Influence of Ocean Conditions on Yellowfin and Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Catch from Longlines in the Gulf of Mexico

    PubMed Central

    Teo, Steven L. H.; Block, Barbara A.

    2010-01-01

    Directed fishing effort for Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), their primary spawning grounds in the western Atlantic, has been prohibited since the 1980s due to a precipitous decline of the spawning stock biomass. However, pelagic longlines targeted at other species, primarily yellowfin tuna and swordfish, continue to catch Atlantic bluefin tuna in the GOM as bycatch. Spatial and temporal management measures minimizing bluefin tuna bycatch in the GOM will likely become important in rebuilding the western Atlantic bluefin stock. In order to help inform management policy and understand the relative distribution of target and bycatch species in the GOM, we compared the spatiotemporal variability and environmental influences on the catch per unit effort (CPUE) of yellowfin (target) and bluefin tuna (bycatch). Catch and effort data from pelagic longline fisheries observers (1993–2005) and scientific tagging cruises (1998–2002) were coupled with environmental and biological data. Negative binomial models were used to fit the data for both species and Akaike's Information Criterion (corrected for small sample size) was used to determine the best model. Our results indicate that bluefin CPUE had higher spatiotemporal variability as compared to yellowfin CPUE. Bluefin CPUE increased substantially during the breeding months (March-June) and peaked in April and May, while yellowfin CPUE remained relatively high throughout the year. In addition, bluefin CPUE was significantly higher in areas with negative sea surface height anomalies and cooler sea surface temperatures, which are characteristic of mesoscale cyclonic eddies. In contrast, yellowfin CPUE was less sensitive to environmental variability. These differences in seasonal variability and sensitivity to environmental influences suggest that bluefin tuna bycatch in the GOM can be reduced substantially by managing the spatial and temporal distribution of the pelagic longline effort without substantially impacting yellowfin tuna catches. PMID:20526356

  9. Exploring Spatiotemporal Trends in Commercial Fishing Effort of an Abalone Fishing Zone: A GIS-Based Hotspot Model

    PubMed Central

    Jalali, M. Ali; Ierodiaconou, Daniel; Gorfine, Harry; Monk, Jacquomo; Rattray, Alex

    2015-01-01

    Assessing patterns of fisheries activity at a scale related to resource exploitation has received particular attention in recent times. However, acquiring data about the distribution and spatiotemporal allocation of catch and fishing effort in small scale benthic fisheries remains challenging. Here, we used GIS-based spatio-statistical models to investigate the footprint of commercial diving events on blacklip abalone (Haliotis rubra) stocks along the south-west coast of Victoria, Australia from 2008 to 2011. Using abalone catch data matched with GPS location we found catch per unit of fishing effort (CPUE) was not uniformly spatially and temporally distributed across the study area. Spatial autocorrelation and hotspot analysis revealed significant spatiotemporal clusters of CPUE (with distance thresholds of 100’s of meters) among years, indicating the presence of CPUE hotspots focused on specific reefs. Cumulative hotspot maps indicated that certain reef complexes were consistently targeted across years but with varying intensity, however often a relatively small proportion of the full reef extent was targeted. Integrating CPUE with remotely-sensed light detection and ranging (LiDAR) derived bathymetry data using generalized additive mixed model corroborated that fishing pressure primarily coincided with shallow, rugose and complex components of reef structures. This study demonstrates that a geospatial approach is efficient in detecting patterns and trends in commercial fishing effort and its association with seafloor characteristics. PMID:25992800

  10. Recent settlement trends in Panulirus argius (Decapoda: Palinuridae) pueruli around St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

    PubMed

    Kojis, B L; Quinn, N J; Caseau, S M

    2003-06-01

    Puerulus settlement of the western Atlantic spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, was monitored using modified Witham collectors from December 1996 to March 1998 at seven sites around St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. A total of 605 pueruli were collected from 553 samples for a catch per unit effort (CPUE) for all sites of 1.09 pueruli. The greatest settlement occurred on sites within a recently declared marine reserve, which had an overall CPUE of 1.77 pueruli. Settlement in non-reserve sites was much lower with an overall CPUE of 0.31 pueruli. Pueruli recruitment declined 67% at inshore sites and 53% at offshore sites between July 1992 - April 1994 and February 1997 - March 1998. Also, only 10% of months sampled in 1997-98 had a CPUE > 0.5 compared to 55% in a previous study in 1992 - 1993. Despite the decline in pueruli CPUE in 1997-98 compared to 1992-94, the commercial lobster catch in the 2000-01 fishing season, and by inference the adult lobster population (legal lobster size in the US Virgin Islands is > or = 3.5 cm carapace length), remained stable.

  11. A hypothesis of a redistribution of North Atlantic swordfish based on changing ocean conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schirripa, Michael J.; Abascal, F.; Andrushchenko, Irene; Diaz, Guillermo; Mejuto, Jaime; Ortiz, Maricio; Santos, M. N.; Walter, John

    2017-06-01

    Conflicting trends in indices of abundance for North Atlantic swordfish starting in the mid-to late 1990s, in the form of fleet specific catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE), suggest the possibility of a spatial shift in abundance to follow areas of preferred temperature. The observed changes in the direction of the CPUEs correspond with changes in trends in the summer Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), a long term mode of variability of North Atlantic sea surface temperature. To test the hypothesis of a relation between the CPUE and the AMO, the CPUEs were made spatially explicit by re-estimating using an ;areas-as-fleets; approach. These new CPUEs were then used to create alternative stock histories. The residuals of the fit were then regressed against the summer AMO. Significant, and opposite, relations were found in the regressions between eastern and western Atlantic areas. When the AMO was in a warm phase, the CPUEs in the western (eastern) areas were higher (lower) than predicted by the assessment model fit. Given the observed temperature tolerance limits of swordfish, it is possible that either their preferred habitat, prey species, or both have shifted spatial distributions resulting in conflicting CPUE indices. Because the available CPUE time series only overlaps with one change in the sign of the AMO ( 1995), it is not clear whether this is a directional or cyclical trend. Given the relatively localized nature of many of the fishing fleets, and the difficulty of separating fleet effects from changes in oceanography we feel that it is critical to create CPUE indices by combining data across similar fleets that fish in similar areas. This approach allowed us to evaluate area-specific catch rates which provided the power to detect basin-wide responses to changing oceanography, a critical step for providing robust management advice in a changing climate.

  12. How important are coastal fronts to albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) habitat in the Northeast Pacific Ocean?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nieto, Karen; Xu, Yi; Teo, Steven L. H.; McClatchie, Sam; Holmes, John

    2017-01-01

    We used satellite sea surface temperature (SST) data to characterize coastal fronts and then tested the effects of the fronts and other environmental variables on the distribution of the albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) catches in the coastal areas (from the coast to 200 nm offshore) of the Northeast Pacific Ocean. A boosted regression tree (BRT) model was used to explain the spatial and temporal patterns in albacore tuna catch per unit effort (CPUE) (1988-2011), using frontal features (distance to the front and temperature gradient), and other environmental variables like SST, surface chlorophyll concentration (chlorophyll), and geostrophic currents as explanatory variables. Based on over two decades of high-resolution data, the modeled results confirmed previous findings that albacore CPUE distribution is strongly influenced by SST and chlorophyll at fishing locations, and the distance of fronts from the coast (DFRONT-COAST), albeit with substantial seasonal and interannual variation. Albacore CPUEs were higher near warm, low chlorophyll oceanic waters, and near SST fronts. We performed sequential leave-one-year-out cross-validations for all years and found that the relationships in the BRT models were robust for the entire study period. Spatial distributions of model-predicted albacore CPUE were similar to observations, but the model was unable to predict very high CPUEs in some areas. These results help to explain previously observed variability in albacore CPUE and will likely help improve international fisheries management in the face of environmental changes.

  13. Comanagement practices enhance fisheries in marine protected areas.

    PubMed

    Guidetti, Paolo; Claudet, Joachim

    2010-02-01

    Fishing activities worldwide have dramatically affected marine fish stocks and ecosystems. Marine protected areas (MPAs) with no-take zones may enhance fisheries, but empirical evidence of this is scant. We conducted a 4-year survey of fish catches around and within an MPA that was previously fully closed to fishing and then partially reopened under regulated comanaged fishing. In collaboration with the fishers and the MPA authority, we set the fishing effort and selected the gear to limit fishing impact on key fish predators, juvenile fish stage, and benthic communities and habitats. Within an adaptive comanagement framework, fishers agreed to reduce fishing effort if symptoms of overfishing were detected. We analyzed the temporal trends of catch per unit of effort (CPUE) of the whole species assemblages and CPUE of the four most valuable and frequent species observed inside the opened buffer zone and outside the MPA investigated. After the comanaged opening, CPUE first declined and then stabilized at levels more than twice that of catches obtained outside the MPA. Our results suggest that working closely with fishers can result in greater fisheries catches. Partial protection of coastal areas together with adaptive comanagement involving fishers, scientists, and managers can effectively achieve conservation and fishery management goals and benefit fishing communities and alleviate overfishing.

  14. [Spatial point patterns of Antarctic krill fishery in the northern Antarctic Peninsula].

    PubMed

    Yang, Xiao Ming; Li, Yi Xin; Zhu, Guo Ping

    2016-12-01

    As a key species in the Antarctic ecosystem, the spatial distribution of Antarctic krill (thereafter krill) often tends to present aggregation characteristics, which therefore reflects the spatial patterns of krill fishing operation. Based on the fishing data collected from Chinese krill fishing vessels, of which vessel A was professional krill fishing vessel and Vessel B was a fishing vessel which shifted between Chilean jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi) fishing ground and krill fishing ground. In order to explore the characteristics of spatial distribution pattern and their ecological effects of two obvious different fishing fleets under a high and low nominal catch per unit effort (CPUE), from the viewpoint of spatial point pattern, the present study analyzed the spatial distribution characteristics of krill fishery in the northern Antarctic Peninsula from three aspects: (1) the two vessels' point pattern characteristics of higher CPUEs and lower CPUEs at different scales; (2) correlation of the bivariate point patterns between these points of higher CPUE and lower CPUE; and (3) correlation patterns of CPUE. Under the analysis derived from the Ripley's L function and mark correlation function, the results showed that the point patterns of the higher/lo-wer catch available were similar, both showing an aggregation distribution in this study windows at all scale levels. The aggregation intensity of krill fishing was nearly maximum at 15 km spatial scale, and kept stably higher values at the scale of 15-50 km. The aggregation intensity of krill fishery point patterns could be described in order as higher CPUE of vessel A > lower CPUE of vessel B >higher CPUE of vessel B > higher CPUE of vessel B. The relationship of the higher and lo-wer CPUEs of vessel A showed positive correlation at the spatial scale of 0-75 km, and presented stochastic relationship after 75 km scale, whereas vessel B showed positive correlation at all spatial scales. The point events of higher and lower CPUEs were synchronized, showing significant correlations at most of spatial scales because of the dynamics nature and complex of krill aggregation patterns. The distribution of vessel A's CPUEs was positively correlated at scales of 0-44 km, but negatively correlated at the scales of 44-80 km. The distribution of vessel B's CPUEs was negatively correlated at the scales of 50-70 km, but no significant correlations were found at other scales. The CPUE mark point patterns showed a negative correlation, which indicated that intraspecific competition for space and prey was significant. There were significant differences in spatial point pattern distribution between vessel A with higher fishing capacity and vessel B with lower fishing capacity. The results showed that the professional krill fishing vessel is suitable to conduct the analysis of spatial point pattern and scientific fishery survey.

  15. Indexing the relative abundance of age-0 white sturgeons in an impoundment of the lower Columbia River from highly skewed trawling data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Counihan, T.D.; Miller, Allen I.; Parsley, M.J.

    1999-01-01

    The development of recruitment monitoring programs for age-0 white sturgeons Acipenser transmontanus is complicated by the statistical properties of catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) data. We found that age-0 CPUE distributions from bottom trawl surveys violated assumptions of statistical procedures based on normal probability theory. Further, no single data transformation uniformly satisfied these assumptions because CPUE distribution properties varied with the sample mean (??(CPUE)). Given these analytic problems, we propose that an additional index of age-0 white sturgeon relative abundance, the proportion of positive tows (Ep), be used to estimate sample sizes before conducting age-0 recruitment surveys and to evaluate statistical hypothesis tests comparing the relative abundance of age-0 white sturgeons among years. Monte Carlo simulations indicated that Ep was consistently more precise than ??(CPUE), and because Ep is binomially rather than normally distributed, surveys can be planned and analyzed without violating the assumptions of procedures based on normal probability theory. However, we show that Ep may underestimate changes in relative abundance at high levels and confound our ability to quantify responses to management actions if relative abundance is consistently high. If data suggest that most samples will contain age-0 white sturgeons, estimators of relative abundance other than Ep should be considered. Because Ep may also obscure correlations to climatic and hydrologic variables if high abundance levels are present in time series data, we recommend ??(CPUE) be used to describe relations to environmental variables. The use of both Ep and ??(CPUE) will facilitate the evaluation of hypothesis tests comparing relative abundance levels and correlations to variables affecting age-0 recruitment. Estimated sample sizes for surveys should therefore be based on detecting predetermined differences in Ep, but data necessary to calculate ??(CPUE) should also be collected.

  16. Random versus fixed-site sampling when monitoring relative abundance of fishes in headwater streams of the upper Colorado River basin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Quist, M.C.; Gerow, K.G.; Bower, M.R.; Hubert, W.A.

    2006-01-01

    Native fishes of the upper Colorado River basin (UCRB) have declined in distribution and abundance due to habitat degradation and interactions with normative fishes. Consequently, monitoring populations of both native and nonnative fishes is important for conservation of native species. We used data collected from Muddy Creek, Wyoming (2003-2004), to compare sample size estimates using a random and a fixed-site sampling design to monitor changes in catch per unit effort (CPUE) of native bluehead suckers Catostomus discobolus, flannelmouth suckers C. latipinnis, roundtail chub Gila robusta, and speckled dace Rhinichthys osculus, as well as nonnative creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus and white suckers C. commersonii. When one-pass backpack electrofishing was used, detection of 10% or 25% changes in CPUE (fish/100 m) at 60% statistical power required 50-1,000 randomly sampled reaches among species regardless of sampling design. However, use of a fixed-site sampling design with 25-50 reaches greatly enhanced the ability to detect changes in CPUE. The addition of seining did not appreciably reduce required effort. When detection of 25-50% changes in CPUE of native and nonnative fishes is acceptable, we recommend establishment of 25-50 fixed reaches sampled by one-pass electrofishing in Muddy Creek. Because Muddy Creek has habitat and fish assemblages characteristic of other headwater streams in the UCRB, our results are likely to apply to many other streams in the basin. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2006.

  17. Hyperstability masks declines in bumphead parrotfish ( Bolbometopon muricatum) populations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamilton, Richard J.; Almany, Glenn R.; Stevens, Don; Bode, Michael; Pita, John; Peterson, Nate A.; Choat, J. Howard

    2016-09-01

    Bolbometopon muricatum, the largest species of parrotfish, is a functionally important species that is characterised by the formation of aggregations for foraging, reproductive, and sleeping behaviours. Aggregations are restricted to shallow reef habitats, the locations of which are often known to local fishers. Bolbometopon muricatum fisheries are therefore vulnerable to overfishing and are likely to exhibit hyperstability, the maintenance of high catch per unit effort (CPUE) while population abundance declines. In this study, we provide a clear demonstration of hyperstable dynamics in a commercial B. muricatum fishery in Isabel Province, Solomon Islands. Initially, we used participatory mapping to demarcate the Kia fishing grounds into nine zones that had experienced different historic levels of fishing pressure. We then conducted comprehensive underwater visual census (UVC) and CPUE surveys across these zones over a 21-month period in 2012-2013. The individual sites for replicate UVC surveys were selected using a generalised random tessellation stratified variable probability design, while CPUE surveys involved trained provincial fisheries officers and local spearfishers. A comparison of fishery-independent abundance data and fishery-dependent CPUE data indicate extreme hyperstability, with CPUE maintained as B. muricatum abundance declines towards zero. Hyperstability may explain the sudden collapses of many B. muricatum spear fisheries across the Pacific and highlights the limitations of using data-poor fisheries assessment methods to evaluate the status of commercially valuable coral reef fishes that form predicable aggregations.

  18. Malthusian overfishing and efforts to overcome it on Kenyan coral reefs.

    PubMed

    McClanahan, Tim R; Hicks, Christina C; Darling, Emily S

    2008-09-01

    This study examined trends along a gradient of fishing intensity in an artisanal coral reef fishery over a 10-year period along 75 km of Kenya's most populated coastline. As predicted by Malthusian scenarios, catch per unit effort (CPUE), mean trophic level, the functional diversity of fished taxa, and the diversity of gear declined, while total annual catch and catch variability increased along the fishing pressure gradient. The fishery was able to sustain high (approximately 16 Mg x km(-2) x yr(-1)) but variable yields at high fishing pressure due to the dominance of a few productive herbivorous fish species in the catch. The effect of two separate management strategies to overcome this Malthusian pattern was investigated: fisheries area closure and elimination of the dominant and most "competitive" gear. We found that sites within 5 km of the enforced closure showed significantly lower total catch and CPUE, but increased yield stability and trophic level of catch than predicted by regression models normalized for fishing effort. Sites that had excluded illegal beach seine use through active gear management exhibited increased total catch and CPUE. There was a strong interaction between closure and gear management, which indicates that, for closures to be effective at increasing catch, there must be simultaneous efforts at gear management around the periphery of the closures. We propose that Malthusian effects are responsible for the variation in gear and catch and that active management through reduced effort and reductions in the most competitive gear have the greatest potential to increase the functional and trophic diversity and per-person productivity.

  19. Relative abundance and lengths of Kendall Warm Springs dace captured from different habitats in a specially designed trap

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gryska, A.D.; Hubert, W.A.; Gerow, K.G.

    1998-01-01

    A trap was designed to capture endangered Kendall Warm Springs dace Rhinichthys osculus thermalis (a subspecies of speckled dace Rhinichthys osculus) without being destructive to the habitat of the fish in Kendall Warm Springs Creek, Wyoming. Four experiments were conducted to determine differences in catch per unit effort (CPUE) and length frequencies of fish among differing habitat types. The CPUE was highest in channel habitats with current, and one experiment indicated that it was particularly high at vertical interfaces with vegetation. Longer fish were captured in channel habitats away from vegetation than in vegetated areas. The CPUE was significantly greater during the day than at night during one experiment, but no significant differences were observed among the other three experiments. The traps were easy and inexpensive to construct, could be used in a variety of stream habitats, and may have applications in other small streams for sampling small, benthic fishes.

  20. Matching Fishers’ Knowledge and Landing Data to Overcome Data Missing in Small-Scale Fisheries

    PubMed Central

    Damasio, Ludmila de Melo Alves; Lopes, Priscila F. M.; Guariento, Rafael D.; Carvalho, Adriana R.

    2015-01-01

    Background In small-scale fishery, information provided by fishers has been useful to complement current and past lack of knowledge on species and environment. Methodology Through interviews, 82 fishers from the largest fishing communities on the north and south borders of a Brazilian northeastern coastal state provided estimates of the catch per unit effort (CPUE) and rank of species abundance of their main target fishes for three time points: current year (2013 at the time of the research), 10, and 20 years past. This information was contrasted to other available data sources: scientific sampling of fish landing (2013), governmental statistics (2003), and information provided by expert fishers (1993), respectively. Principal Findings Fishers were more accurate when reporting information about their maximum CPUE for 2013, but except for three species, which they estimated accurately, fishers overestimated their mean CPUE per species. Fishers were also accurate at establishing ranks of abundance of their main target species for all periods. Fishers' beliefs that fish abundance has not changed over the last 10 years (2003–2013) were corroborated by governmental and scientific landing data. Conclusions The comparison between official and formal landing records and fishers' perceptions revealed that fishers are accurate when reporting maximum CPUE, but not when reporting mean CPUE. Moreover, fishers are less precise the less common a species is in their catches, suggesting that they could provide better information for management purposes on their current target species. PMID:26176538

  1. Geo-Referenced, Abundance Calibrated Ocean Distribution of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Stocks across the West Coast of North America.

    PubMed

    Bellinger, M Renee; Banks, Michael A; Bates, Sarah J; Crandall, Eric D; Garza, John Carlos; Sylvia, Gil; Lawson, Peter W

    2015-01-01

    Understanding seasonal migration and localized persistence of populations is critical for effective species harvest and conservation management. Pacific salmon (genus Oncorhynchus) forecasting models predict stock composition, abundance, and distribution during annual assessments of proposed fisheries impacts. Most models, however, fail to account for the influence of biophysical factors on year-to-year fluctuations in migratory distributions and stock-specific survival. In this study, the ocean distribution and relative abundance of Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) stocks encountered in the California Current large marine ecosystem, U.S.A were inferred using catch-per-unit effort (CPUE) fisheries and genetic stock identification data. In contrast to stock distributions estimated through coded-wire-tag recoveries (typically limited to hatchery salmon), stock-specific CPUE provides information for both wild and hatchery fish. Furthermore, in contrast to stock composition results, the stock-specific CPUE metric is independent of other stocks and is easily interpreted over multiple temporal or spatial scales. Tests for correlations between stock-specific CPUE and stock composition estimates revealed these measures diverged once proportional contributions of locally rare stocks were excluded from data sets. A novel aspect of this study was collection of data both in areas closed to commercial fisheries and during normal, open commercial fisheries. Because fishing fleet efficiency influences catch rates, we tested whether CPUE differed between closed area (non-retention) and open area (retention) data sets. A weak effect was indicated for some, but not all, analyzed cases. Novel visualizations produced from stock-specific CPUE-based ocean abundance facilitates consideration of how highly refined, spatial and genetic information could be incorporated in ocean fisheries management systems and for investigations of biogeographic factors that influence migratory distributions of fish.

  2. Geo-Referenced, Abundance Calibrated Ocean Distribution of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Stocks across the West Coast of North America

    PubMed Central

    Bellinger, M. Renee; Banks, Michael A.; Bates, Sarah J.; Crandall, Eric D.; Garza, John Carlos; Sylvia, Gil; Lawson, Peter W.

    2015-01-01

    Understanding seasonal migration and localized persistence of populations is critical for effective species harvest and conservation management. Pacific salmon (genus Oncorhynchus) forecasting models predict stock composition, abundance, and distribution during annual assessments of proposed fisheries impacts. Most models, however, fail to account for the influence of biophysical factors on year-to-year fluctuations in migratory distributions and stock-specific survival. In this study, the ocean distribution and relative abundance of Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) stocks encountered in the California Current large marine ecosystem, U.S.A were inferred using catch-per-unit effort (CPUE) fisheries and genetic stock identification data. In contrast to stock distributions estimated through coded-wire-tag recoveries (typically limited to hatchery salmon), stock-specific CPUE provides information for both wild and hatchery fish. Furthermore, in contrast to stock composition results, the stock-specific CPUE metric is independent of other stocks and is easily interpreted over multiple temporal or spatial scales. Tests for correlations between stock-specific CPUE and stock composition estimates revealed these measures diverged once proportional contributions of locally rare stocks were excluded from data sets. A novel aspect of this study was collection of data both in areas closed to commercial fisheries and during normal, open commercial fisheries. Because fishing fleet efficiency influences catch rates, we tested whether CPUE differed between closed area (non-retention) and open area (retention) data sets. A weak effect was indicated for some, but not all, analyzed cases. Novel visualizations produced from stock-specific CPUE-based ocean abundance facilitates consideration of how highly refined, spatial and genetic information could be incorporated in ocean fisheries management systems and for investigations of biogeographic factors that influence migratory distributions of fish. PMID:26200779

  3. Population size and relative abundance of adult Alabama shad reaching jim woodruff lock and dam, Apalachicola River, Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ely, Patrick C.; Young, S.P.; Isely, J.J.

    2008-01-01

    We estimated the population size of migrating Alabama shad Alosa alabamae below Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam in the Apalachicola River (located in the central panhandle of northwestern Florida) using mark-recapture and relative abundance techniques. After adjustment for tag loss, emigration, and mortality, the population size was estimated as 25,935 (95% confidence interval, 17,715-39,535) in 2005, 2,767 (838-5,031) in 2006, and 8,511 (5,211-14,674) in 2007. The cumulative catch rate from boat electrofishing averaged 20.47 Alabama shad per hour in 2005, 6.10 per hour in 2006, and 13.17 per hour in 2007. The relationship between population size (N) and electrofishing catch per unit effort (CPUE) was modeled by the equation N = -9008.2 + (electrofishing CPUE X 1616.4). Additionally, in 2007 the hook-and-line catch rate averaged 1.94 Alabama shad per rod hour. A predictive model relating the population size and hook-and-line CPUE of spawning American shad A. sapidissima was applied to Alabama shad hook-and-line CPUE and produced satisfactory results. Recent spawning populations of Alabama shad in the Apalachicola River are low relative to American shad populations in other southeastern U.S. rivers. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2008.

  4. [Analysis of influence on spatial distribution of fishing ground for Antarctic krill fishery in the northern South Shetland Islands based on GWR model].

    PubMed

    Chen, Lyu Feng; Zhu, Guo Ping

    2018-03-01

    Based on Antarctic krill fishery and marine environmental data collected by scientific observers, using geographically weighted regression (GWR) model, we analyzed the effects of the factors with spatial attributes, i.e., depth of krill swarm (DKS) and distance from fishing position to shore (DTS), and sea surface temperature (SST), on the spatial distribution of fishing ground in the northern South Shetland Islands. The results showed that there was no significant aggregation in spatial distribution of catch per unit fishing effort (CPUE). Spatial autocorrelations (positive) among three factors were observed in 2010 and 2013, but were not in 2012 and 2016. Results from GWR model showed that the extent for the impacts on spatial distribution of CPUEs varied among those three factors, following the order DKS>SST>DTS. Compared to the DKS and DTS, the impact of SST on the spatial distribution of CPUEs presented adverse trend in the eastern and western parts of the South Shetland Islands. Negative correlations occurred for the spatial effects of DKS and DTS on distribution of CPUEs, though with inter-annual and regional variation. Our results provide metho-dological reference for researches on the underlying mechanism for fishing ground formation for Antarctic krill fishery.

  5. Developing recreational harvest regulations for an unexploited lake trout population

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lenker, Melissa A; Weidel, Brian C.; Jensen, Olaf P.; Solomon, Christopher T.

    2016-01-01

    Developing fishing regulations for previously unexploited populations presents numerous challenges, many of which stem from a scarcity of baseline information about abundance, population productivity, and expected angling pressure. We used simulation models to test the effect of six management strategies (catch and release; trophy, minimum, and maximum length limits; and protected and exploited slot length limits) on an unexploited population of Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush in Follensby Pond, a 393-ha lake located in New York State’s Adirondack Park. We combined field and literature data and mark–recapture abundance estimates to parameterize an age-structured population model and used the model to assess the effects of each management strategy on abundance, catch per unit effort (CPUE), and harvest over a range of angler effort (0–2,000 angler-days/year). Lake Trout density (3.5 fish/ha for fish ≥ age 13, the estimated age at maturity) was similar to densities observed in other unexploited systems, but growth rate was relatively slow. Maximum harvest occurred at levels of effort ≤ 1,000 angler-days/year in all the scenarios considered. Regulations that permitted harvest of large postmaturation fish, such as New York’s standard Lake Trout minimum size limit or a trophy size limit, resulted in low harvest and high angler CPUE. Regulations that permitted harvest of small and sometimes immature fish, such as a protected slot or maximum size limit, allowed high harvest but resulted in low angler CPUE and produced rapid declines in harvest with increases in effort beyond the effort consistent with maximum yield. Management agencies can use these results to match regulations to management goals and to assess the risks of different management options for unexploited Lake Trout populations and other fish species with similar life history traits.

  6. Littoral fish assemblages of the alien-dominated Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, 1980-1983 and 2001-2003

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brown, L.R.; Michniuk, D.

    2007-01-01

    We analyzed monthly boat electrofishing data to characterize the littoral fish assemblages of five regions of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (northern, southern, eastern, western, and central), California, during two sampling periods, 1980-1983 (1980s) and 2001-2003 (2000s), to provide information pertinent to the restoration of fish populations in this highly altered estuary. During the 1980s, almost 11,000 fish were captured, including 13 native species and 24 alien species. During the 2000s, just over 39,000 fish were captured, including 15 native species and 24 alien species. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) of total fish, alien fish, and centrarchid fish were greater in the 2000s compared with the 1980s, largely because of increased centrarchid fish CPUE. These differences in CPUE were associated with the spread of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), particularly an alien aquatic macrophyte Egeria densa. Native fish CPUE declined from the 1980s to the 2000s, but there was no single factor that could explain the decline. Native fish were most abundant in the northern region during both sampling periods. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling indicated similar patterns of fish assemblage composition during the two sampling periods, with the northern and western regions characterized by the presence of native species. The separation of the northern and western regions from the other regions was most distinct in the 2000s. Our results suggest that native fish restoration efforts will be most successful in the northern portion of the Delta. Management decisions on the Delta should include consideration of possible effects on SAV in littoral habitats and the associated fish assemblages and ecological processes. ?? 2007 Estuarine Research Federation.

  7. Positive interactions between irrawaddy dolphins and artisanal fishers in the Chilika Lagoon of eastern India are driven by ecology, socioeconomics, and culture.

    PubMed

    D'Lima, Coralie; Marsh, Helene; Hamann, Mark; Sinha, Anindya; Arthur, Rohan

    2014-09-01

    In human-dominated landscapes, interactions and perceptions towards wildlife are influenced by multidimensional drivers. Understanding these drivers could prove useful for wildlife conservation. We surveyed the attitudes and perceptions of fishers towards threatened Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) at Chilika Lagoon India. To validate the drivers of fisher perceptions, we : (1) observed dolphin foraging behavior at stake nets, and (2) compared catch per unit effort (CPUE) and catch income of fishers from stake nets in the presence and absence of foraging dolphins. We found that fishers were mostly positive towards dolphins, believing that dolphins augmented their fish catch and using culture to express their perceptions. Foraging dolphins were observed spending half their time at stake nets and were associated with significantly higher catch income and CPUE of mullet (Liza sp.), a locally preferred food fish species. Wildlife conservation efforts should use the multidimensional drivers of human-wildlife interactions to involve local stakeholders in management.

  8. Influence of fronts on the spatial distribution of albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) in the Northeast Pacific over the past 30 years (1982-2011)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Yi; Nieto, Karen; Teo, Steven L. H.; McClatchie, Sam; Holmes, John

    2017-01-01

    The association of albacore tuna distribution with subtropical fronts in the Northeast Pacific was examined on seasonal and interannual scales from 1982 to 2011. Spatial analyses were performed on commercial logbook data from US and Canadian troll and pole-and-line fisheries targeting albacore tuna that were matched with corresponding satellite images from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). Subtropical fronts were detected by deriving sea surface temperature (SST) gradients on large basin-scales and by using an improved version of the Cayula-Cornillon frontal detection algorithm. Based on our results, we suggest that areas with high albacore catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) tend to occur in regions with high SST gradients, such as the North Pacific Transition Zone (NPTZ) and the North American coast. Approaching the North American coast along the NPTZ, SST gradients drop off substantially around 130°W before increasing rapidly near the coast, which corresponded to a similar pattern in albacore CPUE. In the NPTZ, the centroid of albacore CPUE showed a seasonal shift northwards in summer and southwards in fall, which coincided with seasonal spatial shifts of areas with high SST gradients. A similar pattern was found on an interannual scale, with the exception of several years with limited fishery data in the NPTZ due to changes in fishery operations. A fine-scale analysis of frontal locations suggested that areas with high albacore CPUE are associated with oceanic fronts, with the highest albacore CPUEs observed within 100 km of the nearest front. In addition, albacore distribution is related to frontal strength, with the highest CPUE found near fronts with high SST gradient values in the range of 0.12-0.16 °C km-1. Integrating our findings on the influence of frontal areas on albacore distribution and abundance in the NEPO should improve the standardization model used to derive abundance indices for North Pacific albacore stock assessments.

  9. Modeling Monthly Spatial Distribution of Ommastrephes bartramii CPUE in the Northwest Pacific and Its Spatially Nonstationary Relationships with the Marine Environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Yongjiu; Liu, Yang; Chen, Xinjun

    2018-06-01

    There are substantial spatial variations in the relationships between catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and oceanographic conditions with respect to pelagic species. This study examines the monthly spatiotemporal distribution of CPUE of the neon flying squid, Ommastrephes bartramii, in the Northwest Pacific from July to November during 2004-2013, and analyzes the relationships with oceanographic conditions using a generalized additive model (GAM) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) model. The results show that most of the squids were harvested in waters with sea surface temperature (SST) between 7.6 and 24.6°C, chlorophyll- a (Chl- a) concentration below 1.0 mg m-3, sea surface salinity (SSS) between 32.7 and 34.6, and sea surface height (SSH) between -12.8 and 28.4 cm. The monthly spatial distribution patterns of O. bartramii predicted using GAM and GWR models are similar to observed patterns for all months. There are notable variations in the local coefficients of GWR, indicating the presence of spatial non-stationarity in the relationship between O. bartramii CPUE and oceanographic conditions. The statistical results show that there were nearly equal positive and negative coefficients for Chl- a, more positive than negative coefficients for SST, and more negative than positive coefficients for SSS and SSH. The overall accuracies of the hot spots predicted by GWR exceed 60% (except for October), indicating a good performance of this model and its improvement over GAM. Our study provides a better understanding of the ecological dynamics of O. bartramii CPUE and makes it possible to use GWR to study the spatially nonstationary characteristics of other pelagic species.

  10. Intercalibration of research survey vessels on Lake Erie

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tyson, J.T.; Johnson, T.B.; Knight, C.T.; Bur, M.T.

    2006-01-01

    Fish abundance indices obtained from annual research trawl surveys are an integral part of fisheries stock assessment and management in the Great Lakes. It is difficult, however, to administer trawl surveys using a single vessel-gear combination owing to the large size of these systems, the jurisdictional boundaries that bisect the Great Lakes, and changes in vessels as a result of fleet replacement. When trawl surveys are administered by multiple vessel-gear combinations, systematic error may be introduced in combining catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) data across vessels. This bias is associated with relative differences in catchability among vessel-gear combinations. In Lake Erie, five different research vessels conduct seasonal trawl surveys in the western half of the lake. To eliminate this systematic bias, the Lake Erie agencies conducted a side-by-side trawling experiment in 2003 to develop correction factors for CPUE data associated with different vessel-gear combinations. Correcting for systematic bias in CPUE data should lead to more accurate and comparable estimates of species density and biomass. We estimated correction factors for the 10 most commonly collected species age-groups for each vessel during the experiment. Most of the correction factors (70%) ranged from 0.5 to 2.0, indicating that the systematic bias associated with different vessel-gear combinations was not large. Differences in CPUE were most evident for vessels using different sampling gears, although significant differences also existed for vessels using the same gears. These results suggest that standardizing gear is important for multiple-vessel surveys, but there will still be significant differences in catchability stemming from the vessel effects and agencies must correct for this. With standardized estimates of CPUE, the Lake Erie agencies will have the ability to directly compare and combine time series for species abundance. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2006.

  11. Ecology and control of an introduced population of Southern Watersnakes (Nerodia fasciata) in southern California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reed, Robert; Todd, Brian D; Miano, Oliver J.; Canfield, Mark; Fisher, Robert N.; McMartin, Louanne

    2016-01-01

    Native to the southeastern United States, Southern Watersnakes (Nerodia fasciata) are known from two sites in California, but their ecological impacts are poorly understood. We investigated the ecology of Southern Watersnakes in Machado Lake, Harbor City, Los Angeles County, California, including an assessment of control opportunities. We captured 306 watersnakes as a result of aquatic trapping and hand captures. We captured snakes of all sizes (162–1063 mm snout–vent length [SVL], 3.5–873.3 g), demonstrating the existence of a well-established population. The smallest reproductive female was 490 mm SVL and females contained 12–46 postovulatory embryos (mean  =  21). Small watersnakes largely consumed introduced Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), while larger snakes specialized on larval and metamorph American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) and Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus). Overall capture per unit effort (CPUE) in traps declined with time during an intensive 76-d trapping bout, but CPUE trends varied considerably among traplines and it is unlikely that the overall decline in CPUE represented a major decrease in the snake population size. Although we found no direct evidence that Southern Watersnakes are affecting native species in Machado Lake, this population may serve as a source for intentional or unintentional transportation of watersnakes to bodies of water containing imperiled native prey species or potential competitors.

  12. Estimating Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) abundance: Crab pots and dive transects compared

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Taggart, S. James; O'Clair, Charles E.; Shirley, Thomas C.; Mondragon, Jennifer

    2004-01-01

    Dungeness crabs (Cancer magister) were sampled with commercial pots and counted by scuba divers on benthic transects at eight sites near Glacier Bay, Alaska. Catch per unit of effort (CPUE) from pots was compared to the density estimates from dives to evaluate the bias and power of the two techniques. Yearly sampling was conducted in two seasons: April and September, from 1992 to 2000. Male CPUE estimates from pots were significantly lower in April than in the following September; a step-wise regression demonstrated that season accounted for more of the variation in male CPUE than did temperature. In both April and September, pot sampling was significantly biased against females. When females were categorized as ovigerous and nonovigerous, it was clear that ovigerous females accounted for the majority of the bias because pots were not biased against nonovigerous females. We compared the power of pots and dive transects in detecting trends in populations and found that pots had much higher power than dive transects. Despite their low power, the dive transects were very useful for detecting bias in our pot sampling and in identifying the optimal times of year to sample so that pot bias could be avoided.

  13. Do walleye pollock exhibit flexibility in where or when they spawn based on variability in water temperature?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bacheler, Nathan M.; Ciannelli, Lorenzo; Bailey, Kevin M.; Bartolino, Valerio

    2012-06-01

    Environmental variability is increasingly recognized as a primary determinant of year-class strength of marine fishes by directly or indirectly influencing egg and larval development, growth, and survival. Here we examined the role of annual water temperature variability in determining when and where walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) spawn in the eastern Bering Sea. Walleye pollock spawning was examined using both long-term ichthyoplankton data (N=19 years), as well as with historical spatially explicit, foreign-reported, commercial catch data occurring during the primary walleye pollock spawning season (February-May) each year (N=22 years in total). We constructed variable-coefficient generalized additive models (GAMs) to relate the spatially explicit egg or adult catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) to predictor variables including spawning stock biomass, season, position, and water temperature. The adjusted R2 value was 63.1% for the egg CPUE model and 35.5% for the adult CPUE model. Both egg and adult GAMs suggest that spawning progresses seasonally from Bogoslof Island in February and March to Outer Domain waters between the Pribilof and Unimak Islands by May. Most importantly, walleye pollock egg and adult CPUE was predicted to generally increase throughout the study area as mean annual water temperature increased. These results suggest low interannual variability in the spatial and temporal dynamics of walleye pollock spawning regardless of changes in environmental conditions, at least at the spatial scale examined in this study and within the time frame of decades.

  14. Data reconstruction can improve abundance index estimation: An example using Taiwanese longline data for Pacific bluefin tuna

    PubMed Central

    Fukuda, Hiromu; Maunder, Mark N.

    2017-01-01

    Catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) is often the main piece of information used in fisheries stock assessment; however, the catch and effort data that are traditionally compiled from commercial logbooks can be incomplete or unreliable due to many reasons. Pacific bluefin tuna (PBF) is a seasonal target species in the Taiwanese longline fishery. Since 2010, detailed catch information for each PBF has been made available through a catch documentation scheme. However, previously, only market landing data with a low coverage of logbooks were available. Therefore, several nontraditional procedures were performed to reconstruct catch and effort data from many alternative data sources not directly obtained from fishers for 2001–2015: (1) Estimating the catch number from the landing weight for 2001–2003, for which the catch number information was incomplete, based on Monte Carlo simulation; (2) deriving fishing days for 2007–2009 from voyage data recorder data, based on a newly developed algorithm; and (3) deriving fishing days for 2001–2006 from vessel trip information, based on linear relationships between fishing and at-sea days. Subsequently, generalized linear mixed models were developed with the delta-lognormal assumption for standardizing the CPUE calculated from the reconstructed data, and three-stage model evaluation was performed using (1) Akaike and Bayesian information criteria to determine the most favorable variable composition of standardization models, (2) overall R2 via cross-validation to compare fitting performance between area-separated and area-combined standardizations, and (3) system-based testing to explore the consistency of the standardized CPUEs with auxiliary data in the PBF stock assessment model. The last stage of evaluation revealed high consistency among the data, thus demonstrating improvements in data reconstruction for estimating the abundance index, and consequently the stock assessment. PMID:28968434

  15. Spearfishing regulation benefits artisanal fisheries: the ReGS indicator and its application to a multiple-use Mediterranean marine protected area.

    PubMed

    Rocklin, Delphine; Tomasini, Jean-Antoine; Culioli, Jean-Michel; Pelletier, Dominique; Mouillot, David

    2011-01-01

    The development of fishing efficiency coupled with an increase of fishing effort led to the overexploitation of numerous natural marine resources. In addition to this commercial pressure, the impact of recreational activities on fish assemblages remains barely known. Here we examined the impact of spearfishing limitation on resources in a marine protected area (MPA) and the benefit it provides for the local artisanal fishery through the use of a novel indicator. We analysed trends in the fish assemblage composition using artisanal fisheries data collected in the Bonifacio Strait Natural Reserve (BSNR), a Mediterranean MPA where the spearfishing activity has been forbidden over 15% of its area. Fish species were pooled into three response groups according to their target level by spearfishing. We developed the new flexible ReGS indicator reflecting shifts in species assemblages according to the relative abundance of each response group facing external pressure. The catch per unit effort (CPUE) increased by ca. 60% in the BSNR between 2000 and 2007, while the MPA was established in 1999. The gain of CPUE strongly depended on the considered response group: for the highly targeted group, the CPUE doubled while the CPUE of the untargeted group increased by only 15.5%. The ReGS value significantly increased from 0.31 to 0.45 (on a scale between 0 and 1) in the general perimeter of this MPA while it has reached a threshold of 0.43, considered as a reference point, in the area protected from spearfishing since 1982. Our results demonstrated that limiting recreational fishing by appropriate zoning in multiple-use MPAs represents a real benefit for artisanal fisheries. More generally we showed how our new indicator may reveal a wide range of impacts on coastal ecosystems such as global change or habitat degradation.

  16. Patterns in artisanal coral reef fisheries revealed through local monitoring efforts

    PubMed Central

    Teneva, Lida T.; Ogawa, Tom; Friedlander, Alan M.

    2017-01-01

    Sustainable fisheries management is key to restoring and maintaining ecological function and benefits to people, but it requires accurate information about patterns of resource use, particularly fishing pressure. In most coral reef fisheries and other data-poor contexts, obtaining such information is challenging and remains an impediment to effective management. We developed the most comprehensive regional view of shore-based fishing effort and catch published to date, to show detailed fishing patterns from across the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI). We reveal these regional patterns through fisher “creel” surveys conducted by local communities, state agencies, academics, and/or environmental organizations, at 18 sites, comprising >10,000 h of monitoring across a range of habitats and human influences throughout the MHI. All creel surveys included in this study except for one were previously published in some form (peer-reviewed articles or gray literature reports). Here, we synthesize these studies to document spatial patterns in nearshore fisheries catch, effort, catch rates (i.e., catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE)), and catch disposition (i.e., use of fish after catch is landed). This effort provides for a description of general regional patterns based on these location-specific studies. Line fishing was by far the dominant gear type employed. The most efficient gear (i.e., highest CPUE) was spear (0.64 kg h−1), followed closely by net (0.61 kg h−1), with CPUE for line (0.16 kg h−1) substantially lower than the other two methods. Creel surveys also documented illegal fishing activity across the studied locations, although these activities were not consistent across sites. Overall, most of the catch was not sold, but rather retained for home consumption or given away to extended family, which suggests that cultural practices and food security may be stronger drivers of fishing effort than commercial exploitation for coral reef fisheries in Hawai‘i. Increased monitoring of spatial patterns in nearshore fisheries can inform targeted management, and can help communities develop a more informed understanding of the drivers of marine resource harvest and the state of the resources, in order to maintain these fisheries for food security, cultural practices, and ecological value. PMID:29226033

  17. Abundance of Ohio shrimp (Macrobrachium ohione) and Glass shrimp (Palaemonetes kadiakensis) in the unimpounded Upper Mississippi River

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barko, V.A.; Hrabik, R.A.

    2004-01-01

    Large rivers of the United States have been altered by construction and maintenance of navigation channels, which has resulted in habitat loss and degradation. Using 7 y of Long Term Resource Monitoring Program data collected from the unimpounded upper Mississippi River, we investigated Ohio and Glass Shrimp abundance collected from four physical habitats of the unimpounded upper Mississippi River: main channel border, main channel border with wing dike, open side channel and closed side channel. Our objective was to assess associations between Ohio and Glass Shrimp abundance, environmental measurements and the four habitats to better understand the ecology of these species in a channelized river system. Ohio Shrimp were most abundant in the open side channels, while Glass Shrimp were most abundant in the main channel border wing dike habitat. Thirty-two percent of the variance in Glass Shrimp abundance was explained by year 1995, year 1998, water temperature, depth of gear deployment, Secchi disk transparency and river elevation. Approximately 8% of variation in Ohio Shrimp abundance was explained by Secchi disk transparency. Catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) was greatest in 1998 for Glass Shrimp but lowest in 1997. Conversely, CPUE was greatest in 1996 for Ohio Shrimp and lowest in 2000. Both species exhibited inter-annual variability in CPUE. Long-term impacts of river modifications on aquatic invertebrates have not been well documented in many large, river systems and warrants further study. The findings from this study provide ecological information on Glass and Ohio Shrimp in a channelized river system.

  18. Host population density as the major determinant of endoparasite species richness in floodplain fishes of the upper Paraná River, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Takemoto, R M; Pavanelli, G C; Lizama, M A P; Luque, J L; Poulin, R

    2005-03-01

    A comparative analysis of parasite species richness was performed across 53 species of fish from the floodplain of the upper Paraná River, Brazil. Values of catch per unit effort, CPUE (number of individuals of a given fish species captured per 1000 m(2) of net during 24 h) were used as a rough measure of population density for each fish species in order to test its influence on endoparasite species richness. The effects of several other host traits (body size, social behaviour, reproductive behaviour, spawning type, trophic category, feeding habits, relative position in the food web, preference for certain habitats and whether the fish species are native or exotic) on metazoan endoparasite species richness were also evaluated. The CPUE was the sole significant predictor of parasite species richness, whether controlling for the confounding influences of host phylogeny and sampling effort or not. The results suggest that in the floodplain of the upper Paraná River (with homogeneous physical characteristics and occurrence of many flood pulses), population density of different host species might be the major determinant of their parasite species richness.

  19. Role of large- and fine-scale variables in predicting catch rates of larval Pacific lamprey in the Willamette Basin, Oregon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schultz, Luke; Mayfield, Mariah P.; Sheoships, Gabe T.; Wyss, Lance A.; Clemens, Benjamin J.; Whitlock, Steven L.; Schreck, Carl B.

    2016-01-01

    Pacific lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus is an anadromous fish native to the Pacific Northwest of the USA. That has declined substantially over the last 40 years. Effective conservation of this species will require an understanding of the habitat requirements for each life history stage. Because its life cycle contains extended freshwater rearing (3–8 years), the larval stage may be a critical factor limiting abundance of Pacific lamprey. The objective of our study was to estimate the influence of barriers and habitat characteristics on the catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) of larval Pacific lamprey in the Willamette River Basin, Oregon, USA. We sampled lampreys at multiple locations in wadeable streams throughout the basin in 2011–13 and used an information theoretic approach to examine the relative influence of fine- and large-scale predictors of CPUE. Pacific lamprey was observed across the basin, but its relative abundance appeared to be limited by the presence of natural and artificial barriers in some sub-basins. Lower velocity habitats such as off-channel areas and pools contained higher densities of larval lamprey; mean Pacific lamprey CPUE in off-channel habitats was 4 and 32 times greater than in pools and riffles respectively. Restoration and conservation strategies that improve fish passage, enhance natural hydrologic and depositional processes and increase habitat heterogeneity will likely benefit larval Pacific lamprey.

  20. Recent El Niño brought downpour of media coverage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hare, Steven R.

    Media coverage of the 1997-1998 tropical ocean warming event made the term “El Nino” a household word. So pervasive was coverage of El Nino that it became the fodder of late night talk show monologues and an oft-invoked gremlin responsible for many of society's ailments. As a fisheries biologist studying climate impacts on marine resources, I followed the event very closely and created an El Nino Web site (http://www. iphc.washington.edu/PAGES/IPHC/Staff/ hare/html/1997ENSO/ 1997ENSO.html) in the spring of 1997 when the magnitude of the event was becoming obvious.As part of my daily routine in updating the Web page, I began tracking El Nino media coverage over the Internet. Between June 1997 and July 1998,1 accumulated links to stories about El Nino. I attempted to maintain a constant level of effort so that the number of stories accurately reflected the level of coverage given the event as it progressed. In fisheries lingo, this is known as a Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) index. Because Internet content is often removed after a period of time, a retrospective accumulation of daily stories would not yield as accurate a count as the contemporary CPUE index I maintained.

  1. Relative abundance, age, growth, and fecundity of grubby Myoxocephalus aenaeus in Niantic River and Niantic Bay, Long Island Sound

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Roseman, E.F.; Tomichek, C.A.; Maynard, T.; Burton, J.A.

    2005-01-01

    Grubby (Myoxocephalus aenaeus, Cottidae) is a common benthic fish of inshore waters and estuaries of eastern Long Island Sound; however, little information exists on their life history or population demographics. This study utilised a long-term data series (1976-2002) to assess grubby life history and population demographics and explores trends in the Niantic River and Niantic Bay populations. In addition, we examined the age, size, and fecundity of adult grubby in 2001-02 to determine the population characteristics in the region. Mean grubby catch per unit effort (CPUE) in Niantic Bay ranged from 0.4 per trawl in 1976 to 2.9 per trawl in 1984 while river CPUE ranged from 0.4 per trawl in 1977 to 7.6 per trawl in 1989. Catch of grubby in bottom trawls varied seasonally with highest CPUE occurring in winter. Highest entrainment of grubby larvae occurred in 2001 while the lowest entrainment observed was in 1991. Four age classes, 0+ through III+, were derived from otolith analysis (N = 51) although length frequency analysis suggested the possibility of older fish in the population. The total number of eggs in ovaries ranged from 286 to 16 451 for grubby (N = 64) between 52 mm and 155 mm TL. Results of this study indicated a decline in abundance of adult grubby over the 26-year period, possibly related to concurrent declines in eelgrass (Zostera marina) abundance and/or increased water temperature. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Changes in freshwater mussel communities linked to legacy pollution in the Lower Delaware River

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Blakeslee, Carrie J.; Silldorff, Erik L.; Galbraith, Heather S.

    2018-01-01

    Freshwater mussels are among the most-imperiled organisms worldwide, although they provide a variety of important functions in the streams and rivers they inhabit. Among Atlantic-slope rivers, the Delaware River is known for its freshwater mussel diversity and biomass; however, limited data are available on the freshwater mussel fauna in the lower, non-tidal portion of the river. This section of the Delaware River has experienced decades of water-quality degradation from both industrial and municipal sources, primarily as a function of one of its major tributaries, the Lehigh River. We completed semi-quantitative snorkel surveys in 53.5 of the 121 km of the river to document mussel community composition and the continued impacts from pollution (particularly inputs from the Lehigh River) on mussel fauna. We detected changes in mussel catch per unit effort (CPUE) below the confluence of the Lehigh River, with significant declines in the dominant species Elliptio complanata (Eastern Elliptio) as we moved downstream from its confluence—CPUE dropped from 179 to 21 mussels/h. Patterns in mussel distribution around the Lehigh confluence matched chemical signatures of Lehigh water input. Specifically, Eastern Elliptio CPUE declined more quickly moving downstream on the Pennsylvania bank, where Lehigh River water input was more concentrated compared to the New Jersey bank. A definitive causal link remains to be established between the Lehigh River and the dramatic shifts in mussel community composition, warranting continued investigation as it relates to mussel conservation and restoration in the basin.

  3. Relative abundance, age, growth, and fecundity of grubby Myoxocephalus aenaeus in Niantic River and Niantic Bay, Long Island Sound

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roseman, Edward F.; Tomichek, Christine A.; Maynard, Tracy; Burton, Jennifer A.

    2005-04-01

    Grubby ( Myoxocephalus aenaeus, Cottidae) is a common benthic fish of inshore waters and estuaries of eastern Long Island Sound; however, little information exists on their life history or population demographics. This study utilised a long-term data series (1976-2002) to assess grubby life history and population demographics and explores trends in the Niantic River and Niantic Bay populations. In addition, we examined the age, size, and fecundity of adult grubby in 2001-02 to determine the population characteristics in the region. Mean grubby catch per unit effort (CPUE) in Niantic Bay ranged from 0.4 per trawl in 1976 to 2.9 per trawl in 1984 while river CPUE ranged from 0.4 per trawl in 1977 to 7.6 per trawl in 1989. Catch of grubby in bottom trawls varied seasonally with highest CPUE occurring in winter. Highest entrainment of grubby larvae occurred in 2001 while the lowest entrainment observed was in 1991. Four age classes, 0+ through III+, were derived from otolith analysis (N = 51) although length frequency analysis suggested the possibility of older fish in the population. The total number of eggs in ovaries ranged from 286 to 16 451 for grubby (N = 64) between 52 mm and 155 mm TL. Results of this study indicated a decline in abundance of adult grubby over the 26-year period, possibly related to concurrent declines in eelgrass ( Zostera marina) abundance and/or increased water temperature.

  4. Application of a Delay-difference model for the stock assessment of southern Atlantic albacore ( Thunnus alalunga)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Kui; Liu, Qun; Kalhoro, Muhsan Ali

    2015-06-01

    Delay-difference models are intermediate between simple surplus-production models and complicated age-structured models. Such intermediate models are more efficient and require less data than age-structured models. In this study, a delay-difference model was applied to fit catch and catch per unit effort (CPUE) data (1975-2011) of the southern Atlantic albacore ( Thunnus alalunga) stock. The proposed delay-difference model captures annual fluctuations in predicted CPUE data better than Fox model. In a Monte Carlo simulation, white noises (CVs) were superimposed on the observed CPUE data at four levels. Relative estimate error was then calculated to compare the estimated results with the true values of parameters α and β in Ricker stock-recruitment model and the catchability coefficient q. a is more sensitive to CV than β and q. We also calculated an 80% percentile confidence interval of the maximum sustainable yield (MSY, 21756 t to 23408 t; median 22490 t) with the delay-difference model. The yield of the southern Atlantic albacore stock in 2011 was 24122 t, and the estimated ratios of catch against MSY for the past seven years were approximately 1.0. We suggest that care should be taken to protect the albacore fishery in the southern Atlantic Ocean. The proposed delay-difference model provides a good fit to the data of southern Atlantic albacore stock and may be a useful choice for the assessment of regional albacore stock.

  5. A simple web-based tool to compare freshwater fish data collected using AFS standard methods

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bonar, Scott A.; Mercado-Silva, Norman; Rahr, Matt; Torrey, Yuta T.; Cate, Averill

    2016-01-01

    The American Fisheries Society (AFS) recently published Standard Methods for Sampling North American Freshwater Fishes. Enlisting the expertise of 284 scientists from 107 organizations throughout Canada, Mexico, and the United States, this text was developed to facilitate comparisons of fish data across regions or time. Here we describe a user-friendly web tool that automates among-sample comparisons in individual fish condition, population length-frequency distributions, and catch per unit effort (CPUE) data collected using AFS standard methods. Currently, the web tool (1) provides instantaneous summaries of almost 4,000 data sets of condition, length frequency, and CPUE of common freshwater fishes collected using standard gears in 43 states and provinces; (2) is easily appended with new standardized field data to update subsequent queries and summaries; (3) compares fish data from a particular water body with continent, ecoregion, and state data summaries; and (4) provides additional information about AFS standard fish sampling including benefits, ongoing validation studies, and opportunities to comment on specific methods. The web tool—programmed in a PHP-based Drupal framework—was supported by several AFS Sections, agencies, and universities and is freely available from the AFS website and fisheriesstandardsampling.org. With widespread use, the online tool could become an important resource for fisheries biologists.

  6. Catch of channel catfish with tandem-set hoop nets and gill nets in lentic systems of Nebraska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Richters, Lindsey K.; Pope, Kevin L.

    2011-01-01

    Twenty-six Nebraska water bodies representing two ecosystem types (small standing waters and large standing waters) were surveyed during 2008 and 2009 with tandem-set hoop nets and experimental gill nets to determine if similar trends existed in catch rates and size structures of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus captured with these gears. Gear efficiency was assessed as the number of sets (nets) that would be required to capture 100 channel catfish given observed catch per unit effort (CPUE). Efficiency of gill nets was not correlated with efficiency of hoop nets for capturing channel catfish. Small sample sizes prohibited estimation of proportional size distributions in most surveys; in the four surveys for which sample size was sufficient to quantify length-frequency distributions of captured channel catfish, distributions differed between gears. The CPUE of channel catfish did not differ between small and large water bodies for either gear. While catch rates of hoop nets were lower than rates recorded in previous studies, this gear was more efficient than gill nets at capturing channel catfish. However, comparisons of size structure between gears may be problematic.

  7. Performance of barbed and barbless hooks in a marine recreational fishery

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schaeffer, Jeffrey S.; Hoffman, Elizabeth M.

    2002-01-01

    We used an angling study to examine catch per unit effort (CPUE), bait loss, and total landings by anglers fishing with natural bait on barbed and barbless hooks in a nearshore marine sport fishery located in the Gulf of Mexico near St. Petersburg, Florida. Anglers fished half the day with a barbed hook and half the day with a barbless hook. We also recorded anatomical hook placement, severity of injury or bleeding, and hook extraction times for each landed fish. Bait loss, CPUE, and mean length of catch did not differ between gears, but anglers landed 22% more fish with barbed hooks. Loss of hooked fish was significantly higher with barbless hooks, and efficiency appeared to vary among species. Mean unhooking times were significantly shorter with barbless hooks. Anatomical hook placement did not differ between gears and most fish were hooked in the jaws. Bleeding did not differ between gears because bleeding was influenced strongly by hook placement, but barbless hooks reduced unhooking injuries. In this fishery, barbless hooks probably did not reduce hooking mortality and conferred only slight benefits at the expense of reduced catches.

  8. Examining spatiotemporal distribution and CPUE-environment relationships for the jumbo flying squid Dosidicus gigas offshore Peru based on spatial autoregressive model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Yongjiu; Chen, Xinjun; Liu, Yang

    2017-09-01

    The spatiotemporal distribution and relationship between nominal catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and environment for the jumbo flying squid (Dosidicus gigas) were examined in offshore Peruvian waters during 2009-2013. Three typical oceanographic factors affecting the squid habitat were investigated in this research, including sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface salinity (SSS) and sea surface height (SSH). We studied the CPUE-environment relationships for D. gigas using a spatially-lagged version of spatial autoregressive (SAR) model and a generalized additive model (GAM), with the latter for auxiliary and comparative purposes. The annual fishery centroids were distributed broadly in an area bounded by 79.5°-82.7°W and 11.9°-17.1°S, while the monthly fishery centroids were spatially close and lay in a smaller area bounded by 81.0°-81.2°W and 14.3°-15.4°S. Our results show that the preferred environmental ranges for D. gigas offshore Peru were 20.9°-21.9°C for SST, 35.16-35.32 for SSS and 27.2-31.5 cm for SSH in the areas bounded by 78°-80°W/82-84°W and 15°-18°S. Monthly spatial distributions during October to December were predicted using the calibrated GAM and SAR models and general similarities were found between the observed and predicted patterns for the nominal CPUE of D. gigas. The overall accuracies for the hotspots generated by the SAR model were much higher than those produced by the GAM model for all three months. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the spatiotemporal distributions of D. gigas offshore Peru, and offer a new SAR modeling method for advancing fishery science.

  9. Entering uncharted waters: Long-term dynamics of two data limited fish species, turbot and brill, in the North Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kerby, Tina K.; Cheung, William W. L.; van Oosterhout, Cock; Engelhard, Georg H.

    2013-11-01

    In the North Sea, turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) and brill (Scophthalmus rhombus) represent highly valuable species in commercial fisheries. Still, available data for both species are limited, making stock assessment difficult. Long-term fisheries data have the potential to improve the understanding of stock dynamics such as long-term distribution changes or development in species' abundances. Historical British otter trawler lpue (landings-per-unit-effort) data from 1923 to 2009, and at the spatial scale of ICES rectangles, revealed that the distribution patterns of turbot and brill were different for most of the 20th century and only became similar in the recent decade. Further, between the 1920s and 1960s, turbot was commonly caught in the northern North Sea and in particular on Turbot Bank, at that time a turbot hotspot off the east coast of Scotland. Within a short time period turbot nearly disappeared from this region. Brill, in contrast, revealed a stable distribution in the southern and central North Sea with a slow expansion into the central North Sea. We used survey cpue (catch-per-unit-effort) from the International Bottom Trawl Survey (IBTS; 1970-2009) and the Beam Trawl Survey (BTS; 1985-2009), as well as British otter trawler lpue, as proxies for the abundance of adult turbot and brill. Commercial lpue suggested for brill and turbot a long-term decrease in abundance. IBTS cpue suggested an increase in abundance for turbot, but this was not confirmed by the BTS. For brill, both surveys did not show a clear trend.

  10. Short-term impacts and value of a periodic no take zone (NTZ) in a community-managed small-scale lobster fishery, Madagascar

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    The small-scale lobster fisheries of Madagascar’s impoverished southeast coast account for the majority of national catch and export, making a significant contribution to the regional economy. Data suggests catches have declined, likely due to over-exploitation. In response, the community of Sainte Luce has established a locally managed marine area (LMMA) to manage their lobster fishery, including a 13 km2 periodic no take zone (NTZ). Participatory monitoring data were used to assess compliance, identify changes in catch per unit effort (CPUE) associated with the NTZ and consider the short-term value of the NTZ. Compliance is low for measures dictated by national legislation (minimum landing size (MLS), national closed season, prohibition on landing berried females), but may be higher for those designed by the community (NTZ). Upon NTZ opening in July 2015, an estimated 435% increase in catch was observed compared with the mean for the preceding five months, a product of increased effort and significantly higher CPUE. Zero Altered Negative Binomial modelling showed CPUE was significantly higher during the NTZ opening in 2015 and in 2016 when the opening period had been moved. Whilst it is unlikely that tangible ecological benefits have accrued from NTZ operation, there have been important socio-economic effects. Specifically, there was a 33% increase in the price fishers received, a significant effect at the bottom of the value chain. Temporary increases in catch and income acted as a catalyst, engaging neighbouring communities in fishery management, resulting in two additional NTZs. Attention is drawn to the fact that current national legislation may be sub-optimal and should be reviewed. Successful management of the regional fishery will require the state and industry to support communities in adopting community-based management. The NTZ measure considered here may be an effective tool to achieve this. PMID:28542323

  11. Short-term impacts and value of a periodic no take zone (NTZ) in a community-managed small-scale lobster fishery, Madagascar.

    PubMed

    Long, Stephen

    2017-01-01

    The small-scale lobster fisheries of Madagascar's impoverished southeast coast account for the majority of national catch and export, making a significant contribution to the regional economy. Data suggests catches have declined, likely due to over-exploitation. In response, the community of Sainte Luce has established a locally managed marine area (LMMA) to manage their lobster fishery, including a 13 km2 periodic no take zone (NTZ). Participatory monitoring data were used to assess compliance, identify changes in catch per unit effort (CPUE) associated with the NTZ and consider the short-term value of the NTZ. Compliance is low for measures dictated by national legislation (minimum landing size (MLS), national closed season, prohibition on landing berried females), but may be higher for those designed by the community (NTZ). Upon NTZ opening in July 2015, an estimated 435% increase in catch was observed compared with the mean for the preceding five months, a product of increased effort and significantly higher CPUE. Zero Altered Negative Binomial modelling showed CPUE was significantly higher during the NTZ opening in 2015 and in 2016 when the opening period had been moved. Whilst it is unlikely that tangible ecological benefits have accrued from NTZ operation, there have been important socio-economic effects. Specifically, there was a 33% increase in the price fishers received, a significant effect at the bottom of the value chain. Temporary increases in catch and income acted as a catalyst, engaging neighbouring communities in fishery management, resulting in two additional NTZs. Attention is drawn to the fact that current national legislation may be sub-optimal and should be reviewed. Successful management of the regional fishery will require the state and industry to support communities in adopting community-based management. The NTZ measure considered here may be an effective tool to achieve this.

  12. Forecasts of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and common sardine (Strangomera bentincki) off Chile under the A2 IPCC climate change scenario

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Silva, Claudio; Yáñez, Eleuterio; Barbieri, María Angela; Bernal, Claudio; Aranis, Antonio

    2015-05-01

    Recent studies have demonstrated the effects of climate change on both oceanographic conditions and the relative abundance and distribution of fisheries resources. In this study, we investigated the impacts of climate change on swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and common sardine (Strangomera bentincki) fisheries using predictions of changes from global models (according to the NCAR model and IPCC emissions scenario A2), bioclimate envelope models and satellite-based sea surface temperature (SST) estimates from high-resolution regional models for the simulation period 2015-2065. Predictions of SST from global climate models were regionalised using the Delta statistical downscaling technique. The results show an SST trend of 0.0196 °C per year in the study area, equivalent to 0.98 °C for the simulation horizon and for a high CO2 emission scenario (A2). The bioclimate envelope models were developed using historical (2001-2011) monthly environmental and fisheries data. These data included the local relative abundance index of fish catch per unit effort (CPUE), corresponding to the total catch (kg) by 1000 hooks in a 1° latitude × 1° longitude fishing grid for swordfish and to the total catch (ton) by hold capacity (100 m3) in a 10‧ latitude × 10‧ longitude grid for common sardine. The environmental data included temporal (month), spatial (latitude) and thermal conditions (SST). In the first step of the bioclimate modelling performed in this study, generalised additive models (GAMs) were used as an exploratory tool to identify the functional relationships between the environmental variables and CPUE. These relationships were then parameterised using general linear models (GLMs) to provide a robust forecasting tool. With this modelling approach, environmental variables explained 58.7% of the variation in the CPUE of swordfish and 60.6% of the variation in the CPUE of common sardine in the final GLMs. Using IDRISI GIS, these GLMs simulated monthly changes in the relative abundance and distribution of the studied species forced by changes in the regionalised SST projected by the NCAR model under the A2 emission scenario. The simulations predicted a slight decline of 6% (17 kg/1000 hooks) and 7% (3.8 ton/100 m3) for swordfish and common sardine, respectively, in the spatial mean of the potential relative abundance (CPUE) by 2065.

  13. Effects of summer drawdown on the fishes and larval chironomids in Beulah Reservoir, Oregon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rose, Brien P.; Mesa, Matthew G.

    2013-01-01

    Summer drawdown of Beulah Reservoir, Oregon, could adversely affect fish and invertebrate production, limit sport fishing opportunities, and hinder the recovery of threatened species. To assess the impacts of drawdown, we sampled fish and Chironomidae larvae in Beulah Reservoir in the springs of 2006 to 2008. The reservoir was reduced to 68% of full pool in 2006 and to run-of-river level in 2007. From spring 2006 to spring 2007, the catch per unit effort (CPUE) of fyke nets decreased significantly for dace [Rhinichthys spp.] and northern pikeminnow [Ptychocheilus oregonensis], increased significantly for suckers [Catastomus spp.] and white crappies [Pomoxis nigromaculatus], and was similar for redside shiners [Richardsonius balteatus]. CPUE of gillnets either increased significantly or remained similar depending on genera, and the size structure of redside shiners, suckers, and white crappies changed appreciably. From 2007 to 2008, the CPUE of northern pikeminnow, redside shiners, suckers, and white crappies decreased significantly depending on gear and the size structure of most fishes changed. Springtime densities of chironomid larvae in the water column were significantly higher in 2006 than in 2008, but other comparisons were similar. The densities of benthic chironomids were significantly lower in substrates that were frequently dewatered compared to areas that were partially or usually not dewatered. Individuals from frequently dewatered areas were significantly smaller than those from other areas and the densities of benthic chironomids in 2008 were significantly lower than other years. Summer drawdown can reduce the catch and alter the size structure of fishes and chironomid larvae in Beulah Reservoir.

  14. Interannual and seasonal variability of winter-spring cohort of neon flying squid abundance in the Northwest Pacific Ocean during 1995-2011

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Wei; Chen, Xinjun; Yi, Qian

    2016-06-01

    The neon flying squid, Ommastrephes bartramii, is a species of economically important cephalopod in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. Its short lifespan increases the susceptibility of the distribution and abundance to the direct impact of the environmental conditions. Based on the generalized linear model (GLM) and generalized additive model (GAM), the commercial fishery data from the Chinese squid-jigging fleets during 1995 to 2011 were used to examine the interannual and seasonal variability in the abundance of O. bartramii, and to evaluate the influences of variables on the abundance (catch per unit effort, CPUE). The results from GLM suggested that year, month, latitude, sea surface temperature (SST), mixed layer depth (MLD), and the interaction term ( SST×MLD) were significant factors. The optimal model based on GAM included all the six significant variables and could explain 42.43% of the variance in nominal CPUE. The importance of the six variables was ranked by decreasing magnitude: year, month, latitude, SST, MLD and SST×MLD. The squid was mainly distributed in the waters between 40°N and 44°N in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. The optimal ranges of SST and MLD were from 14 to 20°C and from 10 to 30 m, respectively. The squid abundance greatly fluctuated from 1995 to 2011. The CPUE was low during 1995-2002 and high during 2003-2008. Furthermore, the squid abundance was typically high in August. The interannual and seasonal variabilities in the squid abundance were associated with the variations of marine environmental conditions and the life history characteristics of squid.

  15. Influence of anglers' specializations on catch, harvest, and bycatch of targeted taxa

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pope, Kevin L.; Chizinski, Christopher J.; Wiley, Christopher L.; Martin, Dustin R.

    2016-01-01

    Fishery managers often use catch per unit effort (CPUE) of a given taxon derived from a group of anglers, those that sought said taxon, to evaluate fishery objectives because managers assume CPUE for this group of anglers is most sensitive to changes in fish taxon density. Further, likelihood of harvest may differ for sought and non-sought taxa if taxon sought is a defining characteristic of anglers’ attitude toward harvest. We predicted that taxon-specific catch across parties and reservoirs would be influenced by targeted taxon after controlling for number of anglers in a party and time spent fishing (combine to quantify fishing effort of party); we also predicted similar trends for taxon-specific harvest. We used creel-survey data collected from anglers that varied in taxon targeted, from generalists (targeting “anything” [no primary target taxa, but rather targeting all fishes]) to target specialists (e.g., anglers targeting largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides) in 19 Nebraska reservoirs during 2009–2011 to test our predictions. Taxon-specific catch and harvest were, in general, positively related to fishing effort. More importantly, we observed differences of catch and harvest among anglers grouped by taxon targeted for each of the eight taxa assessed. Anglers targeting a specific taxon had the greatest catch for that taxon and anglers targeting anything typically had the second highest catch for that taxon. In addition, anglers tended to catch more of closely related taxa and of taxa commonly targeted with similar fishing techniques. We encourage managers to consider taxon-specific objectives of target and non-target catch and harvest.

  16. [Variability in the relative abundance, size structure and sex ratio of the dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus (Pisces: Coryphaenidae) in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, México].

    PubMed

    Alejo-Plata, Carmen; Gómez, José Luis; Serrano-Guzmán, Saúl J

    2014-06-01

    Variability in the relative abundance, size structure and sex ratio of the dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus (Pisces: Coryphaenidae) in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, México. The dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus), is an oceanic epipelagic fish found worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters, with a high dispersal capability via large-scale migrations. This fast-swimming top-level predator is abundant in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, where it is caught incidentally by artisanal fisheries, and represents a target species for both recreational and commercial fisheries in Mexico, Ecuador, Peru and Central America. Nowadays, local fishery information on this species is scarce, thus our objective was to analyze the size structure by sex and the catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) tendency of dolphinfish caught in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, from 2000 to 2007. For this, fishery catches information was obtained from the artisanal fleet, at six landing sites in the Gulf, and the sex ratio, fork length (FL) and the catch per unit effort (CPUE) were estimated. From all sampling sites, a total of 3 494 females, and 3 877 males were obtained, and dolphinfish size as fork length (FL) ranged from 20.5 to 152cm. Fish size ranged from 25.5 to 148cm furcal length (FL) in males, and 20.5 to 129cm FL in females. The sex ratio (males:females) was 1:1, except in April-May (1:1.5, p < 0.05) and November (1:0.5, p < 0.05). The sex ratio at different size classes showed a significant bias towards females at smaller sizes (< 75cm FL), whereas the males were predominant in larger size classes (> 100cm FL). The size structure was bimodal, with a variation in the size average; the modes were defined as the small group (FL = 50-55cm) and the large size group (FL = 100-110cm). The CPUE showed seasonal changes: values were high for the November-December period, and values were lower for July-August. The seasonal and inter annual variation in the abundance of dolphinfish is probably related to a pre-spawning migration in close relation to the rain-drought regime characteristic of the region, and the associated wind upwelling season of "Tehuanos" in the Gulf of Tehuantepec.

  17. Effects of dam removal on brook trout in a Wisconsin stream

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stanley, E.H.; Catalano, M.J.; Mercado-Silva, N.; Orr, C.H.

    2007-01-01

    Dams create barriers to fish migration and dispersal in drainage basins, and the removal of dams is often viewed as a means of increasing habitat availability and restoring migratory routes of several fish species. However, these barriers can also isolate and protect native taxa from aggressive downstream invaders. We examined fish community composition two years prior to and two years after the removal of a pair of low-head dams from Boulder Creek, Wisconsin, U.S.A. in 2003 to determine if removal of these potential barriers affected the resident population of native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Despite the presence of other taxa in the downstream reaches, and in other similar streams adjacent to the Boulder Creek (including the brown trout, Salmo trutta), no new species had colonized the Boulder Creek in the two years following dam removal. The adults catch per unit effort (CPUE) was lower and the young-of-the-year catch per unit effort (YOY CPUE) was higher in 2005 than in 2001 in all reaches, but the magnitude of these changes was substantially larger in the two dam-affected sample reaches relative to an upstream reference reach, indicating a localized effect of the removal. Total length of the adults and the YOY and the adult body condition did not vary between years or among reaches. Thus, despite changes in numbers of adults and the YOYs in some sections of the stream, the lack of new fish species invading Boulder Creek and the limited extent of population change in brook trout indicate that dam removal had a minor effect on these native salmonids in the first two years of the post-removal. Copyright ?? 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Evaluating abundance estimate precision and the assumptions of a count-based index for small mammals

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wiewel, A.S.; Adams, A.A.Y.; Rodda, G.H.

    2009-01-01

    Conservation and management of small mammals requires reliable knowledge of population size. We investigated precision of markrecapture and removal abundance estimates generated from live-trapping and snap-trapping data collected at sites on Guam (n 7), Rota (n 4), Saipan (n 5), and Tinian (n 3), in the Mariana Islands. We also evaluated a common index, captures per unit effort (CPUE), as a predictor of abundance. In addition, we evaluated cost and time associated with implementing live-trapping and snap-trapping and compared species-specific capture rates of selected live- and snap-traps. For all species, markrecapture estimates were consistently more precise than removal estimates based on coefficients of variation and 95 confidence intervals. The predictive utility of CPUE was poor but improved with increasing sampling duration. Nonetheless, modeling of sampling data revealed that underlying assumptions critical to application of an index of abundance, such as constant capture probability across space, time, and individuals, were not met. Although snap-trapping was cheaper and faster than live-trapping, the time difference was negligible when site preparation time was considered. Rattus diardii spp. captures were greatest in Haguruma live-traps (Standard Trading Co., Honolulu, HI) and Victor snap-traps (Woodstream Corporation, Lititz, PA), whereas Suncus murinus and Mus musculus captures were greatest in Sherman live-traps (H. B. Sherman Traps, Inc., Tallahassee, FL) and Museum Special snap-traps (Woodstream Corporation). Although snap-trapping and CPUE may have utility after validation against more rigorous methods, validation should occur across the full range of study conditions. Resources required for this level of validation would likely be better allocated towards implementing rigorous and robust methods.

  19. Relationship of weed shiner and young-of-year bluegill and largemouth bass abundance to submersed aquatic vegetation in Navigation Pools 4, 8, and 13 of the Upper Mississippi River, 1998-2012

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    DeLain, Steven A.; Popp, Walter A.

    2014-01-01

    Aquatic vegetation provides food resources and shelter for many species of fish. This study found a significant relationship between increases in submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) in four study reaches of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) and increases in catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) of weed shiners (Notropis texanus) and age-0 bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) when all of the study reaches were treated collectively using Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP) vegetation and fish data for 1998–2012. The selected fishes were more abundant in study reaches with higher SAV frequencies (Pool 8 and Lower Pool 4) and less abundant in reaches with lower SAV frequencies (Pool 13 and Upper Pool 4). When each study reach was examined independently, the relationship between SAV frequency and CPUE of the three species was not significant in most cases, the primary exception being weed shiners in Lower Pool 4. Results of this study indicate that the prevalence of SAV does affect relative abundance of these vegetation-associated fish species. However, the poor annual relationship between SAV frequency and age-0 relative abundance in individual study reaches indicates that several other factors also govern age-0 abundance. The data indicate that there may be a SAV frequency threshold in backwaters above which there is not a strong relationship with abundance of these fish species. This is indicated by the high annual CPUE variability of the three selected fishes in backwaters of Pool 8 and Lower Pool 4 when SAV exceeded certain frequencies.

  20. [Spatial-temporal distribution of bigeye tuna Thunnus obesus in the tropical Atlantic Ocean based on Argo data].

    PubMed

    Yang, Sheng-long; Jin, Shao-fei; Hua, Cheng-jun; Dai, Yang

    2015-02-01

    In order to analyze the correlation between spatial-temporal distribution of the bigeye tuna ( Thunnus obesus) and subsurface factors, the study explored the isothermal distribution of subsurface temperatures in the bigeye tuna fishing grounds in the tropical Atlantic Ocean, and built up the spatial overlay chart of the isothermal lines of 9, 12, 13 and 15 °C and monthly CPUE (catch per unit effort) from bigeye tuna long-lines. The results showed that the bigeye tuna mainly distributed in the water layer (150-450 m) below the lower boundary depth of thermocline. At the isothermal line of 12 °C, the bigeye tuna mainly lived in the water layer of 190-260 m, while few individuals were found at water depth more than 400 m. As to the 13 °C isothermal line, high CPUE often appeared at water depth less than 250 m, mainly between 150-230 m, while no CPUE appeared at water depth more than 300 m. The optimum range of subsurface factors calculated by frequency analysis and empirical cumulative distribution function (ECDF) exhibited that the optimum depth range of 12 °C isothermal depth was 190-260 m and the 13 °C isothermal depth was 160-240 m, while the optimum depth difference range of 12 °C isothermal depth was -10 to 100 m and the 13 °C isothermal depth was -40 to 60 m. The study explored the optimum range of subsurface factors (water temperature and depth) that drive horizontal and vertical distribution of bigeye tuna. The preliminary result would help to discover the central fishing ground, instruct fishing depth, and provide theoretical and practical references for the longline production and resource management of bigeye tuna in the Atlantic Ocean.

  1. Before-after, control-impact analysis of evidence for the impacts of water level on Walleye, Northern Pike and Yellow Perch in lakes of the Rainy-Namakan complex (MN, USA and ON, CA).

    PubMed

    Larson, James H; Maki, Ryan P; Vondra, Benjamin A; Peterson, Kevin E

    2018-01-01

    Water level (WL) fluctuations in lakes influence many aspects of ecosystem processes. Concern about the potential impact of WL fluctuations on fisheries was one of the factors that motivated the decision in 2000 to alter the management of WL in the Rainy-Namakan reservoir complex (on the border between the U.S. state of Minnesota and the Canadian province of Ontario). We used a Before-After, Control-Impact (BACI) framework to identify potential impacts of the change in WL management to Walleye, Northern Pike and Yellow Perch catch per unit effort (CPUE). The CPUE of these species from 1990-1999 and from 2005-2014 were compared in four impact lakes (Lake Kabetogama, Namakan Lake, Rainy Lake and Sand Point Lake) and two control lakes (Lake of the Woods and Lake Vermilion) using a simple Bayesian model. Changes in fish CPUE in the impact lakes were often similar to changes that occurred in at least one control lake. The only change that was not similar to changes in control lakes was an increase of Yellow Perch in Lake Kabetogama. The two control lakes often differed substantially from each other, such that if only one had been available our conclusions about the role of WL management on fisheries would be very different. In general, identifying cause-and-effect relationships in observational field data is very difficult, and the BACI analysis used here does not specify a causative mechanism, so co-occurring environmental and management changes may obscure the effect of WL management.

  2. Effectiveness of an existing estuarine no-take fish sanctuary within the Kennedy Space Center, Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, D.R.; Funicelli, N.A.; Bohnsack, James A.

    1999-01-01

    Approximately 22% of the waters of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, have been closed to public access and fishing since 1962. These closed areas offer an opportunity to test the effectiveness of 'no-take' sanctuaries by analyzing two replicated estuarine areas. Areas open and closed to fishing were sampled from November 1986 to January 1990 with 653 random trammel-net sets, each enclosing 3,721 m2. Samples from no-fishing areas had significantly (P < 0.05) greater abundance and larger fishes than fished areas. Relative abundance (standardized catch per unit effort, CPUE) in protected areas (6.4 fish/set) was 2.6 times greater than in the fished areas (2.4 fish/set) for total game fish, 2.4 times greater for spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus, 6.3 times greater for red drum Sciaenops ocellatus, 12.8 times greater for black drum Pogonias cromis, 5.3 times greater for common snook Centropomus undecimalis, and 2.6 times greater for striped mullet Mugil cephalus. Fishing had the primary effect on CPUE, independent of habitat and other environmental factors. Salinity and depth were important secondary factors affecting CPUE, followed by season or month, and temperature. The importance of specific factors varied with each species. Median and maximum size of red drum, spotted seatrout, black drum, and striped mullet were also significantly greater in the unfished areas. More and larger fish of spawning age were observed in the unfished areas for red drum, spotted seatrout, and black drum. Tagging studies documented export of important sport fish from protected areas to fished areas.

  3. A refined electrofishing technique for collecting Silver Carp: Implications for management

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bouska, Wesley W.; Glover, David C.; Bouska, Kristen; Garvey, James E.

    2017-01-01

    Detecting nuisance species at low abundance or in newly established areas is critical to developing pest management strategies. Due to their sensitivity to disturbance and erratic jumping behavior, Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix can be difficult to collect with traditional sampling methods. We compared catch per unit effort (CPUE) of all species from a Long Term Resource Monitoring (LTRM) electrofishing protocol to an experimental electrofishing technique designed to minimize Silver Carp evasion through tactical boat maneuvering and selective application of power. Differences in CPUE between electrofishing methods were detected for 2 of 41 species collected across 2 years of sampling at 20 sites along the Illinois River. The mean catch rate of Silver Carp using the experimental technique was 2.2 times the mean catch rate of the LTRM electrofishing technique; the increased capture efficiency at low relative abundance emphasizes the utility of this method for early detection. The experimental electrofishing also collected slightly larger Silver Carp (mean: 510.7 mm TL versus 495.2 mm TL), and nearly four times as many Silver Carp independently jumped into the boat during experimental transects. Novel sampling approaches, such as the experimental electrofishing technique used in this study, should be considered to increase probability of detection for aquatic nuisance species.

  4. Ashy Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma homochroa mist-netting and capture rates in the California Channel Islands, 2004–2007

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Adams, Josh

    2016-01-01

    The California Channel Islands (CCI) provide essential nesting habitat for a significant portion of the world’s Ashy Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma homochroa (ASSP) breeding population, but true abundance at this locality is not well known. Land-based nocturnal mistnetting has been conducted sporadically in the CCI since 1976, with variation in techniques and methods. Using a standardized catch-perunit-effort (CPUE) is one of the few methods available to monitor trends in relative abundance, but there currently are no guidelines for a standardized, repeatable approach for the CCI. During 2004–2007, I conducted mist-netting for ASSP at three colony sites within the CCI: Scorpion Rock (SR), Santa Barbara Island (SBI), and Prince Island (PI). During 47 site-nights (22 sessions), I obtained 1 177 unique captures, including 34 recaptures (2.9%) of previously banded individuals. ASSP captured at all three islands showed peak proportions of fully developed incubation patches in July and August. ASSP captured in the CCI had 5%–9% lower body mass than individuals captured off central California during the early 1970s; it is not known whether this difference reflects natural inter-annual variation or differences in body condition. ASSP from SBI had the lowest body condition index (BCI) compared with those from PI and SR, indicating different foraging environments. Overall, 22 netting-sessions at three islands yielded a power of 84% to detect a 30% lesser CPUE; 19 sessions would be required in a future effort to evaluate this level of change. Evaluation of additional factors that affect CPUE and other independent measures of abundance or attendance should be included in future mist-netting efforts.

  5. Decadal Trends in Abundance, Size and Condition of Antarctic Toothfish in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, 1972-2010

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ainley, David G.; Nur, Nadav; Eastman, Joseph T.; Ballard. Grant; Parkinson, Claire L; Evans, Clive W.; DeVries, Arthur L.

    2012-01-01

    We report analyses of a dataset spanning 38 years of near-annual fishing for Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni, using a vertical setline through the fast ice of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, 1972-2010. This constitutes one of the longest biological time series in the Southern Ocean, and certainly the longest for any fish. Fish total length, condition and catch per unit effort (CPUE) were derived from the more than 5500 fish caught. Contrary to expectation, length-frequency was dominated by fish in the upper half of the industrial catch. The discrepancy may be due to biases in the sampling capabilities of vertical (this study) versus benthic (horizontal) fishing gear (industry long lines), related to the fact that only large Antarctic toothfish (more than 100 cm TL) are neutrally buoyant and occur in the water column. Fish length and condition increased from the early 1970s to the early 1990s and then decreased, related to sea ice cover, with lags of 8 months to 5 years, and may ultimately be related to the fishery (which targets large fish) and changes in the Southern Annular Mode through effects on toothfish main prey, Antarctic silverfish Pleuragramma antarcticum. CPUE was constant through 2001 and then decreased dramatically, likely related to the industrial fishery, which began in 1996 and which concentrates effort over the Ross Sea slope, where tagged McMurdo fish have been found. Due to limited prey choices and, therefore, close coupling among mesopredators of the Ross Sea, Antarctic toothfish included, the fishery may be altering the trophic structure of the Ross Sea.

  6. Habitat features influence catch rates of near-shore bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) in the Queensland Shark Control Program, Australia 1996-2012

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haig, Jodie A.; Lambert, Gwladys I.; Sumpton, Wayne D.; Mayer, David G.; Werry, Jonathan M.

    2018-01-01

    Understanding shark habitat use is vital for informing better ecological management of coastal areas and shark populations. The Queensland Shark Control Program (QSCP) operates over ∼1800 km of Queensland coastline. Between 1996 and 2012, catch, total length and sex were recorded from most of the 1992 bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) caught on drum lines and gill-nets as part of the QSCP (sex and length was not successfully recorded for all individuals). Gear was set at multiple sites within ten locations. Analysis of monthly catch data resulted in a zero-inflated dataset for the 17 years of records. Five models were trialled for suitability of standardising the bull shark catch per unit effort (CPUE) using available habitat and environmental data. Three separate models for presence-absence and presence-only were run and outputs combined using a delta-lognormal framework for generalized linear and generalized additive models. The delta-lognormal generalized linear model approach resulted in best fit to explain patterns in CPUE. Greater CPUE occurred on drum lines, and greater numbers of bull sharks were caught on both gear types in summer months, with tropical sites, and sites with greater adjacent wetland habitats catching consistently more bull sharks compared to sub-tropical sites. The CPUE data did not support a hypothesis of population decline indicative of coastal overfishing. However, the total length of sharks declined slightly through time for those caught in the tropics; subtropical catches were dominated by females and a large proportion of all bull sharks caught were smaller than the size-at-maturity reported for this species. These factors suggest that growth and sex overfishing of Queensland bull shark populations may be occurring but are not yet detectable in the available data. The data highlight available coastal wetlands, river size, length of coastline and distance to the 50 m depth contour are important for consideration in future whole of lifecycle bull shark management. As concerns for shark populations grow, there is an increasing requirement to collate available data from control programs, fisheries, ecological and research datasets to identify sustainable management options and enable informed stock assessments of bull shark and other threatened shark species.

  7. Effects of seasonal drawdowns on fish assemblages in sections of an impounded river-canal system in upstate New York

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    George, Scott D.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Wells, Scott M

    2016-01-01

    The Mohawk River and New York State Barge Canal run together as a series of permanent and temporary impoundments for most of the distance between Rome and Albany, New York. The downstream or lower section is composed of two permanent impoundments, the middle section of a series of temporary (seasonal) impoundments, and the upper section of a series of permanent impoundments. In the middle section, movable dams are lifted from the water during winter and the wetted surface area decreases by 36–56%. We used boat electrofishing during spring 2014 and 2015 to compare the relative abundance of fish populations and the composition of fish assemblages between the permanently and seasonally impounded sections of the Barge Canal and to infer the effects of the two flow management practices. A total of 3,264 individuals from 38 species were captured, and total catch per unit effort (CPUE) ranged from 46.0 to 134.7 fish/h at sites in the seasonally impounded section, compared with 140.0–342.0 fish/h in the permanent lower section and 89.0–282.0 fish/h in the permanent upper section. The amount of drawdown explained 55% of the variation in total CPUE and was a highly significant predictor variable. Mean total CPUE in the seasonally impounded section was significantly lower (by about 50%) than that in either permanently impounded section, and the assemblage composition differed significantly between sections. The relative abundance of many lentic species was markedly lower in the seasonally impounded section, while the relative abundance of several native cyprinids and the percentage of individuals belonging to species that are native to the watershed was greater in this section. Overall, these findings suggest that winter dam removal in impounded rivers may reduce the abundance of fish but may also create more natural riverine conditions that favor some native species.

  8. Lobster and cod benefit from small-scale northern marine protected areas: inference from an empirical before–after control-impact study

    PubMed Central

    Moland, Even; Olsen, Esben Moland; Knutsen, Halvor; Garrigou, Pauline; Espeland, Sigurd Heiberg; Kleiven, Alf Ring; André, Carl; Knutsen, Jan Atle

    2013-01-01

    Marine protected areas (MPAs) are increasingly implemented as tools to conserve and manage fisheries and target species. Because there are opportunity costs to conservation, there is a need for science-based assessment of MPAs. Here, we present one of the northernmost documentations of MPA effects to date, demonstrated by a replicated before–after control-impact (BACI) approach. In 2006, MPAs were implemented along the Norwegian Skagerrak coast offering complete protection to shellfish and partial protection to fish. By 2010, European lobster (Homarus gammarus) catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) had increased by 245 per cent in MPAs, whereas CPUE in control areas had increased by 87 per cent. Mean size of lobsters increased by 13 per cent in MPAs, whereas increase in control areas was negligible. Furthermore, MPA-responses and population development in control areas varied significantly among regions. This illustrates the importance of a replicated BACI design for reaching robust conclusions and management decisions. Partial protection of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) was followed by an increase in population density and body size compared with control areas. By 2010, MPA cod were on average 5 cm longer than in any of the control areas. MPAs can be useful management tools in rebuilding and conserving portions of depleted lobster populations in northern temperate waters, and even for a mobile temperate fish species such as the Atlantic cod. PMID:23303544

  9. Repeat surveys of spawning cisco (Coregonus artedi) in western Lake Superior: timing, distribution and composition of spawning stocks

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Yule, Daniel L.; Schreiner, Donald R.; Addison, Peter A.; Seider, Michael J.; Evrard, Lori M.; Geving, Steven A.; Quinlan, Henry R.

    2012-01-01

    Acoustic (AC) and midwater trawl (MT) surveys of spawning cisco (Coregonus artedi) in Lake Superior have been combined with commercial yield to estimate exploitation. To time surveys properly, it is important to understand when adults typically arrive at spawning grounds and how numbers change as the spawning season progresses. We conducted repeat autumn surveys during nighttime hours at coastal sites where commercial roe fisheries occur. Spawner densities increased significantly from October to mid-November, but differences measured at sites sampled from mid- to late-November were comparatively small. Spawners occupied the upper 20–30 m of the water column during mid-November before utilizing a wider range of depths by late-November. We compared repeat AC densities to temporal trends of catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) in suspended commercial gillnets and found good agreement within sites. Because different gillnet mesh sizes were used in each roe fishery. CPUE and AC density were poorly correlated among sites. We recommend that future surveys be conducted between mid- and late-November, and that MT gear be used to measure cisco densities in the uppermost 10 m of the water column where AC estimates may be conservative. Given the short temporal window for assessing spawner density, we believe both AC-MT and gillnet surveys will be needed to ensure that harvest of different stocks is kept at a sustainable level.

  10. Composition and diversity of fish species in seagrass bed ecosystem at Muara Binuangeun, Lebak, Banten

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kholis, N.; Patria, M. P.; Soedjiarti, T.

    2017-07-01

    Research of composition and diversity of fish species in seagrass bed ecosystem at Muara Binuangeun, Lebak, Banten, had been conducted in May and November 2015. Catch per Unit of Effort (CPUE) was used as a method with push net and boat net as fishing gear. Fishing was conducted during low tide. Collected samples were preserved with 10 % Formalin Solution and then being identified in the laboratory. In total, 286 fishes were collected from 17 families and 38 species. Moolgarda sp. was the most relative abundant species (17,13 %) and Istiblennius edentulus was a fish species with the highest relative frequency. Diversity index value of seagrass bed ecosystem was 2,973. Different sampling time showed the different composition of fish, in an example of Arothron immaculatus.

  11. The relationship between concentration of clorophyll-a with skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis, Linnaeus 1758) production at West Sumatera waters, Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Usman; Ersti Yulika Sari, T.; Syaifuddin; Audina

    2017-01-01

    The regression and correlation technic was uses to evaluated the contribution of chlorophyll-a concentration on variation of longline skipjack tuna production. An analysis was performed by placing Chlorophyll-a as predictor and Skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis, Linnaeus 1758) production as dependent variable, using Chlorophyll-a derived from NPP VIIRS, and CPUE derived from longline fisherman log books for the year of 2013. Chlorophyll-a distribution which derived from NPP VIIRS between 0.13-0.26 mg/m3 whereas maximum CPUE as much as 0,1875 kg/trip in April. The regression equation obtained was CPUE = -1.12 + 11.5 Chl-a. Correlation between chlorophyll-a and CPUE have moderate relationship (r=0.51). From regression equation for those variables showed that the variation of chlorophyll-a had affected about 26% on variation of CPUE, only.

  12. Bend-scale geomorphic classification and assessment of the Lower Missouri River from Sioux City, Iowa, to the Mississippi River for application to pallid sturgeon management

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jacobson, Robert B.; Colvin, Michael E.; Bulliner, Edward A.; Pickard, Darcy; Elliott, Caroline M.

    2018-06-07

    Management actions intended to increase growth and survival of pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) age-0 larvae on the Lower Missouri River require a comprehensive understanding of the geomorphic habitat template of the river. The study described here had two objectives relating to where channel-reconfiguration projects should be located to optimize effectiveness. The first objective was to develop a bend-scale (that is, at the scale of individual bends, defined as “cross-over to cross-over”) geomorphic classification of the Lower Missouri River to help in the design of monitoring and evaluation of such projects. The second objective was to explore whether geomorphic variables could provide insight into varying capacities of bends to intercept drifting larvae. The bend-scale classification was based on geomorphic and engineering variables for 257 bends from Sioux City, Iowa, to the confluence with the Mississippi River near St. Louis, Missouri. We used k-means clustering to identify groupings of bends that shared the same characteristics. Separate 3-, 4-, and 6-cluster classifications were developed and mapped. The three classifications are nested in a hierarchical structure. We also explored capacities of bends to intercept larvae through evaluation of linear models that predicted persistent sand area or catch per unit effort (CPUE) of age-0 sturgeon as a function of the same geomorphic variables used in the classification. All highly ranked models that predict persistent sand area contained mean channel width and standard deviation of channel width as significant variables. Some top-ranked models also included contributions of channel sinuosity and density of navigation structures. The sand-area prediction models have r-squared values of 0.648–0.674. In contrast, the highest-ranking CPUE models have r-squared values of 0.011–0.170, indicating much more uncertainty for the biological response variable. Whereas the persistent sand model documents that physical processes of transport and accumulation are systematic and predictable, the poor performance of the CPUE models indicate that additional processes will need to be considered to predict biological transport and accumulation.

  13. Effects of warm and cold climate conditions on capelin (Mallotus villosus) and Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) in the eastern Bering Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andrews, Alexander G.; Strasburger, Wesley W.; Farley, Edward V.; Murphy, James M.; Coyle, Kenneth O.

    2016-12-01

    Climate warming has impacted the southern extent of sea ice in the eastern Bering Sea (EBS) ecosystem, leading to many changes in ocean conditions and food webs there. We explore how these changes have affected two key forage fish species, capelin (Mallotus villosus) and Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii), examining the effects of climate change on this commercially important ecosystem in the EBS. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) data from surface trawls, size, and diet of capelin and Pacific herring were collected during a series of warm and cold years by fisheries oceanographic surveys conducted from mid-August to early October 2003 through 2011. Overall, mean CPUE for both species was higher in the northeastern Bering Sea [NEBS; capelin=1.2 kg/km2 (warm) and 40.0 kg/km2 (cold); herring=141.1 kg/km2 (warm) and 132.4 kg/km2 (cold)] relative to the southeastern Bering Sea [SEBS; capelin=0.2 kg/km2 (warm) and 5.8 kg/km2 (cold); herring=15.8 kg/km2 (warm) and 24.5 kg/km2 (cold)], irrespective of temperature conditions. Capelin mean CPUE was significantly lower during warm years than during cold years [p<0.001; 0.6 kg/km2 (warm), 19.0 kg/km2 (cold)]. Pacific herring mean CPUE was less variable between warm and cold years [p<0.001; 63.8 kg/km2 (warm), 66.2 kg/km2 (cold)], but was still significantly less during warm years than cold. Capelin and herring lengths remained relatively constant between climate periods. Capelin lengths were similar among oceanographic domains [104 mm (South Inner domain), 112 mm (South Middle domain), 107 mm (North Inner domain), and 104 mm (North Middle domain)], while herring were larger in domains further offshore [123 mm (South Inner domain), 232 mm (South Middle domain), 260 mm (South Outer domain), 129 mm (North Inner domain), and 198 mm (North Middle domain)]. Diets for both species were significantly different between climate periods. Large crustacean prey comprised a higher proportion of the diets in most regions during cold years. Age-0 walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) contributed >60% to the diets of Pacific herring in southern Middle Domain and >30% in the northern Middle domain during warm years. A switch to less energetic prey for these forage fishes during warm years may have implications for fitness and future recruitment. The shifts in the distribution and lower biomass of capelin in the EBS during warm years could lead to disruptions in energy pathways in this complex marine ecosystem.

  14. Detection of pelagic habitat hotspots for skipjack tuna in the Gulf of Bone-Flores Sea, southwestern Coral Triangle tuna, Indonesia.

    PubMed

    Zainuddin, Mukti; Farhum, Aisjah; Safruddin, Safruddin; Selamat, Muhammad Banda; Sudirman, Sudirman; Nurdin, Nurjannah; Syamsuddin, Mega; Ridwan, Muhammad; Saitoh, Sei-Ichi

    2017-01-01

    Using remote sensing of sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface height anomaly (SSHA) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) together with catch data, we investigated the detection and persistence of important pelagic habitat hotspots for skipjack tuna in the Gulf of Bone-Flores Sea, Indonesia. We analyzed the data for the period between the northwest and southeast monsoon 2007-2011. A pelagic hotspot index was constructed from a model of multi-spectrum satellite-based oceanographic data in relation to skipjack fishing performance. Results showed that skipjack catch per unit efforts (CPUEs) increased significantly in areas of highest pelagic hotspot indices. The distribution and dynamics of habitat hotspots were detected by the synoptic measurements of SST, SSHA and Chl-a ranging from 29.5° to 31.5°C, from 2.5 to 12.5 cm and from 0.15 to 0.35 mg m-3, respectively. Total area of hotspots consistently peaked in May. Validation of skipjack CPUE predicted by our model against observed data from 2012 was highly significant. The key pelagic habitat corresponded with the Chl-a front, which could be related to the areas of relatively high prey abundance (enhanced feeding opportunity) for skipjack. We found that the area and persistence of the potential skipjack habitat hotspots for the 5 years were clearly identified by the 0.2 mg m-3 Chl-a isopleth, suggesting that the Chl-a front provides a key oceanographic indicator for global understanding on skipjack tuna habitat hotspots in the western tropical Pacific Ocean, especially within Coral Triangle tuna.

  15. Nearshore Fish Distributions in an Alaskan Estuary in Relation to Stratification, Temperature and Salinity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abookire, A. A.; Piatt, J. F.; Robards, M. D.

    2000-07-01

    Fish were sampled with beach seines and small-meshed beam trawls in nearshore (<1 km) and shallow (<25 m) habitats on the southern coast of Kachemak Bay, Cook Inlet, Alaska, from June to August, 1996-1998. Fish distributions among habitats were analysed for species composition, catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and frequency of occurrence. Two oceanographically distinct areas of Kachemak Bay were sampled and compared: the Outer Bay and the Inner Bay. Outer Kachemak Bay is exposed and receives oceanic, upwelled water from the Gulf of Alaska, whereas the Inner Bay is more estuarine. Thermohaline properties of bottom water in the Outer and Inner Bay were essentially the same, whereas the Inner Bay water-column was stratified with warmer, less saline waters near the surface. Distribution and abundance of pelagic schooling fish corresponded with area differences in stratification, temperature and salinity. The Inner Bay supported more species and higher densities of schooling and demersal fish than the Outer Bay. Schooling fish communities sampled by beach seine differed between the Outer and Inner Bays. Juvenile and adult Pacific sand lance ( Ammodytes hexapterus), Pacific herring ( Clupea harengus pallasi), osmerids (Osmeridae) and sculpins (Cottidae) were all more abundant in the Inner Bay. Gadids (Gadidae) were the only schooling fish taxa more abundant in the Outer Bay. Thermohaline characteristics of bottom water were similar throughout Kachemak Bay. Correspondingly, bottom fish communities were similar in all areas. Relative abundances (CPUE) were not significantly different between areas for any of the five demersal fish groups: flatfishes (Pleuronectidae), ronquils (Bathymasteridae), sculpins (Cottidae), gadids (Gadidae) and pricklebacks (Stichaeidae).

  16. Nearshore fish distributions in an Alaskan estuary in relation to stratification, temperature, and salinity

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Abookire, Alisa A.; Piatt, John F.; Robards, Martin D.

    2000-01-01

    Fish were sampled with beach seines and small-meshed beam trawls in nearshore ( < 1 km) and shallow ( < 25 m) habitats on the southern coast of Kachemak Bay, Cook Inlet, Alaska, from June to August, 1996-1998. Fish distributions among habitats were analysed for species composition, catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and frequency of occurrence. Two oceanographically distinct areas of Kachemak Bay were sampled and compared: the Outer Bay and the Inner Bay. Outer Kachemak Bay is exposed and receives oceanic, upwelled water from the Gulf of Alaska, whereas the Inner Bay is more estuarine. Thermohaline properties of bottom water in the Outer and Inner Bay were essentially the same, whereas the Inner Bay water-column was stratified with warmer, less saline waters near the surface. Distribution and abundance of pelagic schooling fish corresponded with area differences in stratification, temperature and salinity. The Inner Bay supported more species and higher densities of schooling and demersal fish than the Outer Bay. Schooling fish communities sampled by beach seine differed between the Outer and Inner Bays. Juvenile and adult Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus), Pacific herring (Clupea harengus pallasi), osmerids (Osmeridae) and sculpins (Cottidae) were all more abundant in the Inner Bay. Gadids (Gadidae) were the only schooling fish taxa more abundant in the Outer Bay. Thermohaline characteristics of bottom water were similar throughout Kachemak Bay. Correspondingly, bottom fish communities were similar in all areas. Relative abundances (CPUE) were not significantly different between areas for any of the five demersal fish groups: flatfishes (Pleuronectidae), ronquils (Bathymasteridae), sculpins (Cottidae), gadids (Gadidae) and pricklebacks (Stichaeidae).

  17. Precision and relative effectiveness of a purse seine for sampling age-0 river herring in lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Devine, Matthew T.; Roy, Allison; Whiteley, Andrew R.; Gahagan, Benjamin I.; Armstrong, Michael P.; Jordaan, Adrian

    2018-01-01

    Stock assessments for anadromous river herring, collectively Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and Blueback Herring A. aestivalis, lack adequate demographic information, particularly with respect to early life stages. Although sampling adult river herring is increasingly common throughout their range, currently no standardized, field‐based, analytical methods exist for estimating juvenile abundance in freshwater lakes. The objective of this research was to evaluate the relative effectiveness and sampling precision of a purse seine for estimating densities of age‐0 river herring in freshwater lakes. We used a purse seine to sample age‐0 river herring in June–September 2015 and June–July 2016 in 16 coastal freshwater lakes in the northeastern USA. Sampling effort varied from two seine hauls to more than 50 seine hauls per lake. Catch rates were highest in June and July, and sampling precision was maximized in July. Sampling at night (versus day) in open water (versus littoral areas) was most effective for capturing newly hatched larvae and juveniles up to ca. 100 mm TL. Bootstrap simulation results indicated that sampling precision of CPUE estimates increased with sampling effort, and there was a clear threshold beyond which increased effort resulted in negligible increases in precision. The effort required to produce precise CPUE estimates, as determined by the CV, was dependent on lake size; river herring densities could be estimated with up to 10 purse‐seine hauls (one‐two nights) in a small lake (<50 ha) and 15–20 hauls (two‐three nights) in a large lake (>50 ha). Fish collection techniques using a purse seine as described in this paper are likely to be effective for estimating recruit abundance of river herring in freshwater lakes across their range.

  18. Positive Catch & Economic Benefits of Periodic Octopus Fishery Closures: Do Effective, Narrowly Targeted Actions 'Catalyze' Broader Management?

    PubMed

    Oliver, Thomas A; Oleson, Kirsten L L; Ratsimbazafy, Hajanaina; Raberinary, Daniel; Benbow, Sophie; Harris, Alasdair

    2015-01-01

    Eight years of octopus fishery records from southwest Madagascar reveal significant positive impacts from 36 periodic closures on: (a) fishery catches and (b) village fishery income, such that (c) economic benefits from increased landings outweigh costs of foregone catch. Closures covered ~20% of a village's fished area and lasted 2-7 months. Octopus landings and catch per unit effort (CPUE) significantly increased in the 30 days following a closure's reopening, relative to the 30 days before a closure (landings: +718%, p<0.0001; CPUE: +87%, p<0.0001; n = 36). Open-access control sites showed no before/after change when they occurred independently of other management ("no ban", n = 17/36). On the other hand, open-access control sites showed modest catch increases when they extended a 6-week seasonal fishery shutdown ("ban", n = 19/36). The seasonal fishery shutdown affects the entire region, so confound all potential control sites. In villages implementing a closure, octopus fishery income doubled in the 30 days after a closure, relative to 30 days before (+132%, p<0.001, n = 28). Control villages not implementing a closure showed no increase in income after "no ban" closures and modest increases after "ban" closures. Villages did not show a significant decline in income during closure events. Landings in closure sites generated more revenue than simulated landings assuming continued open-access fishing at that site (27/36 show positive net earnings; mean +$305/closure; mean +57.7% monthly). Benefits accrued faster than local fishers' time preferences during 17-27 of the 36 closures. High reported rates of illegal fishing during closures correlated with poor economic performance. We discuss the implications of our findings for broader co-management arrangements, particularly for catalyzing more comprehensive management.

  19. Detection of pelagic habitat hotspots for skipjack tuna in the Gulf of Bone-Flores Sea, southwestern Coral Triangle tuna, Indonesia

    PubMed Central

    Farhum, Aisjah; Safruddin, Safruddin; Selamat, Muhammad Banda; Sudirman, Sudirman; Nurdin, Nurjannah; Syamsuddin, Mega; Ridwan, Muhammad; Saitoh, Sei-Ichi

    2017-01-01

    Using remote sensing of sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface height anomaly (SSHA) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) together with catch data, we investigated the detection and persistence of important pelagic habitat hotspots for skipjack tuna in the Gulf of Bone-Flores Sea, Indonesia. We analyzed the data for the period between the northwest and southeast monsoon 2007–2011. A pelagic hotspot index was constructed from a model of multi-spectrum satellite-based oceanographic data in relation to skipjack fishing performance. Results showed that skipjack catch per unit efforts (CPUEs) increased significantly in areas of highest pelagic hotspot indices. The distribution and dynamics of habitat hotspots were detected by the synoptic measurements of SST, SSHA and Chl-a ranging from 29.5° to 31.5°C, from 2.5 to 12.5 cm and from 0.15 to 0.35 mg m-3, respectively. Total area of hotspots consistently peaked in May. Validation of skipjack CPUE predicted by our model against observed data from 2012 was highly significant. The key pelagic habitat corresponded with the Chl-a front, which could be related to the areas of relatively high prey abundance (enhanced feeding opportunity) for skipjack. We found that the area and persistence of the potential skipjack habitat hotspots for the 5 years were clearly identified by the 0.2 mg m-3 Chl-a isopleth, suggesting that the Chl-a front provides a key oceanographic indicator for global understanding on skipjack tuna habitat hotspots in the western tropical Pacific Ocean, especially within Coral Triangle tuna. PMID:28968405

  20. Do larval fishes exhibit diel drift patterns in a large, turbid river?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reeves, K.S.; Galat, D.L.

    2010-01-01

    Previous research suggested larval fishes do not exhibit a diel drift cycle in turbid rivers (transparency <30 cm). We evaluated this hypothesis in the turbid, lower Missouri River, Missouri. We also reviewed diel patterns of larval drift over a range of transparencies in rivers worldwide. Larval fishes were collected from the Missouri River primary channel every 4 h per 24-h period during spring-summer 2002. Water transparency was measured during this period and summarized for previous years. Diel drift patterns were analyzed at the assemblage level and lower taxonomic levels for abundant groups. Day and night larval fish catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) was compared for the entire May through August sampling period and spring (May - June) and summer (July - August) seasons separately. There were no significant differences between day and night CPUE at the assemblage level for the entire sampling period or for the spring and summer seasons. However, Hiodon alosoides, Carpiodes/Ictiobus spp. and Macrhybopsis spp. exhibited a diel cycle of abundance within the drift. This pattern was evident although mean Secchi depth (transparency) ranged from 4 to 25 cm during the study and was <30 cm from May through August over the previous nine years. Larval diel drift studies from 48 rivers excluding the Missouri River indicated the primary drift period for larval fishes was at night in 38 rivers and during the day for five, with the remaining rivers showing no pattern. Water transparency was reported for 10 rivers with six being <30 cm or 'low'. Two of these six turbid rivers exhibited significant diel drift patterns. The effect of water transparency on diel drift of larval fishes appears taxa-specific and patterns of abundant taxa could mask patterns of rare taxa when analyzed only at the assemblage level. ?? 2010 Blackwell Verlag, Berlin.

  1. Biogeographic patterns in the cartilaginous fauna (Pisces: Elasmobranchii and Holocephali) in the southeast Pacific Ocean

    PubMed Central

    Vargas-Caro, Carolina; Bennett, Michael B.

    2014-01-01

    The abundance and species richness of the cartilaginous fish community of the continental shelf and slope off central Chile is described, based on fishery-independent trawl tows made in 2006 and 2007. A total of 194,705 specimens comprising 20 species (9 sharks, 10 skates, 1 chimaera) were caught at depths of 100–500 m along a 1,000 km transect between 29.5°S and 39°S. Sample site locations were grouped to represent eight geographical zones within this latitudinal range. Species richness fluctuated from 1 to 6 species per zone. There was no significant latitudinal trend for sharks, but skates showed an increased species richness with latitude. Standardised catch per unit effort (CPUE) increased with increasing depth for sharks, but not for skates, but the observed trend for increasing CPUE with latitude was not significant for either sharks or skates. A change in community composition occurred along the depth gradient with the skates, Psammobatis rudis, Zearaja chilensis and Dipturus trachyderma dominating communities between 100 and 300 m, but small-sized, deep-water dogfishes, such as Centroscyllium spp. dominated the catch between 300 and 500 m. Cluster and ordination analysis identified one widespread assemblage, grouping 58% of sites, and three shallow-water assemblages. Assemblages with low diversity (coldspots) coincided with highly productive fishing grounds for demersal crustaceans and bony fishes. The community distribution suggested that the differences between assemblages may be due to compensatory changes in mesopredator species abundance, as a consequence of continuous and unselective species removal. Distribution patterns and the quantitative assessment of sharks, skates and chimaeras presented here complement extant biogeographic knowledge and further the understanding of deep-water ecosystem dynamics in relation to fishing activity in the south-east Pacific Ocean. PMID:24918036

  2. Biogeographic patterns in the cartilaginous fauna (Pisces: Elasmobranchii and Holocephali) in the southeast Pacific Ocean.

    PubMed

    Bustamante, Carlos; Vargas-Caro, Carolina; Bennett, Michael B

    2014-01-01

    The abundance and species richness of the cartilaginous fish community of the continental shelf and slope off central Chile is described, based on fishery-independent trawl tows made in 2006 and 2007. A total of 194,705 specimens comprising 20 species (9 sharks, 10 skates, 1 chimaera) were caught at depths of 100-500 m along a 1,000 km transect between 29.5°S and 39°S. Sample site locations were grouped to represent eight geographical zones within this latitudinal range. Species richness fluctuated from 1 to 6 species per zone. There was no significant latitudinal trend for sharks, but skates showed an increased species richness with latitude. Standardised catch per unit effort (CPUE) increased with increasing depth for sharks, but not for skates, but the observed trend for increasing CPUE with latitude was not significant for either sharks or skates. A change in community composition occurred along the depth gradient with the skates, Psammobatis rudis, Zearaja chilensis and Dipturus trachyderma dominating communities between 100 and 300 m, but small-sized, deep-water dogfishes, such as Centroscyllium spp. dominated the catch between 300 and 500 m. Cluster and ordination analysis identified one widespread assemblage, grouping 58% of sites, and three shallow-water assemblages. Assemblages with low diversity (coldspots) coincided with highly productive fishing grounds for demersal crustaceans and bony fishes. The community distribution suggested that the differences between assemblages may be due to compensatory changes in mesopredator species abundance, as a consequence of continuous and unselective species removal. Distribution patterns and the quantitative assessment of sharks, skates and chimaeras presented here complement extant biogeographic knowledge and further the understanding of deep-water ecosystem dynamics in relation to fishing activity in the south-east Pacific Ocean.

  3. Biogeochemical control of marine productivity in the Mediterranean Sea during the last 50 years

    PubMed Central

    Macias, Diego; Garcia-Gorriz, Elisa; Piroddi, Chiara; Stips, Adolf

    2014-01-01

    The temporal dynamics of biogeochemical variables derived from a coupled 3-D model of the Mediterranean Sea are evaluated for the last 50 years (1960–2010) against independent data on fisheries catch per unit effort (CPUE) for the same time period. Concordant patterns are found in the time series of all of the biological variables (from the model and from fisheries statistics), with low values at the beginning of the series, a later increase, with maximum levels reached at the end of the 1990s, and a posterior stabilization. Spectral analysis of the annual biological time series reveals coincident low-frequency signals in all of them. The first, more energetic signal peaks around the year 2000, while the second, less energetic signal peaks near 1982. Almost identical low-frequency signals are found in the nutrient loads of the rivers and in the integrated nutrient levels in the surface marine ecosystem. Nitrate concentration shows a maximum level in 1998, with a later stabilization to present-day values, coincident with the first low-frequency signal found in the biological series. Phosphate shows maximum concentrations around 1982 and a posterior sharp decline, in concordance with the second low-frequency signal observed in the biological series. That result seems to indicate that the control of marine productivity (plankton to fish) in the Mediterranean is principally mediated through bottom-up processes that could be traced back to the characteristics of riverine discharges. The high sensitivity of CPUE time series to environmental conditions might be another indicator of the overexploitation of this marine ecosystem. Key Points Biogeochemical evolution of the Mediterranean over the past 50 years River nutrient loads drive primary and secondary productions Strong link between low trophic levels and fisheries PMID:26180286

  4. Fish attraction to artificial reefs not always harmful: a simulation study.

    PubMed

    Smith, James A; Lowry, Michael B; Suthers, Iain M

    2015-10-01

    The debate on whether artificial reefs produce new fish or simply attract existing fish biomass continues due to the difficulty in distinguishing these processes, and there remains considerable doubt as to whether artificial reefs are a harmful form of habitat modification. The harm typically associated with attraction is that fish will be easier to harvest due to the existing biomass aggregating at a newly deployed reef. This outcome of fish attraction has not progressed past an anecdotal form, however, and is always perceived as a harmful process. We present a numerical model that simulates the effect that a redistributed fish biomass, due to an artificial reef, has on fishing catch per unit effort (CPUE). This model can be used to identify the scenarios (in terms of reef, fish, and harvest characteristics) that pose the most risk of exploitation due to fish attraction. The properties of this model were compared to the long-standing predictions by Bohnsack (1989) on the factors that increase the risk or the harm of attraction. Simulations revealed that attraction is not always harmful because it does not always increase maximum fish density. Rather, attraction sometimes disperses existing fish biomass making them harder to catch. Some attraction can be ideal, with CPUE lowest when attraction leads to an equal distribution of biomass between natural and artificial reefs. Simulations also showed that the outcomes from attraction depend on the characteristics of the target fish species, such that transient or pelagic species are often at more risk of harmful attraction than resident species. Our findings generally agree with Bohnsack's predictions, although we recommend distinguishing "mobility" and "fidelity" when identifying species most at risk from attraction, as these traits had great influence on patterns of harvest of attracted fish biomass.

  5. Sylvatic plague vaccine partially protects prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) in field trials

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rocke, Tonie E.; Tripp, Daniel W.; Russell, Robin E.; Abbott, Rachel C.; Richgels, Katherine; Matchett, Marc R.; Biggins, Dean E.; Griebel, Randall; Schroeder, Greg; Grassel, Shaun M.; Pipkin, David R.; Cordova, Jennifer; Kavalunas, Adam; Maxfield, Brian; Boulerice, Jesse; Miller, Michael W.

    2017-01-01

    Sylvatic plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, frequently afflicts prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.), causing population declines and local extirpations. We tested the effectiveness of bait-delivered sylvatic plague vaccine (SPV) in prairie dog colonies on 29 paired placebo and treatment plots (1–59 ha in size; average 16.9 ha) in 7 western states from 2013 to 2015. We compared relative abundance (using catch per unit effort (CPUE) as an index) and apparent survival of prairie dogs on 26 of the 29 paired plots, 12 with confirmed or suspected plague (Y. pestis positive carcasses or fleas). Even though plague mortality occurred in prairie dogs on vaccine plots, SPV treatment had an overall positive effect on CPUE in all three years, regardless of plague status. Odds of capturing a unique animal were 1.10 (95% confidence interval [C.I.] 1.02–1.19) times higher per trap day on vaccine-treated plots than placebo plots in 2013, 1.47 (95% C.I. 1.41–1.52) times higher in 2014 and 1.19 (95% C.I. 1.13–1.25) times higher in 2015. On pairs where plague occurred, odds of apparent survival were 1.76 (95% Bayesian credible interval [B.C.I.] 1.28–2.43) times higher on vaccine plots than placebo plots for adults and 2.41 (95% B.C.I. 1.72–3.38) times higher for juveniles. Our results provide evidence that consumption of vaccine-laden baits can protect prairie dogs against plague; however, further evaluation and refinement are needed to optimize SPV use as a management tool.

  6. Influence of the hydrodynamic conditions on the accessibility of Aristeus antennatus and other demersal species to the deep water trawl fishery off the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amores, Angel; Rueda, Lucía; Monserrat, Sebastià; Guijarro, Beatriz; Pasqual, Catalina; Massutí, Enric

    2014-10-01

    Monthly catches per unit of effort (CPUE) of adult red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus), reported in the deep water bottom trawl fishery developed on the Sóller fishing ground off northern Mallorca (Western Mediterranean), and the mean ocean surface vorticity in the surrounding areas are compared between 2000 and 2010. A good correlation is found between the rises in the surrounding surface vorticity and the drops in the CPUE of the adult red shrimp. This correlation could be explained by assuming that most of the surface vorticity episodes could reach the bottom, increasing the seabed velocities and producing sediment resuspension, which could affect the near bottom water turbidity. A. antennatus would respond to this increased turbidity disappearing from the fishing grounds, probably moving downwards to the deeper waters. This massive displacement of red shrimp specimens away from the fishing grounds would consequently decrease their accessibility to fishing exploitation. Similar although more intense responses have been observed during the downslope shelf dense water current episodes that occurred in a submarine canyon, northeast of the Iberian peninsula. The proposed mechanism suggesting how the surface vorticity observed can affect the bottom sediments is investigated using a year-long moored near-bottom current meter and a sediment trap moored near the fishing grounds. The relationship between vorticity and catches is also explored for fish species (Galeus melastomus, Micromesistius poutassou, Phycis blennoides) and other crustacean (Geryon longipes and Nephrops norvegicus), considered as by-catch of the deep water fishery in the area. Results appear to support the suggestion that the water turbidity generated by the vorticity episodes is significant enough to affect the dynamics of the demersal species.

  7. Nursery use of shallow habitats by epibenthic fishes in Maine nearshore waters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lazzari, M. A.; Sherman, S.; Kanwit, J. K.

    2003-01-01

    Species richness and abundance of epibenthic fishes were quantified with daytime beam trawl tows in shallow water habitats during April-November 2000 of three mid-coast Maine estuaries: Casco Bay, Muscongus Bay and the Weskeag River. Five shallow (<10 m) habitats were sampled, Zostera marina, Laminaria longicruris, Phyllophora sp., Microciona prolifera and unvegetated sandy areas. Thirty-two species of fishes were collected. Species richness per tow was greater in Casco Bay followed by the Weskeag River and Muscongus Bay. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) of fishes was greater in Casco Bay than in the Weskeag River or Muscongus Bay. Species richness and faunal abundances were positively associated with vegetation, particularly Zostera, at all sampling locations. CPUEs of fishes were higher in Zostera primarily due to the abundance of Gasterosteus aculeatus, Apeltes quadracus, Pungitius pungitius, Myoxocephalus aenaeus, and Cylcopterus lumpus. The fish community of mid-coast estuaries was dominated by young-of-the-year (YOY) and juvenile fishes and all of the habitat types function as nursery areas. Twelve species (38%) of commercial and recreational importance were collected in the three estuaries, but the percentage was higher in Casco Bay (44%) and the Weskeag River (46%). These species included Anguilla rostrata, Clupea harengus, Gadus morhua, Microgadus tomcod, Pollachius virens, Urophycis chuss, Urophycis regia, Urophycis tenuis, Osmerus mordax, Macrozoarces americanus, Tautogolabrus adspersus, and Pleuronectes americanus. Four species, G. morhua, M. tomcod, P. virens, and U. tenuis were more common in spring than summer or autumn. P. americanus was most abundant in summer followed by spring and autumn. This study documents the importance of shallow estuarine areas in Maine as nurseries for these species.

  8. [Relationship between fishing grounds temporal-spatial distribution of Thunnus obesus and thermocline characteristics in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean].

    PubMed

    Yang, Sheng Long; Wu, Yu Mei; Zhang, Bian Bian; Zhang, Yu; Fan, Wei; Jin, Shao Fei; Dai, Yang

    2017-01-01

    A thermocline characteristics contour on a spatial overlay map was plotted using data collected on a monthly basis from Argo buoys and data of monthly CPUE (catch per unit effort) bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) long-lines fishery from the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) to evaluate the relationship between fishing grounds temporal-spatial distribution of bigeye tuna and thermocline characteristics in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). In addition, Numerical methods were used to calculate the optimum ranges of thermocline characteristics of the central fishing grounds. The results showed that the central fishing grounds were mainly distributed between 10° N and 10° S. Seasonal fishing grounds in the south of equator were related to the seasonal variations in the upper boundary temperature, depth and thickness of thermocline. The fishing grounds were observed in areas where the upper boundary depth of thermocline was deep (70-100 m) and the thermocline thickness was more than 60 m. The CPUE tended to be low in area where the thermocline thickness was less than 40 m. The optimum upper boundary temperature range for distribution was 26-29 ℃, and the CPUE was mostly lower than the threshold value (Q3) of central fishing grounds when the temperature was higher than 29 ℃ or lower than 26 ℃. The temporal and spatial distribution of the fishing grounds was influenced by the seasonal variations in upper boundary depth and thermocline thickness. The central fishing grounds in the south of equator disappeared when the upper boundary depth of thermocline decreased and thermocline thickness became thinner. The lower boundary temperature and depth of thermocline and thermocline strength has little variation, but were strongly linked to the location of fishing grounds. The fishing grounds were mainly located between the two high-value zones of the lower boundary depth of thermocline, where the temperature was lower than 13 ℃ and the strength was high. When the depth was more than 300 m or less than 150 m, the lower boundary temperature was more than 17 ℃, or the strength was low, the CPUE tended to be low. The optimum range of thermocline characteristics was calculated using frequency analysis and empirical cumulative distribution function. The results showed that the optimum ranges for upper boundary thermocline temperature and depth were 26-29 ℃ and 70-110 m, the optimum lower boundary thermocline temperature and depth ranges were 11-13 ℃ and 200-280 m, the optimum ranges for thermocline thickness and thermocline strength were 50-90 m and 0.1-0.16 ℃·m -1 , respectively. The paper documented the distribution interval of thermocline characteristics for central fishing ground of the bigeye tuna in WCPO. The results provided a reference for improving the efficiency of pelagic bigeye tuna fishing operation and tuna resource management in WCPO.

  9. Diel distribution of age-0 largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, in B. E. Jordan Lake, North Carolina (USA) and its relation to cover

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Irwin, E.R.; Noble, R.L.

    2000-01-01

    We used prepositioned area electrofishers (PAEs, 10X1.5 m) to assess diel differences in distribution of age-0 largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, in August 1992-1993 in a paired sampling design. PAEs were placed parallel to shore in an embayment of an unvegetated reservoir (B. E. Jordan Lake, North Carolina, USA). The catch per unit effort (CPUE=fish/PAE) was significantly higher at night than during the day in both years, indicating that age-0 largemouth bass exhibit nocturnal inshore movements. Age-0 largemouth bass captured inshore during day were smaller than those captured at night, indicating that movement patterns may change ontogenetically. Inshore-offshore movements of age-0 largemouth bass were significantly reduced in the presence of cover, suggesting that diel movements were influenced by specific habitat components. Diel movements likely were related to foraging, resting and predator avoidance behavior and could affect population dynamics and introduce bias in assessment programs.

  10. Effects of pool formation and flash flooding on relative abundance of young-of-year flannelmouth suckers in the Paria River, Arizona

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thieme, Michele L.; McIvor, Carole; Brouder, Mark J.; Hoffnagle, Timothy L.

    2001-01-01

    Flannelmouth sucker, Catostomus latipinnis, a fish endemic to the Colorado River basin in the western United States, appears to experience poor recruitment to adult size in the Colorado River, downstream of Glen Canyon Dam. Lack or impermanence of rearing areas for young-of-year (YOY) fish is hypothesized to be the problem. Knowing the importance of tributary mouths as rearing areas in other river systems, we studied use of the mouth of the Paria River, a tributary of the Colorado River, by YOY flannelmouth suckers, and the availability of rearing area in the mouth at different flow levels in the Colorado River in 1996 and 1997. We also examined the relationship between flash floods in the Paria River and catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) of YOY in the Paria River between 1991 and 1996.Maximum mean daily discharge in the Paria River was inversely correlated with CPUE of YOY flannelmouth suckers (Spearman Rho=−0.9856, p=0.0003) during their critical rearing period (15 March–30 June). Thus, it appears that YOY flannelmouth suckers rear longer in the Paria River in years when flash flooding is minimal.Recruitment of YOY flannelmouth suckers at the Paria River may also be improved by enhancing pool formation during spring and summer rearing seasons. YOY flannelmouth sucker was captured in a pool created by high Colorado River flows (≥336 m3/s) that inundated the mouth of the Paria River during spring and summer, 1996. In 1997, high flows (about 550–750 m3/s) in the Colorado River during winter and spring initially inundated the Paria River and formed a pool in the mouth. However, these high flows eventually caused 0.5–1.0 m of suspended sediment from the incoming Paria River to deposit in the mouth. Thus, despite higher flows than 1996, the slackwater area formed only occasionally in 1997. Differences in pool formation between 1996 and 1997 demonstrate that pool formation cannot be inferred solely from Colorado River flows. 

  11. Analysis of habitat characteristics of small pelagic fish based on generalized additive models in Kepulauan Seribu Waters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rivai, A. A.; Siregar, V. P.; Agus, S. B.; Yasuma, H.

    2018-03-01

    One of the required information for sustainable fisheries management is about the habitat characteristics of a fish species. This information can be used to map the distribution of fish and map the potential fishing ground. This study aimed to analyze the habitat characteristics of small pelagic fishes (anchovy, squid, sardine and scads) which were mainly caught by lift net in Kepulauan Seribu waters. Research on habitat characteristics had been widely done, but the use of total suspended solid (TSS) parameters in this analysis is still lacking. TSS parameter which was extracted from Landsat 8 along with five other oceanographic parameters, CPUE data and location of fishing ground data from lift net fisheries in Kepulauan Seribu were included in this analysis. This analysis used Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) to evaluate the relationship between CPUE and oceanographic parameters. The results of the analysis showed that each fish species had different habitat characteristics. TSS and sea surface height had a great influence on the value of CPUE from each species. All the oceanographic parameters affected the CPUE of each species. This study demonstrated the effective use of GAMs to identify the essential habitat of a fish species.

  12. Maximum sustainable yield estimates of Ladypees, Sillago sihama (Forsskål), fishery in Pakistan using the ASPIC and CEDA packages

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Panhwar, Sher Khan; Liu, Qun; Khan, Fozia; Siddiqui, Pirzada J. A.

    2012-03-01

    Using surplus production model packages of ASPIC (a stock-production model incorporating covariates) and CEDA (Catch effort data analysis), we analyzed the catch and effort data of Sillago sihama fishery in Pakistan. ASPIC estimates the parameters of MSY (maximum sustainable yield), F msy (fishing mortality), q (catchability coefficient), K (carrying capacity or unexploited biomass) and B1/K (maximum sustainable yield over initial biomass). The estimated non-bootstrapped value of MSY based on logistic was 598 t and that based on the Fox model was 415 t, which showed that the Fox model estimation was more conservative than that with the logistic model. The R 2 with the logistic model (0.702) is larger than that with the Fox model (0.541), which indicates a better fit. The coefficient of variation (cv) of the estimated MSY was about 0.3, except for a larger value 88.87 and a smaller value of 0.173. In contrast to the ASPIC results, the R 2 with the Fox model (0.651-0.692) was larger than that with the Schaefer model (0.435-0.567), indicating a better fit. The key parameters of CEDA are: MSY, K, q, and r (intrinsic growth), and the three error assumptions in using the models are normal, log normal and gamma. Parameter estimates from the Schaefer and Pella-Tomlinson models were similar. The MSY estimations from the above two models were 398 t, 549 t and 398 t for normal, log-normal and gamma error distributions, respectively. The MSY estimates from the Fox model were 381 t, 366 t and 366 t for the above three error assumptions, respectively. The Fox model estimates were smaller than those for the Schaefer and the Pella-Tomlinson models. In the light of the MSY estimations of 415 t from ASPIC for the Fox model and 381 t from CEDA for the Fox model, MSY for S. sihama is about 400 t. As the catch in 2003 was 401 t, we would suggest the fishery should be kept at the current level. Production models used here depend on the assumption that CPUE (catch per unit effort) data used in the study can reliably quantify temporal variability in population abundance, hence the modeling results would be wrong if such an assumption is not met. Because the reliability of this CPUE data in indexing fish population abundance is unknown, we should be cautious with the interpretation and use of the derived population and management parameters.

  13. Improved exploration of fishery resources through the integration of remotely sensed merged sea level anomaly, chlorophyll concentration, and sea surface temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Priya, R. Kanmani Shanmuga; Balaguru, B.; Ramakrishnan, S.

    2013-10-01

    The capabilities of evolving satellite remote sensing technology, combined with conventional data collection techniques, provide a powerful tool for efficient and cost effective management of living marine resources. Fishes are the valuable living marine resources producing food, profit and pleasure to the human community. Variations in oceanic condition play a role in natural fluctuations of fish stocks. The Satellite Altimeter derived Merged Sea Level Anomaly(MSLA) results in the better understanding of ocean variability and mesosclae oceanography and provides good possibility to reveal the zones of high dynamic activity. This study comprised the synergistic analysis of signatures of SEAWIFS derived chlorophyll concentration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer(NOAA-AVHRR) derived Sea Surface Temperature and the monthly Merged Sea Level Anomaly data derived from Topex/Poseidon, Jason-1 and ERS-1 Altimeters for the past 7 years during the period from 1998 to 2004. The overlapping Chlorophyll, SST and MSLA were suggested for delineating Potential Fishing Zones (PFZs). The Chlorophyll and SST data set were found to have influenced by short term persistence from days to week while MSLA signatures of respective features persisted for longer duration. Hence, the study used Altimeter derived MSLA as an index for long term variability detection of fish catches along with Chlorophyll and SST images and the maps showing PFZs of the study area were generated. The real time Fishing statistics of the same duration were procured from FSI Mumbai. The catch contours were generated with respect to peak spectra of chlorophyll variation and trough spectra of MSLA and SST variation. The vice- a- versa patterns were observed in the poor catch contours. The Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) for each fishing trail was calculated to normalize the fish catch. Based on the statistical analysis the actual CPUEs were classified at each probable MSLA depth zones and plotted on the same images.

  14. Redistribution of benefits but not detection in a fisheries bycatch-reduction management initiative.

    PubMed

    McClanahan, T R; Kosgei, J K

    2018-02-01

    Reducing the capture of small fish, discarded fish, and bycatch is a primary concern of fisheries managers who propose to maintain high yields, species diversity, and ecosystem functions. Modified fishing gear is one of the primary ways to reduce by-catch and capture of small fish. The outcomes of gear modification may depend on competition among fishers using other similar resources and other gears in the same fishing grounds and the subsequent adoption or abandonment of modified gears by fishers. We evaluated adoption of modified gear, catch size, catch per unit effort (CPUE), yield, and fisher incomes in a coral reef fishery in which a 3-cm escape gap was introduced into traditional traps. There were 26.1 (SD 4.9) fishers who used the experimental landing sites and 228(SD 15.7) fishers who used the control landing sites annually over 7 years. The size of fish increased by 10.6% in the modified traps, but the catch of smaller fish increased by 11.2% among the other gears. There was no change in the overall CPUE, yields, or per area incomes; rather, yield benefits were redistributed in favor of the unmodified gears. For example, estimated incomes of fishers who adopted the modified traps remained unchanged but increased for net and spear fishers. Fishers using escape-gap traps had a high proportion of income from larger fish, which may have led to a perception of benefits, high status, and no abandonment of the modified traps. The commensal rather than competitive outcome may explain the continued use of escape-gap traps 3 years after their introduction. Trap fishers showed an interest in negotiating other management improvements, such as increased mesh sizes for nets, which could ultimately catalyze community-level decisions and restrictions that could increase their profits. © 2017 Society for Conservation Biology.

  15. Positive Catch & Economic Benefits of Periodic Octopus Fishery Closures: Do Effective, Narrowly Targeted Actions ‘Catalyze’ Broader Management?

    PubMed Central

    Oliver, Thomas A.; Oleson, Kirsten L. L.; Ratsimbazafy, Hajanaina; Raberinary, Daniel; Benbow, Sophie; Harris, Alasdair

    2015-01-01

    Overview Eight years of octopus fishery records from southwest Madagascar reveal significant positive impacts from 36 periodic closures on: (a) fishery catches and (b) village fishery income, such that (c) economic benefits from increased landings outweigh costs of foregone catch. Closures covered ~20% of a village’s fished area and lasted 2-7 months. Fishery Catches from Each Closed Site Octopus landings and catch per unit effort (CPUE) significantly increased in the 30 days following a closure’s reopening, relative to the 30 days before a closure (landings: +718%, p<0.0001; CPUE: +87%, p<0.0001; n = 36). Open-access control sites showed no before/after change when they occurred independently of other management (“no ban”, n = 17/36). On the other hand, open-access control sites showed modest catch increases when they extended a 6-week seasonal fishery shutdown (“ban”, n = 19/36). The seasonal fishery shutdown affects the entire region, so confound all potential control sites. Fishery Income in Implementing Villages In villages implementing a closure, octopus fishery income doubled in the 30 days after a closure, relative to 30 days before (+132%, p<0.001, n = 28). Control villages not implementing a closure showed no increase in income after “no ban” closures and modest increases after “ban” closures. Villages did not show a significant decline in income during closure events. Net Economic Benefits from Each Closed Site Landings in closure sites generated more revenue than simulated landings assuming continued open-access fishing at that site (27/36 show positive net earnings; mean +$305/closure; mean +57.7% monthly). Benefits accrued faster than local fishers’ time preferences during 17-27 of the 36 closures. High reported rates of illegal fishing during closures correlated with poor economic performance. Broader Co-Management We discuss the implications of our findings for broader co-management arrangements, particularly for catalyzing more comprehensive management. PMID:26083862

  16. Year-class formation of upper St. Lawrence River northern pike

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Smith, B.M.; Farrell, J.M.; Underwood, H.B.; Smith, S.J.

    2007-01-01

    Variables associated with year-class formation in upper St. Lawrence River northern pike Esox lucius were examined to explore population trends. A partial least-squares (PLS) regression model (PLS 1) was used to relate a year-class strength index (YCSI; 1974-1997) to explanatory variables associated with spawning and nursery areas (seasonal water level and temperature and their variability, number of ice days, and last day of ice presence). A second model (PLS 2) incorporated four additional ecological variables: potential predators (abundance of double-crested cormorants Phalacrocorax auritus and yellow perch Perca flavescens), female northern pike biomass (as a measure of stock-recruitment effects), and total phosphorus (productivity). Trends in adult northern pike catch revealed a decline (1981-2005), and year-class strength was positively related to catch per unit effort (CPUE; R2 = 0.58). The YCSI exceeded the 23-year mean in only 2 of the last 10 years. Cyclic patterns in the YCSI time series (along with strong year-classes every 4-6 years) were apparent, as was a dampening effect of amplitude beginning around 1990. The PLS 1 model explained over 50% of variation in both explanatory variables and the dependent variable, YCSI first-order moving-average residuals. Variables retained (N = 10; Wold's statistic ??? 0.8) included negative YCSI associations with high summer water levels, high variability in spring and fall water levels, and variability in fall water temperature. The YCSI exhibited positive associations with high spring, summer, and fall water temperature, variability in spring temperature, and high winter and spring water level. The PLS 2 model led to positive YCSI associations with phosphorus and yellow perch CPUE and a negative correlation with double-crested cormorant abundance. Environmental variables (water level and temperature) are hypothesized to regulate northern pike YCSI cycles, and dampening in YCSI magnitude may be related to a combination of factors, including wetland habitat changes, reduced nutrient loading, and increased predation by double-crested cormorants. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2007.

  17. Using data from an encounter sampler to model fish dispersal

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Obaza, A.; DeAngelis, D.L.; Trexler, J.C.

    2011-01-01

    A method to estimate speed of free-ranging fishes using a passive sampling device is described and illustrated with data from the Everglades, U.S.A. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) from minnow traps embedded in drift fences was treated as an encounter rate and used to estimate speed, when combined with an independent estimate of density obtained by use of throw traps that enclose 1 m2 of marsh habitat. Underwater video was used to evaluate capture efficiency and species-specific bias of minnow traps and two sampling studies were used to estimate trap saturation and diel-movement patterns; these results were used to optimize sampling and derive correction factors to adjust species-specific encounter rates for bias and capture efficiency. Sailfin mollies Poecilia latipinna displayed a high frequency of escape from traps, whereas eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki were most likely to avoid a trap once they encountered it; dollar sunfish Lepomis marginatus were least likely to avoid the trap once they encountered it or to escape once they were captured. Length of sampling and time of day affected CPUE; fishes generally had a very low retention rate over a 24 h sample time and only the Everglades pygmy sunfish Elassoma evergladei were commonly captured at night. Dispersal speed of fishes in the Florida Everglades, U.S.A., was shown to vary seasonally and among species, ranging from 0.05 to 0.15 m s-1 for small poeciliids and fundulids to 0.1 to 1.8 m s-1 for L. marginatus. Speed was generally highest late in the wet season and lowest in the dry season, possibly tied to dispersal behaviours linked to finding and remaining in dry-season refuges. These speed estimates can be used to estimate the diffusive movement rate, which is commonly employed in spatial ecological models.

  18. Assessing the relative importance of local and regional processes on the survival of a threatened salmon population.

    PubMed

    Miller, Jessica A; Teel, David J; Peterson, William T; Baptista, Antonio M

    2014-01-01

    Research on regulatory mechanisms in biological populations often focuses on environmental covariates. An integrated approach that combines environmental indices with organismal-level information can provide additional insight on regulatory mechanisms. Survival of spring/summer Snake River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) is consistently low whereas some adjacent populations with similar life histories experience greater survival. It is not known if populations with differential survival respond similarly during early marine residence, a critical period in the life history. Ocean collections, genetic stock identification, and otolith analyses were combined to evaluate the growth-mortality and match-mismatch hypotheses during early marine residence of spring/summer Snake River Chinook salmon. Interannual variation in juvenile attributes, including size at marine entry and marine growth rate, was compared with estimates of survival and physical and biological metrics. Multiple linear regression and multi-model inference were used to evaluate the relative importance of biological and physical metrics in explaining interannual variation in survival. There was relatively weak support for the match-mismatch hypothesis and stronger evidence for the growth-mortality hypothesis. Marine growth and size at capture were strongly, positively related to survival, a finding similar to spring Chinook salmon from the Mid-Upper Columbia River. In hindcast models, basin-scale indices (Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO)) and biological indices (juvenile salmon catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and a copepod community index (CCI)) accounted for substantial and similar portions of variation in survival for juvenile emigration years 1998-2008 (R2>0.70). However, in forecast models for emigration years 2009-2011, there was an increasing discrepancy between predictions based on the PDO (50-448% of observed value) compared with those based on the NPGO (68-212%) or biological indices (CPUE and CCI: 83-172%). Overall, the PDO index was remarkably informative in earlier years but other basin-scale and biological indices provided more accurate indications of survival in recent years.

  19. Sustainability and comanagement of subsistence hunting in an indigenous reserve in Guyana.

    PubMed

    Shaffer, Christopher A; Milstein, Marissa S; Yukuma, Charakura; Marawanaru, Elisha; Suse, Phillip

    2017-10-01

    Although hunting is a key component of subsistence strategies of many Amazonians, it is also one of the greatest threats to wildlife. Because indigenous reserves comprise over 20% of Amazonia, effective conservation often requires that conservation professionals work closely with indigenous groups to manage resource use. We used hunter-generated harvesting data in spatially explicit biodemographic models to assess the sustainability of subsistence hunting of indigenous Waiwai in Guyana. We collected data through a hunter self-monitoring program, systematic follows of hunters, and semistructured interviews. We used these data to predict future densities of 2 indicator species, spider monkeys (Ateles paniscus) and bearded sakis (Chiropotes sagulatus), under different scenarios of human population expansion and changing hunting technology. We used encounter rates from transect surveys and hunter catch-per-unit effort (CPUE) to validate model predictions. Paca (Cuniculus paca) (198 /year), Currosaw (Crax alector) (168), and spider monkey (117) were the most frequently harvested species. Predicted densities of spider monkeys were statistically indistinguishable from empirically derived transect data (Kolmogorov-Smirnov D = 0.67, p = 0.759) and CPUE (D = 0.32, p = 1.000), demonstrating the robustness of model predictions. Ateles paniscus and C. sagulatus were predicted to be extirpated from <13% of the Waiwai reserve in 20 years, even under the most intensive hunting scenarios. Our results suggest Waiwai hunting is currently sustainable, primarily due to their low population density and use of bow and arrow. Continual monitoring is necessary, however, particularly if human population increases are accompanied by a switch to shotgun-only hunting. We suggest that hunter self-monitoring and biodemographic modeling can be used effectively in a comanagement approach in which indigenous parabiologists continuously provide hunting data that is then used to update model parameters and validate model predictions. © 2017 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

  20. The use of Local Ecological Knowledge as a complementary approach to understand the temporal and spatial patterns of fishery resources distribution.

    PubMed

    Lima, Mauro Sergio Pinheiro; Oliveira, Jorge Eduardo Lins; de Nóbrega, Marcelo Francisco; Lopes, Priscila Fabiana Macedo

    2017-06-01

    Acquiring fast and accurate information on ecological patterns of fishery resources is a basic first step for their management. However, some countries may lack the technical and/or the financial means to undergo traditional scientific samplings to get such information; therefore affordable and reliable alternatives need to be sought. We compared two different approaches to identify occurrence patterns and catch for three main fish species caught with bottom-set gillnets used by artisanal fishers from northeast Brazil: (1) scientific on-board record data of small-scale fleet (n = 72 trips), and (2) interviews with small-scale fishers on Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) (n = 32 interviews). We correlated (Pearson correlations) the months cited by fishers (LEK) as belonging to the rainy or to the dry season with observed periods of higher and lower precipitation (SK). The presence of the three main fish species at different depths was compared between LEK and SK by Spearman correlations. Spearman correlations were also used to compare the depths of greatest abundance (with the highest Capture per Unit Effort - CPUE) of these species; the CPUEs were descendly ordered. Both methods provided similar and complementary bathymetric patterns of species occurrence and catch. The largest catches occured in deeper areas, which also happened to be less intensively fished. The preference for fishing in shallower and less productive areas was mostly due to environmental factors, such as weaker currents and less drifting algae at such depths. Both on-board and interview methods were accurate and brought complementary information, even though fishers provided faster data when compared to scientific on-board observations. When time and funding are not limited, integrative approaches such as the one presented here are likely the best option to obtain information, otherwise fishers' LEK could be a better choice for when a compromise between speed, reliability and cost needs to be reached.

  1. Patterns of Coral-Reef Finfish Species Disappearances Inferred from Fishers’ Knowledge in Global Epicentre of Marine Shorefish Diversity

    PubMed Central

    Mill, Aileen C.; Rushton, Stephen P.; Stead, Selina M.

    2016-01-01

    In the Philippines, very high fishing pressure coincides with the globally greatest number of shorefish species, yet no long-term fisheries data are available to explore species-level changes that may have occurred widely in the most species rich and vulnerable marine ecosystem, namely coral reefs. Through 2655 face-to-face interviews conducted between August 2012 and July 2014, we used fishers’ recall of past catch rates of reef-associated finfish to infer species disappearances from catches in five marine key biodiversity areas (Lanuza Bay, Danajon Bank, Verde Island Passage, Polillo Islands and Honda Bay). We modeled temporal trends in perceived catch per unit effort (CPUE) based on fishers’ reports of typical good days’ catches using Generalized Linear Mixed Modelling. Fifty-nine different finfish disappeared from catches between the 1950s and 2014; 42 fish were identified to species level, two to genus, seven to family and eight to local name only. Five species occurring at all sites with the greatest number of fishers reporting zero catches were the green bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum), humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), African pompano (Alectis ciliaris), giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) and mangrove red snapper (Lutjanus argentimaculatus). Between the 1950s and 2014, the mean perceived CPUE of bumphead parrotfish declined by 88%, that of humphead wrasse by 82%, African pompano by 66%, giant grouper by 74% and mangrove red snapper by 64%. These declines were mainly associated with excess and uncontrolled fishing, fish life-history traits like maximum body size and socio-economic factors like access to market infrastructure and services, and overpopulation. The fishers’ knowledge is indicative of extirpations where evidence for these losses was otherwise lacking. Our models provide information as basis for area-based conservation and regional resource management particularly for the more vulnerable, once common, large, yet wide-ranging reef finfish species. PMID:27191602

  2. Estimating time-based instantaneous total mortality rate based on the age-structured abundance index

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yingbin; Jiao, Yan

    2015-05-01

    The instantaneous total mortality rate ( Z) of a fish population is one of the important parameters in fisheries stock assessment. The estimation of Z is crucial to fish population dynamics analysis, abundance and catch forecast, and fisheries management. A catch curve-based method for estimating time-based Z and its change trend from catch per unit effort (CPUE) data of multiple cohorts is developed. Unlike the traditional catch-curve method, the method developed here does not need the assumption of constant Z throughout the time, but the Z values in n continuous years are assumed constant, and then the Z values in different n continuous years are estimated using the age-based CPUE data within these years. The results of the simulation analyses show that the trends of the estimated time-based Z are consistent with the trends of the true Z, and the estimated rates of change from this approach are close to the true change rates (the relative differences between the change rates of the estimated Z and the true Z are smaller than 10%). Variations of both Z and recruitment can affect the estimates of Z value and the trend of Z. The most appropriate value of n can be different given the effects of different factors. Therefore, the appropriate value of n for different fisheries should be determined through a simulation analysis as we demonstrated in this study. Further analyses suggested that selectivity and age estimation are also two factors that can affect the estimated Z values if there is error in either of them, but the estimated change rates of Z are still close to the true change rates. We also applied this approach to the Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua) fishery of eastern Newfoundland and Labrador from 1983 to 1997, and obtained reasonable estimates of time-based Z.

  3. Population synchrony of a native fish across three Laurentian Great Lakes: Evaluating the effects of dispersal and climate

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bunnell, D.B.; Adams, J.V.; Gorman, O.T.; Madenjian, C.P.; Riley, S.C.; Roseman, E.F.; Schaeffer, J.S.

    2010-01-01

    Climate and dispersal are the two most commonly cited mechanisms to explain spatial synchrony among time series of animal populations, and climate is typically most important for fishes. Using data from 1978-2006, we quantified the spatial synchrony in recruitment and population catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) for bloater (Coregonus hoyi) populations across lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron. In this natural field experiment, climate was highly synchronous across lakes but the likelihood of dispersal between lakes differed. When data from all lakes were pooled, modified correlograms revealed spatial synchrony to occur up to 800 km for long-term (data not detrended) trends and up to 600 km for short-term (data detrended by the annual rate of change) trends. This large spatial synchrony more than doubles the scale previously observed in freshwater fish populations, and exceeds the scale found in most marine or estuarine populations. When analyzing the data separately for within- and between-lake pairs, spatial synchrony was always observed within lakes, up to 400 or 600 km. Conversely, between-lake synchrony did not occur among short-term trends, and for long-term trends, the scale of synchrony was highly variable. For recruit CPUE, synchrony occurred up to 600 km between both lakes Michigan and Huron (where dispersal was most likely) and lakes Michigan and Superior (where dispersal was least likely), but failed to occur between lakes Huron and Superior (where dispersal likelihood was intermediate). When considering the scale of putative bloater dispersal and genetic information from previous studies, we concluded that dispersal was likely underlying within-lake synchrony but climate was more likely underlying between-lake synchrony. The broad scale of synchrony in Great Lakes bloater populations increases their probability of extirpation, a timely message for fishery managers given current low levels of bloater abundance. ?? Springer-Verlag 2009.

  4. Inter-annual variability in apparent relative production, survival, and growth of juvenile Lost River and shortnose suckers in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, 2001–15

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burdick, Summer M.; Martin, Barbara A.

    2017-06-15

    Executive SummaryPopulations of the once abundant Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) of the Upper Klamath Basin, decreased so substantially throughout the 20th century that they were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1988. Major landscape alterations, deterioration of water quality, and competition with and predation by exotic species are listed as primary causes of the decreases in populations. Upper Klamath Lake populations are decreasing because fish lost due to adult mortality, which is relatively low for adult Lost River suckers and variable for adult shortnose suckers, are not replaced by new young adult suckers recruiting into known adult spawning aggregations. Catch-at-age and size data indicate that most adult suckers presently in Upper Klamath Lake spawning populations were hatched around 1991. While, a lack of egg production and emigration of young fish (especially larvae) may contribute, catch-at-length and age data indicate high mortality during the first summer or winter of life may be the primary limitation to the recruitment of young adults. The causes of juvenile sucker mortality are unknown.We compiled and analyzed catch, length, age, and species data on juvenile suckers from Upper Klamath Lake from eight prior studies conducted from 2001 to 2015 to examine annual variation in apparent production, survival, and growth of young suckers. We used a combination of qualitative assessments, general linear models, and linear regression to make inferences about annual differences in juvenile sucker dynamics. The intent of this exercise is to provide information that can be compared to annual variability in environmental conditions with the hopes of understanding what drives juvenile sucker population dynamics.Age-0 Lost River suckers generally grew faster than age-0 shortnose suckers, but the difference in growth rates between the two species varied among years. This unsynchronized annual variation in daily growth may be an indication that environmental conditions are affecting growth rates of these species in different ways.The combined evidence outlined in this report and in Simon and others (2012) indicates that years of relatively high age-0 sucker production occurred in the late 1990s through at least 2000, in 2006, and in 2011. Our analysis of annual age-0 sucker catch per unit effort (CPUE), which accounted for zero inflated data and annual variation in sampling gears and locations, indicated that 2006 had the greatest apparent relative production of age-0 suckers ≥ 45 mm standard length (SL) during the time period examined. Midsummer trap net effort by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was too sparse to examine age-0 sucker CPUE from 2011 to 2013. Relatively frequent catches of age-1 suckers in 2001, 2007, and 2012 corroborated relatively high CPUE for age-0 suckers during 1999–2000, 2006, and 2011, as reported by USGS or Simon and others (2012).There were several indications in the data that juvenile sucker survival is low from at least midsummer of the first year of life through mid-September of the second year of life. Our estimated index of relative apparent age-0 sucker late-summer survival, which accounted for zero inflated data and variations in sampling gears and locations, was higher in 2009 than in 2004. Our index of apparent age-0 sucker mortality for all other years from 2001 to 2015 was similar among years. Seventy-five percent of age-1 suckers were captured prior to July 17 each year. In 2007, the one year with substantial age-1 sucker summertime catches, the proportion of nets to capture age-1 suckers decreased from July to mid-September. Maximum annual age-2+ sucker CPUE was 0.02 fish per net, 10,000 times less than the maximum annual age-0 sucker CPUE.Analysis of species data indicated that juvenile Lost River suckers may have greater apparent mortality than shortnose suckers. Lost River suckers made up a smaller proportion of age-0 suckers captured in July each year than would be expected, based on the abundance of adult Lost River suckers relative to shortnose suckers, and higher Lost River than shortnose sucker fecundity. The proportion of age-0 suckers captured that were Lost River suckers decreased from July to September in several years. Only 14 percent of age-1 or older juvenile suckers identified to species over the 15-year time period were Lost River suckers.

  5. Community structure of the ichthyofauna associated with seagrass beds in Formoso River estuary - Pernambuco, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Pereira, Pedro H C; Ferreira, Beatrice P; Rezende, Sérgio M

    2010-09-01

    Seagrass beds are used by juvenile fishes in different ways, generally as nursery sites, shelter from predators, reducing competition and increasing availability of food resources, thus establishing a relationship of connectivity with other ecosystems. In the present study, the community structure of the ichthyofauna associated with seagrass beds on the Formoso River (Pernambuco - Brazil) was evaluated during the winter of 2008. Twenty-seven manual trawls (15 daytime and 12 nighttime) were performed, and a total of 358 fishes belonging to 18 families, 21 genus and 25 species were collected. The Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) by trawling average was 13.5 and 4.95 individuals per species per trawl. The most abundant families were Scaridae (n = 111), Tetraodontidae (n = 63), Lutjanidae (n = 56), Mullidae (n = 39) and Engraulidae (n = 19). Ecological indices for dial changes were always higher for the night period, confirming that such areas are used more frequently during this period. The need for measures to conserve these areas is emphasized, by its importance and vulnerability to human impacts.

  6. Spatial and temporal variation in artisanal catches of dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus off north-eastern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Nóbrega, M F; Kinas, P G; Lessa, R; Ferrandis, E

    2015-02-01

    The sampling of fish from the artisanal fleet operating with surface lines off north-eastern Brazil was carried out between 1998 and 2000. Generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to standardize mean abundance indices using catch and fishing effort data on dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus and to identify abundance trends in time and space, using 1215 surface line deployments. A standard relative abundance index (catch per unit effort, CPUE) was estimated for the most frequent vessels used in the sets, employing factors and coefficients generated in the GLMs. According to the models, C. hippurus catches are affected by the operating characteristics and power of different fishing vessels. These differences highlight the need for standardization of catch and effort data for artisanal fisheries. The highest mean abundance values for C. hippurus were off the state of Rio Grande do Norte, with an increasing tendency in areas with greater depths and more distant from the coast, reaching maximal values in areas whose depths range from 200 to 500 m. The highest mean abundance values occurred between April and June. The higher estimated abundance of C. hippurus in this period off the state of Rio Grande do Norte and within the 200-500 m depth range may be related to a migration pattern of food sources, as its main prey, the flying fish Hirundichthys affinis, uses floating algae as refuge and to deposit its pelagic eggs. © 2015 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  7. Fishery Resource Utilization of a Restored Estuarine Borrow Pit: A Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Case Study

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-08-01

    W) is a 75-square-mile shallow estuary located in Ocean County, New Jersey. Situated behind a barrier spit and Long Beach Island, the estuary’s...primary connection to the ocean is via Barnegat Inlet (Figure 1). Dredged Holes #5 and #6 are located less than 30.5 m (100 ft) from shore along the...included oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau) (CPUE = 20-25 fish trawl/hr) and summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) (CPUE 8 fish trawl/hr), both of

  8. Applying Fishers' Ecological Knowledge to Construct Past and Future Lobster Stocks in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile

    PubMed Central

    Eddy, Tyler D.; Gardner, Jonathan P. A.; Pérez-Matus, Alejandro

    2010-01-01

    Over-exploited fisheries are a common feature of the modern world and a range of solutions including area closures (marine reserves; MRs), effort reduction, gear changes, ecosystem-based management, incentives and co-management have been suggested as techniques to rebuild over-fished populations. Historic accounts of lobster (Jasus frontalis) on the Chilean Juan Fernández Archipelago indicate a high abundance at all depths (intertidal to approximately 165 m), but presently lobsters are found almost exclusively in deeper regions of their natural distribution. Fishers' ecological knowledge (FEK) tells a story of serial depletion in lobster abundance at fishing grounds located closest to the fishing port with an associated decline in catch per unit effort (CPUE) throughout recent history. We have re-constructed baselines of lobster biomass throughout human history on the archipelago using historic data, the fishery catch record and FEK to permit examination of the potential effects of MRs, effort reduction and co-management (stewardship of catch) to restore stocks. We employed a bioeconomic model using FEK, fishery catch and effort data, underwater survey information, predicted population growth and response to MR protection (no-take) to explore different management strategies and their trade-offs to restore stocks and improve catches. Our findings indicate that increased stewardship of catch coupled with 30% area closure (MR) provides the best option to reconstruct historic baselines. Based on model predictions, continued exploitation under the current management scheme is highly influenced by annual fluctuations and unsustainable. We propose a community-based co-management program to implement a MR in order to rebuild the lobster population while also providing conservation protection for marine species endemic to the Archipelago. PMID:21079761

  9. Betrayal: radio-tagged Burmese pythons reveal locations of conspecifics in Everglades National Park

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Smith, Brian J.; Cherkiss, Michael S.; Hart, Kristen M.; Rochford, Michael R.; Selby, Thomas H.; Snow, Ray W; Mazzotti, Frank J.

    2016-01-01

    The “Judas” technique is based on the idea that a radio-tagged individual can be used to “betray” conspecifics during the course of its routine social behavior. The Burmese python (Python bivittatus) is an invasive constrictor in southern Florida, and few methods are available for its control. Pythons are normally solitary, but from December–April in southern Florida, they form breeding aggregations containing up to 8 individuals, providing an opportunity to apply the technique. We radio-tracked 25 individual adult pythons of both sexes during the breeding season from 2007–2012. Our goals were to (1) characterize python movements and determine habitat selection for betrayal events, (2) quantify betrayal rates of Judas pythons, and (3) compare the efficacy of this tool with current tools for capturing pythons, both in terms of cost per python removed (CPP) and catch per unit effort (CPUE). In a total of 33 python-seasons, we had 8 betrayal events (24 %) in which a Judas python led us to new pythons. Betrayal events occurred more frequently in lowland forest (including tree islands) than would be expected by chance alone. These 8 events resulted in the capture of 14 new individuals (1–4 new pythons per event). Our effort comparison shows that while the Judas technique is more costly than road cruising surveys per python removed, the Judas technique yields more large, reproductive females and is effective at a time of year that road cruising is not, making it a potential complement to the status quo removal effort.

  10. Barriers impede upstream spawning migration of flathead chub

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Walters, David M.; Zuellig, Robert E.; Crockett, Harry J.; Bruce, James F.; Lukacs, Paul M.; Fitzpatrick, Ryan M.

    2014-01-01

    Many native cyprinids are declining throughout the North American Great Plains. Some of these species require long reaches of contiguous, flowing riverine habitat for drifting eggs or larvae to develop, and their declining populations have been attributed to habitat fragmentation or barriers (e.g., dams, dewatered channels, and reservoirs) that restrict fish movement. Upstream dispersal is also needed to maintain populations of species with passively drifting eggs or larvae, and prior researchers have suggested that these fishes migrate upstream to spawn. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a mark–recapture study of Flathead Chub Platygobio gracilis within a 91-km reach of continuous riverine habitat in Fountain Creek, Colorado. We measured CPUE, spawning readiness (percent of Flathead Chub expressing milt), and fish movement relative to a channel-spanning dam. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that Flathead Chub migrate upstream to spawn during summer. The CPUE was much higher at the base of the dam than at downstream sites; the seasonal increases in CPUE at the dam closely tracked seasonal increases in spawning readiness, and marked fish moved upstream as far as 33 km during the spawning run. The upstream migration was effectively blocked by the dam. The CPUE of Flathead Chub was much lower upstream of the OHDD than at downstream sites, and <0.2% of fish marked at the dam were recaptured upstream. This study provides the first direct evidence of spawning migration for Flathead Chub and supports the general hypothesis that barriers limit adult dispersal of these and other plains fishes.

  11. Recruiting at the Edge: Kinetic Energy Inhibits Anchovy Populations in the Western Mediterranean

    PubMed Central

    Ruiz, Javier; Macías, Diego; Rincón, Margarita M.; Pascual, Ananda; Catalán, Ignacio A.; Navarro, Gabriel

    2013-01-01

    The Strait of Gibraltar replenishes the Mediterranean with Atlantic waters through an intense eastward current known as the Atlantic Jet (AJ). The AJ fertilizes the southwestern Mediterranean and is considered to be the ultimate factor responsible for the comparatively high fish production of this region. Here, we perform an analysis of the available historical catches and catch per unit effort (CPUE), together with a long series of surface currents, kinetic energy and chlorophyll concentration. We show that the high kinetic energy of the AJ increases primary production but also negatively impacts the recruitment of anchovy. We contend that anchovy recruitment in the region is inhibited by the advection and dispersion of larvae and post-larvae during periods of strong advection by the AJ. The inhibitory impact of kinetic energy on anchovy landings is not a transient but rather a persistent state of the system. An exceptional combination of events creates an outbreak of this species in the Alboran Sea. These events depend on the Mediterranean-Atlantic exchange of water masses and, therefore, are highly sensitive to climate changes that are projected, though not always negatively, for fish landings. PMID:23451027

  12. Assessing the Relative Importance of Local and Regional Processes on the Survival of a Threatened Salmon Population

    PubMed Central

    Miller, Jessica A.; Teel, David J.; Peterson, William T.; Baptista, Antonio M.

    2014-01-01

    Research on regulatory mechanisms in biological populations often focuses on environmental covariates. An integrated approach that combines environmental indices with organismal-level information can provide additional insight on regulatory mechanisms. Survival of spring/summer Snake River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) is consistently low whereas some adjacent populations with similar life histories experience greater survival. It is not known if populations with differential survival respond similarly during early marine residence, a critical period in the life history. Ocean collections, genetic stock identification, and otolith analyses were combined to evaluate the growth-mortality and match-mismatch hypotheses during early marine residence of spring/summer Snake River Chinook salmon. Interannual variation in juvenile attributes, including size at marine entry and marine growth rate, was compared with estimates of survival and physical and biological metrics. Multiple linear regression and multi-model inference were used to evaluate the relative importance of biological and physical metrics in explaining interannual variation in survival. There was relatively weak support for the match-mismatch hypothesis and stronger evidence for the growth-mortality hypothesis. Marine growth and size at capture were strongly, positively related to survival, a finding similar to spring Chinook salmon from the Mid-Upper Columbia River. In hindcast models, basin-scale indices (Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO)) and biological indices (juvenile salmon catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and a copepod community index (CCI)) accounted for substantial and similar portions of variation in survival for juvenile emigration years 1998–2008 (R2>0.70). However, in forecast models for emigration years 2009–2011, there was an increasing discrepancy between predictions based on the PDO (50–448% of observed value) compared with those based on the NPGO (68–212%) or biological indices (CPUE and CCI: 83–172%). Overall, the PDO index was remarkably informative in earlier years but other basin-scale and biological indices provided more accurate indications of survival in recent years. PMID:24924741

  13. Trends in the capture fisheries in Cuyo East Pass, Philippines

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    San Diego, Tee-Jay A.; Fisher, William L.

    2014-01-01

    Findings are presented of a comprehensive analysis of time series catch and effort data from 2000 to 2006 collected from a multi-species, multi-gear and two-sector (municipal and commercial) capture fisheries in Cuyo East Pass, Philippines. Multivariate techniques were used to determine temporal variation in species composition and gear selectivity that corresponded with annual trends in catch and effort. Distinct annual variation in species composition was found for five fisheries classified according to sector-gear combination, corresponding decline in catch diversity, noted shifts in gears used, and an erratic CPUE trend as a result of catch variation.  These patterns and trends illustrate the occurrence of ecosystem overfishing for Cuyo East Pass.  Our approach provided a holistic representation of the fishing situation, condition of the fisheries and corresponding implications to the ecosystem, fitting well within the context of the ecosystem approach to fisheries management.

  14. Maturation and fecundity of a stock-enhanced population of striped bass in the Savannah River Estuary, U.S.A.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Will, T.A.; Reinert, T.R.; Jennings, C.A.

    2002-01-01

    The striped bass Morone saxatilis population in the Savannah River (south-eastern U.S.A.) collapsed in the 1980s, and recent efforts to restore the population have resulted in increased catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) of striped bass in the Savannah River Estuary (SRE). The abundance of eggs and larvae, however, remain well below historic levels. The primary cause of the population decline was remedied, and environmental conditions seem suitable for striped bass spawning. Regression analysis of data derived from ultrasonic imaging of 31 striped bass resulted in a statistical model that predicted ovary volume well (r2=0.95). The enumeration of oocytes from ovarian tissue samples and the prediction of ovary volume allowed fecundity to be estimated without sacrificing the fish. Oocyte maturation in Savannah River striped bass seemed to progress normally, with oocytes developing to final stages of maturity in larger fish (>750 mm LT). Additionally, fecundity estimates were comparable to a neighbouring striped bass population. The environmental cues needed to trigger development and release of striped bass oocytes into the SRE appeared to be present. If most of the striped bass females in the SRE are still young (<7 years), the ability to produce large numbers of eggs will be limited. As these young fish mature, egg production probably will increase and the density of striped bass eggs eventually will approach historic levels, provided suitable habitat and water quality are maintained. ?? 2002 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  15. Using underwater video to evaluate the performance of the Fukui trap as a mitigation tool for the invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas) in Newfoundland, Canada

    PubMed Central

    McKenzie, Cynthia H.; Best, Kiley; Zargarpour, Nicola; Favaro, Brett

    2018-01-01

    The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is a destructive marine invader that was first discovered in Newfoundland waters in 2007 and has since become established in nearshore ecosystems on the south and west coast of the island. Targeted fishing programs aimed at removing green crabs from invaded Newfoundland ecosystems use Fukui traps, but the capture efficiency of these traps has not been previously assessed. We assessed Fukui traps using in situ observation with underwater video cameras as they actively fished for green crabs. From these videos, we recorded the number of green crabs that approached the trap, the outcome of each entry attempt (success or failure), and the number of exits from the trap. Across eight videos, we observed 1,226 green crab entry attempts, with only a 16% rate of success from these attempts. Based on these observations we believe there is scope to improve the performance of the Fukui trap through modifications in order to achieve a higher catch per unit effort (CPUE), maximizing trap usage for mitigation. Ultimately, a more efficient Fukui trap will help to control green crab populations in order to preserve the function and integrity of ecosystems invaded by the green crab. PMID:29340237

  16. Mangrove oyster (Crassostrea spp.) (Sacco, 1897) extractivism in Cananéia estuary (São Paulo, Brazil) from 1999 to 2006: capture and management evaluation.

    PubMed

    Mendonça, J T; Machado, I C

    2010-02-01

    The oyster Crassostrea spp. is one of the main fisheries resources in the southern portion of São Paulo State. This paper aims to evaluate the extractivism of that resource, supplying subsidies to the implementation of management regulations. This study was developed in Cananéia, from February 1999 to December 2006. The oyster production data in dozens was obtained through weekly or monthly interviews. The annual and average CPUE in dozens per day was analysis to verify significant differences along years. There are no regulations that limit the fishing effort or organize the admission in the fishermen. The admission is controlled by the condition of the market and there is a risk of increasing the fishing effort above the sustainable yield, which demands measures that control the number of fishermen engaged in the activity. Those measures, to be effective, must be created in discussion with the fisheries sector, based on technical information.

  17. Feeding ecology of native and nonnative salmonids during the expansion of a nonnative apex predator in Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Syslo, John M.; Guy, Christopher S.; Koel, Todd M.

    2016-01-01

    The illegal introduction of Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush into Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, preceded the collapse of the native population of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri, producing a four-level trophic cascade. The Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout population’s collapse and the coinciding increase in Lake Trout abundance provided a rare opportunity to evaluate the feeding ecology of a native prey species and a nonnative piscivore species after the restructuring of a large lentic ecosystem. We assessed diets, stable isotope signatures, and depth-related CPUE patterns for Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and Lake Trout during 2011–2013 to evaluate trophic overlap. To evaluate diet shifts related to density, we also compared 2011–2013 diets to those from studies conducted during previous periods with contrasting Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and Lake Trout CPUEs. We illustrate the complex interactions between predator and prey in a simple assemblage and demonstrate how a nonnative apex predator can alter competitive interactions. The diets of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout were dominated by zooplankton during a period when the Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout CPUE was high and were dominated by amphipods when the CPUE was reduced. Lake Trout shifted from a diet that was dominated by Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout during the early stages of the invasion to a diet that was dominated by amphipods after Lake Trout abundance had increased and after Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout prey had declined. The shifts in Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and Lake Trout diets resulted in increased trophic similarity of these species through time due to their shared reliance on benthic amphipods. Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout not only face the threat posed by Lake Trout predation but also face the potential threat of competition with Lake Trout if amphipods are limiting. Our results demonstrate the importance of studying the long-term feeding ecology of fishes in invaded ecosystems.

  18. A comparative study of spatially clustered distribution of jumbo flying squid ( Dosidicus gigas) offshore Peru

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Yongjiu; Cui, Li; Chen, Xinjun; Liu, Yu

    2017-06-01

    We examined spatially clustered distribution of jumbo flying squid ( Dosidicus gigas) in the offshore waters of Peru bounded by 78°-86°W and 8°-20°S under 0.5°×0.5° fishing grid. The study is based on the catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and fishing effort from Chinese mainland squid jigging fleet in 2003-2004 and 2006-2013. The data for all years as well as the eight years (excluding El Niño events) were studied to examine the effect of climate variation on the spatial distribution of D. gigas. Five spatial clusters reflecting the spatial distribution were computed using K-means and Getis-Ord Gi* for a detailed comparative study. Our results showed that clusters identified by the two methods were quite different in terms of their spatial patterns, and K-means was not as accurate as Getis-Ord Gi*, as inferred from the agreement degree and receiver operating characteristic. There were more areas of hot and cold spots in years without the impact of El Niño, suggesting that such large-scale climate variations could reduce the clustering level of D. gigas. The catches also showed that warm El Niño conditions and high water temperature were less favorable for D. gigas offshore Peru. The results suggested that the use of K-means is preferable if the aim is to discover the spatial distribution of each sub-region (cluster) of the study area, while Getis-Ord Gi* is preferable if the aim is to identify statistically significant hot spots that may indicate the central fishing ground.

  19. [Presence and spatio-temporal habitat characterization of Dermatemys mawii (Testudines: Dermatemydidae) in the Grijalva-Usumacinta watershed, Tabasco, Mexico].

    PubMed

    Zenteno Ruiz, Claudia Elena; Barba Macias, Everardo; Bello-Gutiérrez, Joaquín; Ochoa-Gaona, Susana

    2010-12-01

    The Central American River Turtle (Dermatemys mawii) is an endangered species that has been poorly studied. There are no reports on their population status, habitat condition, and the species distribution area is still unknown. This study analyzes the seasonal and spatial variations of their habitat and the presence/absence of D. mawii in three rivers within the Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve (Tabasco, Mexico). For habitat characterization, natural segmentation of rivers was used and three sites per segment were identified, 9 in each rivers (Grijalva and Usumacinta) and 6 in Tabasquillo. Additionally, the evaluation of 11 environmental variables such as water hydrological, physicochemical characteristics and riparian and hydrophytic vegetation were carried out during two different seasons (dry and rainy). The presence/absence of species was assessed with eight fike nets that were set per segment, with a capture effort of 384 hours per trap. The capture per unit effort (CPUE) was used as an indicator of relative abundance. The results indicated spatio-temporal variations in habitat characteristics and the presence of environmental gradients. The principal components analysis (PCA) applied allowed us to determine that the first three components explained 67.8% of the environmental variability. The species presence was confirmed in all rivers, however significant differences exists in their relative abundance: the highest was registered in the Tabasquillo River where the species was present in both seasons and in all segments. Of the 11 environmental variables analyzed, the gradient, shelter and depth were the most indicative of species presence. The obtained results evidenced the importance of riparian vegetation as habitat for Dermatemys. This represents the first approach towards an action plan for a species and its habitat protection within the Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve.

  20. A comparison of lead lengths for mini-fyke nets to sample age-0 gar species

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Long, James M.; Snow, Richard A.; Patterson, Chas P.

    2016-01-01

    Mini-fyke nets are often used to sample small-bodied fishes in shallow (<1 m depth) water, especially in vegetated shoreline habitats where seines are ineffective. Recent interest in gar (Lepisosteidae) ecology and conservation led us to explore the use of mini-fyke nets to capture age-0 gar and specifically how capture is affected by lead length of the fyke net. In the summers of 2012, 2013, and 2015, mini-fyke nets with two different lead lengths (4.57 m and 9.14 m) were set at random sites in backwaters and coves of the Red River arm of Lake Texoma, Oklahoma. Mean CPUE (catch-per-unit-effort; number per net night) was significantly lower for mini-fyke nets with short leads (0.52) compared to those with long leads (1.51). Additionally, Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) were captured at a higher rate than the other three gar species present in Lake Texoma, although this could have been an artifact of sampling location. We found that differences in length-frequency of captured gar between gear types were nearly significant, with total length ranging from 47mm to 590mm. Mini-fyke nets with longer leads increased the efficiency of sampling for age-0 gar by increasing catch rate without affecting estimates of other population parameters and appear to be useful for this purpose. 

  1. Influence of the hydrodynamic conditions on the accessibility of the demersal species to the deep water trawl fishery off the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amores, A.; Rueda, L.; Monserrat, S.; Guijarro, B.; Pasqual, C.; Massutí, E.

    2013-12-01

    Ocean mean surface vorticity from gridded multi-mission satellite altimetry data was explored in the Western Mediterranean basin for the period 2000-2010, with the aim of comparing its variability with several species of the deep water fishery in the area. Monthly catches per unit of effort (CPUE) of adult red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus), reported in the deep water bottom trawl fishery developed off northern Mallorca Island displayed a good correlation with surface vorticity. This correlation could be explained by assuming that most of the surface vorticity episodes could reach the bottom, increasing the seabed velocities and producing sediment resuspensions, which could affect the near bottom water turbidity. A. antennatus would respond to this increased turbidity by moving downwards to the deeper waters. This massive displacement of red shrimp specimens away from the fishing grounds would consequently decrease their accesibility to fishing exploitation. This relationship between vorticity and catches also holds for other species , considered as by-catch of the deep water fishery in the area. Results appear to support the suggestion that the water turbidity generated by the vorticy episodes is significant enough to affect the dynamics of the demersal species. The way the surface vorticity observed can affect the bottom sediments is also investigated using a year-long moored near-bottom currentmeter and a sediment trap sited in the fishing grounds.

  2. Relationships between tuna catch and variable frequency oceanographic conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ormaza-González, Franklin Isaac; Mora-Cervetto, Alejandra; María Bermúdez-Martínez, Raquel

    2016-08-01

    Skipjack (Katsuwunus pelamis), yellow fin (Thunnus albacares) and albacore (Thunnus alulunga) tunas landed in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) countries and Ecuador were correlated to the Indexes Oceanic El Niño (ONI) and Multivariate Enso Index (MEI). The temporal series 1983-2012, and 1977-1999 (warm Pacific Decadal Oscillation, PDO), and 2000-2012 (cold PDO) were analyzed. Linear correlation showed that at least 11 % of the total landings were associated with the MEI, with a slightly negative gradient from cold to warm conditions. When non-linear regression (n = 6), the R2 was higher up to 0.304 (MEI, r = 0.551). The correlation shows high spread from -0.5 to +0.5 for both MEI/ONI; the highest landings occurred at 0.34-0.45; both indexes suggested that at extreme values < -1.0 and > 1.1 total landings tend to decrease. Landings were associated up to 21.9 % (MEI) in 2000-2012, 1983-1999 rendered lower R2 (< 0.09); i.e., during cold PDO periods there was a higher association between landings and oceanographic conditions. For the non-linear regression (n = 6) a R2 of 0.374 (MEI) and 0.408 (ONI) were registered, for the 2000-2012, a higher R2 was observed in 1983-1999, 0.443 and 0.711 for MEI and ONI respectively, suggesting that is better to analyze split series (1983-1999, 2000-2012) than as a whole (1983-2012), due to noise produced by the transition from hot to cold PDOs. The highest landings were in the range -0.2 to 0.5 for MEI/ONI. The linear regression of skipjack landings in Ecuador gave an R2 of 0.140 (MEI) and 0.066 (ONI) and the non-linear were 0.440 and 0.183 respectively. Total landings in the EPO associated to oceanographic events of high and low frequencies could be used somehow as predictors of the high El Niño o La Niña. There is a clear evidence that tuna fish biomass are at higher levels when the PDO is on cold phase (2000-2030) and vice versa on warm phase (1980-1999). The analysis of the skipjack catch per unit effort (CPUE) on floating aggregating devices (FADs) suggests higher CPUE on FADs (around 20 mt set-1) when oceanographic indexes ONI/MEI are below -0.5. Findings of this work suggest that fishing and management of commercial fish must be analyzed under the light of oceanographic conditions.

  3. Multinomial N-mixture models improve the applicability of electrofishing for developing population estimates of stream-dwelling Smallmouth Bass

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mollenhauer, Robert; Brewer, Shannon K.

    2017-01-01

    Failure to account for variable detection across survey conditions constrains progressive stream ecology and can lead to erroneous stream fish management and conservation decisions. In addition to variable detection’s confounding long-term stream fish population trends, reliable abundance estimates across a wide range of survey conditions are fundamental to establishing species–environment relationships. Despite major advancements in accounting for variable detection when surveying animal populations, these approaches remain largely ignored by stream fish scientists, and CPUE remains the most common metric used by researchers and managers. One notable advancement for addressing the challenges of variable detection is the multinomial N-mixture model. Multinomial N-mixture models use a flexible hierarchical framework to model the detection process across sites as a function of covariates; they also accommodate common fisheries survey methods, such as removal and capture–recapture. Effective monitoring of stream-dwelling Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu populations has long been challenging; therefore, our objective was to examine the use of multinomial N-mixture models to improve the applicability of electrofishing for estimating absolute abundance. We sampled Smallmouth Bass populations by using tow-barge electrofishing across a range of environmental conditions in streams of the Ozark Highlands ecoregion. Using an information-theoretic approach, we identified effort, water clarity, wetted channel width, and water depth as covariates that were related to variable Smallmouth Bass electrofishing detection. Smallmouth Bass abundance estimates derived from our top model consistently agreed with baseline estimates obtained via snorkel surveys. Additionally, confidence intervals from the multinomial N-mixture models were consistently more precise than those of unbiased Petersen capture–recapture estimates due to the dependency among data sets in the hierarchical framework. We demonstrate the application of this contemporary population estimation method to address a longstanding stream fish management issue. We also detail the advantages and trade-offs of hierarchical population estimation methods relative to CPUE and estimation methods that model each site separately.

  4. Combining Telephone Surveys and Fishing Catches Self-Report: The French Sea Bass Recreational Fishery Assessment

    PubMed Central

    Rocklin, Delphine; Levrel, Harold; Drogou, Mickaël; Herfaut, Johanna; Veron, Gérard

    2014-01-01

    Fisheries statistics are known to be underestimated, since they are mainly based on information about commercial fisheries. However, various types of fishing activities exist and evaluating them is necessary for implementing effective management plans. This paper assesses the characteristics and catches of the French European sea bass recreational fishery along the Atlantic coasts, through the combination of large-scale telephone surveys and fishing diaries study. Our results demonstrated that half of the total catches (mainly small fish) were released at sea and that the mean length of a kept sea bass was 46.6 cm. We highlighted different patterns of fishing methods and type of gear used. Catches from boats were greater than from the shore, both in abundance and biomass, considering mean values per fishing trip as well as CPUE. Spearfishers caught the highest biomass of sea bass per fishing trip, but the fishing rod with lure was the most effective type of gear in terms of CPUE. Longlines had the highest CPUE value in abundance but not in biomass: they caught numerous but small sea bass. Handlines were less effective, catching few sea bass in both abundance and biomass. We estimated that the annual total recreational sea bass catches was 3,173 tonnes of which 2,345 tonnes were kept. Since the annual commercial catches landings were evaluated at 5,160 tonnes, recreational landings represent 30% of the total fishing catches on the Atlantic coasts of France. Using fishers' self-reports was a valuable way to obtain new information on data-poor fisheries. Our results underline the importance of evaluating recreational fishing as a part of the total amount of fisheries catches. More studies are critically needed to assess overall fish resources caught in order to develop effective fishery management tools. PMID:24489885

  5. Combining telephone surveys and fishing catches self-report: the French sea bass recreational fishery assessment.

    PubMed

    Rocklin, Delphine; Levrel, Harold; Drogou, Mickaël; Herfaut, Johanna; Veron, Gérard

    2014-01-01

    Fisheries statistics are known to be underestimated, since they are mainly based on information about commercial fisheries. However, various types of fishing activities exist and evaluating them is necessary for implementing effective management plans. This paper assesses the characteristics and catches of the French European sea bass recreational fishery along the Atlantic coasts, through the combination of large-scale telephone surveys and fishing diaries study. Our results demonstrated that half of the total catches (mainly small fish) were released at sea and that the mean length of a kept sea bass was 46.6 cm. We highlighted different patterns of fishing methods and type of gear used. Catches from boats were greater than from the shore, both in abundance and biomass, considering mean values per fishing trip as well as CPUE. Spearfishers caught the highest biomass of sea bass per fishing trip, but the fishing rod with lure was the most effective type of gear in terms of CPUE. Longlines had the highest CPUE value in abundance but not in biomass: they caught numerous but small sea bass. Handlines were less effective, catching few sea bass in both abundance and biomass. We estimated that the annual total recreational sea bass catches was 3,173 tonnes of which 2,345 tonnes were kept. Since the annual commercial catches landings were evaluated at 5,160 tonnes, recreational landings represent 30% of the total fishing catches on the Atlantic coasts of France. Using fishers' self-reports was a valuable way to obtain new information on data-poor fisheries. Our results underline the importance of evaluating recreational fishing as a part of the total amount of fisheries catches. More studies are critically needed to assess overall fish resources caught in order to develop effective fishery management tools.

  6. Habitat use by larval fishes in a temperate South African surf zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Watt-Pringle, Peter; Strydom, Nadine A.

    2003-12-01

    Larval fishes were sampled in the Kwaaihoek surf zone on the south east coast of South Africa. On six occasions between February and May 2002, larval fishes were collected in two habitat types identified in the inner surf zone using a modified beach-seine net. The surf zone habitats were classified as either sheltered trough areas or adjacent exposed surf areas. Temperature, depth and current measurements were taken at all sites. Trough habitats consisted of a depression in surf topography characterised by reduced current velocities and greater average depth than adjacent surf areas. In total, 325 larval fishes were collected. Of these, 229 were collected in trough and 96 in surf habitats. At least 22 families and 37 species were represented in the catch. Dominant families were the Mugilidae, Sparidae, Atherinidae, and Engraulidae. Dominant species included Liza tricuspidens and Liza richardsonii (Mugilidae), Rhabdosargus holubi and Sarpa salpa (Sparidae), Atherina breviceps (Atherinidae) and Engraulis japonicus (Engraulide). Mean CPUE of postflexion larvae of estuary-dependent species was significantly greater in trough areas. The proportion of postflexion larval fishes in trough habitat was significantly greater than that of preflexion stages, a result that was not apparent in surf habitat sampled. CPUE of postflexion larvae of estuary-dependent fishes was negatively correlated with current magnitude and positively correlated with habitat depth. Mean body length of larval fishes was significantly greater in trough than in surf habitats. These results provide evidence that the CPUE of postflexion larvae of estuary-dependent fishes is higher in trough habitat in the surf zone and this may be indicative of active habitat selection for areas of reduced current velocity/wave action. The implications of this behaviour for estuarine recruitment processes are discussed.

  7. Predicting habitat suitability and geographic distribution of anchovy (Engraulis ringens) due to climate change in the coastal areas off Chile

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Silva, Claudio; Andrade, Isabel; Yáñez, Eleuterio; Hormazabal, Samuel; Barbieri, María Ángela; Aranis, Antonio; Böhm, Gabriela

    2016-08-01

    The effects of climate change on ocean conditions will have impacts on fish stocks, primarily through physiological and behavioural effects, such as changes in growth, reproduction, mortality and distribution. Habitat and distribution predictions for marine fishery species under climate change scenarios are important for understanding the overall impacts of such global changes on the human society and on the ecosystem. In this study, we examine the impacts of climate change on anchovy fisheries off Chile using predicted changes in global models according to the National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate System Model 3.0 (CCSM3) and IPCC high future CO2 emission scenario A2, habitat suitability index (HSI) models and satellite-based sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) estimates from high-resolution regional models for the simulation period 2015-2065. Predictions of SST from global climate models were regionalised using the Delta statistical downscaling technique. Predictions of chlorophyll-a were developed using historical Chl-a and SST (2003-2013) satellite data and applying a harmonic model. The results show an increase in SST of up to 2.5 °C by 2055 in the north and central-south area for an A2 scenario. The habitat suitability index model was developed using historical (2001-2011) monthly fisheries and environmental data. The catch per unit effort (CPUE) was used as an abundance index in developing the HSI models and was calculated as the total catch (ton) by hold capacity (m3) in a 10‧ × 10‧ fishing grid square of anchovy, integrated over one month of fishing activity. The environmental data included the distance to coast (DC), thermal (SST) and food availability (Chl-a) conditions. The HSI modelling consists of estimating SI curves based on available evidence regarding the optimum range of environmental conditions for anchovy and estimating an integrated HSI using the Arithmetic Mean Model (AMM) method. The results of this work show that the model has produced robust estimates of habitat suitability and geographic distribution off Chile and has been especially effective in capturing the spatial and temporal variability of CPUE. Using IDRISI geographical information system (GIS), these HSI models simulated monthly changes in the habitat suitability (i.e., relative abundance) and distribution of anchovy off Chile forced by changes in the regionalised SST and Chl-a as projected by the NCAR model under the A2 emission scenario. The simulations predicted a moderate negative change of 17% and 13% for the north and central-south areas, respectively, in the habitat suitability (i.e., potential relative abundance) of anchovy by 2055.

  8. Trophic ecology of mullets during their spring migration in a European saltmarsh: A stable isotope study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lebreton, Benoit; Richard, Pierre; Parlier, Emmanuel P.; Guillou, Gaël; Blanchard, Gérard F.

    2011-03-01

    Mullet populations are abundant in littoral waters throughout the world and play a significant role in organic matter fluxes. Mullets are opportunistic feeders: adults have frequently been shown to feed on primary producers (e.g. fresh or detrital plant material, microphytobenthos) but they may also feed on meiofauna. The population structure and stomach contents of mullets that colonize saltmarsh creeks in Aiguillon Bay (French Atlantic coast) were studied to determine if they use saltmarshes as a feeding ground in spring. Stable isotope analyses were carried out on mullets sampled to assess their diet during their spring migration. The mullet population was primarily composed of young-of-the-year (G0), 1 year-old (G1) of both Liza ramada and Liza aurata species and 3 year-old or older (G3+) L. ramada individuals. G0 and G3+ population densities increased during the spring period: catch per unit effort (CPUE) increased from 0.22 to 1.49 ind min -1 for the G0 age group; but stomach content analyses revealed that only G1 and G3+ feed in the saltmarsh. Isotopic signatures of G1 (spring: δ 13C: -14.8‰, δ 15N: 14.1‰) and G3+ mullets (spring: δ 13C: -16.9‰, δ 15N: 13.8‰) indicate that mullet growth is supported largely by primary consumers, such as benthic meiofauna or small macrofauna. Mullets are thus positioned at a much higher trophic level than true primary consumers.

  9. Evaluating shellfish gathering ( Lucina pectinata) in a tropical mangrove system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rondinelli, S. F.; Barros, F.

    2010-10-01

    Fish resources are important sources of income and protein to traditional inhabitants of coastal zones. In Garapuá village, the shellfish Lucina pectinata is the main resource exploited in mangroves. This study tests whether if in less explored areas (far from the village) L. pectinata individuals have higher densities and greater lengths, and if there was a decrease in cpue's over the last years. Samples were taken monthly in two habitats (mangrove channels and mangrove roots) in six mangrove areas by random squares. The results indicated that closer areas showed significantly lower densities than areas far from the village. Densities were significantly higher in mangrove roots (quizangas) than at channels. There was a significant increase in monthly L. pectinata cpue, from 18.2 dz./shellfish gatherers/day in 2001 to 19.3 in 2007, showing that this stock does not seem to be overexploited. However, (i) a long-term monitoring of Garapuá shellfish gatherers to evaluate if the stock will support an increasing pressure and (ii) several manipulative experiments to better understand ecological processes are suggested.

  10. Gear comparison for sampling age-0 Mountain Whitefish in the Madison River, Montana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Boyer, Jan K.; Guy, Christopher S.; Webb, Molly A.H.; Horton, Travis B.; McMahon, Thomas E.

    2017-01-01

    The efficacy of various sampling gears for age-0 Mountain Whitefish Prosopium williamsoni is largely unknown, which makes it difficult to investigate recruitment and early life history dynamics for the species. We compared four gears: seine, backpack electrofisher, minnow trap, and lighted minnow trap. Gears were tested in backwaters, large channels, and small channels in the Madison River, Montana. No age-0 Mountain Whitefish were captured in minnow traps or lighted minnow traps. Mean CPUE of age-0 Mountain Whitefish was higher for seining (0.18 fish/m2; SD, 0.39) than for electrofishing (0.01 fish/m2; SD, 0.03), and the CV was lower for seining. A broader length distribution was sampled by seining (17–41 mm) than with electrofishing (21–36 mm). Age-0 Mountain Whitefish CPUE in seines was highest in backwaters. In channel sites, Mountain Whitefish presence was associated with areas of still or slow water ≥2 m2. Relative to the other sampling gears we evaluated, seining was the most efficient gear for sampling age-0 Mountain Whitefish in a lotic ecosystem.

  11. Influence of mesoscale features on micronekton and large pelagic fish communities in the Mozambique Channel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Potier, Michel; Bach, Pascal; Ménard, Frédéric; Marsac, Francis

    2014-02-01

    We investigated the diversity and distribution of two communities, micronekton organisms and large predatory fishes, sampled in mesoscale features of the Mozambique Channel from 2003 to 2009, by combining mid-water trawls, stomach contents of fish predators and instrumented longline fishing surveys. The highest species richness for assemblages was found in divergences and fronts rather than in the core of eddies. Despite an unbalanced scheme, diversity indices did not differ significantly between cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies, divergences and fronts. We found that eddies and associated physical cues did not substantially affect the distribution of micronektonic species which are mainly driven by the diel vertical migration pattern. Top predators exhibited a more complex response. Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) associated better with mesoscale features than tunas, with a clear preference for divergences which is consistent with the diel vertical migrations and occurrence of its main prey, the flying squids Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis (Ommastrephidae). On the other hand, the probability of presence of yellowfin tuna was not tied to any specific eddy structure. However, the highest values of positive yellowfin CPUEs were associated with low horizontal gradients of sea-level anomalies. We also showed a non-linear response of positive yellowfin CPUEs with respect to the depth of the minimal oxygen content. The larger the distance between the hooks and the minimal oxygen layer, towards the surface or at greater depths, the higher the CPUE, highlighting that yellowfin congregated in well-oxygenated waters. Micronekton sampled by mid-water trawls and stomach contents exhibited different species composition. The highly mobile organisms were not caught by trawling whereas they remain accessible to predators. The combination of stomach contents and mid-water trawls undoubtedly improved our understanding of the micronekton assemblage distribution. Our results provide some evidence that mesoscale features in the Mozambique Channel do not strongly affect the distribution of the mid-trophic level organisms such as micronekton and most of the large predatory fishes, and hypotheses are proposed to support this result.

  12. Fishing ground distribution of neon flying squid ( Ommastrephes bartramii) in relation to oceanographic conditions in the Northwest Pacific Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Wei; Chen, Xinjun; Yi, Qian

    2017-12-01

    Neon flying squid, Ommastrephes bartramii, is a squid species of the North Pacific Ocean, which plays an important economical role in the international fishery. Logbook data for Chinese squid-jigging fishery over 2004-2011 were used to evaluate the relationship between the fishing grounds of the squid and the convergent frontal areas, which were defined by the contour lines of specific sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll- a (Chl- a) concentration. Our results indicate that the SST in the range of 15 to 19°C and the Chl- a concentration in the range of 0.1 to 0.4 mg m-3 are the favorable conditions for the aggregation of the squid. Additionally, we deduced that the SST at 17.5°C and the Chl- a concentration at 0.25 mg m-3 are the optimal environmental conditions for the aggregation of O. bartramii. In August, the annual CPUE is positively correlated with the proportion of the fishing grounds with favorable SST and Chl- a concentration, as well as the combination of the two variables, implying that the abundance of the squid annually is largely depending on the presence of the favorable environmental conditions for fishery in August. Minor spatial difference between mean latitudinal location of the 17.5°C SST and 0.25 mg m-3 Chl- a fronts can increase the CPUEs of O. bartramii. Furthermore, the monthly latitudinal gravity centers of the CPUE closely followed the mean latitudinal position of the contour lines of the 17.5°C SST and the 0.25 mg m-3 Chl- a concentration. Our findings suggest the convergent oceanographic features (fronts) play significant roles in regulating the distribution and abundance of the western stock of the winter-spring cohort of O. bartramii, which can help people to improve their ability to discover the O. bartramii fishing grounds with higher productivity.

  13. 78 FR 48943 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Act Listing Determination for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-12

    ... their spawning runs about 2 weeks later than alewives do (DFO, 2001). River herring conform to a...); run counts; young-of-the-year (YOY) seine surveys; juvenile-adult fisheries independent seine, gillnet... Bay and the Nanticoke River, but CPUE has recently increased in the Hudson River (ASMFC, 2012). Run...

  14. 78 FR 40104 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; 12-Month Finding on Petitions To List the Northeastern...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-03

    ...). Across the entire time series of available logbook data (1981-2011), CPUE in this fishery appears to have... abundance over this period. The time series of annual abundance estimates from this analysis showed there... been documented at Southeast Farallon Island since the 1980s, providing a relatively long time series...

  15. Population dynamics and angler exploitation of the unique muskellunge population in Shoepack Lake, Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Frohnauer, N.K.; Pierce, C.L.; Kallemeyn, L.W.

    2007-01-01

    A unique population of muskellunge Esox masquinongy inhabits Shoepack Lake in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota. Little is known about its status, dynamics, and angler exploitation, and there is concern for the long-term viability of this population. We used intensive sampling and mark-recapture methods to quantify abundance, survival, growth, condition, age at maturity and fecundity and angler surveys to quantify angler pressure, catch rates, and exploitation. During our study, heavy rain washed out a dam constructed by beavers Castor canadensis which regulates the water level at the lake outlet, resulting in a nearly 50% reduction in surface area. We estimated a population size of 1,120 adult fish at the beginning of the study. No immediate reduction in population size was detected in response to the loss of lake area, although there was a gradual, but significant, decline in population size over the 2-year study. Adults grew less than 50 mm per year, and relative weight (W r) averaged roughly 80. Anglers were successful in catching, on average, two fish during a full day of angling, but harvest was negligible. Shoepack Lake muskellunge exhibit much slower growth rates and lower condition, but much higher densities and angler catch per unit effort (CPUE), than other muskellunge populations. The unique nature, limited distribution, and location of this population in a national park require special consideration for management. The results of this study provide the basis for assessing the long-term viability of the Shoepack Lake muskellunge population through simulations of long-term population dynamics and genetically effective population size. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2007.

  16. A comparative and experimental evaluation of performance of stocked diploid and triploid brook trout

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Budy, Phaedra E.; Thiede, G.P.; Dean, A.; Olsen, D.; Rowley, G.

    2012-01-01

    Despite numerous negative impacts, nonnative trout are still being stocked to provide economically and socially valuable sport fisheries in western mountain lakes. We evaluated relative performance and potential differences in feeding strategy and competitive ability of triploid versus diploid brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis in alpine lakes, as well as behavioral and performance differences of diploid and triploid brook trout in two controlled experimental settings: behavioral experiments in the laboratory and performance evaluations in ponds. Across lakes, catch per unit effort (CPUE) and relative weight (Wr ) were not significantly different between ploidy levels. Mean sizes were also similar between ploidy levels except in two of the larger lakes where diploids attained slightly larger sizes (approximately 20 mm longer). We observed no significant differences between diploids and triploids in diet, diet preference, or trophic structure. Similarly, growth and condition did not differ between ploidy levels in smaller-scale pond experiments, and aggressive behavior did not differ between ploidy levels (fed or unfed fish trials) in the laboratory. Independent of ploidy level, the relative performance of brook trout varied widely among lakes, a pattern that appeared to be a function of lake size or a factor that covaries with lake size such as temperature regime or carrying capacity. In summary, we observed no significant differences in the relative performance of brook trout from either ploidy level across a number of indices, systems, and environmental conditions, nor any indication that one group is more aggressive or a superior competitor than the other. Collectively, these results suggest that triploid brook trout will offer a more risk-averse and promising management opportunity when they are stocked to these lakes and elsewhere to simultaneously meet the needs for the sport fishery and conservation objectives.

  17. Impact of Monsoon to Aquatic Productivity and Fish Landing at Pesawaran Regency Waters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kunarso; Zainuri, Muhammad; Ario, Raden; Munandar, Bayu; Prayogi, Harmon

    2018-02-01

    Monsoon variability influences the productivity processes in the ocean and has different responses in each waters. Furthermore, variability of marine productivity affects to the fisheries resources fluctuation. This research has conducted using descriptive method to investigate the consequences of monsoon variability to aquatic productivity, sea surface temperature (SST), fish catches, and fish season periods at Pesawaran Regency waters, Lampung. Variability of aquatic productivity was determined based on chlorophyll-a indicator from MODIS satellite images. Monsoon variability was governed based on wind parameters and fish catches from fish landing data of Pesawaran fish market. The result showed that monsoon variability had affected to aquatic productivity, SST, and fish catches at Pesawaran Regency waters. Maximum wind speed and lowest SST occurred twice in a year, December to March and August to October, which the peaks were on January (2.55 m/s of wind speed and 29.66°C of SST) and September (2.44 m/s of wind speed and 29.06°C of SST). Also, Maximum aquatic productivity happened on January to March and July to September, which it was arisen simultaneously with maximum wind speed and the peaks was 0.74 mg/m3 and 0.78 mg/m3, on February and August respectively. The data showed that fish catches decreased along with strong wind speed and low SST. However, when weak wind speed and high SST occurred, fish catches increased. The correlation between Catch per Unit Effort (CPUE) with SST, wind speed, and chlorophyll-a was at value 0.76, -0.67, and -0.70, respectively. The high rate fish catches in Pesawaran emerged on March-May and September-December.

  18. Strategies to control a common carp population by pulsed commercial harvest

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Colvin, Michael E.; Pierce, Clay; Stewart, Timothy W.; Grummer, Scott E.

    2012-01-01

    Commercial fisheries are commonly used to manage nuisance fishes in freshwater systems, but such efforts are often unsuccessful. Strategies for successfully controlling a nuisance population of common carp Cyprinus carpio by pulsed commercial harvest were evaluated with a combination of (1) field sampling, (2) population estimation and CPUE indexing, and (3) simulation using an exponential semidiscrete biomass dynamics model (SDBDM). The range of annual fishing mortalities (F) that resulted in successful control (F = 0.244–0.265) was narrow. Common carp biomass dynamics were sensitive to unintentional underharvest due to high rates of surplus production and a biomass doubling time of 2.7 years. Simulations indicated that biomanipulation never achieved successful control unless supplemental fishing mortality was imposed. Harvest of a majority of annual production was required to achieve successful control, as indicated by the ecotrophic coefficient (EC). Readily available biomass data and tools such as SDBDMs and ECs can be used in an adaptive management framework to successfully control common carp and other nuisance fishes by pulsed commercial fishing.

  19. Temporal Variation in Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata) Abundance in the Maryland Coastal Bays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peters, R.; Chigbu, P.

    2016-02-01

    Black sea bass (Centropristis striata) is a warm temperate species associated with structured habitats along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Currently, the northern stock is considered data poor, and the lack of information about the abundance and ecology of these fish in estuaries is a major concern. The Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs) serves as a habitat for 0+ and 1+ black sea bass. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources conducts annual surveys of juvenile finfish including black sea bass in the MCBs from April to October. Highest mean Catch-Per-Unit efforts (CPUE) were in sites 7 (Isle of Wight Bay), 9 (Sinepuxent Bay), and 20 (Chincoteague Bay), which are also sites closet to the Ocean City and Chincoteague Inlets. Length frequency distribution from data collected from 1989-2013 in these trawls show that there are two year classes in the MCBs. Juveniles (1+) began to enter the bays in April, and (YoY) 0+ fish were caught in the trawls beginning in June. Juvenile abundance peaked in July, while 0+ abundance peaked in September. The abundance of both 0+ and 1+ fish varied over the years with abundances peaking in the same years. YoY black sea bass abundance was positively correlated (r2=0.22, p≤0.05) with average salinity each year and negatively correlated (r2=0.15, p≤0.05) with average NAO winter index. The negative NAO winter years could cause the increase in salinity, which could favor high recruitment. This could be caused by the warmer winters increasing rainfall and reducing salinity during that time. However, abundance of YoY was low in the MCBs, which could be from the trawl gear used to sample the structure oriented fish, and therefore could be a source of bias in this study. Nevertheless, other studies have also used trawls to assess distribution and trends of YoY black sea bass. Studies using traps to assess the relative abundance of the fish in the MCBs are ongoing, and could provide more insight into climatic factors affecting recruitment.

  20. Fish community structure in natural and engineered habitats in the Kansas River

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    White, K.; Gerken, J.; Paukert, Craig P.; Makinster, Andrew S.

    2010-01-01

    We investigated fish assemblage structure in engineered (rip-rap) and natural habitats (log jams and mud banks) in the Kansas River USA to determine if natural structures had higher abundance and diversity of fishes at a local spatial scale. A total of 439 randomly selected sites were boat electrofished from May to August 2005 and 2006. Mean species diversity and richness were significantly higher in rip-rap than log jams and mud banks. Mean relative abundance (CPUE; number of fish collected per hour electrofishing) of six of the 15 most common fishes (>1% of total catch) were most abundant in rip-rap, two were most abundant in log jams, and none in mud banks. Rip-rap had the highest relative abundance of fluvial specialist and macrohabitat generalists, whereas mean CPUE of fluvial dependents was highest in log jams. Although a discriminant function analysis indicated that nine size classes (eight species) discriminated among three habitat types, the high misclassification rate (38%) suggested a high degree of fish assemblage overlap among the habitats. Although previous work has suggested that engineered structures (rip-rap) and urbanization are linked to reduced biotic diversity or reduced growth of fish species, our results suggest that at a local scale rip-rap may not have the same negative impacts on fish assemblages.

  1. Fish community structure in natural and engineered habitats in the Kansas river

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    White, K.; Gerken, J.; Paukert, C.; Makinster, A.

    2010-01-01

    We investigated fish assemblage structure in engineered (rip-rap) and natural habitats (log jams and mud banks) in the Kansas River USA to determine if natural structures had higher abundance and diversity of fishes at a local spatial scale. A total of 439 randomly selected sites were boat electrofished from May to August 2005 and 2006. Mean species diversity and richness were significantly higher in rip-rap than log jams and mud banks. Mean relative abundance (CPUE; number of fish collected per hour electrofishing) of six of the 15 most common fishes (>1% of total catch) were most abundant in rip-rap, two were most abundant in log jams, and none in mud banks. Rip-rap had the highest relative abundance of fluvial specialist and macrohabitat generalists, whereas mean CPUE of fluvial dependents was highest in log jams. Although a discriminant function analysis indicated that nine size classes (eight species) discriminated among three habitat types, the high misclassification rate (38%) suggested a high degree of fish assemblage overlap among the habitats. Although previous work has suggested that engineered structures (rip-rap) and urbanization are linked to reduced biotic diversity or reduced growth of fish species, our results suggest that at a local scale rip-rap may not have the same negative impacts on fish assemblages.

  2. Retrospective analysis of Bering Sea bottom trawl surveys: regime shift and ecosystem reorganization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conners, M. E.; Hollowed, A. B.; Brown, E.

    2002-10-01

    This paper compiles data from bottom trawl surveys using variations on a 400-mesh eastern trawl gear into a 38-year time series (1963-2000), using a robust index of median catch per unit effort (CPUE) as an indicator of regional abundance. Time series are presented for three index sites in the southeastern Bering Sea: the inner shelf in Bristol Bay, the middle shelf north of Unimak Island, and the outer shelf near the Pribilof Islands. All three sites show strong evidence of a shift in benthic biomass and community structure in the early to mid-1980s. During this period, all three sites showed substantial increases in the abundances of walleye pollock, Pacific cod, rock sole, flathead sole, cartilaginous fishes (skates) and non-crab benthic invertebrates. Species composition, especially of flatfish, differs at the three sites, but the trend for groundfish abundance to increase was consistent at all three sites. The similarity in trends both across the region and across both commercial and unexploited groups suggests to us that a complete reorganization of benthic and demersal food webs may have taken place. The timing of change in trawl catch weight is consistent with effects of the strong regime shift observed in climate indices in 1976-1977. There is little evidence of similar biological responses to subsequent, less pronounced changes in climate. Our data are also consistent with recently documented shifts in ecosystem dynamics resulting from changes in ice cover and thermal structure in the eastern Bering Sea. Our analysis indicates that there was a much higher biomass of groundfish at all three sites during 1980-2000 than in 1960-1980. This result provides evidence against the hypothesis that the overall productivity of the eastern Bering Sea has decreased. The precipitous decline of the endangered Steller sea lion in this region from 1975-1985 was concurrent with an overall increase in abundance of groundfish prey.

  3. Assessment and management of white mullet Mugil curema (Valencienne, 1836) (Mugilidae) fisheries of the south coast of São Paulo state, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Mendonça, J T; Bonfante, T M

    2011-08-01

    There is intense fishing activity, mainly artisanal, in the Cananéia, Iguape and Ilha Comprida Estuarine System. White mullet (Mugil curema) is one of the local fishery resources and is usually caught with gillnets and fish traps. This study aimed to characterise the Mugil curema fisheries thereby underpinning the management of the species in the region. The study was developed with data collected from landings in the town of Cananéia, São Paulo state, Brazil, from 1995 to 2009. Production data, fishing effort and CPUE were used to assess the evolution of captures. The gillnets were characterised by interviewing fishermen from 16 communities in Cananéia. White mullet fishery has aroused the interest of fishermen in the region since the 80s and today it is one of the main products of artisanal estuarine fishery off the south coast of São Paulo. The major landings occur in the warmer months with fish traps and gillnets being the main fishing gear used. The largest catches occur in the spawning months of the species from October to April. The highest landings varied according to different fishing gear, showing differences primarily due to trade preferences and to the structure of the fishing gear. According to the index of abundance used in this study, the resource is overfished due to the progressive increase in fishing effort, so it is suggested that measures should be taken to control fishing effort, such as special fishing permits to catch white mullet, especially with gillnets. The current management measures neither meet the needs of fishermen nor the preservation of the resource, and must be reviewed in a participatory way with management agencies and the fishery sector, ensuring greater legitimacy and success in the sustainability of the activity.

  4. Spatial and temporal Brook Trout density dynamics: Implications for conservation, management, and monitoring

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wagner, Tyler; Jefferson T. Deweber,; Jason Detar,; Kristine, David; John A. Sweka,

    2014-01-01

    Many potential stressors to aquatic environments operate over large spatial scales, prompting the need to assess and monitor both site-specific and regional dynamics of fish populations. We used hierarchical Bayesian models to evaluate the spatial and temporal variability in density and capture probability of age-1 and older Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis from three-pass removal data collected at 291 sites over a 37-year time period (1975–2011) in Pennsylvania streams. There was high between-year variability in density, with annual posterior means ranging from 2.1 to 10.2 fish/100 m2; however, there was no significant long-term linear trend. Brook Trout density was positively correlated with elevation and negatively correlated with percent developed land use in the network catchment. Probability of capture did not vary substantially across sites or years but was negatively correlated with mean stream width. Because of the low spatiotemporal variation in capture probability and a strong correlation between first-pass CPUE (catch/min) and three-pass removal density estimates, the use of an abundance index based on first-pass CPUE could represent a cost-effective alternative to conducting multiple-pass removal sampling for some Brook Trout monitoring and assessment objectives. Single-pass indices may be particularly relevant for monitoring objectives that do not require precise site-specific estimates, such as regional monitoring programs that are designed to detect long-term linear trends in density.

  5. Compilation of 1987 Annual Reports of the Navy ELF (Extremely Low Frequency) Communications System Ecological Monitoring Program. Volume 3

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-08-01

    particles on substrates in its absence. The pumps were powered by a heavy duty, marine 12 volt battery, which had to be exchanged and recharged daily. Two of...lowland stream (Costa Rica, Central America). Brenesia, 14:1-11. Stout, R. J., 1981. How abiotic factors affect the distri- bution of two species of...increment, and an examination of the effect of population size using CPUE and abiotic factors on growth. ,These analyses should allow us to separate the

  6. Environmental Assessment: Lake Yankton Fish Population Renovation Project Yankton County, South Dakota and Cedar County, Nebraska

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-08-01

    2013 for largemouth bass only. Year Largemouth bass CPUE1 (Total no/hr) PSD2 RSD -P3 1994 61 80 43 1995 61 49 9 1996 84 57 17 1997 59 95 15 1998...of 50-80 for bass is desirable for a pond manager with trophy bass goals. 3 RSD (relative stock density) - The relative stock density is the...percentage of fish of any designated length-group in a sample of fish. Within that sample the RSD -P is the percentage of those fish that are of preferred

  7. Characterizing and predicting the distribution of Baltic Sea flounder (Platichthys flesus) during the spawning season

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Orio, Alessandro; Bergström, Ulf; Casini, Michele; Erlandsson, Mårten; Eschbaum, Redik; Hüssy, Karin; Lehmann, Andreas; Ložys, Linas; Ustups, Didzis; Florin, Ann-Britt

    2017-08-01

    Identification of essential fish habitats (EFH), such as spawning habitats, is important for nature conservation, sustainable fisheries management and marine spatial planning. Two sympatric flounder (Platichthys flesus) ecotypes are present in the Baltic Sea, pelagic and demersal spawning flounder, both displaying ecological and physiological adaptations to the low-salinity environment of this young inland sea. In this study we have addressed three main research questions: 1) What environmental conditions characterize the spatial distribution and abundance of adult flounder during the spawning season? 2) What are the main factors defining the habitats of the two flounder ecotypes during the spawning season? 3) Where are the potential spawning areas of flounder? We modelled catch per unit of effort (CPUE) of flounder from gillnet surveys conducted over the southern and central Baltic Sea in the spring of 2014 and 2015 using generalized additive models. A general model included all the stations fished during the survey while two other models, one for the demersal and one for the pelagic spawning flounder, included only the stations where each flounder ecotype should dominate. The general model captured distinct ecotype-specific signals as it identified dual salinity and water depth responses. The model for the demersal spawning flounder revealed a negative relation with the abundance of round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) and a positive relation with Secchi depth and cod abundance. Vegetation and substrate did not play an important role in the choice of habitat for the demersal ecotype. The model for the pelagic spawning flounder showed a negative relation with temperature and bottom current and a positive relation with salinity. Spatial predictions of potential spawning areas of flounder showed a decrease in habitat availability for the pelagic spawning flounder over the last 20 years in the central part of the Baltic Sea, which may explain part of the observed changes in populations' biomass. We conclude that spatiotemporal modelling of habitat availability can improve our understanding of fish stock dynamics and may provide necessary biological knowledge for the development of marine spatial plans.

  8. Reproductive ecology, spawning behavior, and juvenile distribution of Mountain Whitefish in the Madison River, Montana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Boyer, Jan K.; Guy, Christopher S.; Webb, Molly A. H.; Horton, Travis B.; McMahon, Thomas E.

    2017-01-01

    Mountain Whitefish Prosopium williamsoni were historically common throughout much of the U.S. Intermountain West. However, within the last decade Mountain Whitefish have exhibited population-level declines in some rivers. In the Madison River, Montana, anecdotal evidence indicates Mountain Whitefish abundance has declined and the population is skewed toward larger individuals, which is typically symptomatic of recruitment problems. Describing reproductive development, spawning behavior, and juvenile distribution will form a foundation for investigating mechanisms influencing recruitment. We collected otoliths and gonadal samples from fish of all size-classes to characterize fecundity, age at maturity, and spawning periodicity. We implanted radio tags in mature Mountain Whitefish and relocated tagged fish in autumn 2012–2014. Timing of spawning was determined from spawning status of captured females and from density of eggs collected on egg mats. In spring 2014, we seined backwater and channel sites to describe age-0 whitefish distribution. Mountain Whitefish were highly fecund (18,454 eggs/kg body weight) annual spawners, and age at 50% maturity was 2.0 years for males and 2.6 years for females. In 2013 and 2014, spawning occurred between the third week of October and first week of November. During spawning, spawning adults and collected embryos were concentrated in the downstream 26 km of the study site, a reach characterized by a complex, braided channel. This reach had the highest CPUE of age-0 Mountain Whitefish, and the percentage of spawning adults in the 25 km upstream from a sampling site was positively associated with juvenile CPUE. Within this reach, age-0 Mountain Whitefish were associated with silt-laden backwater and eddy habitats. Future investigations on mechanisms influencing recruitment should be focused on the embryological phase and age-0 fish.

  9. [Fishery and biometrics of genus Calappa crabs (Brachyura: Calappidae) in northeastern Venezuela].

    PubMed

    Alió, José J; Marcano, Luis A; Altuve, Douglas E

    2005-01-01

    The box crabs, genus Calappa, are important crab species landed by the industrial trawl fleet in Venezuela. These crabs have a wide distribution in the country, from the Gulf of Venezuela to the Orinoco River, but major landings take place in such gulf, near Margarita Island and northern Sucre State. Average annual landing in the eastern region was 69 t during 1970-2001, with a maximum of 221 t. For this study a sample of 2 398 box crabs was collected by observers on board of industrial trawl vessels, which operated in eastern Venezuela from 1994 to 2000. Three species were found in the landings, Calappa sulcata and C. flammea. each represented 47% of the sample, and C. nitida, which accounted for 5% of the sample. Sex ratio was strongly biased towards males in C. sulcata (2.8:1) and in C. flammnea (1.9:1). while it was only slightly biased in C. nitida (1.4:1). Due to its large size, C. sulcuta is of great commercial interest, with average weight 290 g and a maximum weight of 720 g: C. flammea showed an average weight of 140 g and a maximum weight of 418 g, while C. nitida is the smallest species, with average weight 46 g and maximum weight not beyond 113 g. Box crabs were captured by day and night in similar proportions, and were found in a wide depth range, from a few meters to 126 m deep; however, the largest captures were obtained in the interval 38 - 54 m. Regressions between weight of chelae and total weight were linear, and significantly different between sexes. The relation between total weight and carapace width was allometric, with a power exponent ca. three in C. sulcata, and less than three in C. flamea and C. nitida. Females of C. sulcata and C. nitida showed power exponents significantly smaller than males. Since claws are removed from the animal to be commercialized, while the rest of the animal is returned alive to the sea, for practical purposes a common equation among species and sexes to convert claws weight into total body weight is: total weight - 3 x claws weight. The relationship between catch per unit of effort (CPUE) and effort did not show a significantly decreasing trend, but landings follow the effort trend, with a decreasing tendency in recent years. No mature females were found in any of the three species, thus there could be reproductive migrations towards deeper waters from October to January, when abundance of crabs is lower in the study area. It is recommended that the practice of exploiting only one claw, returning the rest of the animal alive to the sea, should be promoted among fishers, while the removal of claws from female crabs should be avoided.

  10. Intra‐annual variability of Silver Carp populations in the Des Moines River, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sullivan, Christopher J.; Camacho, Carlos A.; Weber, Michael J.; Pierce, Clay

    2017-01-01

    Since their introduction in the 1970s, Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix have spread throughout the Mississippi River basin. Management of any species relies on an accurate understanding of population characteristics and dynamics. However, Silver Carp seasonal sampling variation is unknown. Sampling during periods of peak catch rates would facilitate Silver Carp assessment and management, improving monitoring and removal techniques. The objective of this study was to evaluate adult Silver Carp seasonal sampling variation with boat electroshocking and trammel nets. Silver Carp were collected monthly (April–October) during 2014 and 2015 from four locations in the Des Moines River, Iowa. Trammel nets rarely captured Silver Carp (mean ± SE = 4.9 ± 1.6 fish/net; 60% of fish were captured in 6.3% of net sets) and therefore were not included in analyses. Electroshocking catch rates (CPUEs) exhibited a bimodal distribution, with peak CPUEs generally occurring in May, June, and September and lower catch rates observed during July and August. Catch rates were positively related to river discharge at upstream sites but not at downstream sites. Silver Carp size structure was similar among months and sites except at Cliffland, where fish were smaller during August and October compared to earlier in the year. Finally, Silver Carp condition peaked during April and May and decreased throughout the year except at Keokuk, where peaks were observed during both May and August. Although spatiotemporal variability was substantial, these results suggest that sampling of Silver Carp via electroshocking in May–June and September–October generally produces higher catch rates compared to July–August sampling and generates a more representative size structure. Using site‐specific knowledge, monitoring and surveillance programs could more effectively sample during these periods of high vulnerability and densities in order to manage the spread and impacts of Silver Carp at statewide and regionwide scales.

  11. The effects of overwinter flowson the spring condition of rainbow and brown trout size classes in the Green River downstream of Flaming Gorge Dam, Utah.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Magnusson, A. K.; LaGory, K. E.; Hayse, J. W.

    2010-06-25

    Flaming Gorge Dam, a hydroelectric facility operated by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), is located on the Green River in Daggett County, northeastern Utah. Until recently, and since the early 1990s, single daily peak releases or steady flows have been the operational pattern of the dam during the winter period. However, releases from Flaming Gorge Reservoir followed a double-peak pattern (two daily flow peaks) during the winters of 2006-2007 and 2008-2009. Because there is little recent long-term history of double-peaking at Flaming Gorge Dam, the potential effects of double-peaking operations on trout body condition in the dam's tailwater are notmore » known. A study plan was developed that identified research activities to evaluate potential effects from winter double-peaking operations (Hayse et al. 2009). Along with other tasks, the study plan identified the need to conduct a statistical analysis of historical trout condition and macroinvertebrate abundance to evaluate the potential effects of hydropower operations. The results from analyses based on the combined size classes of trout (85-630 mm) were presented in Magnusson et al. (2008). The results of this earlier analysis suggested possible relationships between trout condition and flow, but concern that some of the relationships resulted from size-based effects (e.g., apparent changes in condition may have been related to concomitant changes in size distribution, because small trout may have responded differently to flow than large trout) prompted additional analysis of within-size class relationships. This report presents the results of analyses of three different size classes of trout (small: 200-299 mm, medium: 300-399 mm, and large: {ge}400 mm body length). We analyzed historical data to (1) describe temporal patterns and relationships among flows, benthic macroinvertebrate abundance, and condition of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the tailwaters of Flaming Gorge Dam, and to (2) evaluate the relative importance of the effects of flow (i.e., flow volumes and flow variability), trout abundance (catch per unit effort [CPUE]), and benthic macroinvertebrate abundance on trout condition for different size classes of trout.« less

  12. Predicting the Distribution of Yellowfin Tuna in Philippine Waters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perez, G. J. P.; Leonardo, E. M.

    2015-12-01

    The Philippines is considered as a major tuna producer in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, both for domestic consumption and on industrial scale. However, with the ever-increasing demand of growing population, it has always been a challenge to achieve sustainable fishing. The creation of satellite-derived potential fishing zone maps is a technology that has been adopted by advanced countries for almost three decades already and has led to reduction in search times by up to 40%. In this study, a Generalized Additive Model (GAM) is developed to predict the distribution of the Yellowfin tuna species in seas surrounding the Philippines based on the Catch-Per-Unit-Effort (CPUE) index. Level 3 gridded chlorophyll-a and sea surface temperature from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are the main input parameters of the model. Chlorophyll-a is linked with the presence of phytoplankton, which indicates primary productivity and suggests potential regions of fish aggregation. Fish also prefers to stay in regions where the temperature is stable, thus the sea surface temperature fronts serve as a guide to locate concentrations of fish school. Historical monthly tuna catch data from Western and Central Pacific Commissions (WCPFC) is used to train the model. The resulting predictions are converted to potential fishing zone maps and are evaluated within and beyond the historical time range of the training data used. Diagnostic tests involving adjusted R2 value, GAM residual plots and root mean square error value are used to assess the accuracy of the model. The generated maps were able to confirm locations of known tuna fishing grounds in Mindanao and other parts of the country, as well us detect their seasonality and interannual variability. To improve the performance of the model, ancillary data such as surface winds reanalysis from National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) is also incorporated in the model. Results of the model are further analyzed by comparing the fish maps with the night fishing activities in the Philippine waters. This was done through the use of night light monthly images gathered by Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

  13. Effects of Effortful Swallow on Cardiac Autonomic Regulation.

    PubMed

    Gomes, Lívia M S; Silva, Roberta G; Melo, Monique; Silva, Nayra N; Vanderlei, Franciele M; Garner, David M; de Abreu, Luiz Carlos; Valenti, Vitor E

    2016-04-01

    Swallowing-induced changes in heart rate have been recently reported. However, it is not apparent the responses of heart rate variability (HRV) elicited by effortful swallow maneuver. We investigated the acute effects of effortful swallowing maneuver on HRV. This study was performed on 34 healthy women between 18 and 35 years old. We assessed heart rate variability in the time (SDNN, RMSSD, and pNN50) and frequency (HF, LF, and LF/HF ratio) domains and, visual analysis through the Poincaré plot. The subjects remained at rest for 5 min during spontaneous swallowing and then performed effortful swallowing for 5 min. HRV was analyzed during spontaneous and effortful swallowing. We found no significant differences for SDNN, pNN50, RMSSD, HF in absolute units (ms(2)). There is a trend for increase of LF in absolute (p = 0.05) and normalized (p = 0.08) units during effortful swallowing. HF in normalized units reduced (p = 0.02) during effortful swallowing and LF/HF ratio (p = 0.03) increased during effortful swallowing. In conclusion effortful swallow maneuver in healthy women increased sympathetic cardiac modulation, indicating a cardiac overload.

  14. Managing Sales Efforts. PACE Revised. Level 3. Unit 14. Research & Development Series No. 240CB14.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ashmore, M. Catherine; Pritz, Sandra G.

    This individualized, competency-based unit on managing sales efforts, the 14th of 18 modules, is on the third level of the revised Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship (PACE). Intended for the advanced secondary and postsecondary levels and for adults wanting training or retraining, this unit, together with the other materials at…

  15. Toward an Asbestos Ban in the United States.

    PubMed

    Lemen, Richard A; Landrigan, Philip J

    2017-10-26

    Many developed countries have banned the use of asbestos, but not the United States. There have, however, been multiple efforts in the US to establish strict exposure standards, to limit asbestos use, and to seek compensation through the courts for asbestos-injured workers' In consequence of these efforts, asbestos use has declined dramatically, despite the absence of a legally mandated ban. This manuscript presents a historical review of these efforts.

  16. El Niño revisited: the influence of El Niño Southern Oscillation on the world's largest tuna fisheries.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Receveur, A.; Simon, N.; Menkes, C.; Tremblay-Boyer, L.; Senina, I.; Lehodey, P.

    2016-12-01

    El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) drives global climate on inter-annual scales and impacts the ecosystem structure in the warm-pool and cold-tongue of the Pacific Ocean. During the El Niño phase of ENSO, the warm-pool can stretch from the western equatorial Pacific to the eastern Pacific allowing species associated with the warm-pool to correspondingly spread eastwards. Conversely, during the la Niña phase the warm-pool is pushed to the far western equatorial Pacific by the cold-tongue allowing species associated with this ecosystem to spread westwards. Consequently, ENSO dynamics are likely to be critical for understanding the ecological processes supporting fisheries in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Surface inhabiting tuna, such as skipjack, are thought to track the convergence of the warm-pool and cold-tongue with fishing vessels tracking this tuna behavior. Given the reliance of Pacific Island economies on tuna fisheries, knowing when tunas are more likely to be present in high density in their territorial waters is beneficial for harvest control policies such as effort trading between nations. We use the SEAPODYM model to investigate the response of bigeye and skipjack tuna species to the phases of ENSO. SEAPODYM is an age structured model that integrates fisheries dependent and independent data with environmental data. We analyze the outputs of SEAPODYM using wavelets to assess the impact of environmental and biotic variables on the abundance and distribution of adult and juvenile age classes and to study time series cycle and temporal lags to ENSO. The main result for skipjack is the eastward or westward movement of the biomass pattern which is significantly lagged with the warm pool ENSO displacement. That lag ranges from 8 months for juvenile up to 18 months for adults. Such delayed response, can be traced in the model. Higher temperature in the central Pacific during El Niño leads to better recruitment which leads to lagged increase of juvenile biomass and lagged increase of adults. This suggest that previous analysis showing a phase displacement between El Niño and skipjack CPUE are biased by the effort movements of the fleet and may not accurately represent the tuna biomass movements.

  17. Total Force Fitness in units part 1: military demand-resource model.

    PubMed

    Bates, Mark J; Fallesen, Jon J; Huey, Wesley S; Packard, Gary A; Ryan, Diane M; Burke, C Shawn; Smith, David G; Watola, Daniel J; Pinder, Evette D; Yosick, Todd M; Estrada, Armando X; Crepeau, Loring; Bowles, Stephen V

    2013-11-01

    The military unit is a critical center of gravity in the military's efforts to enhance resilience and the health of the force. The purpose of this article is to augment the military's Total Force Fitness (TFF) guidance with a framework of TFF in units. The framework is based on a Military Demand-Resource model that highlights the dynamic interactions across demands, resources, and outcomes. A joint team of subject-matter experts identified key variables representing unit fitness demands, resources, and outcomes. The resulting framework informs and supports leaders, support agencies, and enterprise efforts to strengthen TFF in units by (1) identifying TFF unit variables aligned with current evidence and operational practices, (2) standardizing communication about TFF in units across the Department of Defense enterprise in a variety of military organizational contexts, (3) improving current resources including evidence-based actions for leaders, (4) identifying and addressing of gaps, and (5) directing future research for enhancing TFF in units. These goals are intended to inform and enhance Service efforts to develop Service-specific TFF models, as well as provide the conceptual foundation for a follow-on article about TFF metrics for units. Reprint & Copyright © 2013 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

  18. Toward an Asbestos Ban in the United States

    PubMed Central

    Lemen, Richard A.; Landrigan, Philip J.

    2017-01-01

    Many developed countries have banned the use of asbestos, but not the United States. There have, however, been multiple efforts in the US to establish strict exposure standards, to limit asbestos use, and to seek compensation through the courts for asbestos-injured workers’. In consequence of these efforts, asbestos use has declined dramatically, despite the absence of a legally mandated ban. This manuscript presents a historical review of these efforts. PMID:29072598

  19. Fish utilisation of wetland nurseries with complex hydrological connectivity.

    PubMed

    Davis, Ben; Johnston, Ross; Baker, Ronald; Sheaves, Marcus

    2012-01-01

    The physical and faunal characteristics of coastal wetlands are driven by dynamics of hydrological connectivity to adjacent habitats. Wetlands on estuary floodplains are particularly dynamic, driven by a complex interplay of tidal marine connections and seasonal freshwater flooding, often with unknown consequences for fish using these habitats. To understand the patterns and subsequent processes driving fish assemblage structure in such wetlands, we examined the nature and diversity of temporal utilisation patterns at a species or genus level over three annual cycles in a tropical Australian estuarine wetland system. Four general patterns of utilisation were apparent based on CPUE and size-structure dynamics: (i) classic nursery utlisation (use by recently settled recruits for their first year) (ii) interrupted peristence (iii) delayed recruitment (iv) facultative wetland residence. Despite the small self-recruiting 'facultative wetland resident' group, wetland occupancy seems largely driven by connectivity to the subtidal estuary channel. Variable connection regimes (i.e. frequency and timing of connections) within and between different wetland units (e.g. individual pools, lagoons, swamps) will therefore interact with the diversity of species recruitment schedules to generate variable wetland assemblages in time and space. In addition, the assemblage structure is heavily modified by freshwater flow, through simultaneously curtailing persistence of the 'interrupted persistence' group, establishing connectivity for freshwater spawned members of both the 'facultative wetland resident' and 'delayed recruitment group', and apparently mediating use of intermediate nursery habitats for marine-spawned members of the 'delayed recruitment' group. The diversity of utilisation pattern and the complexity of associated drivers means assemblage compositions, and therefore ecosystem functioning, is likely to vary among years depending on variations in hydrological connectivity. Consequently, there is a need to incorporate this diversity into understandings of habitat function, conservation and management.

  20. Fish Utilisation of Wetland Nurseries with Complex Hydrological Connectivity

    PubMed Central

    Davis, Ben; Johnston, Ross; Baker, Ronald; Sheaves, Marcus

    2012-01-01

    The physical and faunal characteristics of coastal wetlands are driven by dynamics of hydrological connectivity to adjacent habitats. Wetlands on estuary floodplains are particularly dynamic, driven by a complex interplay of tidal marine connections and seasonal freshwater flooding, often with unknown consequences for fish using these habitats. To understand the patterns and subsequent processes driving fish assemblage structure in such wetlands, we examined the nature and diversity of temporal utilisation patterns at a species or genus level over three annual cycles in a tropical Australian estuarine wetland system. Four general patterns of utilisation were apparent based on CPUE and size-structure dynamics: (i) classic nursery utlisation (use by recently settled recruits for their first year) (ii) interrupted peristence (iii) delayed recruitment (iv) facultative wetland residence. Despite the small self-recruiting ‘facultative wetland resident’ group, wetland occupancy seems largely driven by connectivity to the subtidal estuary channel. Variable connection regimes (i.e. frequency and timing of connections) within and between different wetland units (e.g. individual pools, lagoons, swamps) will therefore interact with the diversity of species recruitment schedules to generate variable wetland assemblages in time and space. In addition, the assemblage structure is heavily modified by freshwater flow, through simultaneously curtailing persistence of the ’interrupted persistence’ group, establishing connectivity for freshwater spawned members of both the ‘facultative wetland resident’ and ‘delayed recruitment group’, and apparently mediating use of intermediate nursery habitats for marine-spawned members of the ‘delayed recruitment’ group. The diversity of utilisation pattern and the complexity of associated drivers means assemblage compositions, and therefore ecosystem functioning, is likely to vary among years depending on variations in hydrological connectivity. Consequently, there is a need to incorporate this diversity into understandings of habitat function, conservation and management. PMID:23152857

  1. Implementation Issues in Federal Reform Efforts in Education: The United States and Australia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Porter, Paige

    Multiple data sources are used in this study of educational change in the United States and Australia. The author considers political issues that may affect the implementation of educational reform efforts at the federal level, such as homogeneity versus heterogeneity, centralization versus decentralization, constitutional responsibility for…

  2. Energy Consumption Evaluation of United States Navy Leed Certified Building For Fiscal Year 2009

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-01-01

    administration functions, classroom training, laboratory functions, personnel detention, and a fully functioning dog kennel on the exterior of the...Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certified by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The goal of this effort is in...and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certified by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The goal of this effort is in compliance with

  3. Thermodynamic and Mechanic Consideration on the stability of Anti-symmetric Schaefer’s equation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suriamihardja, D. A.; Amiruddin; Saaduddin

    2018-03-01

    Schaefer’s equation relates an interaction between population of fishes and the number of units of fishing effort. The population growth of fishes is reduced by the number of units of fishing effort, while the population growth of units of fishing effort depends on the existence of fishes. This paper aims to examine the stability of an anti-symmetric Schaefer’s equation through thermodynamic and mechanic procedure using a formula of entropy production near equilibrium which is recognized as Onsager’s relation. The results confirm that entropic approach (thermodynamics) and dissipative approach (mechanics) are usable to be applied as Lyapunov’s procedure in examining the stability of systems of differential equations.

  4. United States Marine Corps Post-Cold War Evolutionary Efforts: Implications for a Post-Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Force

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-05-25

    Research Question What lessons can the contemporary Marine Corps learn from its transition from the post - Cold War and Operation Desert Shield and...United States Marine Corps Post -Cold War Evolutionary Efforts: Implications for a Post -Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom...

  5. An adaptive two-stage sequential design for sampling rare and clustered populations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brown, J.A.; Salehi, M.M.; Moradi, M.; Bell, G.; Smith, D.R.

    2008-01-01

    How to design an efficient large-area survey continues to be an interesting question for ecologists. In sampling large areas, as is common in environmental studies, adaptive sampling can be efficient because it ensures survey effort is targeted to subareas of high interest. In two-stage sampling, higher density primary sample units are usually of more interest than lower density primary units when populations are rare and clustered. Two-stage sequential sampling has been suggested as a method for allocating second stage sample effort among primary units. Here, we suggest a modification: adaptive two-stage sequential sampling. In this method, the adaptive part of the allocation process means the design is more flexible in how much extra effort can be directed to higher-abundance primary units. We discuss how best to design an adaptive two-stage sequential sample. ?? 2008 The Society of Population Ecology and Springer.

  6. Promoting Sexual Health Equity in the United States: Implications from Exploratory Research with African-American Adults

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Friedman, Allison L.; Uhrig, Jennifer; Poehlman, Jon; Scales, Monica; Hogben, Matthew

    2014-01-01

    In an effort to inform communication efforts to promote sexual health equity in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sought to explore African-Americans' perceptions of the sexually transmitted disease (STD) problem in their communities, reactions to racially comparative STD data and opinions about dissemination of…

  7. Choices in Little Rock. A Facing History and Ourselves Teaching Guide

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Facing History and Ourselves, 2005

    2005-01-01

    This book presents a teaching unit that focuses on efforts to desegregate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957--efforts that resulted in a crisis that historian Taylor Branch once described as "the most severe test of the Constitution since the Civil War." The unit explores civic choices--the decisions people make as…

  8. An Extra Dimension to Decision-Making in Animals: The Three-way Trade-off between Speed, Effort per-Unit-Time and Accuracy

    PubMed Central

    de Froment, Adrian J.; Rubenstein, Daniel I.; Levin, Simon A.

    2014-01-01

    The standard view in biology is that all animals, from bumblebees to human beings, face a trade-off between speed and accuracy as they search for resources and mates, and attempt to avoid predators. For example, the more time a forager spends out of cover gathering information about potential food sources the more likely it is to make accurate decisions about which sources are most rewarding. However, when the cost of time spent out of cover rises (e.g. in the presence of a predator) the optimal strategy is for the forager to spend less time gathering information and to accept a corresponding decline in the accuracy of its decisions. We suggest that this familiar picture is missing a crucial dimension: the amount of effort an animal expends on gathering information in each unit of time. This is important because an animal that can respond to changing time costs by modulating its level of effort per-unit-time does not have to accept the same decrease in accuracy that an animal limited to a simple speed-accuracy trade-off must bear in the same situation. Instead, it can direct additional effort towards (i) reducing the frequency of perceptual errors in the samples it gathers or (ii) increasing the number of samples it gathers per-unit-time. Both of these have the effect of allowing it to gather more accurate information within a given period of time. We use a modified version of a canonical model of decision-making (the sequential probability ratio test) to show that this ability to substitute effort for time confers a fitness advantage in the face of changing time costs. We predict that the ability to modulate effort levels will therefore be widespread in nature, and we lay out testable predictions that could be used to detect adaptive modulation of effort levels in laboratory and field studies. Our understanding of decision-making in all species, including our own, will be improved by this more ecologically-complete picture of the three-way tradeoff between time, effort per-unit-time and accuracy. PMID:25522281

  9. An extra dimension to decision-making in animals: the three-way trade-off between speed, effort per-unit-time and accuracy.

    PubMed

    de Froment, Adrian J; Rubenstein, Daniel I; Levin, Simon A

    2014-12-01

    The standard view in biology is that all animals, from bumblebees to human beings, face a trade-off between speed and accuracy as they search for resources and mates, and attempt to avoid predators. For example, the more time a forager spends out of cover gathering information about potential food sources the more likely it is to make accurate decisions about which sources are most rewarding. However, when the cost of time spent out of cover rises (e.g. in the presence of a predator) the optimal strategy is for the forager to spend less time gathering information and to accept a corresponding decline in the accuracy of its decisions. We suggest that this familiar picture is missing a crucial dimension: the amount of effort an animal expends on gathering information in each unit of time. This is important because an animal that can respond to changing time costs by modulating its level of effort per-unit-time does not have to accept the same decrease in accuracy that an animal limited to a simple speed-accuracy trade-off must bear in the same situation. Instead, it can direct additional effort towards (i) reducing the frequency of perceptual errors in the samples it gathers or (ii) increasing the number of samples it gathers per-unit-time. Both of these have the effect of allowing it to gather more accurate information within a given period of time. We use a modified version of a canonical model of decision-making (the sequential probability ratio test) to show that this ability to substitute effort for time confers a fitness advantage in the face of changing time costs. We predict that the ability to modulate effort levels will therefore be widespread in nature, and we lay out testable predictions that could be used to detect adaptive modulation of effort levels in laboratory and field studies. Our understanding of decision-making in all species, including our own, will be improved by this more ecologically-complete picture of the three-way tradeoff between time, effort per-unit-time and accuracy.

  10. Monitoring eradication of European mouflon sheep from the Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Judge, Seth; Hess, Steven C.; Faford, Jonathan K.; Pacheco, Dexter; Leopold, Christina

    2017-01-01

    European mouflon (Ovis gmelini musimon), the world's smallest wild sheep, have proliferated and degraded fragile native ecosystems in the Hawaiian Islands through browsing, bark stripping, and trampling, including native forests within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO). HAVO resource managers initiated ungulate control efforts in the 469 km2 Kahuku Unit after it was acquired in 2003. We tracked control effort and used aerial surveys in a 64.7 km2 area from 2004 to 2017 and more intensive ground surveys and camera-trap monitoring to detect the last remaining animals within a 25.9 km2 subunit after it was enclosed by fence in 2012. Aerial shooting yielded the most removals per unit effort (3.2 animals/ hour), resulting in 261 animals. However, ground-based methods yielded 4,607 removals overall, 3,038 of which resulted from assistance of volunteers. Ground shooting with dogs, intensive aerial shooting, ground sweeps, and forward-looking infrared (FLIR)-assisted shooting were necessary to find and remove the last remaining mouflon. The Judas technique, baiting, and trapping were not successful in attracting or detecting small numbers of remaining individuals. Effort expended to remove each mouflon increased nearly 15-fold during the last 3 yr of eradication effort from 2013 to 2016. Complementary active and passive monitoring techniques allowed us to track the effectiveness of control effort and reveal locations of small groups to staff. The effort and variety of methods required to eradicate mouflon from an enclosed unit of moderate size illustrates the difficulty of scaling up to entire populations of wild ungulates from unenclosed areas.

  11. Coordinating the United States Interagency Partnering Effort

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-03-01

    Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215) 662-5606. The Commission on Higher Education is an institutional...Distribution is Unlimited. 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES Word Count: 7049 14. ABSTRACT International Partnering efforts have become the primary way for...Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development have accelerated as a means of avoiding conflict and addressing post

  12. Science Education in Three-Part Harmony: Balancing Conceptual, Epistemic, and Social Learning Goals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duschl, Richard

    2008-01-01

    Two major reform efforts in K-12 science education have taken place during the past 50 years. The first was the 1950-1970 curriculum reform efforts motivated by the launching of Sputnik and sponsored by the newly formed National Science Foundation (NSF) in the United States and by the Nuffield Foundation in the United Kingdom. The signature goal…

  13. Managing Sales Efforts. PACE Revised. Level 2. Unit 14. Research & Development Series No. 240BB14.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ashmore, M. Catherine; Pritz, Sandra G.

    This unit on managing sales efforts in a small business, the 14th in a series of 18 modules, is on the second level of the revised PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) comprehensive curriculum. Geared to advanced secondary and beginning postsecondary or adult students, the modules provide an opportunity to learn about and…

  14. Sport fishing at a thermal discharge into Lake Michigan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Spigarelli, S.A.; Thommes, M.M.

    1976-07-01

    Sport fishing censuses were conducted during 1972 and 1973 at the Point Beach Nuclear Plant on Lake Michigan (Two Rivers, Wisconsin). The objectives of this study were to describe the fishery at a typical shoreline thermal discharge into the upper Great Lakes and to make comparisons with reference fisheries in unheated areas. Extensive sport fishing at this power plant resulted in a relatively large catch of trout (4 species) and sporadic catches of salmon and non-salmonid species. Species composition of the catch and catch-per-unit-effort varied daily and seasonally and generally reflected trends in reference fisheries. A comparison between years showedmore » increased fishing effort, total catch, and proportion of trout in 1973, while success (catch-per-unit-effort) decreased. Despite this heavy fishing pressure, catch-per-unit-effort was generally higher at Point Beach than in reference shoreline fisheries. The economic value of thermal discharge fisheries on Lake Michigan is estimated using available value and expenditure data.« less

  15. NASA work unit system users manual

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    The NASA Work Unit System is a management information system for research tasks (i.e., work units) performed under NASA grants and contracts. It supplies profiles to indicate how much effort is being expended to what types of research, where the effort is being expended, and how funds are being distributed. The user obtains information by entering requests on the keyboard of a time-sharing terminal. Responses are received as video displays or typed messages at the terminal, or as lists printed in the computer room for subsequent delivery by messenger.

  16. UnitedHealthcare experience illustrates how payers can enable patient engagement.

    PubMed

    Sandy, Lewis G; Tuckson, Reed V; Stevens, Simon L

    2013-08-01

    Patient engagement is crucial to better outcomes and a high-performing health system, but efforts to support it often focus narrowly on the role of physicians and other care providers. Such efforts miss payers' unique capabilities to help patients achieve better health. Using the experience of UnitedHealthcare, a large national payer, this article demonstrates how health plans can analyze and present information to both patients and providers to help close gaps in care; share detailed quality and cost information to inform patients' choice of providers; and offer treatment decision support and value-based benefit designs to help guide choices of diagnostic tests and therapies. As an employer, UnitedHealth Group has used these strategies along with an "earn-back" program that provides positive financial incentives through reduced premiums to employees who adopt healthful habits. UnitedHealth's experience provides lessons for other payers and for Medicare and Medicaid, which have had minimal involvement with demand-side strategies and could benefit from efforts to promote activated beneficiaries.

  17. Neglected diseases amid wealth in the United States and Europe.

    PubMed

    Hotez, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Neglected tropical diseases are not exclusive to low-income countries. In the United States, such infections account for a sizable but largely hidden disease burden among minority populations living in poverty and among people of African descent in particular. Similar infections also occur in Europe. As efforts to control neglected tropical diseases expand throughout Africa, parallel efforts should also target poor and forgotten people in wealthy nations.

  18. A cost-benefit analysis of demand for food.

    PubMed Central

    Hursh, S R; Raslear, T G; Shurtleff, D; Bauman, R; Simmons, L

    1988-01-01

    Laboratory studies of consumer demand theory require assumptions regarding the definition of price in the absence of a medium of exchange (money). In this study we test the proposition that the fundamental dimension of price is a cost-benefit ratio expressed as the effort expended per unit of food value consumed. Using rats as subjects, we tested the generality of this "unit price" concept by varying four dimensions of price: fixed-ratio schedule, number of food pellets per fixed-ratio completion, probability of reinforcement, and response lever weight or effort. Two levels of the last three factors were combined in a 2 x 2 x 2 design giving eight groups. Each group was studied under a series of six FR schedules. Using the nominal values of all factors to determine unit price, we found that grams of food consumed plotted as a function of unit price followed a single demand curve. Similarly, total work output (responses x effort) conformed to a single function when plotted in terms of unit price. These observations provided a template for interpreting the effects of biological factors, such as brain lesions or drugs, that might alter the cost-benefit ratio. PMID:3209958

  19. A Central American Perspective on Teaching about the United Nations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ordonez, Eleonora

    1994-01-01

    Contends that the United Nations actively works to improve living conditions in Honduras. Discusses United Nations efforts to improve education through teacher education. Asserts that, although the United Nations has extensive operations in Honduras, education about the UN in Honduran schools is superficial. (CFR)

  20. A Web-based database for pathology faculty effort reporting.

    PubMed

    Dee, Fred R; Haugen, Thomas H; Wynn, Philip A; Leaven, Timothy C; Kemp, John D; Cohen, Michael B

    2008-04-01

    To ensure appropriate mission-based budgeting and equitable distribution of funds for faculty salaries, our compensation committee developed a pathology-specific effort reporting database. Principles included the following: (1) measurement should be done by web-based databases; (2) most entry should be done by departmental administration or be relational to other databases; (3) data entry categories should be aligned with funding streams; and (4) units of effort should be equal across categories of effort (service, teaching, research). MySQL was used for all data transactions (http://dev.mysql.com/downloads), and scripts were constructed using PERL (http://www.perl.org). Data are accessed with forms that correspond to fields in the database. The committee's work resulted in a novel database using pathology value units (PVUs) as a standard quantitative measure of effort for activities in an academic pathology department. The most common calculation was to estimate the number of hours required for a specific task, divide by 2080 hours (a Medicare year) and then multiply by 100. Other methods included assigning a baseline PVU for program, laboratory, or course directorship with an increment for each student or staff in that unit. With these methods, a faculty member should acquire approximately 100 PVUs. Some outcomes include (1) plotting PVUs versus salary to identify outliers for salary correction, (2) quantifying effort in activities outside the department, (3) documenting salary expenditure for unfunded research, (4) evaluating salary equity by plotting PVUs versus salary by sex, and (5) aggregating data by category of effort for mission-based budgeting and long-term planning.

  1. U.S.-Mexico Policy Coordination: An Assessment of the Twenty-First Century Border Policy Coordination Effort

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-10-28

    FINAL 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) September 2011 – October 2011 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE U.S. – MEXICO POLICY COORDINATION AN...national levels of both governments leading to significant inefficiency on issues related to the border. In 2010, the United States and Mexico ...effort to improve United States border policy coordination with Mexico . This paper assesses the effectiveness of the Twenty-First Century Border policy

  2. UnitedHealth Group

    Cancer.gov

    UnitedHealth Group provides accessible and affordable services, improved quality of care, coordinated health care efforts, and a supportive environment for shared decision making between patients and their physicians.

  3. Public values, opinions, and emotions in restoration controversies

    Treesearch

    Joanne Vining; Elizabeth Tyler; Byoung-Suk Kweon

    2000-01-01

    Ecosystem restoration efforts are increasing throughout the United States and in many places around the world. Many of these efforts are undertaken with the support and cooperation of local residents, interest groups, and government agencies. However, some restoration efforts are meeting with public resistance, and conflicts between various individuals and groups are...

  4. Latest developments on documentary film ``The State of the Unit: The Kilogram''

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Young, Amy

    2013-03-01

    This presentation shows the recent developments in the documentary film project ``The State of the Unit.'' The film, to be completed Fall 2013, looks at historical and current efforts to define precisely the unit of mass.

  5. Development of Water Quality Modeling in the United States

    EPA Science Inventory

    This presentation describes historical trends in water quality model development in the United States, reviews current efforts, and projects promising future directions. Water quality modeling has a relatively long history in the United States. While its origins lie in the work...

  6. Plasma contactor development for Space Station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Patterson, Michael J.; Hamley, John A.; Sarmiento, Charles J.; Manzella, David H.; Sarver-Verhey, Timothy; Soulas, George C.; Nelson, Amy

    1993-01-01

    Plasma contactors have been baselined for the Space Station (SS) to control the electrical potentials of surfaces to eliminate/mitigate damaging interactions with the space environment. The system represents a dual-use technology which is a direct outgrowth of the NASA electric propulsion program and, in particular, the technology development effort on ion thrustor systems. The plasma contactor subsystems include the plasma contactor unit, a power electronics unit, and an expellant management unit. Under this pre-flight development program these will all be brought to breadboard or engineering model status. Development efforts for the plasma contactor include optimizing the design and configuration of the contactor, validating its required lifetime, and characterizing the contactor plume and electromagnetic interference. The plasma contactor unit design selected for the SS is an enclosed keeper, xenon hollow cathode plasma source. This paper discusses the test results and development status of the plasma contactor unit subsystem for the SS.

  7. Plasma contactor development for Space Station

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Patterson, Michael J.; Hamley, John A.; Sarmiento, Charles J.; Manzella, David H.; Sarver-Verhey, Timothy; Soulas, George C.; Nelson, Amy

    1993-12-01

    Plasma contactors have been baselined for the Space Station (SS) to control the electrical potentials of surfaces to eliminate/mitigate damaging interactions with the space environment. The system represents a dual-use technology which is a direct outgrowth of the NASA electric propulsion program and, in particular, the technology development effort on ion thrustor systems. The plasma contactor subsystems include the plasma contactor unit, a power electronics unit, and an expellant management unit. Under this pre-flight development program these will all be brought to breadboard or engineering model status. Development efforts for the plasma contactor include optimizing the design and configuration of the contactor, validating its required lifetime, and characterizing the contactor plume and electromagnetic interference. The plasma contactor unit design selected for the SS is an enclosed keeper, xenon hollow cathode plasma source. This paper discusses the test results and development status of the plasma contactor unit subsystem for the SS.

  8. Adjustment among Youth in Military Families: The Protective Roles of Effortful Control and Maternal Social Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Amanda Sheffield; Age, Tolonda Ricard

    2009-01-01

    This study examined coping, effortful control, and mental health among 65 youth (ages 9-15) residing in families where at least one parent was serving in the United States military. Parents provided basic demographic and deployment information. Youth reported on their coping, effortful control, and adjustment using standardized self-report…

  9. 77 FR 42189 - Marine Recreational Fisheries of the United States; National Saltwater Angler Registry and State...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-18

    ... improvements to the design and management of survey and estimation methods used to produce marine recreational... to these effort surveys provides for continued pilot testing of effort sampling designs that use both... NMFS determine what specific sampling design to use in MRIP effort surveys on the Atlantic and Gulf...

  10. 50 CFR 648.262 - Effort-control program for red crab limited access vessels.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Effort-control program for red crab... UNITED STATES Management Measures for the Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery § 648.262 Effort-control program for red crab limited access vessels. (a) General. A vessel issued a limited access red crab permit...

  11. HiRISE Characterization of Thermophysical Units at Acidalia Planitia, Mars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martinez-Alonso, S.; Mellon, M. T.; Rafkin, S. C. R.; Zurek, R. W.; McEwen, A. S.; Putzig, N. E.; Searls, M. L.; HiRISE Team

    2008-03-01

    As part of an ongoing effort to characterize with HiRISE data the global thermophysical units in Mars, we report results regarding a region of Acidalia Planitia, which includes the largest outcrop of thermophysical unit F (rocks, bedrock, duricrust) on the planet.

  12. Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer Engineering Development Unit Hydrogen Tank

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Werkheiser, Arthur

    2015-01-01

    The Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer (CPST) project has been a long-running program in the Space Technology Mission Directorate to enhance the knowledge and technology related to handling cryogenic propellants, specifically liquid hydrogen. This particular effort, the CPST engineering development unit (EDU), was a proof of manufacturability effort in support of a flight article. The EDU was built to find and overcome issues related to manufacturability and collect data to anchor the thermal models for use on the flight design.

  13. Emerging Definition of Next-Generation of Aeronautical Communications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kerczewski, Robert J.

    2006-01-01

    Aviation continues to experience rapid growth. In regions such as the United States and Europe air traffic congestion is constraining operations, leading to major new efforts to develop methodologies and infrastructures to enable continued aviation growth through transformational air traffic management systems. Such a transformation requires better communications linking airborne and ground-based elements. Technologies for next-generation communications, the required capacities, frequency spectrum of operation, network interconnectivity, and global interoperability are now receiving increased attention. A number of major planning and development efforts have taken place or are in process now to define the transformed airspace of the future. These activities include government and industry led efforts in the United States and Europe, and by international organizations. This paper will review the features, approaches, and activities of several representative planning and development efforts, and identify the emerging global consensus on requirements of next generation aeronautical communications systems for air traffic control.

  14. Spatial distribution of Illex argentinus in San Matias Gulf (Northern Patagonia, Argentina) in relation to environmental variables: A contribution to the new interpretation of the population structuring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crespi-Abril, Augusto C.; Morsan, Enrique M.; Williams, Gabriela N.; Gagliardini, Domingo A.

    2013-03-01

    Traditionally, it was assumed that major spawning activity of Illex argentinus occurs in discrete pulses along the outer-shelf/slope off Argentina/southern Brazil during late-fall/winter and that early life stages develop near the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence (BMC). However, a novel hypothesis of the population structuring of the species was proposed that states that coastal waters may be important as spawning and feeding grounds. Here, we analyzed the spatial distribution of Illex argentinus inside San Matias Gulf based on the position of the CPUE of jiggers in order to improve the knowledge of the population structuring in coastal regions. Squids were mainly concentrated on the northern region of the gulf where favorable oceanographic conditions (e.g. water stratification, chlorophyll-a concentration peaks) to feeding and spawning are present. These results provided empirical evidences that individuals of I. argentinus use Argentinean coastal waters, particularly San Matias Gulf, as permanent feeding and spawning grounds which supports the new hypothesis.

  15. Resilience of predators to fishing pressure on coral patch reefs

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schroeder, R.E.; Parrish, J.D.

    2005-01-01

    Numbers and biomass of piscivorous fish and their predation on other fish may often be high in undisturbed coral reef communities. The effects of such predation have sometimes been studied by removal of piscivores (either experimentally or by fishermen). Such perturbations have usually involved removal of large, highly vulnerable, mobile piscivores that are often actively sought in fisheries. The effects of fishing on smaller, demersal, semi-resident piscivores have been little studied. We studied such effects on the fish communities of patch reefs at Midway atoll by experimentally removing major resident, demersal, piscivorous fishes. First, four control reefs and four experimental reefs were selected, their dimensions and habitats mapped, and their visible fish communities censused repeatedly over 1 year. Census of all control and experimental reefs was continued for the following 39 months, during which known piscivores were collected repeatedly by hand spearing. Records were kept of catch and effort to calculate CPUE as an index of predator density. Spearfishing on the experimental reefs removed 2504 piscivorous fish from 12 families and 43 taxa (mostly species). The species richness of the catch did not show an overall change over the duration of the experiment. Spearman rank correlation analysis showed some unexpected positive correlations for density in numbers and biomass of major fished piscivorous groups (especially lizardfish) over the experiment. Only two relatively minor fished piscivorous taxa declined in abundance over the experiment, while the overall abundance of piscivores increased. Visual censuses of fish on the experimental reefs also failed to show reduction of total piscivores over the full experimental period. No significant trend in the abundance of lizardfish censused over the full period was apparent on any of the control reefs. The high resilience of piscivores on these experimental reefs to relatively intense fishing pressure could result from their protracted recruitment seasons, high immigration rates, cryptic habits, or naturally high abundances. A major factor was the high immigration rates of lizardfish, replacing lizardfish and other less mobile piscivores removed from the reefs by spearing. On the fished reefs, the removed lizardfish population replaced itself >20 times during the experiment; other piscivorous taxa replaced themselves only 5 times.

  16. 40 CFR 33.303 - Are there special rules for loans under EPA financial assistance agreements?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PROGRAMS Good Faith Efforts § 33.303 Are there special... identified loans comply with the good faith efforts described in § 33.301 and the contract administration...

  17. 40 CFR 33.303 - Are there special rules for loans under EPA financial assistance agreements?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PROGRAMS Good Faith Efforts § 33.303 Are there special... identified loans comply with the good faith efforts described in § 33.301 and the contract administration...

  18. 40 CFR 33.303 - Are there special rules for loans under EPA financial assistance agreements?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PROGRAMS Good Faith Efforts § 33.303 Are there special... identified loans comply with the good faith efforts described in § 33.301 and the contract administration...

  19. 40 CFR 33.303 - Are there special rules for loans under EPA financial assistance agreements?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PROGRAMS Good Faith Efforts § 33.303 Are there special... identified loans comply with the good faith efforts described in § 33.301 and the contract administration...

  20. 40 CFR 33.303 - Are there special rules for loans under EPA financial assistance agreements?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PROGRAMS Good Faith Efforts § 33.303 Are there special... identified loans comply with the good faith efforts described in § 33.301 and the contract administration...

  1. Cataloging Practices in India: Efforts for Standardization.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tikku, Upinder Kumar

    1984-01-01

    Surveys current cataloging practices in Indian libraries and discusses standardization in cataloging, types of catalogs, cataloging codes (Anglo-American and Ranganathan), subject headings, descriptive cataloging, and standardization efforts (international, United States, USSR, Great Britain, India). Footnotes are included. (EJS)

  2. Aviation System Analysis Capability (ASAC) Quick Response System (QRS) Test Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roberts, Eileen; Villani, James A.; Ritter, Paul

    1997-01-01

    This document is the Aviation System Analysis Capability (ASAC) Quick Response System (QRS) Test Report. The purpose of this document is to present the results of the QRS unit and system tests in support of the ASAC QRS development effort. This document contains an overview of the project background and scope, defines the QRS system and presents the additions made to the QRS this year, explains the assumptions, constraints, and approach used to conduct QRS Unit and System Testing, and presents the schedule used to perform QRS Testing. The document also presents an overview of the Logistics Management Institute (LMI) Test Facility and testing environment and summarizes the QRS Unit and System Test effort and results.

  3. Hardware Assessment in Support of the Dynamic Power Convertor Development Effort

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson, Scott D.; Oriti, Sal M.; Schifer, Nicholas A.

    2017-01-01

    Stirling Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) are being developed by NASA's RPS Program in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Efforts ranging from 2001 to 2015 enabled development of the Technology Demonstration Convertor (TDC) for use in the 110-watt Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG-110) and the Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) for use in the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG). The DOE selected Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC) as the system integration contractor for both flight development efforts. The SRG-110 housed two TDCs fabricated by Infinia and resulted in the production of 16x demonstration units and 2x engineering units. The project was redirected in 2006 to make use of a more efficient and lower mass ASCs under development by Sunpower Inc. The DOE managed the flight contract with LMSSC and subcontractor Sunpower Inc. from 2007 to 2013 to build the ASRG, with support from NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). Sunpower Inc. held two parallel contracts to produce ASCs, one with Lockheed Martin to produce ASC-F flight units and one with GRC for the production of ASC-E3 engineering unit pathfinders that were used to refine the flight design and production processes. The DOE initiated termination of the ASRG contract in late 2013. After ASRG had ended, GRC completed characterization testing of the ASRG Engineering Unit #2 (EU2) and the GRC contract with Sunpower was also completed. The NASA RPS Program Office has recently initiated a new Dynamic Power Conversion development effort which includes the potential maturation of Stirling, Brayton, and Rankine power convertors for the next generation of RPS. The effort started with the request for proposal and review of submits. Contracts are anticipated for release in 2017 and will initially focus on a design phase prior to fabrication and testing. This new effort will focus on robustness in addition to high efficiency, specific power, and reliability. Also, some requirements introduced during the ASRG contract have also been included in the new effort, such as constant lateral loading. Due to the focus on robustness and new requirements relative to the older TDC design, the Stirling Cycle Development Project has initiated an assessment of government owned hardware to help inform requirements evolution and evaluation of future designs. While lessons learned from the ASRG flight development project have been taken into consideration, the evaluation of the TDC design had not been completed for some existing environments or relatively new requirements. To further assess the TDC design, a series of tasks were initiated to evaluate degradation for units that have operated unattended for over 105,000 hours, demonstrate robustness to a random vibration environment, characterize and evaluate performance for varying lateral load profiles. The status for each task are described.

  4. Schistosomiasis control through rural health units.

    PubMed

    el Katsha, S; Watts, S

    1995-01-01

    In Egypt the main effort in the campaign against schistosomiasis involves providing free diagnosis and treatment through primary care facilities, especially rural health units. The prospects for improving these services are considered below.

  5. Effectively Responding to the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: A Comprehensive Approach to Prevention, Protection, and Reintegration Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barnitz, Laura

    2001-01-01

    Discusses the international problem of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and efforts to stop the practice and assist the victims. Considers initiatives to formulate a worldwide policy against CSEC, and anti-CSEC efforts in the United States, including law enforcement and education, and advocacy efforts and services for youth.…

  6. Aiming High and Falling Short: California's Eighth-Grade Algebra-for-All Effort

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Domina, Thurston; McEachin, Andrew; Penner, Andrew; Penner, Emily

    2015-01-01

    The United States is in the midst of an effort to intensify middle school mathematics curricula by enrolling more 8th graders in Algebra. California is at the forefront of this effort, and in 2008, the state moved to make Algebra the accountability benchmark test for 8th-grade mathematics. This article takes advantage of this unevenly implemented…

  7. Towards the formal verification of the requirements and design of a processor interface unit

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fura, David A.; Windley, Phillip J.; Cohen, Gerald C.

    1993-01-01

    The formal verification of the design and partial requirements for a Processor Interface Unit (PIU) using the Higher Order Logic (HOL) theorem-proving system is described. The processor interface unit is a single-chip subsystem within a fault-tolerant embedded system under development within the Boeing Defense and Space Group. It provides the opportunity to investigate the specification and verification of a real-world subsystem within a commercially-developed fault-tolerant computer. An overview of the PIU verification effort is given. The actual HOL listing from the verification effort are documented in a companion NASA contractor report entitled 'Towards the Formal Verification of the Requirements and Design of a Processor Interface Unit - HOL Listings' including the general-purpose HOL theories and definitions that support the PIU verification as well as tactics used in the proofs.

  8. Challenges in Hospital-Associated Infection Management: A Unit Perspective.

    PubMed

    Stacy, Kathleen M

    2015-01-01

    Maintaining a successful unit-based continuous quality improvement program for managing hospital-associated infections is a huge challenge and an overwhelming task. It requires strong organizational support and unit leadership, human and fiscal resources, time, and a dedicated and motivated nursing staff. A great deal of effort goes into implementing, monitoring, reporting, and evaluating quality improvement initiatives and can lead to significant frustration on the part of the leadership team and nursing staff when quality improvement efforts fail to produce the desired results. Each initiative presents its own unique set of challenges; however, common issues influence all initiatives. These common issues include organization and unit culture, current clinical practice guidelines being used to drive the initiatives, performance discrepancies on the part of nursing staff, availability of resources including equipment and supplies, monitoring of the data, and conflicting quality improvement priorities.

  9. 77 FR 59922 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-01

    ... EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES [Public Notice 2012-0521] Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request AGENCY: Export-Import Bank of the United States. ACTION: Submission for OMB.... SUMMARY: The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), as a part of its continuing effort to...

  10. A Master Plan for Unit Cost Studies Among Community Junior Colleges.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sims, Howard D.

    The need for higher education programs is being challenged, and unit cost studies may become an integral part of the funding process for junior colleges. This paper describes the major tasks in a cost study and reviews the problems encountered in the unit costing efforts. The main tasks are: (1) identifying units of measurement (the language used…

  11. 2011 Summary: Coastal wetland restoration research

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kowalski, Kurt P.; Wiley, Michael J.; Wilcox, Douglas A.; Carlson Mazur, Martha L.; Czayka, Alex; Dominguez, Andrea; Doty, Susan; Eggleston, Mike; Green, Sean; Sweetman, Amanda

    2014-01-01

    The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) projects currently taking place in Great Lakes coastal wetlands provide a unique opportunity to study ecosystem response to management actions as practitioners strive to improve wetland function and increase ecosystem services. Through a partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey – Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and Ducks Unlimited, a GLRI-funded project has reestablished the hydrologic connection between an intensively managed impounded wetland (Pool 2B) and Crane Creek, a small Lake Erie tributary, by building a water-control structure that was opened in the spring of 2011. The study site is located within the USFWS Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge (ONWR) and lies within the boundaries of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-designated Maumee River Area of Concern. The broad objective of the project is to evaluate how hydrologically reconnecting a previously diked wetland impacts fish, mollusks, and other biota and affects nutrient transport, nutrient cycling, water quality, flood storage, and many other abiotic conditions. The results from this project suggest large system-wide benefits from sustainable reestablishment of lake-driven hydrology in this and other similar systems. We comprehensively sampled water chemistry, fish, birds, plants, and invertebrates in Crane Creek coastal wetlands, Pool 2A (a reference diked wetland), and Pool 2B (the reconnected wetland) in 2010 and 2011 to: 1) Characterize spatial and seasonal patterns for these parameters. 2) Examine ecosystem response to the opening of a water-control structure that allows fish passage Our sampling efforts have yielded data that reveal striking changes in water quality, hydrology, and fish assemblages in our experimental unit (2B). Prior to the reconnection, the water chemistry in pools 2A and 2B were very similar. Afterwards, we found that the water chemistry in reconnected Pool 2B was more similar to Crane Creek (e.g., greater turbidity, higher concentration of nitrogen). Sites closest to the structure showed the most creek influence with that influence decreasing with distance from the structure, suggesting that input water from Crane Creek is not mixing fully with the pool water. We also found that water level fluctuations were much greater in the reconnected wetland due to the influence of seiches in Lake Erie. We measured the nutrient concentrations of water flowing into and out of Pool 2B during seiche events and found that the phosphorous and nitrogen concentrations generally were drastically reduced after pulsing through the reconnected wetland. Fish response to the reconnection was equally striking. High-resolution sonar revealed extensive bidirectional movement of fish through the structure on a daily and seasonal basis. There also were significant increases in both the catch per unit effort (CPUE) and the species richness of all sites in Pool 2B from 2010 to 2011. Reconnecting the diked pool to the larger Crane Creek wetland complex, and therefore Lake Erie, has opened up rich new habitat for many fish species. Thirteen species of fish not previously found in the pool entered through the structure and actively used the reconnected wetland. We also found that the wetland functions as a productive spawning ground and nursery area with notable shifts in the predominant age-class of several species of fish, especially northern pike. We observed no negative effects of reconnection on the avian or vegetative communities. All sites within the connected pool had increases in diversity and abundance in the avian community and decreases in the species richness and Floristic Quality Assessment Index values for vegetative communities. After one year of study, data suggest that maintaining a hydrologic connection between diked and coastal wetlands in Lake Erie allows fishes to use vegetated habitats regularly, reduces the concentration of nutrients in coastal waters, and maintains productive habitats for birds and other biota.  It will be important to continue to monitor the status of the reconnected wetland to determine the effect of long-term connection to Crane Creek and Lake Erie.  If conditions degrade, periodic management actions involving hydrologic isolation of the rehabilitated coastal wetland could be used to mimic intermediate levels of disturbance and maintain wetland vegetation.

  12. Digital mammography. Why hasn't it been approved for U.S. hospitals?

    PubMed

    2000-01-01

    Mammography is the only major imaging technique still unavailable in the United States in digital form. This is because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been unable to devise an effective method for manufacturers to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of digital mammography systems. As a result, the agency has been unable to approve any of those systems for marketing in the United States. In this Regulatory Update, we describe FDA's recent efforts to help manufacturers obtain approval and the reasons those efforts have so far proved ineffective.

  13. ELECTROFISHING EFFORT REQUIREMENTS FOR ASSESSING SPECIES RICHNESS AND BIOTIC INTEGRITY IN WESTERN OREGON STREAMS

    EPA Science Inventory

    We empirically examined the sampling effort required to adequately represent species richness and proportionate abundance when backpack electrofishing western Oregon streams. When sampling, we separately recorded data for each habitat unit. In data analyses, we repositioned each...

  14. Coordination within Peacebuilding Institutions: Three Case Studies from Reconstruction Efforts in Brcko, Bosnia

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-06-13

    5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) U.S. Army Command and General Staff...Division-North NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NGO Non-Governmental Organization NSC National Security Council OHR Office of the High...for Iraq Reconstruction TF Task Force UK United Kingdom UN United Nations UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNMIBH United

  15. Fundamental Dimensions and Essential Elements of Exemplary Local Extension Units

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Terry, Bryan D.; Osborne, Edward

    2015-01-01

    Collaborative efforts between federal, state, and local government agencies enable local Extension units to deliver a high level of educational opportunities to local citizens. These units represent land-grant institutions by delivering non-formal education that aim to address local, regional, and state concerns. The purpose of this study was to…

  16. Teaching the Manhattan Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schibuk, Elizabeth

    2015-01-01

    This article describes a nuclear chemistry unit on the Manhattan Project, a research effort that led to the development of the world's first nuclear weapons during World War II. The unit is appropriate for an introductory high school chemistry or physics course and takes from four to six weeks. The unit poses this essential question: "Over…

  17. Educational Research and Development in the United States.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris (France).

    This volume explores the development, present status, and future growth of educational research and development in the United States and documents U.S. educational research efforts as a guide for OECD member nations. Topics include (1) the organization of and issues in education in the United States, (2) the history of educational research, (3)…

  18. Intellectual Disabilities and Mental Health: United States-Based Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Charlot, Lauren; Beasley, Joan B.

    2013-01-01

    In the United States, research directed specifically at improving our understanding of the psychiatric assessment and treatment of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) has grown, yet lags far behind efforts for typically developing children and adults. In the United States, a lack of a national approach to the mental health problems of…

  19. Making Time for Spacetime: The Story of a National Science Cafe Effort

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Redmond, Kendra; Chakrabarti, Anish

    2012-03-01

    Science Cafes are live and lively events that take place in casual settings such as coffeehouses or bars, are open to everyone, and feature an engaging conversation with a scientist about a compelling scientific topic. The Science Cafe movement in the United States is a grassroots effort to really engage the public in discussions about science and its relevance to society, inspired by the United Kingdom Cafe Scientifique organization. With support from NOVA and the related website sciencecafes.org, a number of Society of Physics Students chapters hosted local Cosmic Cafes (cosmic themed science cafes) in late 2011 and early 2012. This presentation will discuss the goals and models of the Science Cafe movement, the Cosmic Cafe effort, lessons learned, and how you can get involved.

  20. Leadership Styles in United States Marine Corps Transport Helicopter Squadrons

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-12-01

    This thesis examined leadership styles in United States Marine Corps transport helicopter squadrons. Analyses were conducted to determine how... leadership styles related to subordinate extra effort, leader effectiveness, satisfaction with leader, unit cohesion, and unit morale. The importance of...military history to the development of military leaders was also examined. Leadership styles of officers were evaluated by the leader himself as well as

  1. Support for Development of Electronics and Materials Technologies by the Governments of the United States, Japan, West Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.

    The governments of the United States, Japan, West Germany, France, and the United Kingdom each have large research and development efforts involving government agencies, universities and industry. This document provides a comparative overview of policies and programs which contribute to the development of technologies in the general area of…

  2. Improving the quality of health care in the United Kingdom and the United States: a framework for change.

    PubMed

    Ferlie, E B; Shortell, S M

    2001-01-01

    Fueled by public incidents and growing evidence of deficiencies in care, concern over the quality and outcomes of care has increased in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Both countries have launched a number of initiatives to deal with these issues. These initiatives are unlikely to achieve their objectives without explicit consideration of the multilevel approach to change that includes the individual, group/team, organization, and larger environment/system level. Attention must be given to issues of leadership, culture, team development, and information technology at all levels. A number of contingent factors influence these efforts in both countries, which must each balance a number of tradeoffs between centralization and decentralization in efforts to sustain the impetus for quality improvement over time. The multilevel change framework and associated properties provide a framework for assessing progress along the journey.

  3. 76 FR 20713 - Bureau of International Labor Affairs; Office of Trade and Labor Affairs; Request for Comments on...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-13

    ...This notice is a request for comments from the public to assist the Secretary of Labor and the United States Trade Representative in preparing a report on labor capacity-building efforts under Chapter 16 (``the Labor Chapter'') and Annex 16.5 of the Dominican Republic--Central America--United States Free Trade Agreement (``the CAFTA-DR''), as well as efforts made by the CAFTA-DR countries to implement the recommendations contained in the report entitled ``The Labor Dimension in Central America and the Dominican Republic--Building on Progress: Strengthening Compliance and Enhancing Capacity'' (``the White Paper''). This report is required under the Dominican Republic-- Central America--United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (``the CAFTA-DR Implementation Act''). The reporting function and the responsibility for soliciting public comments required under this Act were assigned to the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative.

  4. Reporter Licensing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henderson, Leslie C.

    This report reviews some of the efforts to license news reporters. The review summarizes court litigation concerning city and state legislation and federal efforts to screen or regulate the movements of journalists covering political news events. Highlighting the report are discussions of the United States Secret Service's role in issuing White…

  5. Using aquatic vegetation to remediate nitrate, ammonium, and soluble reactive phosphorus in simulated runoff

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Within the agriculturally-intensive Mississippi River Basin of the United States, significant conservation efforts have focused on management practices that reduce nutrient runoff into receiving aquatic ecosystems. Only a small fraction of those efforts have focused on phytoremediation techniques. ...

  6. Rewarding Teaching Faculty with a Reimbursement Plan

    PubMed Central

    Rouan, Gregory W; Wones, Robert G; Tsevat, Joel; Galla, John H; Dorfmeister, John W; Luke, Robert G

    1999-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To develop a system for measuring the teaching effort of medical school faculty and to implement a payment system that is based on it. DESIGN An interventional study with outcomes measured before and after the intervention. SETTING A department of internal medicine with a university hospital and an affiliated Veterans Administration hospital. INTERVENTION We assigned a value in teaching units to each teaching activity in proportion to the time expended by the faculty and the intensity of their effort. We then calculated total teaching units for each faculty member in the Division of General Internal Medicine and for combined faculty effort in each subspecialty division in the Department of Medicine. After determining the dollar value for a teaching unit, we distributed discretionary teaching dollars to each faculty member in the Division of General Internal Medicine and to each subspecialty division according to total teaching units. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The distribution of discretionary teaching dollars was determined. In the year after the intervention, there was a substantial redistribution of discretionary teaching dollars among divisions. Compared with an increase in total discretionary dollars of 11.4%, the change in allocation for individual divisions ranged from an increase of 78.2% to a decrease of −28.5%. Further changes in the second year after the intervention were modest. The distribution of teaching units among divisions was similar to the distribution of questions across subspecialties on the American College of Physicians In-Training Examination (r = .67) and the American Board of Internal Medicine Certifying Examination (r = .88). CONCLUSIONS It is possible to measure the value of teaching effort by medical school faculty and to distribute discretionary teaching funds among divisions according to the value of teaching effort. When this intervention was used at our institution, there were substantial changes in the amounts received by some divisions. We believe that the new distribution more closely approximates the desired distribution because it reflects the desired emphasis on knowledge as measured by two of the most experienced professional groups in internal medicine. We also believe that our method is flexible and adaptable to the needs of most clinical teaching PMID:10354251

  7. The Coverage of Human Evolution in High School Biology Textbooks in the 20th Century and in Current State Science Standards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skoog, Gerald

    2005-01-01

    Efforts to eliminate or neutralize the coverage of evolution in high school biology textbooks in the United States have persisted with varying degrees of intensity and success since the 1920s. In particular, the coverage of human evolution has been impacted by these efforts. Evidence of the success of these efforts can be chronicled by the…

  8. The Impact of Leadership Styles and Knowledge Sharing on Police Officers' Willingness to Exert Extra Effort to Provide Better Security: A Study in the Riot Unit of the Turkish National Police

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tombul, Fatih

    2011-01-01

    The motivation for this study is to understand the factors affecting police officers' willingness to exert extra effort for providing better service through knowledge sharing in different working environments such as riots. Since managers' leadership styles may be important factors affecting subordinates' willingness to exert extra effort, this…

  9. Achieving Homeland Security in a Time of Diminishing Resources

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-06-08

    and merged over 22 federal agencies and programs under the DHS umbrella. The overall mission of DHS is to enact “ a concerted national effort to ensure... A concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States; reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, major disasters...activity or effort performed to protect a nation against attack or other threats National Security. Requirement to maintain the survival of the state

  10. A New Map of Standardized Terrestrial Ecosystems of the Conterminous United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sayre, Roger G.; Comer, Patrick; Warner, Harumi; Cress, Jill

    2009-01-01

    A new map of standardized, mesoscale (tens to thousands of hectares) terrestrial ecosystems for the conterminous United States was developed by using a biophysical stratification approach. The ecosystems delineated in this top-down, deductive modeling effort are described in NatureServe's classification of terrestrial ecological systems of the United States. The ecosystems were mapped as physically distinct areas and were associated with known distributions of vegetation assemblages by using a standardized methodology first developed for South America. This approach follows the geoecosystems concept of R.J. Huggett and the ecosystem geography approach of R.G. Bailey. Unique physical environments were delineated through a geospatial combination of national data layers for biogeography, bioclimate, surficial materials lithology, land surface forms, and topographic moisture potential. Combining these layers resulted in a comprehensive biophysical stratification of the conterminous United States, which produced 13,482 unique biophysical areas. These were considered as fundamental units of ecosystem structure and were aggregated into 419 potential terrestrial ecosystems. The ecosystems classification effort preceded the mapping effort and involved the independent development of diagnostic criteria, descriptions, and nomenclature for describing expert-derived ecological systems. The aggregation and labeling of the mapped ecosystem structure units into the ecological systems classification was accomplished in an iterative, expert-knowledge-based process using automated rulesets for identifying ecosystems on the basis of their biophysical and biogeographic attributes. The mapped ecosystems, at a 30-meter base resolution, represent an improvement in spatial and thematic (class) resolution over existing ecoregionalizations and are useful for a variety of applications, including ecosystem services assessments, climate change impact studies, biodiversity conservation, and resource management.

  11. Terrestrial Ecosystems-Surficial Lithology of the Conterminous United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cress, Jill; Soller, David; Sayre, Roger G.; Comer, Patrick; Warner, Harumi

    2010-01-01

    As part of an effort to map terrestrial ecosystems, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has generated a new classification of the lithology of surficial materials to be used in creating maps depicting standardized, terrestrial ecosystem models for the conterminous United States. The ecosystems classification used in this effort was developed by NatureServe. A biophysical stratification approach, developed for South America and now being implemented globally, was used to model the ecosystem distributions. This ecosystem mapping methodology is transparent, replicable, and rigorous. Surficial lithology strongly influences the differentiation and distribution of terrestrial ecosystems, and is one of the key input layers in this biophysical stratification. These surficial lithology classes were derived from the USGS map 'Surficial Materials in the Conterminous United States,' which was based on texture, internal structure, thickness, and environment of deposition or formation of materials. This original map was produced from a compilation of regional surficial and bedrock geology source maps using broadly defined common map units for the purpose of providing an overview of the existing data and knowledge. For the terrestrial ecosystem effort, the 28 lithology classes of Soller and Reheis (2004) were generalized and then reclassified into a set of 17 lithologies that typically control or influence the distribution of vegetation types.

  12. CANUSA mid-program report

    Treesearch

    David G. Grimble

    1981-01-01

    The Canada-United States Spruce Budworms Program (CANUSA) is a 6-year joint effort by the Department of the Environment, Canada, and the USDA Forest Service to develop methods for controlling spruce budworms in the Eastern and Western United States and in Canada.

  13. Teaming Up with Unions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Geber, Beverly

    1987-01-01

    The author discusses the concept, first encouraged by Irving Bluestone of the United Auto Workers, that union and management personnel should work together to achieve company goals. The history of this cooperative effort movement within the United Auto Workers is described. (CH)

  14. Old and New Ideas about School Desegregation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willie, Charles V.

    This paper presents a set of new ideas which support the value of school desegregation in the United States. First, school desegregation efforts have been almost universally effective, no matter what implementation strategy was employed. Even busing, although widely criticized, has been effective. Second, desegregation efforts have usually…

  15. Operation Occupation: A College and Career Readiness Intervention for Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mariani, Melissa; Berger, Carolyn; Koerner, Kathleen; Sandlin, Cassie

    2017-01-01

    This article describes efforts undertaken to design, deliver, and evaluate a college and career readiness (CCR) unit for fifth-grade students. Preliminary findings from the school counselor-developed and -delivered intervention, Operation Occupation, supported interdisciplinary efforts between counselors and classroom teachers. Pre- and…

  16. 24 CFR 982.503 - Voucher tenancy: Payment standard amount and schedule.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... to provide a family who has made sustained efforts to locate suitable housing with additional search... used to calculate the monthly housing assistance payment for a family (§ 982.505). (3) The PHA voucher... section for all units, or for all units of a given unit size, leased by program families in the exception...

  17. 24 CFR 982.503 - Voucher tenancy: Payment standard amount and schedule.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... to provide a family who has made sustained efforts to locate suitable housing with additional search... used to calculate the monthly housing assistance payment for a family (§ 982.505). (3) The PHA voucher... section for all units, or for all units of a given unit size, leased by program families in the exception...

  18. 24 CFR 982.503 - Voucher tenancy: Payment standard amount and schedule.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... to provide a family who has made sustained efforts to locate suitable housing with additional search... used to calculate the monthly housing assistance payment for a family (§ 982.505). (3) The PHA voucher... section for all units, or for all units of a given unit size, leased by program families in the exception...

  19. 24 CFR 982.503 - Voucher tenancy: Payment standard amount and schedule.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... to provide a family who has made sustained efforts to locate suitable housing with additional search... used to calculate the monthly housing assistance payment for a family (§ 982.505). (3) The PHA voucher... section for all units, or for all units of a given unit size, leased by program families in the exception...

  20. Advising Host Nations and Host Nation Security Forces: The United States Military Advisory Efforts through 2020

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-05-22

    Contingency Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) with training support for the United Nations - African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) in FY14.183...Initiative (GPOI) when GPOI activated in 2004.The United Nations established the African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur on July 31, 2007 with the

  1. United States Newspaper Program. List of Intended Audience Terms for 655 Genre Field.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wisconsin State Historical Society, Madison.

    The United States Newspaper Program (USNP) is a national, cooperative effort to locate, catalog, and preserve on microfilm newspapers published in the United States and its territories since the seventeenth century. This list of intended-audience terms was initially developed by the USNP staff at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, but soon…

  2. Physical Education Opportunity Program for Exceptional Learners (PEOPEL): A Teacher's Guide for Secondary Schools. Second Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Irmer, Larry D.; And Others

    The instructional guide for PEOPEL (Physical Education Opportunity Program for Exceptional Learners) contains 36 units of instruction for use with handicapped junior and senior high school students. The units contain basic performance objectives which have been task analyzed in an effort to individualize instruction. Each unit is divided into four…

  3. Processor Units Reduce Satellite Construction Costs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2014-01-01

    As part of the effort to build the Fast Affordable Science and Technology Satellite (FASTSAT), Marshall Space Flight Center developed a low-cost telemetry unit which is used to facilitate communication between a satellite and its receiving station. Huntsville, Alabama-based Orbital Telemetry Inc. has licensed the NASA technology and is offering to install the cost-cutting units on commercial satellites.

  4. Job stress and work-related musculoskeletal symptoms among intensive care unit nurses: a comparison between job demand-control and effort-reward imbalance models.

    PubMed

    Lee, Soo-Jeong; Lee, Joung Hee; Gillen, Marion; Krause, Niklas

    2014-02-01

    The aims of this study were to compare job demand-control (JDC) and effort-reward imbalance (ERI) models in examining the association of job stress with work-related musculoskeletal symptoms and to evaluate the utility of a combined model. This study analyzed cross-sectional survey data obtained from a nationwide random sample of 304 intensive-care unit (ICU) nurses. Demographic and job factors were controlled in the analyses using logistic regression. Both JDC and ERI variables had strong and statistically significant associations with work-related musculoskeletal symptoms. Effort-reward imbalance had stronger associations than job strain or iso-strain with musculoskeletal symptoms. Effort-reward imbalance alone showed similar or stronger associations with musculoskeletal symptoms compared to combined variables of the JDC and ERI models. The ERI model appears to capture the magnitude of the musculoskeletal health risk among nurses associated with job stress at least as well and possibly better than the JDC model. Our findings suggest that combining the two models provides little gain compared to using effort-reward imbalance only. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Flight training efforts would benefit from more flexible aviation regulatory structures.

    PubMed

    Bent, J

    1996-10-01

    Training and regulatory issues related to modern flight deck systems are reviewed. Philosophical differences in regulatory bodies in the United States and Europe are highlighted. Methods of changing regulations in Europe and the United States are discussed.

  6. National ITS Program Plan Executive Summary

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1995-03-01

    THE PURPOSE OF THE NATIONAL ITS PROGRAM PLAN IS TO GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS (ITS) IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS FIRST EDITION OF THE PLAN WAS A JOINT EFFORT OF ITS AMERICA AND THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMEN...

  7. An examination of practices for retrofitting existing roads with sidewalks in the United States.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2010-06-01

    In Virginia, as in the United States, many roads were built without sidewalks. With steadily increasing efforts to : develop a more balanced, multimodal transportation system, missing sidewalks pose a unique connectivity issue. Although the : Virgini...

  8. Highlights of Historical Events Leading to National Surveillance of Vaccination Coverage in the United States

    PubMed Central

    Smith, Philip J.; Wood, David; Darden, Paul M.

    2011-01-01

    The articles published in this special supplement of Public Health Reports provide examples of only some of the current efforts in the United States for evaluating vaccination coverage. So, how did we get here? The history of vaccination and assessment of vaccination coverage in the U.S. has its roots in the pre-Revolutionary War era. In many cases, development of vaccines, and attention devoted to the assessment of vaccination coverage, has grown from the impact of infectious disease on major world events such as wars. The purpose of this commentary is to provide a brief overview of the key historical events in the U.S. that influenced the development of vaccines and the efforts to track vaccination coverage, which laid the foundation for contemporary vaccination assessment efforts. PMID:21815302

  9. Cooperative Research Centres: The Concept and Its Implementation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Slatyer, Ralph O.

    1994-01-01

    Australia's Cooperative Research Centres Program, a system of 52 research and development (R&D) units, links researchers from public and private sectors, helping industry and scientific community coordinate research efforts. The program represents 6% of the national R&D effort and spans six major R&D and industry sectors. (MSE)

  10. "Sex and the Church": Sexuality, Misconduct, and Education in Methodism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephens, Darryl W.

    2011-01-01

    This article describes Methodism's efforts to address misconduct within ministerial relationships as an important dimension of sexuality education within a religious context. The United Methodist Church (UMC) makes a concerted effort to promote awareness, justice, and healing in cases of sexual abuse within ministerial relationships. The most…

  11. Wastewater Collection System Toolbox | Eliminating Sanitary ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    2017-04-10

    Communities across the United States are working to find cost-effective, long-term approaches to managing their aging wastewater infrastructure and preventing the problems that lead to sanitary sewer overflows. The Toolbox is an effort by EPA New England to provide examples of programs and educational efforts from New England and beyond.

  12. Toxicological Responses of Fischer Rats to Naturally Occurring Asbestos Samples from the United States and Canada

    EPA Science Inventory

    To support risk assessment efforts, a comparative study was designed to provide understanding of the toxicity of different types of fibers encountered in EPA clean-up efforts. Physico-chemical properties, and consequentially toxicity, are likely to be different among various fib...

  13. Implementing Guided Pathways: Early Insights from the AACC Pathways Colleges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jenkins, Davis; Lahr, Hana; Fink, John

    2017-01-01

    Across the United States, a growing number of colleges are redesigning their programs and student support services according to the "guided pathways" model. Central to this approach are efforts to clarify pathways to program completion, career advancement, and further education. Equally essential are efforts to help students explore…

  14. Educational Cooperation: An Examination of Fourteen Consortia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lepchenske, George L.

    The development of consortia and cooperative educational services in higher education in response to financial pressures and social and governmental influences is examined. Consortia or cooperatives may be multi-channeled efforts, with each member struggling to advance its own self-interest at the cost of united goals and efforts, or thriving…

  15. A New Technique for Mitigating Risk on US College Campuses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hughes, Stephanie; White, Rebecca J.; Hertz, Giles

    2008-01-01

    High-profile criminal acts continue to plague United States (US) college campuses despite recent efforts to implement more aggressive risk mitigation practices, such as criminal background checks. Despite these efforts, incidents such as the most recent shootings at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University continue to demonstrate that,…

  16. A Christian Value? Faculty Diversity at Southern Evangelical Campuses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Marquita; Mamiseishvili, Ketevan

    2016-01-01

    This case study research project examined efforts at three member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), all located in the southern United States, to increase faculty diversity. The study also explored how these efforts related to institutional mission and what aspects within the history of evangelicalism…

  17. Common Core in the Real World

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hess, Frederick M.; McShane, Michael Q.

    2013-01-01

    There are at least four key places where the Common Core intersects with current efforts to improve education in the United States--testing, professional development, expectations, and accountability. Understanding them can help educators, parents, and policymakers maximize the chance that the Common Core is helpful to these efforts and, perhaps…

  18. Gender-Friendly Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    King, Kelley; Gurian, Michael; Stevens, Kathy

    2010-01-01

    The authors, who have worked with more than 2,000 schools across the United States in efforts to close gender gaps, describe how gender-related issues consistently intersect and interfere with school improvement efforts. They present statistics showing that schools are now failing boys in more areas than girls, and describe how "the…

  19. Educating Democratic Citizens in Troubled Times: Qualitative Studies of Current Efforts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bixby, Janet S., Ed.; Pace, Judith L., Ed.

    2008-01-01

    This book offers a groundbreaking examination of citizenship education programs that serve contemporary youth in schools and communities across the United States. These programs include social studies classes and curricula, school governance, and community-based education efforts. The book takes an interdisciplinary approach to exploring the…

  20. Preventive strategy for BVDV infection in North America

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Despite control efforts, bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infections remain a source of significant economic loss for producers in the United States. The success of control efforts in Scandinavia has demonstrated that BVDV eradication is possible. However, it is not possible to take a “one size fi...

  1. State and local response to damaging land subsidence in United States urban areas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holzer, T.L.

    1989-01-01

    Land subsidence caused by man-induced depressuring of underground reservoirs has occurred in at least nine urban areas in the United States. Significant efforts to control it have been made in three areas: Long Beach, California; Houston-Galveston, Texas; and Santa Clara Valley, California. In these areas coastal flooding and its control cost more than $300 million. Institutional changes were required in each area to ameliorate its subsidence problem. In Long Beach and Houston Galveston, efforts were made to mitigate subsidence only after significant flood damage had occurred. To arrest subsidence at Long Beach, the city lobbied for a special state law, the California Subsidence Act, that required unitization and repressuring of the Wilmington oil field. In the Houston-Galveston region, the Texas State Legislature authorized formation of the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District with authority to regulate groundwater pumping by permit. This solution, which was achieved through efforts of entities affected by subsidence, was the product of a series of compromises necessitated by political fragmentation and disjointed water planning in the region. Amelioration of subsidence in the Santa Clara Valley was a collateral benefit from the effort by water users to curtail ground-water overdraft in the valley. Importation of surface water and a tax on ground-water pumpage reduced ground-water use, thereby allowing the recovery of water level and the arresting of subsidence.

  2. Metropolitan Library Service via 'the Cable' in the United States of America: A Thing of the Future

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drolet, Leon L.

    1975-01-01

    Describes recent efforts by public libraries in the United States to make use of community antenna television (CATV) to improve their services, particularly by the telecasting of programs appealing to small audiences. (Author)

  3. National ITS Program Plan, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Synopsis

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    THE PURPOSE OF THE NATIONAL ITS PROGRAM PLAN IS TO GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS (ITS) IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS, THE FIRST EDITION OF THE PLAN WAS A JOINT EFFORT OF ITS AMERICA AND THE UNITED STATES DEPA...

  4. A methodology for translating positional error into measures of attribute error, and combining the two error sources

    Treesearch

    Yohay Carmel; Curtis Flather; Denis Dean

    2006-01-01

    This paper summarizes our efforts to investigate the nature, behavior, and implications of positional error and attribute error in spatiotemporal datasets. Estimating the combined influence of these errors on map analysis has been hindered by the fact that these two error types are traditionally expressed in different units (distance units, and categorical units,...

  5. 3 CFR 8441 - Proclamation 8441 of October 19, 2009. United Nations Day, 2009

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Proclamation The United Nations was created 64 years ago by men and women from every corner of the world. These... can confront alone. The U.N. is vital to America’s efforts to create a better, safer world. Through... our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred...

  6. National and international conservation efforts and their relevance to plant conservation in the Southwest

    Treesearch

    Nancy R. Morin

    2001-01-01

    Plant conservation in the United States benefits directly and indirectly from national and international conservation initiatives. The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, which began in December 1993, serves as a guiding force for conservation in the United States even though the U.S. is not a party to the convention. An international meeting in 1998 of...

  7. Intermediate SCDC Spanish Curricula Units. Language Arts, Unit 1, Kits 1-4, Teacher's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spanish Curricula Development Center, Miami Beach, FL.

    Reflecting the theme "our community", this unit consists of Kits 1-4 which are organized in three sections: reading, language analysis, and creative expression. The reading section includes two readers which contain three poems and five stories dealing with a grandmother's efforts to help support the family, a female pilot who successfully lands a…

  8. A Unit-Problem Investigation of Blunt Leading-Edge Separation Motivated by AVT-161 SACCON Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Luckring, James M.; Boelens, Okko J.

    2011-01-01

    A research effort has been initiated to examine in more detail some of the challenging flow fields discovered from analysis of the SACCON configuration aerodynamics. This particular effort is oriented toward a diamond wing investigation specifically designed to isolate blunt leading-edge separation phenomena relevant to the SACCON investigations of the present workshop. The approach taken to design this new effort is reviewed along with the current status of the program.

  9. Response of Coastal Fishes to the Gulf of Mexico Oil Disaster

    PubMed Central

    Fodrie, F. Joel; Heck, Kenneth L.

    2011-01-01

    The ecosystem-level impacts of the Deepwater Horizon disaster have been largely unpredictable due to the unique setting and magnitude of this spill. We used a five-year (2006–2010) data set within the oil-affected region to explore acute consequences for early-stage survival of fish species inhabiting seagrass nursery habitat. Although many of these species spawned during spring-summer, and produced larvae vulnerable to oil-polluted water, overall and species-by-species catch rates were high in 2010 after the spill (1,989±220 fishes km-towed−1 [μ ± 1SE]) relative to the previous four years (1,080±43 fishes km-towed−1). Also, several exploited species were characterized by notably higher juvenile catch rates during 2010 following large-scale fisheries closures in the northern Gulf, although overall statistical results for the effects of fishery closures on assemblage-wide CPUE data were ambiguous. We conclude that immediate, catastrophic losses of 2010 cohorts were largely avoided, and that no shifts in species composition occurred following the spill. The potential long-term impacts facing fishes as a result of chronic exposure and delayed, indirect effects now require attention. PMID:21754992

  10. Education as Anti-Structure: Non-Formal Education in Social and Ethnic Movements.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paulston, Rolland G.

    The article describes how folk educational programs in the United States and in the Scandinavian countries work toward behavioral and social change efforts. The conditions under which collective change efforts create their own educational programs, the most effective pedagogical processes, and the variables associated with successful attempts to…

  11. Photographic Images of Refugee Spatial Encounters: Pedagogy of Displacement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Subedi, Binaya

    2013-01-01

    This paper examines my effort to document the experiences of a Bhutanese refugee community in a mid-western city of the United States. In particular, the essay looks at housing experiences the community encountered and my efforts to translate the events through photographs. The essay also explores how oppression operates in relation to refugee…

  12. Science Indicators, 1972.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. National Science Board.

    In this report the National Science Board presents the first results from a newly initiated effort to develop indicators of the state of the scientific enterprise in the Unite States. The ultimate goal of this effort is a set of indices which will reveal the strengths and weaknesses of U.S. science and technology, in terms of the capacity and…

  13. Assessing Global Perspectives at a Hispanic and Minority Serving Institution: A University-Wide Effort

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Durodoye, Beth A.; Coryell, Joellen E.; Redmon Wright, Robin; Pate, P. Elizabeth

    2011-01-01

    Across the United States, colleges and universities are increasingly giving voice to campus internationalization. However, the benefits of this endeavor cannot be fully realized if institutions do not balance their efforts with deliberate and consistent assessment practices. This study examined the global worldviews of students, faculty, and…

  14. Student Interest in Engineering Design-Based Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Selcen Guzey, S.; Moore, Tamara J.; Morse, Gillian

    2016-01-01

    Current reform efforts in science education around the world call on teachers to use integrated approaches to teach science. As a part of such reform efforts in the United States, engineering practices and engineering design have been identified in K-12 science education standards. However, there is relatively little is known about effective ways…

  15. Programs of Study: Development Efforts in Six States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shumer, Robert; Digby, Cynitha

    2013-01-01

    Educational reform in the United States is perpetually evolving. Much of the recent reforms have concentrated on high-stakes testing and assessment, but a parallel effort has been emerging in the field of vocational and career education. Prompted partly by federal legislation--most recently by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act…

  16. Efforts to Define College Readiness in the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patelis, Thanos; Camara, Wayne; Wiley, Andrew

    2009-01-01

    Presented at the 11th International Conference on Education (ICE) in 2009. This presentation provides an overview of the College Board and its efforts to develop college readiness indicators. The information provided includes a conceptual overview of the indicators and the research and development components in the development and validation of…

  17. Funding the Technology of a Research University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ostrom-Blonigen, Jean

    2013-01-01

    Using the central information technology unit (CITU) on the North Dakota State University (NDSU) campus, this project triangulated two independent studies in an effort to converge data findings. The studies were conducted in an effort to determine whether CITU's budget constraints were known to its stakeholders and how the extended use of the…

  18. National ITS Program Plan, Intelligent Transportation Systems Volume II

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1995-03-01

    THE PURPOSE OF THE NATIONAL ITS PROGRAM PLAN IS TO GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS (ITS) IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS, THE FIRST EDITION OF THE PLAN WAS A JOINT EFFORT OF ITS AMERICA AND THE UNITED STATES DEPA...

  19. Unit III: International Conflict.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maxey, Phyllis

    1983-01-01

    This lesson helps students understand the global network involved in international events. Students have an opportunity to examine the impact of international law and the role of international organizations, national governments, and private individuals in the effort to secure the release of United States hostages in Iran. (AM)

  20. Associations Between Parenting Styles and Perceived Child Effortful Control Within Chinese Families in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Ching-Yu; Cheah, Charissa S. L.; Lamb, Michael E.; Zhou, Nan

    2017-01-01

    The current study examined the associations between parentally perceived child effortful control (EC) and the parenting styles of 122 Chinese mothers (36 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United Kingdom, 40 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United States, and 46 Taiwanese mothers) of 5- to 7-year-old (M age = 5.82 years, SD = .805; 68 boys and 54 girls) children. The findings showed significant cultural group differences in mothers’ reported authoritarian parenting style. Significant associations also emerged between mothers’ reports of their children’s EC and some parenting dimensions, although there were no cultural group differences in perceived child EC. Different patterns of associations between perceived child EC and parenting styles in these three groups also demonstrated heterogeneity within the Chinese population, and highlighted the need to consider differences between original and receiving societies when seeking to understand parenting and child development in different immigrant groups. PMID:29276309

  1. Associations Between Parenting Styles and Perceived Child Effortful Control Within Chinese Families in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Huang, Ching-Yu; Cheah, Charissa S L; Lamb, Michael E; Zhou, Nan

    2017-07-01

    The current study examined the associations between parentally perceived child effortful control (EC) and the parenting styles of 122 Chinese mothers (36 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United Kingdom, 40 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United States, and 46 Taiwanese mothers) of 5- to 7-year-old ( M age = 5.82 years, SD = .805; 68 boys and 54 girls) children. The findings showed significant cultural group differences in mothers' reported authoritarian parenting style. Significant associations also emerged between mothers' reports of their children's EC and some parenting dimensions, although there were no cultural group differences in perceived child EC. Different patterns of associations between perceived child EC and parenting styles in these three groups also demonstrated heterogeneity within the Chinese population, and highlighted the need to consider differences between original and receiving societies when seeking to understand parenting and child development in different immigrant groups.

  2. A brief history of physics education in the United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meltzer, David E.; Otero, Valerie K.

    2015-05-01

    In order to provide insight into current physics teaching practices and recommended reforms, we outline the history of physics education in the United States—and the accompanying pedagogical issues and debates—over the period 1860-2014. We identify key events, personalities, and issues for each of ten separate time periods, comparing and contrasting the outlooks and viewpoints of the different eras. This discussion should help physics educators to (1) become aware of previous research in physics education and of the major efforts to transform physics instruction that have taken place in the U.S., (2) place the national reform movements of today, as well as current physics education research, in the context of past efforts, and (3) evaluate the effectiveness of various education transformation efforts of the past, so as better to determine what reform methods might have the greatest chances of success in the future.

  3. Factors Influencing Water Consumption in Multifamily Housing in Tempe Arizona

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wentz, E. A.

    2012-12-01

    Central to the "Smart Growth" movement is that compact development reduces vehicle miles traveled, carbon emissions, and water use. Empirical efforts to evaluate compact development have examined residential densities, but have not distinguished decreasing lot sizes from multifamily apartments as mechanisms for compact development. Efforts to link design features to water use have emphasized single-family at the expense of multifamily housing. This study isolates the determinants of water use in large (>50) unit apartment complexes in the city of Tempe, Arizona. In July 2007, per-bedroom water use increased with pool area, dishwashers, in-unit laundry facilities, and irrigated landscaping. We explain nearly 50% of the variation in water use with these variables. These results inform public policy for reducing water use in multifamily housing structures, suggesting strategies to construct and market "green" apartment units.

  4. Accounting for sampling patterns reverses the relative importance of trade and climate for the global sharing of exotic plants

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sofaer, Helen R.; Jarnevich, Catherine S.

    2017-01-01

    AimThe distributions of exotic species reflect patterns of human-mediated dispersal, species climatic tolerances and a suite of other biotic and abiotic factors. The relative importance of each of these factors will shape how the spread of exotic species is affected by ongoing economic globalization and climate change. However, patterns of trade may be correlated with variation in scientific sampling effort globally, potentially confounding studies that do not account for sampling patterns.LocationGlobal.Time periodMuseum records, generally from the 1800s up to 2015.Major taxa studiedPlant species exotic to the United States.MethodsWe used data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) to summarize the number of plant species with exotic occurrences in the United States that also occur in each other country world-wide. We assessed the relative importance of trade and climatic similarity for explaining variation in the number of shared species while evaluating several methods to account for variation in sampling effort among countries.ResultsAccounting for variation in sampling effort reversed the relative importance of trade and climate for explaining numbers of shared species. Trade was strongly correlated with numbers of shared U.S. exotic plants between the United States and other countries before, but not after, accounting for sampling variation among countries. Conversely, accounting for sampling effort strengthened the relationship between climatic similarity and species sharing. Using the number of records as a measure of sampling effort provided a straightforward approach for the analysis of occurrence data, whereas species richness estimators and rarefaction were less effective at removing sampling bias.Main conclusionsOur work provides support for broad-scale climatic limitation on the distributions of exotic species, illustrates the need to account for variation in sampling effort in large biodiversity databases, and highlights the difficulty in inferring causal links between the economic drivers of invasion and global patterns of exotic species occurrence.

  5. Modeling Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Increased Efforts to Attract Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Clients Ages 20-29 in Zimbabwe.

    PubMed

    Kripke, Katharine; Hatzold, Karin; Mugurungi, Owen; Ncube, Gertrude; Xaba, Sinokuthemba; Gold, Elizabeth; Ahanda, Kim Seifert; Kruse-Levy, Natalie; Njeuhmeli, Emmanuel

    2016-01-01

    Zimbabwe aims to increase circumcision coverage to 80% among 13- to 29-year-olds. However, implementation data suggest that high coverage among men ages 20 and older may not be achievable without efforts specifically targeted to these men, incurring additional costs per circumcision. Scale-up scenarios were created based on trends in implementation data in Zimbabwe, and the cost-effectiveness of increasing efforts to recruit clients ages 20-29 was examined. Zimbabwe voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) program data were used to project trends in male circumcision coverage by age into the future. The projection informed a base scenario in which, by 2018, the country achieves 80% circumcision coverage among males ages 10-19 and lower levels of coverage among men above age 20. The Zimbabwe DMPPT 2.0 model was used to project costs and impacts, assuming a US$109 VMMC unit cost in the base scenario and a 3% discount rate. Two other scenarios assumed that the program could increase coverage among clients ages 20-29 with a corresponding increase in unit cost for these age groups. When circumcision coverage among men ages 20-29 is increased compared with a base scenario reflecting current implementation trends, fewer VMMCs are required to avert one infection. If more than 50% additional effort (reflected as multiplying the unit cost by >1.5) is required to double the increase in coverage among this age group compared with the base scenario, the cost per HIV infection averted is higher than in the base scenario. Although increased investment in recruiting VMMC clients ages 20-29 may lead to greater overall impact if recruitment efforts are successful, it may also lead to lower cost-effectiveness, depending on the cost of increasing recruitment. Programs should measure the relationship between increased effort and increased ability to attract this age group.

  6. Molecular Surveillance of Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses in Wild Birds across the United States: Inferences from the Hemagglutinin Gene

    PubMed Central

    Piaggio, Antoinette J.; Shriner, Susan A.; VanDalen, Kaci K.; Franklin, Alan B.; Anderson, Theodore D.; Kolokotronis, Sergios-Orestis

    2012-01-01

    A United States interagency avian influenza surveillance plan was initiated in 2006 for early detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) in wild birds. The plan included a variety of wild bird sampling strategies including the testing of fecal samples from aquatic areas throughout the United States from April 2006 through December 2007. Although HPAIV was not detected through this surveillance effort we were able to obtain 759 fecal samples that were positive for low pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAIV). We used 136 DNA sequences obtained from these samples along with samples from a public influenza sequence database for a phylogenetic assessment of hemagglutinin (HA) diversity in the United States. We analyzed sequences from all HA subtypes except H5, H7, H14 and H15 to examine genetic variation, exchange between Eurasia and North America, and geographic distribution of LPAIV in wild birds in the United States. This study confirms intercontinental exchange of some HA subtypes (including a newly documented H9 exchange event), as well as identifies subtypes that do not regularly experience intercontinental gene flow but have been circulating and evolving in North America for at least the past 20 years. These HA subtypes have high levels of genetic diversity with many lineages co-circulating within the wild birds of North America. The surveillance effort that provided these samples demonstrates that such efforts, albeit labor-intensive, provide important information about the ecology of LPAIV circulating in North America. PMID:23226543

  7. Piot: U.S. should play greater role in global effort.

    PubMed

    1999-11-26

    UNAIDS executive director Peter Piot called for the United States to do more to support HIV prevention efforts internationally. Speaking at the United States Conference on AIDS, he said that U.S. groups will need to offer more technical assistance and advice to community-based organizations around the world if they ever hope to manage the epidemic. UNAIDS will issue model legislation which other countries can use to pattern their own anti-discrimination laws. Health Canada recently published a guide in which ways that community-based organizations in industrialized countries can assist their counterparts in the developing world are outlined. Information is included for ordering the guide.

  8. Preliminary development of digital signal processing in microwave radiometers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stanley, W. D.

    1980-01-01

    Topics covered involve a number of closely related tasks including: the development of several control loop and dynamic noise model computer programs for simulating microwave radiometer measurements; computer modeling of an existing stepped frequency radiometer in an effort to determine its optimum operational characteristics; investigation of the classical second order analog control loop to determine its ability to reduce the estimation error in a microwave radiometer; investigation of several digital signal processing unit designs; initiation of efforts to develop required hardware and software for implementation of the digital signal processing unit; and investigation of the general characteristics and peculiarities of digital processing noiselike microwave radiometer signals.

  9. Extermination and recovery of red wolf and grey wolf in the contiguous United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Phillips, Michael K.; Bangs, Edward E.; Mech, L. David; Kelly, Brian T.; Fazio, Buddy B.; Macdonald, David W.; Sillero-Zubiri, Claudio

    2004-01-01

    About 150 years ago, the grey wolf (Canis lupus) was distributed throughout the contiguous United States, except for in southeastern US from central Texas to the Atlantic coast, where the red wolf (Canis rufus) occurred. Conflict with agricultural interests resulted in government-supported eradication campaigns beginning in colonial Massachusetts in 1630. Over the next 300 years, the campaigns were extended throughout the US resulting in the near extermination of both species. In recent decades, efforts to recover the red and grey wolf were carried out. This chapter summarizes extermination and recovery efforts for both species in the contiguous US.

  10. Development of communication networks and water quality early warning detection systems at drinking water utilities in the Ohio River Valley Basin.

    PubMed

    Schulte, J G; Vicory, A H

    2005-01-01

    Source water quality is of major concern to all drinking water utilities. The accidental introduction of contaminants to their source water is a constant threat to utilities withdrawing water from navigable or industrialized rivers. The events of 11 September, 2001 in the United States have heightened concern for drinking water utility security as their source water and finished water may be targets for terrorist acts. Efforts are underway in several parts of the United States to strengthen early warning capabilities. This paper will focus on those efforts in the Ohio River Valley Basin.

  11. Physics in WWI: Fighting the Acoustic War

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kevles, Daniel

    2015-01-01

    World War I was the first high-technology war, and when the United States began to prepare for it in 1915 the federal government turned to the storied inventor Thomas Edison. Edison formed a board that included industrial executives and engineers but only one physicist, its members holding that they wanted people who would do things and not just talk about them. However, in 1916, the nation's scientists managed to create a place for themselves in the preparedness effort by organizing the National Research Council under the National Academy of Sciences. Once the United States went to war, in April 1917, the NRC brought academic and industrial physicists together in efforts to detect incoming aircraft, submerged submarines, and the location of long-range artillery. The efforts employed devices that relied in the main on the detection and identification of sound waves from these weapons. The devices were passive responders, but they were marked by increasing sophistication and enabled the United States and its allies to prosecute an acoustic war. That branch of the war was militarily effective, overshadowed the work of Edison's group, and gained physicists high standing among leaders in both the military and industry.

  12. Finding actionable data to support student success in introductory science courses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horodyskyj, L.; Mead, C.; Anbar, A. D.

    2017-12-01

    Effective education demands an understanding of students' prior knowledge, prior experiences, and predispositions. Knowledge surveys are one way to match instruction to students' needs, but measure only one way in which students' needs vary. Computer learning systems can give instructors detailed, real-time information about cognitive biases or effort in key lessons. We show how the design of the online course Habitable Worlds facilitates the collection and use of these kinds of student data. Early effort in a course is thought to predict success, but our results show that more effort is not always a positive indicator. Unit 1, the introduction, is scored on completion, but requires a correct answer to each question to progress. An ANOVA found that a student who earns anything less than full points for Unit 1 will have a course grade 1.3 letter grades lower than a student who earns full points (F(1, 1272) = 136.4, p < .001). A second analysis included only students who earned a C or better and full Unit 1 points, to deemphasize very low performers. On 180 separate "screens" in Unit 1, the median screen attempts was 249. An ANOVA shows that students taking more attempts than the median earn lower course grades by 0.25 letter grades (F(1, 919) = 35.8, p < .001). These results show the value in tracking completion (too little effort) as well as difficulty or challenge (unexpectedly high effort). We are working to create interventions to aid students on both ends of this spectrum in future offerings. In addition to measures of objective course performance, we can also examine more subtle student characteristics. In Unit 1, students are asked to describe an image of a cloud that resembles an angel. Some provide an observation (cloud), while others make an interpretation (angel). Even this seemingly trivial question shows significant predictive value in two subsequent exercises that ask students to classify statements as observations or interpretations (F(1, 292) = 30.2, p < .001) and to distinguish scientific versus non-scientific evidence and claims (F(1, 292) = 17.4, p < .001). In each case, the "cloud" students make fewer mistakes than the "angel" students. Here, an intervention could elaborates on the difference between observations and interpretations, but also re-emphasize the reasons scientists separate those concepts the way they do.

  13. 78 FR 57853 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-20

    ... EXPORT-IMPORT BANK [Public Notice 2013-6007] Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request AGENCY: Export-Import Bank of the United States. ACTION: Submission for OMB review and comments... Export-Import Banks of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), as part of its continuing effort to reduce...

  14. General aviation accidents : the United States Air Force Aero Club solution

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-08-01

    Aviation if an intrisically safe mode of travel. In 1994, the United States Air Force system of Aero Clubs put forth substantial effort to put a program in place (Fly Smart) to improve flying safety in it aircraft. This study compares the accident ra...

  15. Spatial repellents and attractants as components of a "push-pull" management strategy

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    This presentation was an overview of research efforts being conducted by the Mosquito and Fly Research Unit (MFRU) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Center for Medical and Veterinary Entomology (CMAVE) located in Gainesville, Florida, to develop innovative population management...

  16. Direct Broadcasting Satellite in the United States.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Haeryon

    The introduction of Direct Broadcasting Satellites (DBS) in the United States sparked both government's regulatory development of domestic DBS services and the communication industry's efforts to implement a commercial DBS system. J. D. Slack's symptomatic causality and technological assessment models help to explain how these practices were…

  17. The potential supply of organ donors. An assessment of the efficacy of organ procurement efforts in the United States.

    PubMed

    Evans, R W; Orians, C E; Ascher, N L

    1992-01-08

    To estimate the potential supply of organ donors and to measure the efficiency of organ procurement efforts in the United States. A geographic database has been developed consisting of multiple cause of death and sociodemographic data compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics. All deaths are evaluated as to their potential for organ donation. Two classes of potential donors are identified: class 1 estimates are restricted to causes of death involving significant head trauma only, and class 2 estimates include class 1 estimates as well as deaths in which brain death was less probable. Over 23,000 people are currently awaiting a kidney, heart, liver, heart-lung, pancreas, or lung transplantation. Donor supply is inadequate, and the number of donors remained unchanged at approximately 4000 annually for 1986 through 1989, with a modest 9.1% increase in 1990. Between 6900 and 10,700 potential donors are available annually (eg, 28.5 to 43.7 per million population). Depending on the class of donor considered, organ procurement efforts are between 37% and 59% efficient. Efficiency greatly varies by state and organ procurement organization. Many more organ donors are available than are being accessed through existing organ procurement efforts. Realistically, it may be possible to increase by 80% the number of donors available in the United States (up to 7300 annually). It is conceivable, although unlikely, that the supply of donor organs could achieve a level to meet demand.

  18. A Large-Scale, High-Resolution Hydrological Model Parameter Data Set for Climate Change Impact Assessment for the Conterminous US

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Oubeidillah, Abdoul A; Kao, Shih-Chieh; Ashfaq, Moetasim

    2014-01-01

    To extend geographical coverage, refine spatial resolution, and improve modeling efficiency, a computation- and data-intensive effort was conducted to organize a comprehensive hydrologic dataset with post-calibrated model parameters for hydro-climate impact assessment. Several key inputs for hydrologic simulation including meteorologic forcings, soil, land class, vegetation, and elevation were collected from multiple best-available data sources and organized for 2107 hydrologic subbasins (8-digit hydrologic units, HUC8s) in the conterminous United States at refined 1/24 (~4 km) spatial resolution. Using high-performance computing for intensive model calibration, a high-resolution parameter dataset was prepared for the macro-scale Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrologic model. The VICmore » simulation was driven by DAYMET daily meteorological forcing and was calibrated against USGS WaterWatch monthly runoff observations for each HUC8. The results showed that this new parameter dataset may help reasonably simulate runoff at most US HUC8 subbasins. Based on this exhaustive calibration effort, it is now possible to accurately estimate the resources required for further model improvement across the entire conterminous United States. We anticipate that through this hydrologic parameter dataset, the repeated effort of fundamental data processing can be lessened, so that research efforts can emphasize the more challenging task of assessing climate change impacts. The pre-organized model parameter dataset will be provided to interested parties to support further hydro-climate impact assessment.« less

  19. Concepts for Future Large Fire Modeling

    Treesearch

    A. P. Dimitrakopoulos; R. E. Martin

    1987-01-01

    A small number of fires escape initial attack suppression efforts and become large, but their effects are significant and disproportionate. In 1983, of 200,000 wildland fires in the United States, only 4,000 exceeded 100 acres. However, these escaped fires accounted for roughly 95 percent of wildfire-related costs and damages (Pyne, 1984). Thus, future research efforts...

  20. The Relationship of High School Teachers' Class Testing Practices to Students' Feelings of Efficacy and Efforts to Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duckworth, Kenneth; And Others

    The relationship between high school students' feelings of efficacy and efforts to study and teachers' classroom testing practices was examined. Questionnaires were administered in four high schools in biology, geometry, English, and United States history classes; a total of 69 classes participated. Some teachers were also interviewed. Students'…

  1. Thinking outside Discipline Boundaries to Integrate Indian Education for All across the Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carjuzaa, Jioanna; Hunts, Holly

    2013-01-01

    The Montana Indian Education for All (IEFA) Act is an unprecedented reform effort 40 years in the making. In this paper we summarize the IEFA professional development opportunities provided to faculty at a land grant university in the western United States while highlighting a faculty member's personal efforts to integrate IEFA in a culturally…

  2. Marketing and Branding the Agronomy Major at Iowa State University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Bradley A.

    2011-01-01

    The decline of enrollments in agronomy programs across the United States has been a concern for more than a decade. In an effort to reverse this trend, the Agronomy Department at Iowa State University (ISU) launched the "I'm An Agronomist" marketing campaign in 2006. This article reports on these efforts and the change in the…

  3. An Afforestation System for Restoring Bottomland Hardwood Forests: Biomass Accumulation of Nuttall Oak Seedlings Interplanted Beneath Eastern Cottonwood

    Treesearch

    Emile S. Gardiner; John A. Stanturf; Callie J. Schweitzer

    2004-01-01

    Bottomland hardwood forests of the southeastern United States have declined in extent since European settlement. Forest restoration activities over the past decade, however, have driven recent changes in land use through an intensified afforestation effort on former agricultural land. This intense afforestation effort, particularly in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial...

  4. Fire suppression effectiveness for simultaneous fires: an examination of fire histories

    Treesearch

    Larry F. Bednar; Romain Mees; David Strauss

    1990-01-01

    We examined fire and weather records for areas of the western United States for the period 1970-1984 to determine the effects of simultaneous wildfire occurrence on fire suppression efforts. Burning conditions were accounted for by use of short strings of fires which involved simultaneous suppression efforts. These strings were matched with closely preceding isolated...

  5. The national database of wildfire mitigation programs: state, county and local efforts reduce wildfire risk

    Treesearch

    Terry Haines; Cheryl Renner; Margaret Reams; James Granskog

    2005-01-01

    The growth of residential communities within forested areas has increased the danger to life and property from uncontrolled wildfire. In response, states, counties and local governments in the United States have dramatically increased their wildfire mitigation efforts. Policymakers and fire officials are employing a wide range of regulatory and voluntary wildfire risk...

  6. Thermomechanical force application

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frederking, T. H. K.; Abbassi, P.; Afifi, F.; Chen, W. E. W.; Khandhar, P. K.; Ono, D. Y.

    1987-01-01

    The present work conducted in Summer 1987 continues investigations on Thermal Components for 1.8 K Space Cryogenics (Grant NAG 1-412 of 1986). The topics addressed are plug characterization efforts in a small pore size regime of sintered metal plugs, characterization in the nonlinear regime, temperature profiles in a heat supply unit for a fountain effect pump and modeling efforts.

  7. Exploring the Identity-Theft Prevention Efforts of Consumers in the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Jacquelyne L.

    2011-01-01

    Identity theft is quite expensive and devastating for victims; unfortunately, it is also a rapidly growing crime. Much of the prior research on identity theft has focused on legislative efforts that may prevent the crime. However, limited research exists on what consumers perceive as identity prevention and the measures they take to prevent…

  8. From the Grassroots: Case Studies of Eight Rural Self-Development Efforts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flora, Jan L.; And Others

    Grassroots efforts were examined through a survey of 103 self-development projects across the United States, enriched by an indepth study of 8 successful and unsuccessful cases. They were as follows: Revolving Loan Fund, Mankato, Kansas; Orofino Unlimited, Orofino, Idaho; Center for Industry, Rome, Georgia; Windmill Market Farm and Craft Co-op,…

  9. Spacelab: An International Success Story.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lord, Douglas R.

    The Spacelab program was a unique endeavor. For the first time in the history of the United States space effort, the design and development of a major element of a manned space vehicle was entrusted to a foreign agency and to a group of countries which had never before built such a system. This book tells of this cooperative effort between the…

  10. Deterring Drinking and Driving: The Australian Approach.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berger, Dale E.; Berger, Peggy M.

    This paper begins by noting that recent efforts in the United States to reduce the incidence of alcohol-impaired driving have not been very effective and suggests that for efforts to be effective, they must raise the actual risk of punishment to a level that cannot be ignored by potential offenders. It then describes an effective system of…

  11. The Relations of Temperament Reactivity and Effortful Control to Children's Adjustment Problems in China and the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhou, Qing; Lengua, Liliana J.; Wang, Yun

    2009-01-01

    The relations of parents' and teachers' reports of temperament anger-irritability, positive emotionality, and effortful control (attention focusing and inhibitory control) to children's externalizing and internalizing problems were examined in Chinese (N = 382) and U.S. (N = 322) samples of school-age children. Results suggested that in both…

  12. A Qualitative Study into the Inner Leadership of Transformative California School Principals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tiu, Conrado

    2016-01-01

    The 1983 publication of "A Nation at Risk" gave birth to an effort to reform K-12 schools and increase student achievement all over the United States. More than 30 years later, the school reform efforts have grown into immense industries with marginal effect. Major legislation and programs have been launched throughout 3 decades, with…

  13. Modeling percent tree canopy cover: a pilot study

    Treesearch

    John W. Coulston; Gretchen G. Moisen; Barry T. Wilson; Mark V. Finco; Warren B. Cohen; C. Kenneth Brewer

    2012-01-01

    Tree canopy cover is a fundamental component of the landscape, and the amount of cover influences fire behavior, air pollution mitigation, and carbon storage. As such, efforts to empirically model percent tree canopy cover across the United States are a critical area of research. The 2001 national-scale canopy cover modeling and mapping effort was completed in 2006,...

  14. The "Gay Comfort Level": Examining a Media Advocacy Group's Efforts to Combat Youth Homophobia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kachgal, Tara M.

    2011-01-01

    This article scrutinizes the efforts of a media advocacy group to redress the stigma of youth homosexuality among United States youth: a report published in 2003 by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation called, "How Youth Media Can Help Combat Homophobia Among American Teenagers." The report, authored by Rodger Streitmatter, concluded…

  15. Looking Forward with LIFE: Literacy Initiative for Empowerment. Global LIFE Mid-Term Evaluation Report 2006-2011

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hanemann, Ulrike

    2012-01-01

    The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched the Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (2006-2015)--LIFE--to tackle the literacy challenge. This is a collaborative effort to accelerate literacy efforts in thirty five of the world's most challenged countries and thereby to unlock progress to reach all of the…

  16. Suicide Prevention: Efforts To Increase Research and Education in Palliative Care. Report to Congressional Requesters.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Health, Education, and Human Services Div.

    Currently, the extent of palliative care instruction varies considerably across and within the three major phases of the physician education and training process. This analysis of current educational efforts in palliative care is based on information obtained from a survey conducted of all United States medical schools, surveys conducted on United…

  17. Tick-borne Diseases in Animals and USDA Research on Tick Control

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Tick-borne diseases represent a major threat to animal health in the United States. The cattle industry in the United States has benefited greatly from the continued USDA efforts through the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program in preventing the re-introduction of cattle ticks and associated pathog...

  18. World Shale Gas Resources: An Initial Assessment of 14 Regions Outside the United States

    EIA Publications

    2011-01-01

    The Energy Information Administration sponsored Advanced Resources International, Inc., to assess 48 gas shale basins in 32 countries, containing almost 70 shale gas formations. This effort has culminated in the report: World Shale Gas Resources: An Initial Assessment of 14 Regions Outside the United States.

  19. Inclusion Inservice: Content and Training Procedures across the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harriott, Wendy A.

    2004-01-01

    Inservice training (locally or state provided) is the primary means used to improve teachers' instruction employed in public school districts throughout the United States. Individual states are increasing inclusion efforts in the local schools. Various states have established state-initiated training programs to improve instruction for students…

  20. Virtual Reality and Cyberspace: From Science Fiction to Science Fact.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stone, Robert J.

    1991-01-01

    Traces the history of virtual reality (VR), or cyberspace, and describes some of the research and development efforts currently being carried out in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States. Applications of VR in interactive computer-aided design (CAD), the military, leisure activities, spaceflight, teleconferencing, and medicine are…

  1. Agricultural Extension: Farm Extension Services in Australia, Britain and the United States.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Donald B.

    By analyzing the scope and structure of agricultural extension services in Australia, Great Britain, and the United States, this work attempts to set guidelines for measuring progress and guiding extension efforts. Extension training, agricultural policy, and activities of national, international, state, and provincial bodies are examined. The…

  2. The Rediscovery of Heritage and Community Language Education in the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Jin Sook; Wright, Wayne E.

    2014-01-01

    Language and cultural preservation efforts among different communities of language speakers in the United States have received increasing attention as interest in linguistic rights and globalization continues to deepen. In addition to mounting evidence of the cognitive, psychological, and academic benefits of heritage language/community language…

  3. 2011 floods of the central United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    ,

    2013-01-01

    * Do floods contribute to the transport and fate of contaminants that affect human and ecosystem health? In an effort to help address these and other questions, USGS Professional Paper 1798 consists of independent but complementary chapters dealing with various scientific aspects of the 2011 floods in the Central United States.

  4. 75 FR 51468 - Published Privacy Impact Assessments on the Web

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-20

    ... research and development effort funded by DHS Science and Technology (S&T) Office of Small Business... Immigration Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) Program of DHS published this PIA to cover a new..., between the countries of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States. The FCC...

  5. 78 FR 69085 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-18

    ... EXPORT-IMPORT BANK [Public Notice: 2013-3005] Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request AGENCY: Export-Import Bank of the United States. ACTION: Submission for OMB review and comments.... SUMMARY: The Export-Import Banks of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), as part of its continuing effort to...

  6. ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES CONTROLLING NITRIC OXIDE EMISSIONS FROM AGRICULTURAL SOILS IN THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Fluxes of nitric oxide (NO) were measured during the summer of 1994 (12 July to 11 August) in the Upper Coastal Plain of North Carolina in a continuing effort to characterize NO emissions from intensively managed agricultural soils in the southeastern United States. Previous work...

  7. EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND VARIABILITY OF REGIONAL AIR QUALITY OVER THE UNITED STATES

    EPA Science Inventory

    The United States has established a series of standards for criteria and other air pollutants to safeguard air quality to protect human health and the environment. The Climate Impact on Regional Air Quality (CIRAQ) project, a collaborative research effort involving multiple Fede...

  8. 76 FR 14637 - State Medicaid Fraud Control Units; Data Mining

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-17

    ...] State Medicaid Fraud Control Units; Data Mining AGENCY: Office of Inspector General (OIG), HHS. ACTION... and analyzing State Medicaid claims data, known as data mining. To support and modernize MFCU efforts... (FFP) in the costs of defined data mining activities under specified conditions. In addition, we...

  9. A regional perspective of the physiographic provinces of the southeastern United States

    Treesearch

    James H. Miller; K.S. Robinson

    1995-01-01

    Abstract.  A landscape classification system using defined units for physiography, landform, and soils is needed to organize ecological information and to serve as an aid for landscape management.  To assist in this effort a composite physiographic map is presented to 12 southeastern states.

  10. 78 FR 18323 - Notice of Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment of the Proposed United...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-26

    ... Proposed United States Regional Climate Reference Network (USRCRN) AGENCY: National Weather Service (NWS..., is proposing to implement, operate, and manage a USRCRN. With other climate monitoring efforts..., high-quality climate data for use in climate-monitoring activities and for placing current climate...

  11. 76 FR 76151 - Notice of Submission for OMB Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-06

    ... Evaluation Systems in the United States will contribute to the Department's work by providing research-based information to aid state and local efforts to plan and implement comprehensive teacher evaluation systems. The... United States. OMB Control Number: Pending. Agency Form Number(s): N/A. Frequency of Responses: Annually...

  12. The Holdridge life zones of the conterminous United States in relation to ecosystem mapping

    Treesearch

    A.E. Lugo; S. L. Brown; R. Dodson; T. S Smith; H. H. Shugart

    1999-01-01

    Aim Our main goals were to develop a map of the life zones for the conterminous United States, based on the Holdridge Life Zone system, as a tool for ecosystem mapping, and to compare the map of Holdridge life zones with other global vegetation classification and mapping efforts. Location The area of interest is the forty-eight contiguous states of the United States....

  13. The United States Army Medical Department Journal, April - June 2008

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-06-01

    Amazon community at Iquitos, Stancil42 (Naval Medical Research Center Detachment, Peru ) received a grant to optimize strategies for preventing the breeding...Detachment, Lima, Peru ; Naval Medical Research Unit-2, Jakarta, Indonesia; and the Naval Medical Research Unit 3, Cairo, Egypt. These resources...the soil beneath tents and camps. In an effort to prevent sand flies breeding in rodent burrows, the Genesis Company (Wellington, Colorado) won an

  14. Internet cigarette sales and Native American sovereignty: political and public health contexts.

    PubMed

    Samuel, Kari A; Ribisl, Kurt M; Williams, Rebecca S

    2012-05-01

    Internet cigarette vendors (ICVs) advertise low prices for tobacco products, subverting public health policy efforts to curtail smoking by raising prices. Many online retailers in the United States claim affiliation with Native American tribes and share in tribal tax-free status. Sales of discounted cigarettes from both online vendors and brick-and-mortar stores have angered non-Native retailers and triggered enforcement actions by state and federal governments in the United States concerned over lost cigarette excise tax revenue. Examination of the history and politics of cigarette sales on reservations and attempts to regulate Internet cigarette sales highlights the potential role for greater use of negotiated intergovernmental agreements to address reservation-based tobacco sales. Our review notes global parallels and explicates history and politics of such regulation in the United States, and offers background for collaborative efforts to regulate tobacco sales and decrease tobacco use.

  15. Plasma contactor technology for Space Station Freedom

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Patterson, Michael J.; Hamley, John A.; Sarver-Verhey, Timothy; Soulas, George C.; Parkes, James; Ohlinger, Wayne L.; Schaffner, Michael S.; Nelson, Amy

    1993-01-01

    Hollow cathode plasma contactors were baselined for Space Station Freedom (SSF) to control the electrical potentials of surfaces to eliminate/mitigate damaging interactions with the space environment. The system represents a dual-use technology which is a direct outgrowth of the NASA electric propulsion program and in particular the technology development effort on ion thruster systems. Specific efforts include optimizing the design and configuration of the contactor, validating its required lifetime, and characterizing the contactor plume and electromagnetic interference. The plasma contact or subsystems include the plasma contact or unit, a power electronics unit, and an expellant management unit. Under this program these will all be brought to breadboard and engineering model development status. New test facilities were developed, and existing facilities were augmented, to support characterizations and life testing of contactor components and systems. The magnitude, scope, and status of the plasma contactor hardware development program now underway and preliminary test results on system components are discussed.

  16. Plasma contactor technology for Space Station Freedom

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Patterson, Michael J.; Hamley, John A.; Sarver-Verhey, Timothy; Soulas, George C.; Parkes, James; Ohlinger, Wayne L.; Schaffner, Michael S.; Nelson, Amy

    1993-01-01

    Hollow cathode plasma contactors have been baselined for Space Station Freedom to control the electrical potentials of surfaces to eliminate/mitigate damaging interactions with the space environment. The system represents a dual-use technology which is a direct outgrowth of the NASA electric propulsion program and in particular the technology development effort on ion thruster systems. Specific efforts include optimizing the design and configuration of the contactor, validating its required lifetime, and characterizing the contactor plume and electromagnetic interference. The plasma contactor subsystems include the plasma contactor unit, a power electronics unit, and an expellant management unit. Under this program these will all be brought to breadboard and engineering model development status. New test facilities have been developed, and existing facilities have been augmented, to support characterizations and life testing of contactor components and systems. This paper discusses the magnitude, scope, and status of the plasma contactor hardware development program now under way and preliminary test results on system components.

  17. Efforts of the occupant to change physical quality of residential unit through the change of building material at low cost flats in Jakarta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nurdiani, N.

    2018-03-01

    Low cost flats in Jakarta – Indonesia is provided by the government for low-income people in urban areas, in line with the program to redevelop or renew slum areas. Low cost flat is built with the minimum standard of building materials. The purpose of this study is to know efforts of the occupants to change of building materials at residential unit of low cost flats. The research was conducted by descriptive method at four of low cost housing in Jakarta: Rusuna Bendungan Hilir 1, Rusuna Tambora IIIA, Rusuna Bidara Cina, and Rusuna Sukapura. The results showed that physical changes which happened in low cost flats are aesthetic (residence paint color change), or improvement of physical quality of residential unit (change of building material), become dominant aspects done by residents in four rusuna.

  18. Terms, Trends, and Insights: PV Project Finance in the United States, 2017

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Feldman, David J; Schwabe, Paul D

    This brief is a compilation of data points and market insights that reflect the state of the project finance market for solar photovoltaic (PV) assets in the United States as of the third quarter of 2017. This information can generally be used as a simplified benchmark of the costs associated with securing financing for solar PV as well as the cost of the financing itself (i.e., the cost of capital). This work represents the second DOE sponsored effort to benchmark financing costs across the residential, commercial, and utility-scale PV markets, as part of its larger effort to benchmark the componentsmore » of PV system costs.« less

  19. A view from the AIAA: Introduction of new energy storage technology into orbital programs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Badcock, Charles

    1987-01-01

    The development of new energy storage technology must be heavily weighted toward the application. The requirements for transitioning low risk technology into operational space vehicles must remain the central theme even at the preliminary development stages by the development of efforts to define operational issues and verify the reliability of the system. Failure to follow a complete plan that results in a flight qualified unit may lead to an orphan technology. Development efforts must be directed toward a stable development where changes in design are evolutionary and end items are equivalent to flight units so that life and qualification testing can be used as a vehicle to demonstrate the acceptability of the technology.

  20. [Opinion of professionals in an intensive care unit on the limitations of therapeutic effort].

    PubMed

    González-Castro, A; Azcune, O; Peñasco, Y; Rodríguez, J C; Domínguez, M J; Rojas, R

    2016-01-01

    To determine the opinion held by professionals in an intensive care unit on the limitation of therapeutic effort process at the end-of-life (LTE). To collect this information, and then use it to improve the basic aspects that the LTE have on the quality of care by intensive care unit staff. A prospective descriptive study was carried out in the Intensive Care Unit of a third level public university hospital. A questionnaire was prepared that included questions on their demographic profile and others to provide an ethical valuation profile, as well as to find out the knowledge and information that the professional had on the LTE. Descriptive study of the sample and comparative statistics were performed using the chi-squared statistical test. A total of 65 valid questionnaires were obtained from a convenience sample of 70 professionals. Almost all of them (98%) were in favour of the limitation of therapeutic effort. The LTE was considered as some kind of euthanasia (active or passive) in up to 28% of the replies, valuations by professional categories is shown in. More than three-quarters (77%) had the belief that not to start treatment was not the same as withdrawing an already established treatment. Just over half (52%) of the respondents believe the value that should have more weight when considering LET would be the prognosis of the current illness of the patient, and 46% the future quality of life of the patient. The economic cost of treatment to be applied was not considered in any case. The LTE is approved by the majority of professionals in our Intensive Care Unit. Although a non-negligible percentage understood it as a form of euthanasia. Copyright © 2016 SECA. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  1. To Mrs. Roosevelt, Who "Looks for the Poor" and to FDR: The CCC Is "A Vain Effort to Placate Youth." Teaching Ideas.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cohen, Robert

    1996-01-01

    Utilizes letters to the First Lady and President Roosevelt as primary sources for a series of activities supporting a unit on the Great Depression. The letter to Mrs. Roosevelt asks for some old clothes for a needy family. The letter to President Roosevelt expresses dissatisfaction with his efforts. (MJP)

  2. Reconsidering Our Graduation Efforts: The Economic Impact of Certificates, Associate's, and Bachelor's Degrees

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tyndorf, Darryl; Martin, Heather

    2018-01-01

    United States' education policy efforts have focused on increasing college graduation rates, with an emphasis on bachelor's degrees, with the expectation of greater economic prosperity. Most community college and university degrees differ in time to completion and should not be viewed as having the same short-term, medium-term, and long-term…

  3. Security and Arms Control: The Search for a More Stable Peace. Revised.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howard, Norman, Ed.; Sussman, Colleen, Ed.

    Efforts of the United States since the end of World War II to advance the arms control process are discussed. There are five major sections. The first section recounts past arms control efforts--those that have worked and those that have not--and discusses the principles underlying U.S. arms control initiatives. The second section describes the…

  4. Estimated economic losses associated with the destruction of plants owing to Phytophthora ramorum quarantine efforts in Washington state

    Treesearch

    N.L. Dart; G.A. Chastagner

    2008-01-01

    The number and retail value of plants destroyed in Washington state nurseries due to Phytophthora ramorum quarantine efforts was estimated using Emergency Action Notification forms (EANs) issued by the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service between 2004 and 2005. Data collected from EANs indicate that...

  5. Legacy tree data: A national database of detailed tree measurements for volume, weight, and physical properties

    Treesearch

    P.J. Radtke; D.M. Walker; A.R. Weiskittel; J. Frank; J.W. Coulston; J.A. Westfall

    2015-01-01

    Forest mensurationists in the United States have expended considerable effort over the past century making detailed observations of trees’ dimensions. In recent decades efforts have focused increasingly on weights and physical properties. Work is underway to compile original measurements from past volume, taper, and weight or biomass studies for North American tree...

  6. Reformulating Educational Reform: Toward the Proactive Schooling of African American Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boykin, A. Wade

    Educational reform efforts to date in the United States have not been germane or responsive to the social problems of African American children. The reform efforts advanced to date have only been exercises in tinkering around the educational edges. Our educational focus, the origin of which is outlined, must shift in at least two major ways.…

  7. The Enemy Objectives Unit in World War II: Selecting Targets for Aerial Bombardment that Support the Political Purpose of War

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-05-19

    Planning Staffs .......................................................................................... 26 Operation Octopus ...University Press, 2003), 96. 28 Operation Octopus Having established credibility, the EOU assigned its analysts to branches of the US air and...synchronize efforts. The EOU members coined this effort Operation Octopus . This operation was critical for the EOU as it allowed EOU members to

  8. Safeguarding Our World Environment. The U.N. Conference on the Human Environment. Stockholm, June 1972.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Department of State, Washington, DC.

    This booklet contains a summary of the preparation efforts of the United States for participation in the U.N. Conference on the Human Environment. This conference, the first world-wide effort of governments to consider and act upon the environmental problems of the entire human community, was held in Stockholm in June, 1972. Description is given…

  9. The Audacity to Teach: An Examination of Reform Policy, School Leadership, and Their Relationships Mediated by Instructional Capacity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Easley, Jacob, II

    2016-01-01

    The state of educational effectiveness and student success are of paramount concern in the United States. Concerted efforts have been made to close the achievement gap among White and Black groups. These efforts have occurred both nationally and locally as exemplified by attention to school turnaround and teacher quality. Reform, particularly for…

  10. 67 FR 24495 - United States v. Microsoft Corporation; Public Comments; Notice (MTC-00003461 - MTC-00007629)

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2002-05-03

    ... (web-serving software), Linux, Perl, and those who are building a compatible & free version of MS`s..., Argument from Design Argument from Design-Web & Multimedia [email protected] http://www.ardes.com MTC-00003464... organization could be a good target for this effort. Their web address is http:// www.gnu.org/. This effort...

  11. Language Loyalty in the United States: The Maintenance and Perpetuation of Non-English Mother Tongues by American Ethnic and Religious Groups.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fishman, Joshua A.; And Others

    This is a study of cultural-linguistic self-maintenance efforts, rationales, and accomplishments of non-English speaking immigrants in America. Trend analyses, contrast of separate cultural and linguistic groups, internal comparisons, and the examination of language maintenance and language shift phenomena contribute in the major effort to reveal…

  12. Internet access to research results: an evolving effort

    Treesearch

    Daniel L. Schmoldt; Matthew F. Winn; Philip A. Araman

    2000-01-01

    Since October 1995, our Research Work Unit of the US Forest Service has operated a Web site to disseminate research results. Initially, this took the form of basic information about the Unit's goals, organization, research problems, cooperators, etc. Over time the site has expanded to provide lists of available publications, abstracts of those publications,...

  13. Through Deming's Eyes: A Cross-National Analysis of Quality Assurance Policies in Higher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dill, David D.

    1995-01-01

    Efforts to improve the quality of academic programs in the United Kingdom, United States, and Netherlands have followed three general approaches: the logic of competitive markets; application of incentives; and professional self-regulation. Strengths and weaknesses of these approaches for improving academic quality are examined through the lens of…

  14. Potential for extending major land resource areas into northern Mexico

    Treesearch

    Roy S. Mann; Philip Heilman; Jeffry Stone

    2013-01-01

    There is a significant history of cooperative efforts between Mexico and the United States on natural resource management issues. Mexico and the United States have jointly conducted research and developed range management technologies. Bringing these technologies together and improving technical communications are an ongoing process. This paper discusses a potential...

  15. Hydrogen sulfide and nonmethane hydrocarbon emissions from broiler houses in the Southeastern United States

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and nonmethane hydrocarbon (NMHC) emissions from two mechanically ventilated commercial broiler houses located in the Southeastern United States were continuously monitored over 12 flocks during the one-year period of 2006-2007 as a joint effort between Iowa State University a...

  16. Supporting Chinese Undergraduate Students in Transition at U.S. Colleges and Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Montgomery, Kerrie A.

    2017-01-01

    The Chinese undergraduate student population currently represents 12.8% of all international students enrolled in the United States (Institute for International Education, 2015a). In an effort to understand the experiences of this population in their first year of college in the United States, a phenomenological study was conducted using a…

  17. Microgravity

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1996-02-22

    Astronaut Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, payload commander, ponders the elements of a model representing the Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG) experiment. This flight of the experiment marks the first joint United States--Latin America effort in this discipline. The project brings together a small team of investigators from Costa Rica (Chang-Diaz's native land), Chile, and the United States.

  18. Teachers Environmental Resource Unit: Industry: Iron/Steel & Pulp/Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bemiss, Clair W.

    Iron and steel and pulp and paper industries, two representatives of American industry, are selected in this teacher's guide for the study of industrial pollution and current pollution control efforts. The resource unit is intended to provide the teacher with basic information that will aid classroom review of these problems. Both industries are…

  19. Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children: All Children in School by 2015

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    UNICEF, 2012

    2012-01-01

    The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics (UIS) launched the joint Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children in 2010 to accelerate efforts towards the goal of universal primary education by 2015. The goal of the…

  20. 77 FR 35679 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Final Collection; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-14

    ... EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES [Public Notice 2012-0134] Agency Information Collection Activities: Final Collection; Comment Request AGENCY: Export-Import Bank of the U.S. ACTION: Submission for...: The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), as a part of its continuing effort to reduce...

  1. United Campuses to Prevent Nuclear War: Nuclear War Course Summaries.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Journal of College Science Teaching, 1983

    1983-01-01

    Briefly describes 46 courses on nuclear war available from United Campuses to Prevent Nuclear War (UCAM). These courses are currently being or have been taught at colleges/universities, addressing effects of nuclear war, arms race history, new weapons, and past arms control efforts. Syllabi (with assignments/reading lists) are available from UCAM.…

  2. Organisational Culture and Values and the Adaptation of Academic Units in Australian Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Zilwa, Deanna

    2007-01-01

    This study explores connections between the organisational culture and values of academic units in Australian universities and their efforts to adapt to external environmental pressures. It integrates empirical findings from case studies with theories of organisational culture and values and adaptation. It identifies seven dimensions of academic…

  3. Student Teaching in the United States. Executive Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Council on Teacher Quality, 2011

    2011-01-01

    In an effort to understand what makes a student teaching experience strong, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has undertaken this comprehensive review. Over a period of two years, NCTQ researchers examined the student teaching programs of a stratified random sample of 134 higher education institutions across the United States, with at…

  4. Language and Identity Construction: The Case of a Refugee Digital Bricoleur

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karam, Fares J.

    2018-01-01

    The United States is the biggest resettlement country of refugees referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; however, educational resettlement efforts have been unsuccessful in responding to the needs of refugee students, and educational research has thus far presented a deficit-oriented narrative that ignores the skills and…

  5. World of Work. First Year Report, 1971-1972.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mount Pleasant Public Schools, MI.

    Prepared during the first year of a 3-year pilot program, this working draft of a resource guide represents efforts to develop and field test resource units for career education, Grades 1-6. The units, which include objectives and learning activities, are clustered as follows: (1) Distribution and Marketing, (2) Agriculture-Natural Resources, (3)…

  6. La Frontera: Study of School Districts along the United States/Mexico Border.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harrison, Tenley S.; Lee-Bayha, June; Sloat, Ed

    School boards associations in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas commissioned this report about K-12 education along La Frontera, the United States/Mexico border, to identify common issues and target policymaking and assistance efforts. Data were obtained from a research review and interviews and surveys of superintendents and school board…

  7. THE HOLDRIDGE LIFE ZONES OF THE CONTERMINOUS UNITED STATES IN RELATION TO ECOSYSTEM MAPPING

    EPA Science Inventory

    Our main goals were to develop a map of the life zones for the conterminous United States, based on the Holdridge Life Zone system as a tool for ecosystem mapping, and to compare the map of Holdridge life zones with other global vegetation classification and mapping efforts.
    ...

  8. By Virtue of Being Human.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    King, S. Claire

    1998-01-01

    Describes some efforts to ensure that teachers in the United States understand and teach about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Although the declaration is 50 years old, it is not as well known in the United States as it is in other parts of the world. Teaching its content and meaning to children is discussed. (SLD)

  9. The United States Marine Corps: The 911 Force in the Post-9/11 World

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-02-23

    increased efforts to engage narco-crime syndicate threats such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC), which is largely responsible for...discord. The United States should view this as an opportunity. As New York Times columnist James Traub notes, If we believe that a model of development

  10. Progress and Directions in Professional Credentialing for Health Education in the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cottrell, Randall R.; Auld, M. Elaine; Birch, David A.; Taub, Alyson; King, Laura Rasar; Allegrante, John P.

    2012-01-01

    This article provides an update on initiatives in individual certification and accreditation of academic programs in public/community health education and school health education in the United States. Although we provide some historical context, the focus primarily addresses credentialing efforts that have evolved since the Galway Consensus…

  11. China's Propaganda in the United States during World War II.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsang, Kuo-jen

    Drawing data from a variety of sources, a study was undertaken to place China's propaganda activities in the United States during World War II into a historical perspective. Results showed that China's propaganda efforts consisted of official and unofficial activities and activities directed toward overseas Chinese. The official activities were…

  12. Sketching by Design: Teaching Sketching to Young Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelley, Todd R.; Sung, Euisuk

    2017-01-01

    Recent science educational reforms in the United States have prompted increased efforts to teach engineering design as an approach to improve STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning in K-12 classrooms. Teaching design in early grades is a new endeavor for teachers in the United States. Much can be learned from design…

  13. The Problems of Educational Standards in the United States and Russia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bespal'ko, V. P.

    1996-01-01

    Compares and contrasts the need for educational standards in the United States and Russia. Argues that both systems burden their students with an excess of peripheral and inconsequential material in order to satisfy outdated pedagogical objectives. Praises American efforts at creating national standards but questions their applicability to Russia.…

  14. Arizona Research Coordinating Unit, Second Annual Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Arthur M.

    The Arizona Research Coordinating Unit has concentrated its efforts during the past 18 months on a study of engineering technology which was published in March of 1968. A second major project is a study of vocational-technical education in the state to be used as a basis for future planning. Other activities included assistance with several…

  15. Renewables-Friendly Grid Development Strategies. Experience in the United States, Potential Lessons for China

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hurlbut, David; Zhou, Ella; Porter, Kevin

    2015-10-01

    This report aims to help China's reform effort by providing a concise summary of experience in the United States with "renewables-friendly"" grid management, focusing on experiences that might be applicable to China. It focuses on utility-scale renewables and sets aside issues related to distributed generation.

  16. Private Sector Initiative Between the U.S. and Japan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    1998-09-30

    OAK-A258 Private Sector Initiative Between the U.S. and Japan. This report for calendar years 1993 through September 1998 describes efforts performed under the Private Sector Initiatives contract. The report also describes those efforts that have continued with private funding after being initiated under this contract. The development of a pyrochemical process, called TRUMP-S, for partitioning actinides from PUREX waste, is described in this report. This effort is funded by the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), KHI, the United States Department of Energy, and Boeing.

  17. Electrical Auxiliary Power Unit (EAPU) Corona Design Guideline. Revised

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hall, David K.; Kirkici, Hulya; Schweickart, Dan L.; Dunbar, William; Hillard, Barry

    2000-01-01

    This document is the result of a collaborative effort between NASA's Johnson Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Glenn Research Center, and the United States Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson AFB in support of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Upgrades Program, specifically the Electric Auxiliary Power Unit Program. This document is intended as a guideline for design applications for corona and partial discharge avoidance and is not a requirements specification instrument.

  18. An Analysis of Mathematical Models to Improve Counter-Drug Smuggling Operations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-09-01

    users. The target input file for the optimization algorithm has one segment of one target path on each row. Thus, if a target travels along a path...organization TOS time on station TSP Travelling Salesperson Problem USCG United States Coast Guard USN United States Navy UCONN University...of Connecticut UNCLOS United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea xv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This research is motivated by the ongoing efforts of the

  19. Integrating Phosphorus Movement with Soil and Water Loss in the Daily Erosion Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sklenar, Tim; Perez-Bidegain, Mario; Cruse, Richard; Gelder, Brian; Herzmann, Daryl

    2016-04-01

    The Daily Erosion Project (DEP) is an ongoing modelling effort which is now in its second generation. DEP provides comprehensive and dynamic estimates of sediment delivery, soil erosion, and hill slope runoff for agricultural land areas across the Midwestern United States every day for Hydrologic Unit Code 12 (HUC 12) size watersheds. Results are posted every morning on the Internet at dailyerosion.org. Currently DEP covers all of Iowa and portions of Kansas and Minnesota, but expansion of coverage is ongoing. The integration of highly resolute spatial and temporal climate data, soil properties, crop rotation and residue management data affords the opportunity to test the effects of using multiple conservation practices on the transport and fate of water borne nutrients, especially phosphorus, on the Midwestern United States agricultural landscapes. Understanding the interaction of different environmental and land management practices on phosphorus movement will allow data from the DEP to guide conservation efforts as expansion continues into surrounding Midwestern states. The presentation will provide an overview of the DEP technology, including how input data are derived and used to make daily erosion estimates on over 200,000 flowpaths in the modelling area, as well as a discussion of the ongoing phosphorus transport modelling efforts and plans for future expansion (both land area and model functionality).

  20. Detection and Prediction of Hail Storms in Satellite Imagery using Deep Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pullman, M.; Gurung, I.; Ramachandran, R.; Maskey, M.

    2017-12-01

    Natural hazards, such as damaging hail storms, dramatically disrupt both industry and agriculture, having significant socio-economic impacts in the United States. In 2016, hail was responsible for 3.5 billion and 23 million dollars in damage to property and crops, respectively, making it the second costliest 2016 weather phenomenon in the United States. The destructive nature and high cost of hail storms has driven research into the development of more accurate hail-prediction algorithms in an effort to mitigate societal impacts. Recently, weather forecasting efforts have turned to deep learning neural networks because neural networks can more effectively model complex, nonlinear, dynamical phenomenon that exist in large datasets through multiple stages of transformation and representation. In an effort to improve hail-prediction techniques, we propose a deep learning technique that leverages satellite imagery to detect and predict the occurrence of hail storms. The technique is applied to satellite imagery from 2006 to 2016 for the contiguous United States and incorporates hail reports obtained from the National Center for Environmental Information Storm Events Database for training and validation purposes. In this presentation, we describe a novel approach to predicting hail via a neural network model that creates a large labeled dataset of hail storms, the accuracy and results of the model, and its applications for improving hail forecasting.

  1. Batten Disease

    MedlinePlus

    ... NIH NeuroBioBank , a collaborative effort involving several brain banks across the United States that supply investigators with tissue from people with neurological and other disorders. Tissue ...

  2. Managing Proliferation Issues with Iran

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nelson, C. Richard; Saltiel, David H.

    2002-02-15

    Any government in Tehran will be inclined to seek weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and missile delivery options given the realities of its strategic environment. These weapons might help Iran to deter potential external threats, to achieve equality with other major regional powers armed with WMD, and to attain self-reliance in national security, given the isolating experience of arms embargoes. A more pluralist leadership in the future, however, may examine broader choices and trade-offs, and perhaps be less likely to cross key thresholds in WMD acquisition. In any event, Iran's WMD behavior is likely to be determined by both externalmore » factors, mainly the availability of crucial components, and internal factors, including calculations of costs, risks, and benefits. Among the benefits, psychological factors, such as prestige, will play an important role. Other important factors that might well shape Iran's WMD behavior include developments in Iraq, relations with the United States and other Gulf states, Israeli-Palestinian relations and the future price of oil. This paper offers recommendations on how the United States can best hope to influence Iranian decisions regarding the acquisition of WMD and missile delivery systems if the United States decides to pursue more direct engagement with Tehran. An engagement-nonproliferation strategy should involve at least three types of parallel efforts: public, private and indirect. Public efforts should seek to create a more positive, less-threatening image of the United States among opinion leaders in Iran. Private efforts should seek to determine the purposes, nature and extent of Iran's efforts to develop WMD and missiles and to suggest better alternatives for Iran's security and prestige needs. Indirect efforts should involve key third countries and organizations in an attempt both to address Iran's security concerns and to deny Iran access to critical WMD and missile technology and components. Russian policy, in particular, will continue to play a vital role in determining the extent to which Iran is able to pursue WMD options. Without a fundamental change in the regional security environment, however, there is little reason to expect changes in Iranian WMD and missile policies, and the United States, acting alone and short of war, cannot prevent Iran from ultimately developing WMD and delivery systems. Furthermore, U.S. policies that take a tougher line with Russia, China and North Korea are not likely to lead to more restraint among these potential sources of WMD and missile technology. In the absence of engagement with Iran, unilateral U.S. economic sanctions will remain the principal, if flawed, U.S. policy tool for seeking to prevent Iran from acquiring WMD. The rationale is that by discouraging trade and investment, particularly in Iran's energy sector, the government of Iran will have less revenue to pursue proliferation. Without broad international support for economic isolation, however, such an effort may hinder Iran's WMD programs, though it cannot block them. Finally, options are needed to deal with major failures in nonproliferation efforts. These options include measures to deter Iranian use of WMD, to defend against their use if deterrence fails, and to destroy Iranian WMD capabilities should the need arise.« less

  3. Breaking Barriers to Low-Cost Modular Inverter Production & Use

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bogdan Borowy; Leo Casey; Jerry Foshage

    2005-05-31

    The goal of this cost share contract is to advance key technologies to reduce size, weight and cost while enhancing performance and reliability of Modular Inverter Product for Distributed Energy Resources (DER). Efforts address technology development to meet technical needs of DER market protection, isolation, reliability, and quality. Program activities build on SatCon Technology Corporation inverter experience (e.g., AIPM, Starsine, PowerGate) for Photovoltaic, Fuel Cell, Energy Storage applications. Efforts focused four technical areas, Capacitors, Cooling, Voltage Sensing and Control of Parallel Inverters. Capacitor efforts developed a hybrid capacitor approach for conditioning SatCon's AIPM unit supply voltages by incorporating several typesmore » and sizes to store energy and filter at high, medium and low frequencies while minimizing parasitics (ESR and ESL). Cooling efforts converted the liquid cooled AIPM module to an air-cooled unit using augmented fin, impingement flow cooling. Voltage sensing efforts successfully modified the existing AIPM sensor board to allow several, application dependent configurations and enabling voltage sensor galvanic isolation. Parallel inverter control efforts realized a reliable technique to control individual inverters, connected in a parallel configuration, without a communication link. Individual inverter currents, AC and DC, were balanced in the paralleled modules by introducing a delay to the individual PWM gate pulses. The load current sharing is robust and independent of load types (i.e., linear and nonlinear, resistive and/or inductive). It is a simple yet powerful method for paralleling both individual devices dramatically improves reliability and fault tolerance of parallel inverter power systems. A patent application has been made based on this control technology.« less

  4. Continuing education for performance improvement: a creative approach.

    PubMed

    Collins, Patti-Ann; Hardesty, Ilana; White, Julie L; Zisblatt, Lara

    2012-10-01

    In an effort to improve patient safety and health care outcomes, continuing medical education has begun to focus on performance improvement initiatives for physician practices. Boston University School of Medicine's (BUSM) Continuing Nursing Education Accredited Provider Unit has begun a creative project to award nursing contact hours for nurses' participation in performance improvement activities. This column highlights its initial efforts. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

  5. Use of small volume cups in XRF analysis of treated wood retention

    Treesearch

    Rene Stelzer; Adam Taylor; Patricia Lebow

    2017-01-01

    Efforts are underway in the United States to improve the conformance of commercially-treated wood with the applicable retention standards. As part of an effort to devise a practical method for on-site assessment of within-charge retention variation, we investigated whether small-volume x-ray fluorescence (XRF) sample cups could be used with treated wood. A range of cup...

  6. A Dictionary of Acquisition and Contracting Terms

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-12-01

    consolidated national effort had been undertaken in this regard. Various individuals, commands and schools have attempted to assemble elements of definitions...however, the lack of a consolidated effort has caused a disparity in the definitions of terms. Previous graduate theses have researched definitions and...Supply Corps (SC), United States Navy (USN) initiated the consolidation of baseline consensus definitions in 1988. In 1989, Captain (CPT) John Cannaday

  7. Intellectual Disability Policy as Developed, Expressed, and Valuated in AAIDD/The Arc Joint Statements: The Role of Organization Position Statements

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Luckasson, Ruth; Ford, Marty E.; McMillan, Elise D.; Misilo, Frederick M., Jr.; Nygren, Margaret A.

    2017-01-01

    The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) and The Arc of the United States (The Arc) have a long history of joined efforts to develop, express, and evaluate disability policies. These efforts have resulted in a series of formal statements on critical issues such as education, healthcare, human rights, and…

  8. Fiscal Year 1962-63 SNAP 10A Program Proposal (Revised August 15, 1961)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    1961-08-15

    The SNAPSHOT program is a joint AEC-USAF effort to flight test SNAP units. SNAPSHOT flights are intended to establish the capabilities of nuclear auxiliary power so that its future use in space systems can be programmed with confidence overcoming both technical and psychological barriers. A set of flight tests for the SNAP 10A system form a part of this effort.

  9. Management of the spotted owl: a case history in conservation biology

    Treesearch

    B.R. Noon; K.S. McKelvey

    1996-01-01

    Official conservation efforts for the northern spotted owl began in the United States in 1975 when it was declared “threatened” in the state of Oregon; efforts continued in a sporadic and unsystematic way through the 1980s. In 1989 the Interagency Scientific Committee (ISC) was established by Congress and charged with the development of a scientifically defensible...

  10. Federal Efforts in Science and Mathematics Education. Hearing before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations. United States Senate, One Hundred First Congress, Second Session. Special Hearing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Appropriations.

    This report contains a transcript of the hearing discussing federal efforts in science and mathematics education held before the Subcommittee on Veterans Administration (VA), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Independent Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations. Spokespersons for the Executive Office of the President--Office of Science…

  11. Balancing the Values of Ethnic Studies and Academe: Exploring Efforts to Advance the Organizational Stability of American Indian and Asian American Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kimura-Walsh, Erin Fukiko

    2009-01-01

    This study examines Ethnic Studies' efforts to gain institutional stability at the university. The issue is explored through a qualitative, multi-case study of Ethnic Studies units, specifically American Indian and Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University and University of California, Los Angeles. To gain insight into their…

  12. Spin, Unit Climate, and Aggression: Near Term, Long Term, and Reciprocal Predictors of Violence Among Workers in Military Settings

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-08-01

    differences in within-person variability in emotional state, known as “spin”) and group level variables (e.g., unit climate) hypothesized to impact...effort includes both individual level variables (e.g., differences in within-person variability in emotional state, known as “spin”) and group level...and unit level factors across time. At the individual level, we will examine within-person variability in emotion and interpersonal behaviors

  13. NASA work unit system file maintenance manual

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    The NASA Work Unit System is a management information system for research tasks (i.e., work units) performed under NASA grants and contracts. It supplies profiles on research efforts and statistics on fund distribution. The file maintenance operator can add, delete and change records at a remote terminal or can submit punched cards to the computer room for batch update. The system is designed for file maintenance by a person with little or no knowledge of data processing techniques.

  14. International HIV and AIDS prevention: Japan/United States collaboration.

    PubMed

    Umenai, T; Narula, M; Onuki, D; Yamamoto, T; Igari, T

    1997-01-01

    As the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS pandemic shifts from Africa to Asia, Japan is becoming ever more aware of the importance of containing and preventing spread of the virus. International collaboration, particularly with the United States, is a logical approach because it allows utilization of expertise from countries in other stages of the pandemic, can prevent duplication of efforts, and complements efforts of the other countries. Further, both Japan and the United States can use their combined influence and prestige to encourage cooperation among all nations. In 1994, Japan established the Global Issues Initiative to extend cooperation to developing countries in the areas of population and AIDS control. It has disbursed more than $460 million (U.S.$) to promote active cooperation and stimulate international attention to the importance of addressing these health issues. Japan has established four main programs for international collaboration for control of HIV and AIDS, three operated by ministries and one by a Japanese nongovernmental organization. Japanese/United States collaboration is developing through the United States/Japan Cooperative Medical Sciences Program, the Common Agenda for Cooperation in Global Perspective, the Paris Summit, and the United Nations Joint Programme on AIDS. It is critical that Japan and the United States, as the two largest donors to international development, demonstrate, through their collaboration, ways to maximize the use of limited resources, reduce duplication, and promote sustainable development programs in which HIV prevention and AIDS care programs are systemically integrated.

  15. EVALUATING THE UNIT APPROACH--FARM AND HOME DEVELOPMENT. (TITLE SUPPLIED).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MAYER, RALPH E.; RIECK, ROBERT E.

    IN AN EFFORT TO RESOLVE THE DEBATE OF STAFF-TO-FAMILY VS STAFF-TO-MASS RELATIONSHIPS IN FARM EXTENSION WORK, THE 1954 FEDERAL EXTENSION APPROPRIATION BILL AUTHORIZED INCEPTION OF A PERSONAL CONTACT, FAMILY UNIT APPROACH CALLED FARM AND HOME DEVELOPMENT (FHD). THE FHD AGENT WORKED WITH THE FARMER AND HIS WIFE IN AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM WHICH…

  16. A Framework for Understanding Cross-National and Cross-Ethnic Gaps in Math and Science Achievement: The Case of the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guglielmi, R. Sergio; Brekke, Nancy

    2017-01-01

    Comparative international assessments of academic achievement consistently indicate that US students trail behind many peers, particularly those from east Asia, in math and science. Traditional efforts to explain this finding have focused on identifying characteristics that might differentiate the United States from top-performing countries.…

  17. Inaugural History of the National Center for Photovoltaics | Photovoltaic

    Science.gov Websites

    technology and disseminating information about photovoltaics (PV) in the United States. When created, the NCPV's long-term goals were for PV modules and systems to reach still higher efficiencies with improved , industry, and other federal programs into a united effort and accelerating the advance of PV as an industry

  18. Library Involvement in State Government Information Policy Development in the United States.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weaver, Barbara F.

    This paper focuses on efforts by library groups and individuals to influence the development of state government information policy in various states in the United States, and emphasizes the need for librarians to make sure they either initiate such development or insert themselves into any existing policy development processes. Emphasis is given…

  19. Species occurrence data for the Nation--USGS Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    ,

    2015-12-14

    USGS Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON) is a unique, Web-based Federal mapping resource for species occurrence data in the United States and its Territories. BISON’s size is unprecedented, including records for most living species found in the United States and encompassing the efforts of more than a million professionals.

  20. Power laws in cone production of longleaf pine across its native range in the United States

    Treesearch

    Xiongwen Chen; Qinfeng Guo; Dale G. Brockway

    2017-01-01

    Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) forests in the southeastern United States are considered endangered ecosystems, because of their dramatic decrease in area since European colonization and poor rates of recovery related to episodic natural regeneration. Sporadic seed production constrains restoration efforts and complicates sustainable management of this species....

  1. Kids Count Data Sheet, 2000.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, MD.

    Data from the 50 United States are listed for 1997 from Kids Count in an effort to track state-by-state the status of children in the United States and to secure better futures for all children. Data include percent low birth weight babies; infant mortality rate; child death rate; rate of teen deaths by accident, homicide, and suicide; teen birth…

  2. A Field Assessment of Timber Highway Bridge Durability in the United States

    Treesearch

    J.P. Wacker; B.K. Brashaw; F. Jalinoos

    2015-01-01

    This paper summarizes a cooperative project to assess the current condition and life expectancy of 132 timber highway bridge superstructures at locations throughout the United States. Several superstructure types were included in this comprehensive effort, of which two-thirds were sawn timber stringer systems. In-depth inspections were conducted by the project team...

  3. Effort to test, evaluate and deploy technologies to automate the measurement of real-time border wait times at United States-Canada land border crossings.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-09-01

    The United States and Canada share the largest bi-national trading relationship in the world. An efficient and cost-effective border crossing system for both freight and passenger vehicle traffic is thus vital to the economic well-being and security ...

  4. Willful Ignorance? The Dropout Crisis and United States Public Education Policy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McMurrey, Allen L.

    2014-01-01

    This paper takes a critical conceptual look at education policy and practice from the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1965 to the present. The paper examines the roots of current United States educational policies, and shows that, in some cases, well-intentioned efforts have had a negative impact on vulnerable populations…

  5. Small Combat Arms Unit Leader Training Techniques: Rules of Play for Two Player/Multiplayer Infantry Mapboard Games.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-01-01

    exercises for leadership training. Initial efforts led to the development of a mapboard game. The ’board game’ initially developed was a two-sided, free ... play map exercise for teaching infantry tactics to small unit leaders at the platoon level organizations. It was found, however, that for the benefits

  6. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Promoting Health and Well-Being through Physical Education Partnerships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lynch, Timothy

    2016-01-01

    This paper shares a health and wellbeing partnership, modelling implementation of physical education (PE) advocated by the United Nations (UN). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) exemplifies global efforts towards equality, specifically Goal 3 and 4 address health and wellbeing. The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into cross…

  7. Teachers' Perceptions of Technology Integration in the United Arab Emirates School Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Almekhlafi, Abdurrahman Ghaleb; Almeqdadi, Farouq Ahmad

    2010-01-01

    Technology is a growing part of any society today. Educational technology has become a cornerstone for any country's efforts to improve students' performance at K-12 schools. It has become the focus of educators worldwide. However, research studies investigating technology integration, particularly at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) K-12 schools,…

  8. Youth Acts, Community Impacts: Stories of Youth Engagement with Real Results

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tolman, Joel; Pittman, Karen; Cervone, Barbara; Cushman, Kathleen; Rowley, Lisa; Kinkade, Sheila; Phillips, Jeanie; Duque, Sabrina

    2001-01-01

    This document offers eight case studies - and a number of short profiles - documenting efforts in the United States and around the world, all connecting the dots between youth action and meaningful community change. The publication begins with reflections on why it is often so hard, especially in the United States, for young people to find the…

  9. 3 CFR 13608 - Executive Order 13608 of May 1, 2012. Prohibiting Certain Transactions With and Suspending Entry...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International... America, hereby find that efforts by foreign persons to engage in activities intended to evade U.S... relates to property and interests in property of any person subject to United States sanctions concerning...

  10. Mapping severe fire potential across the contiguous United States

    Treesearch

    Brett H. Davis

    2016-01-01

    The Fire Severity Mapping System (FIRESEV) project is an effort to provide critical information and tools to fire managers that enhance their ability to assess potential ecological effects of wildland fire. A major component of FIRESEV is the development of a Severe Fire Potential Map (SFPM), a geographic dataset covering the contiguous United States (CONUS) that...

  11. United We Learn: Team Effort Builds a Path to Equity and Alignment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kind, Jill

    2014-01-01

    This article presents a plan to create a united approach to improve high quality instruction in Robbinsdale Cooper High School in New Hope, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. Professional learning communities were in their infancy, conversations around data were about autopsies of annual standardized tests, and there was no description of what…

  12. The American Influence in Indonesian Teacher Training, 1956-1964

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Suwignyo, Agus

    2017-01-01

    This paper examines United States-Indonesian cooperation in the training of Indonesian teachers during the early decades of the Cold War. Indonesia badly needed teachers but the government's efforts to train new teachers were hampered by the tremendous lack of teachers who could train new teachers. The aid provided by the United States enabled the…

  13. 77 FR 64114 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Final Collection; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-18

    ... Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), as a part of its continuing effort to reduce....regulations.gov or by mail to Vasilios Giannpooulos, Export Import Bank of the United States, 811 Vermont Ave... proposed information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The purpose of this...

  14. Identifying common practices and challenges for local urban tree monitoring programs across the United States

    Treesearch

    Lara A. Roman; E. Gregory McPherson; Bryant C. Scharenbroch; Julia Bartens

    2013-01-01

    Urban forest monitoring data are essential to assess the impacts of tree planting campaigns and management programs. Local practitioners have monitoring projects that have not been well documented in the urban forestry literature. To learn more about practitioner-driven monitoring efforts, the authors surveyed 32 local urban forestry organizations across the United...

  15. 32 CFR 884.12 - Delays in returning members to the United States.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Delays in returning members to the United States. 884.12 Section 884.12 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE... one or more of the following are present: (1) Efforts are in progress to resolve the controversy to...

  16. 32 CFR 884.12 - Delays in returning members to the United States.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Delays in returning members to the United States. 884.12 Section 884.12 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE... one or more of the following are present: (1) Efforts are in progress to resolve the controversy to...

  17. 32 CFR 884.12 - Delays in returning members to the United States.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Delays in returning members to the United States. 884.12 Section 884.12 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE... one or more of the following are present: (1) Efforts are in progress to resolve the controversy to...

  18. 32 CFR 884.12 - Delays in returning members to the United States.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Delays in returning members to the United States. 884.12 Section 884.12 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE... one or more of the following are present: (1) Efforts are in progress to resolve the controversy to...

  19. 32 CFR 884.12 - Delays in returning members to the United States.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Delays in returning members to the United States. 884.12 Section 884.12 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE... one or more of the following are present: (1) Efforts are in progress to resolve the controversy to...

  20. The National Wind Erosion Research Network: Building a standardized long-term data resource for aeolian research, modeling and land management

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The National Wind Erosion Research Network was established in 2014 as a collaborative effort led by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management, to a...

  1. Constructing Knowledge about the Trigonometric Functions and Their Geometric Meaning on the Unit Circle

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Altman, Renana; Kidron, Ivy

    2016-01-01

    Processes of knowledge construction are investigated. A learner is constructing knowledge about the trigonometric functions and their geometric meaning on the unit circle. The analysis is based on the dynamically nested epistemic action model for abstraction in context. Different tasks are offered to the learner. In his effort to perform the…

  2. Judeo-Spanish Language Maintenance Efforts in the United States.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malinowski, Arlene

    The aim of the paper is to ascertain the size and cultural vitality of the Sephardic component of the 50 Sephardic congregations and communities in the United States. Particular attention is focused on the extent to which Judeo-Spanish, the language of the Sephardim, continues to play a role within the group. The history of Sephardic expulsion and…

  3. The United States History (Khmer Edition). [34 Self-Learning Packets for Khmer Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nhi, Do Dien; And Others

    Designed primarily for Indochinese students in grades 9-12, 34 United States history self-learning packets Materials produced as a joint effort between George Mason University, in eight sections. The publication could be used by mainstream teachers who have a number of limited English proficient (LEP) Khmer students in their classes or by parents…

  4. Community-Based Youth Services in International Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sherraden, Michael

    This essay examines the youth policies and programs of the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Sweden, and Norway in an effort to provide examples that may be of assistance in the development of such policies in the United States. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the topic, noting that the focus is on younger adolescents between the ages of 10…

  5. Software Measurement Guidebook. Version 02.00.02

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-12-01

    Compatibility Testing Process .............................. 9-5 Figure 9-3. Development Effort Planning Curve ................................. 9-7 Figure 10-1...requirements, design, code, and test and for analyzing this data. "* Proposal Manager. The person responsible for describing and supporting the estimated...designed, build/elease ranges, variances, and comparisons size growth; costs; completions; and content, units completing test , units with historical

  6. Exploring Collaboration System Effectiveness at the United States Army Brigade Echelon

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herring, Terry W.

    2012-01-01

    Since the attacks on September 11, 2001, a major transformation of the United States Army began to create a modular, scalable, and modernized military force. This effort was the most significant restructuring of military forces in the last 80 years. However, after 6 years of sustained combat operations in the Middle East many of the collaboration…

  7. Transient Testing of Nuclear Fuels and Materials in the United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wachs, Daniel M.

    2012-12-01

    The United States has established that transient irradiation testing is needed to support advanced light water reactors fuel development. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated an effort to reestablish this capability. Restart of the Transient Testing Reactor (TREAT) facility located at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is being considered for this purpose. This effort would also include the development of specialized test vehicles to support stagnant capsule and flowing loop tests as well as the enhancement of postirradiation examination capabilities and remote device assembly capabilities at the Hot Fuel Examination Facility. It is anticipated that the capability will be available to support testing by 2018, as required to meet the DOE goals for the development of accident-tolerant LWR fuel designs.

  8. Preventing Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Failure: Evidence-Based and Physiologically Sound Practices from Delivery Room to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

    PubMed

    Wright, Clyde J; Sherlock, Laurie G; Sahni, Rakesh; Polin, Richard A

    2018-06-01

    Routine use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to support preterm infants with respiratory distress is an evidenced-based strategy to decrease incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. However, rates of CPAP failure remain unacceptably high in very premature neonates, who are at high risk for developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Using the GRADE framework to assess the quality of available evidence, this article reviews strategies aimed at decreasing CPAP failure, starting with delivery room interventions and followed through to system-based efforts in the neonatal intensive care unit. Despite best efforts, some very premature neonates fail CPAP. Also reviewed are predictors of CPAP failure in this vulnerable population. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Global geological mapping of Ganymede

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Patterson, G. Wesley; Collins, Geoffrey C.; Head, James W.; Pappalardo, Robert T.; Prockter, Louise M.; Lucchitta, Baerbel K.; Kay, Jonathan P.

    2010-06-01

    We have compiled a global geological map of Ganymede that represents the most recent understanding of the satellite based on Galileo mission results. This contribution builds on important previous accomplishments in the study of Ganymede utilizing Voyager data and incorporates the many new discoveries that were brought about by examination of Galileo data. We discuss the material properties of geological units defined utilizing a global mosaic of the surface with a nominal resolution of 1 km/pixel assembled by the USGS with the best available Voyager and Galileo regional coverage and high resolution imagery (100-200 m/pixel) of characteristic features and terrain types obtained by the Galileo spacecraft. We also use crater density measurements obtained from our mapping efforts to examine age relationships amongst the various defined units. These efforts have resulted in a more complete understanding of the major geological processes operating on Ganymede, especially the roles of cryovolcanic and tectonic processes in the formation of might materials. They have also clarified the characteristics of the geological units that comprise the satellite's surface, the stratigraphic relationships of those geological units and structures, and the geological history inferred from those relationships. For instance, the characteristics and stratigraphic relationships of dark lineated material and reticulate material suggest they represent an intermediate stage between dark cratered material and light material units.

  10. Regional variability in the accuracy of statistical reproductions of historical time series of daily streamflow at ungaged locations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Farmer, W. H.; Archfield, S. A.; Over, T. M.; Kiang, J. E.

    2015-12-01

    In the United States and across the globe, the majority of stream reaches and rivers are substantially impacted by water use or remain ungaged. The result is large gaps in the availability of natural streamflow records from which to infer hydrologic understanding and inform water resources management. From basin-specific to continent-wide scales, many efforts have been undertaken to develop methods to estimate ungaged streamflow. This work applies and contrasts several statistical models of daily streamflow to more than 1,700 reference-quality streamgages across the conterminous United States using a cross-validation methodology. The variability of streamflow simulation performance across the country exhibits a pattern familiar to other continental scale modeling efforts performed for the United States. For portions of the West Coast and the dense, relatively homogeneous and humid regions of the eastern United States models produce reliable estimates of daily streamflow using many different prediction methods. Model performance for the middle portion of the United States, marked by more heterogeneous and arid conditions, and with larger contributing areas and sparser networks of streamgages, is consistently poor. A discussion of the difficulty of statistical interpolation and regionalization in these regions raises additional questions of data availability and quality, hydrologic process representation and dominance, and intrinsic variability.

  11. Increasing prevalence of diagnosed diabetes--United States and Puerto Rico, 1995-2010.

    PubMed

    2012-11-16

    In 2010, an estimated 18.8 million persons in the United States had diagnosed diabetes mellitus and another 7.0 million had undiagnosed diabetes. Since 1990, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in the United States has risen sharply among all age groups, both sexes, and all racial/ethnic groups for which data are available. To learn whether the increase has been greater in some regions of the United States than in others, data on self-reported diabetes in adults collected during 1995-2010 by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were analyzed. The analysis showed that the age-adjusted prevalence of diagnosed diabetes increased during the interval in every state, the District of Columbia (DC), and Puerto Rico. In 1995, age-adjusted prevalence was ≥6% in only three states, DC, and Puerto Rico, but by 2010 it was ≥6% in every state, DC, and Puerto Rico, and ≥10.0% in six states and Puerto Rico. Strategies to prevent diabetes and its preventable risk factors are needed, especially for those at highest risk for diabetes, to slow the rise in diabetes prevalence across the United States. Continued surveillance of diabetes prevalence and incidence, its risk factors, and prevention efforts is important to measure progress of prevention efforts.

  12. Commentary: recent reforms in the British National Health Service--lessons for the United States.

    PubMed Central

    Holland, W W; Graham, C

    1994-01-01

    President Clinton recently announced his reform plan for health care in the United States. The United Kingdom, along with other countries, has already enacted reforms in an effort to overcome the basic problem of having insufficient funds to provide a health service to meet modern demands. This paper briefly describes the recent health reforms in the United Kingdom and highlights some lessons for the United States, which include the need to choose procedures that should be universally provided. Health reforms that involve some fundamental restructuring need to be evaluated everywhere and agreed to by the staff in advance. PMID:8296937

  13. Patterns of variations in large pelagic fish: A comparative approach between the Indian and the Atlantic Oceans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Corbineau, A.; Rouyer, T.; Fromentin, J.-M.; Cazelles, B.; Fonteneau, A.; Ménard, F.

    2010-07-01

    Catch data of large pelagic fish such as tuna, swordfish and billfish are highly variable ranging from short to long term. Based on fisheries data, these time series are noisy and reflect mixed information on exploitation (targeting, strategy, fishing power), population dynamics (recruitment, growth, mortality, migration, etc.), and environmental forcing (local conditions or dominant climate patterns). In this work, we investigated patterns of variation of large pelagic fish (i.e. yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, swordfish and blue marlin) in Japanese longliners catch data from 1960 to 2004. We performed wavelet analyses on the yearly time series of each fish species in each biogeographic province of the tropical Indian and Atlantic Oceans. In addition, we carried out cross-wavelet analyses between these biological time series and a large-scale climatic index, i.e. the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). Results showed that the biogeographic province was the most important factor structuring the patterns of variability of Japanese catch time series. Relationships between the SOI and the fish catches in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans also pointed out the role of climatic variability for structuring patterns of variation of catch time series. This work finally confirmed that Japanese longline CPUE data poorly reflect the underlying population dynamics of tunas.

  14. [Association of the abundance and vertical distribution of tuna and beakfish in the southeast of the Caribbean sea].

    PubMed

    Eslava, Nora; González, Leo W; Gaertner, Daniel

    2003-03-01

    The longline hooks suspension depth was estimated using the Mechanic Imitation of Flexible Systems method. The vertical distribution of tunas and billfish was determined by the relative abundance index, obtained from the catch by 11 to 25 m -long longline vessels, -based at Cumaná, Venezuela, South-eastern Caribbean Sea in depths of 65 to 142 m. The CPUE was evaluated per species, according to depth. High values were found for most of the captured species in the layer from 105 to 125 m. Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) showed the highest yield (3.37 fish/100 hooks) and blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) the lowest (0.04 fish/100 hooks). However, the statistical comparison did not allow to reject the hypothesis of lack of depth efect (Kruskal-Wallis p > .05), and demonstrated a homogeneous distribution of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), albacore (Thunnus alalunga), bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), sailfish (Istiophorus albicans), white marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) and blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) in the water column. The conclusion is that fish concentration in the Southern border of the Caribbean Sea is possibly due to several hydroclimatic factors--which affect tuna and billfish catching--such as water temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration which limit the distribution according to depth.

  15. Bait type influences on catch and bycatch in tandem hoop nets set in reservoirs

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Long, James M.; Stewart, David R.; Shiflet, Jeremy; Balsman, Dane; Shoup, Daniel E.

    2017-01-01

    Tandem hoop nets have become the primary gear for sampling channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, but suffer from high incidences of bycatch, particularly aquatic turtles that usually drown as a result. We sought to determine if bait type, ZOTE© soap and ground cheese logs, would influence catch of channel catfish (CPUE and mean TL) and bycatch of fishes and aquatic turtles. We sampled with tandem hoop nets in 13 Kentucky reservoirs (5–73 ha) using a crossover design and two sampling events. We found no difference in channel catfish catch rates between bait types, but mean sizes of fish caught using ZOTE© soap were approximately 24 mm longer compared to cheese. Fish bycatch was similar between bait types, but tandem hoop nets baited with ZOTE© soap caught up to 61% fewer turtles and mortality of turtles that were captured was up to 12% lower than those baited with cheese. Depth of net set, water temperature, and Secchi depth were environmental factors measured that affected catch and bycatch, but varied among species. Using ZOTE© soap as bait in tandem hoop nets appears to be a fairly simple and straightforward method for maintaining high catch rates of channel catfish while minimizing turtle mortality.

  16. Physics and Engineering

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, G.

    1972-01-01

    Describes attempts in Britain to unite physics and technical studies in the new GCE A level engineering students (college bound). (Advocates more interdisciplinary efforts and greater use of mathematics.) (TS)

  17. COUNTER Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) Operations as an Element of Counter Insurgency (COIN): Balancing C-IED Efforts to Support Commander International Security Assistance Force (COMISAF) Operational Objectives

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-10-27

    central to the enemy‟s operational design, defense and industry efforts to counter the IED with technology have been aggressive. The US has spent...and industry efforts to counter the IED with technology have been aggressive. The US has spent billions of dollars to mitigate the effects of IEDs...2001 has claimed the lives of over 1,700 United States and Coalition Force (CF) service men and women ; over six times that many have been wounded.1

  18. Korea University Joins the International Efforts in Clinical Proteogenomics Cancer Research | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research

    Cancer.gov

    The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research, part of the National Institutes of Health, and Korea University (KU) located in The Republic of Korea have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in clinical proteogenomics cancer research. The MOU between NCI and KU represents the twenty-ninth institution and eleventh country to join the continued effort of the International Cancer Proteogenome Consortium (ICPC), an effort catalyzed through the vision of the 47th Vice President of the United States Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and the Cancer Moonshot.

  19. Consumption‐Based Conservation Targeting: Linking Biodiversity Loss to Upstream Demand through a Global Wildlife Footprint

    PubMed Central

    Berlow, Eric; Conlisk, Erin; Erb, Karlheinz; Iha, Katsunori; Martinez, Neo; Newman, Erica A.; Plutzar, Christoph; Smith, Adam B.; Harte, John

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Although most conservation efforts address the direct, local causes of biodiversity loss, effective long‐term conservation will require complementary efforts to reduce the upstream economic pressures, such as demands for food and forest products, which ultimately drive these downstream losses. Here, we present a wildlife footprint analysis that links global losses of wild birds to consumer purchases across 57 economic sectors in 129 regions. The United States, India, China, and Brazil have the largest regional wildlife footprints, while per‐person footprints are highest in Mongolia, Australia, Botswana, and the United Arab Emirates. A US$100 purchase of bovine meat or rice products occupies approximately 0.1 km2 of wild bird ranges, displacing 1–2 individual birds, for 1 year. Globally significant importer regions, including Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and France, have large footprints that drive wildlife losses elsewhere in the world and represent important targets for consumption‐focused conservation attention. PMID:29104616

  20. Evangelical Protestants and the ACA: An Opening for Community-Based Primary Care?

    PubMed

    Franz, Berkeley; Skinner, Daniel

    2016-07-01

    Evangelical Protestants make up the largest religious subgroup in the United States, and previous research has shown that Evangelical churches are disproportionately active in community engagement and efforts toward social change. Although Evangelical Protestant perspectives have been considered with regard to persistent socioeconomic stratification and racial discrimination, less focus has been given to how churches interpret poor health outcomes within the United States. In particular, this research addresses how enduring health disparities are understood within the larger discussion of healthcare reform. Due to the similarity of approaches favored by participants in this study and community-based philosophy, a suggestion is made for future health policy dialogue. Although Evangelical Protestants have been most likely to reject all aspects of the Affordable Care Act, in many ways the findings of this study suggest the potential for successful future health policy collaboration. In particular, community-based primary care might appeal to Evangelicals and health professionals in the ongoing effort to improve population health and the quality of healthcare in the United States.

  1. Value-based cost sharing in the United States and elsewhere can increase patients' use of high-value goods and services.

    PubMed

    Thomson, Sarah; Schang, Laura; Chernew, Michael E

    2013-04-01

    This article reviews efforts in the United States and several other member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to encourage patients, through cost sharing, to use goods such as medications, services, and providers that offer better value than other options--an approach known as value-based cost sharing. Among the countries we reviewed, we found that value-based approaches were most commonly applied to drug cost sharing. A few countries, including the United States, employed financial incentives, such as lower copayments, to encourage use of preferred providers or preventive services. Evidence suggests that these efforts can increase patients' use of high-value services--although they may also be associated with high administrative costs and could exacerbate health inequalities among various groups. With careful design, implementation, and evaluation, value-based cost sharing can be an important tool for aligning patient and provider incentives to pursue high-value care.

  2. Targeted surveillance for highly pathogenic avian influenza in migratory waterfowl across the conterminous United States: chapter 12

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Farnsworth, Matthew L.; Kendall, William L.; Doherty, Paul F.; Miller, Ryan S.; White, Gary C.; Nichols, James D.; Burnham, Kenneth P.; Franklin, Alan B.; Majumdar, S.; Brenner, F.J.; Huffman, J.E.; McLean, R.G.; Panah, A.I.; Pietrobon, P.J.; Keeler, S.P.; Shive, S.

    2011-01-01

    Introduction of Asian strain H5N1 Highly Pathogenic avian influenca via waterfowl migration is one potential route of entry into the United States. In conjunction with state, tribe, and laboratory partners, the United States Department of Agriculture collected and tested 124,603 wild bird samples in 2006 as part of a national surveillance effort. A sampling plan was devised to increase the probability fo detecting Asian strain H5N1 at a national scale. Band recovery data were used to identify and prioritize sampling for wild migratory waterfowl, resulting in spatially targeted sampling recommendations focused on reads with high numbers of recoveries. We also compared the spatial and temporal distribution of the 2006 cloacal and fecal waterfowl sampling effort to the bird banding recovery data and found concordance between the two .Finally, we present improvements made to the 2007 fecal sampling component of the surveillance plan and suggest further improvements for future sampling.

  3. United States Army Medical Materiel Development Activity - 1989

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-01-31

    physicians to treat diseases such as Korean Hemorrhagic Fever and Lassa Fever. * J-5 Human Monoclonal Antibody is secreted by cultured hybridomas that were...volunteer studies involving a collaborative effort between WRAIR and the Swiss Serum and Vaccine Institute (SSVI). s Lassa Fever Immune Plasma is an...immune globulin used to treat Lassa fever infections. The collection of human immune plasma in Africa is an ongoing contract effort. USANRIID performs

  4. Wind Energy Workforce Development & Jobs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tegen, Suzanne

    The United States needs a skilled and qualified wind energy workforce to produce domestic clean power. To assist with wind energy workforce development, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and National Renewable Energy Laboratory are engaged with several efforts.This presentation by Suzanne Tegen describes these efforts, including a wind industry survey, DOE's Wind Career Map, the DOE Wind Vision report, and an in-depth discussion of the Jobs & Economic Development Impacts Model.

  5. Freedom of Speech and the Communication Discipline: Defending the Value of Low-Value Speech. Wicked Problems Forum: Freedom of Speech at Colleges and Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herbeck, Dale A.

    2018-01-01

    Heated battles over free speech have erupted on college campuses across the United States in recent months. Some of the most prominent incidents involve efforts by students to prevent public appearances by speakers espousing controversial viewpoints. Efforts to silence offensive speakers on college campuses are not new; in these endeavors, one can…

  6. Federal Efforts in Science and Mathematics Education. Hearing before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, One Hundred Second Congress, First Session. Special Hearing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate.

    This report contains the transcript of a hearing that addressed federal efforts in school science and mathematics education. Included are prepared statements from the subcommittee members and spokespersons for the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President, the National Science Foundation, and the…

  7. Tactical Implications for Peacemaking in Ethnic Conflict

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-02-04

    means to achieve unity of effort; but unity of effort is achievable without unity of command. Second, units exhibited great versatility. Third , the Army...reviews the post-Persian Gulf War operations, emphasizing OPC. The third section analyzes some tactical lessons learned from OPC. This section uses the...commitments have not decreased. Third , the nation and the Army cannot afford a standing force dedicated to every type of contingency. Finally

  8. Status of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Reorganization. Hearing Before the United States Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs, 95th Congress, 2nd Session on Oversight on the Status of the Reorganization of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs.

    The objective of the August 16, 1978, United States Senate hearing was to determine reorganization plans for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, two Deputy Secretaries, and Mr. Charles Trimble of the United Effort Trust testified before the Select Committee on Indian Affairs. The…

  9. Effects of environmental covariates and density on the catchability of fish populations and interpretation of catch per unit effort trends

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Korman, Josh; Yard, Mike

    2017-01-01

    Article for outlet: Fisheries Research. Abstract: Quantifying temporal and spatial trends in abundance or relative abundance is required to evaluate effects of harvest and changes in habitat for exploited and endangered fish populations. In many cases, the proportion of the population or stock that is captured (catchability or capture probability) is unknown but is often assumed to be constant over space and time. We used data from a large-scale mark-recapture study to evaluate the extent of spatial and temporal variation, and the effects of fish density, fish size, and environmental covariates, on the capture probability of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Colorado River, AZ. Estimates of capture probability for boat electrofishing varied 5-fold across five reaches, 2.8-fold across the range of fish densities that were encountered, 2.1-fold over 19 trips, and 1.6-fold over five fish size classes. Shoreline angle and turbidity were the best covariates explaining variation in capture probability across reaches and trips. Patterns in capture probability were driven by changes in gear efficiency and spatial aggregation, but the latter was more important. Failure to account for effects of fish density on capture probability when translating a historical catch per unit effort time series into a time series of abundance, led to 2.5-fold underestimation of the maximum extent of variation in abundance over the period of record, and resulted in unreliable estimates of relative change in critical years. Catch per unit effort surveys have utility for monitoring long-term trends in relative abundance, but are too imprecise and potentially biased to evaluate population response to habitat changes or to modest changes in fishing effort.

  10. Mars Global Geologic Mapping Progress and Suggested Geographic-Based Hierarchal Systems for Unit Grouping and Naming

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tanaka, K. L.; Dohm, J. M.; Irwin, R.; Kolb, E. J.; Skinner, J. A., Jr.; Hare, T. M.

    2010-01-01

    We are in the fourth year of a fiveyear effort to map the global geology of Mars at 1:20M scale using mainly Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Express, and Mars Odyssey image and altimetry datasets. Previously, we reported on details of project management, mapping datasets (local and regional), initial and anticipated mapping approaches, and tactics of map unit delineation and description [1-2]. Last year, we described mapping and unit delineation results thus far, a new unit identified in the northern plains, and remaining steps to complete the map [3].

  11. Exploring the Landscape of Inclusion: Profiles of Inclusive versus Segregated School Districts in the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marks, Susan Unok; Kurth, Jennifer A.; Bartz, Jody Marie

    2014-01-01

    Although inclusive education has been increasing in frequency for students with disabilities in the United States, for many students, the opportunity to be educated with their peers without disabilities continues to be out of reach despite decades of efforts by those promoting the vision of inclusion. This exploratory case study used interviews…

  12. Using an internet questionnaire to characterize bat survey efforts in the United States and Canada

    Treesearch

    Theodore J. Weller; William J. Zielinski

    2006-01-01

    Standardized survey methods are important for obtaining reliable information on wildlife populations. As a precursor to creating a regional bat-survey (Chiroptera) protocol, we distributed a questionnaire via e-mail to biologists responsible for conducting bat surveys in the United States and Canada. We received 415 responses from 45 states and 7 Canadian provinces or...

  13. Computer Competencies of the Faculty Members of the College of Education at the United Arab Emirates University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alghazo, Iman Mohammad

    2006-01-01

    In its effort to obtain accreditation using NCATE standards, the College of Education at the United Arab Emirates University is integrating ISTE standards into its teacher education programs. The main challenge at this stage is preparing faculty members to integrate technology into their teaching in order to help their students meet ISTE…

  14. Net change in forest density, 1873-2001. Using historical maps to monitor long-term forest trends.

    Treesearch

    Greg C. Liknes; Mark D. Nelson; Daniel J. Kaisershot

    2013-01-01

    European settlement of the United States and utilization of forests are inextricably linked. Forest products fueled development, providing the building blocks for railroads, bridges, ships, and homes. Perhaps because of the importance of its forests, the United States has a rich cartographic history documenting its resources. Long-term, broad-scale monitoring efforts...

  15. William Wales and the 1769 Transit of Venus: Puzzle Solving and the Determination of the Astronomical Unit

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Metz, Don

    2009-01-01

    According to Thomas Kuhn, a significant part of "normal science" is the fact gathering, empirical work which is intended to illustrate an existing paradigm. Some of this effort focuses on the determination of physical constants such as the astronomical unit (AU). For Kuhn, normal science is also what prepares students for membership in a…

  16. Teaching Strategies: The Convention on the Rights of the Child--Suggestions for Educator Action

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ransom, Marilee

    2012-01-01

    The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history, yet the United States has failed to ratify it, despite the efforts of countless supporters. Opponents of ratification in the United States have been effective at preventing ratification by asserting that the CRC will damage family…

  17. 77 FR 26407 - Prohibiting Certain Transactions With and Suspending Entry Into the United States of Foreign...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-03

    ... Respect to Iran and Syria #0; #0; #0; Presidential Documents #0; #0; #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 77, No... Into the United States of Foreign Sanctions Evaders With Respect to Iran and Syria By the authority... evade U.S. economic and financial sanctions with respect to Iran and Syria undermine our efforts to...

  18. From Policy to Practice: How Competency-Based Education Is Evolving in New Hampshire

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freeland, Julia

    2014-01-01

    In 2005, New Hampshire abolished the Carnegie unit--the core unit around which schools typically measure credit hours. In its place, the state mandated that all high schools measure credit according to students' mastery of material, rather than time spent in class. This policy shift created the first-ever state-wide effort to create a…

  19. High-Performance Computing: High-Speed Computer Networks in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Report to Congressional Requesters.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Information Management and Technology Div.

    This report was prepared in response to a request from the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and from the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for information on efforts to develop high-speed computer networks in the United States, Europe (limited to France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United…

  20. The history and future of methyl bromide alternatives in the southern United States

    Treesearch

    Tom E. Starkey

    2012-01-01

    This article gives a brief history of the efforts of the Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative (SFNMC) in testing methyl bromide (MBr) alternatives for soil fumigation. In the southeastern United States, fumigation with MBr has been the most commonly used method for producing high quality, pest-free forest seedlings in an environment that is conducive for soil...

  1. The scientific basis for conserving forest carnivores: American marten, fisher, lynx, and wolverine in the western United States.

    Treesearch

    Leonard F. Ruggiero; Keith B. Aubry; Steven W. Buskirk; L. Jack Lyon; William J. Zielinski

    1994-01-01

    This cooperative effort by USDA Forest Service Research and the National Forest System assesses the state of knowledge related to the conservation status of four forest carnivores in the western United States: American marten, fisher, lynx, and wolverine. The conservation assessment reviews the biology and ecology of these species. It also discusses management...

  2. Sweat Equity: A Study of Housing Systems by and for the People in the United States and Cuba.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cole, Johnetta B.

    1979-01-01

    Compares housing problems and their resolution in Cuba and the United States. States that U.S. urban homesteading programs such as "sweat equity" are oriented to middle-income people and do not address needs of most Blacks. Contrasts this with Cuba whose government has made a sustained effort to improve housing. (Author/WP)

  3. Challenges in the Adoption and Use of OpenCourseWare: Experience of the United Nations University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barrett, Brendan F. D.; Grover, Velma I.; Janowski, Tomasz; van Lavieren, Hanneke; Ojo, Adegboyega; Schmidt, Philipp

    2009-01-01

    This paper provides insights on the adoption or use of OpenCourseWare (OCW) to support broader research, training and institutional capacity development goals, based on the experience of the United Nations University. Specifically, it explains the strategic context for the use of OCW in the university through its related efforts in the area of…

  4. Marine Education. A Bibliography of Educational Materials Available from the Nation's Sea Grant College Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Ocean Springs, MS.

    This bibliography was published as a result of a cooperative education effort of the United States Sea Grant programs and the staff of the Living Seas pavilion presented by United Technologies at EPCOT Center in Orlando, Florida. It is a compilation of the textbooks, curricula materials, and other marine education resource materials developed by…

  5. An Alternative Method for Computing Unit Costs and Productivity Ratios. AIR 1984 Annual Forum Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Winstead, Wayland H.; And Others

    An alternative measure for evaluating the performance of academic departments was studied. A comparison was made with the traditional manner for computing unit costs and productivity ratios: prorating the salary and effort of each faculty member to each course level based on the personal mix of course taught. The alternative method used averaging…

  6. The University Next Door: Developing a Centralized Unit That Strategically Cultivates Community Engagement at an Urban University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holton, Valerie L.; Early, Jennifer L.; Resler, Meghan; Trussell, Audrey; Howard, Catherine

    2016-01-01

    Using Kotter's model of change as a framework, this case study will describe the structure and efforts of a centralized unit within an urban, research university to deepen and extend the institutionalization of community engagement. The change model will be described along with details about the implemented strategies and practices that fall…

  7. Comparisons of allometric and climate-derived estimates of tree coarse root carbon stocks in forests of the United States

    Treesearch

    Matthew B. Russell; Grant M. Domke; Christopher W. Woodall; Anthony W. D' Amato

    2015-01-01

    Background: Refined estimation of carbon (C) stocks within forest ecosystems is a critical component of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of projected climate change through forest C management. Specifically, belowground C stocks are currently estimated in the United States' national greenhouse gas inventory (US NGHGI) using...

  8. Defense Business Transformation: DOD Should Improve Its Planning with and Performance Monitoring of the Military Departments

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-12-01

    Departments Report to Congressional Addressees December 2016 GAO-17-9 United States Government Accountability Office United States...Government Accountability Office Highlights of GAO-17-9, a report to congressional addresses December 2016 DEFENSE BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION DOD Should...specific management responsibility, accountability , and control over business transformation efforts and applicable resources across its business

  9. A Survey of Best Practices and Key Learning Objectives for Successful Secondary School STEM Academy Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kasza, Paul; Slater, Timothy F.

    2017-01-01

    Specialized secondary schools in the United States focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) are becoming commonplace in the United States. Such schools are generally referred to by U.S. teachers as Academies. In a purposeful effort to provide a resource to educators building new STEM Academies, this study provides both a…

  10. Vegetative characteristics of oak savannas in the southwestern United States: a comparative analysis with oak woodlands in the region [Abstract

    Treesearch

    Peter F. Ffolliott; Gerald J. Gottfried

    2005-01-01

    Much has been learned about the oak (encinal) woodlands of the southwestern United States in recent years. Ecological, hydrologic, and environmental characterizations have been obtained through collaborative efforts involving a large number of collaborators. This state-of-knowledge has been presented in a variety of publications and presentations. However, comparable...

  11. Fiscal Year 1970 Work Program for the Department of the Army; Research and Development in Training, Motivation, and Leadership.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Human Resources Research Organization, Alexandria, VA.

    Activities (28 Work Units and six other research efforts) performed by the Human Resources Research Organization for the Department of the Army for Fiscal Year 1970 have been grouped by six major areas: individual training and performance; unit training and performance; training for leadership, command, and control; language and area training;…

  12. Built to Outlast: Operational Approaches to Hybrid Warfare

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-05-17

    advantage of research opportunities in the United States, United Kingdom and Israel financed by the Command and General Staff College and the Joint...as a means to de-legitimize governance efforts of a rival. Furthermore, it may simply be a nonstandard means of financing operations, which is...absent in other hybrid threat organizations. For example, Hezbollah finances a significant portion of its security

  13. Greater Use of Exemplary Education Programs Could Improve Education for Disadvantaged Children. Report to the Congress by the Comptroller General of the United States.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Comptroller General of the U.S., Washington, DC.

    This report by the Comptroller General to the United States Congress discusses the review made of the Department of Education's National Diffusion Network, particularly its efforts to improve Title I reading programs through information dissemination on exemplary projects. Chapter one examines the Department of Education's dissemination…

  14. The American Government Information Unit: A Pilot Program to Improve Information Flow Between Research and Development and Practice in Education. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adelson, Nancy C.; And Others

    The Laboratory staff reported the unit development and field test activities in their effort to collect, analyze, synthesize, and disseminate new curriculum developments in secondary level social studies to school curriculum decision makers. The audience consisted primarily of social studies teachers and department chairmen. To further refine and…

  15. Unauthorized Immigrant Students in the United States: Educational Policies, Practices, and the Role of School Psychology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sulkowski, Michael L.

    2017-01-01

    Overlooking Ellis Island, the famous port of entry for millions of U.S. immigrants, is the Statue of Liberty. Miss Liberty's lamp has welcomed millions of immigrants to the United States. However, in light of recent executive orders against immigration as well as efforts to detain and deport millions of unauthorized immigrants, one might wonder…

  16. Translation of the Diabetes Prevention Program to Ethnic Communities in the United States.

    PubMed

    Hall, Daniel L; Lattie, Emily G; McCalla, Judith R; Saab, Patrice G

    2016-04-01

    The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), an evidenced-based lifestyle intervention for type 2 diabetes (T2D), has been translated for use with ethnic minority communities throughout the United States that are disproportionately at-risk for T2D. The present paper sought to critically review ethnic translation studies of the DPP with respect to translation methods utilized, the success of these methods, and alternative or supplemental methodologies for future translation efforts. Manuscripts reviewed were found by searching PubMed and PsycINFO, using the terms: "diabetes prevention program" AND ["translation" or "ethnic"]. Of 89 papers found, only 6 described ethnic translations of the DPP in the United States, and were included in this review. Translations of the DPP to African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, Arab American, and American Indian and Native Alaskan communities were identified and reviewed. The most common translation strategies included group-based delivery and use of bilingual study personnel. Generally, these factors appeared to increase acceptability of the intervention within the ethnic communities reviewed, and should be considered in future efforts to implement and translate the DPP to ethnic communities in the United States.

  17. Workplace bullying prevention: a critical discourse analysis.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Susan L

    2015-10-01

    The aim of this study was to analyse the discourses of workplace bullying prevention of hospital nursing unit managers and in the official documents of the organizations where they worked. Workplace bullying can be a self-perpetuating problem in nursing units. As such, efforts to prevent this behaviour may be more effective than efforts to stop ongoing bullying. There is limited research on how healthcare organizations characterize their efforts to prevent workplace bullying. This was a qualitative study. Critical discourse analysis and Foucault's writings on governmentality and discipline were used to analyse data from interviews with hospital nursing unit managers (n = 15) and organizational documents (n = 22). Data were collected in 2012. The discourse of workplace bullying prevention centred around three themes: prevention of workplace bullying through managerial presence, normalizing behaviours and controlling behaviours. All three are individual level discourses of workplace bullying prevention. Current research indicates that workplace bullying is a complex issue with antecedents at the individual, departmental and organizational level. However, the discourse of the participants in this study only focused on prevention of bullying by moulding the behaviours of individuals. The effective prevention of workplace bullying will require departmental and organizational initiatives. Leaders in all types of organizations can use the results of this study to examine their organizations' discourses of workplace bullying prevention to determine where change is needed. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Workplace Bullying Prevention: A Critical Discourse Analysis

    PubMed Central

    JOHNSON, Susan L.

    2016-01-01

    Aim To analyze the discourses of workplace bullying prevention of hospital nursing unit managers and in the official documents of the organizations where they worked. Background Workplace bullying can be a self-perpetuating problem in nursing units. As such, efforts to prevent this behavior may be more effective than efforts to stop the behavior. There is limited research on how healthcare organizations characterize their efforts to prevent workplace bullying. Design This was a qualitative study. Method Critical discourse analysis and Foucault’s writings on governmentality and discipline were used to analyze data from interviews with hospital nursing unit managers (n=15) and organizational documents (n=22). Data were collected in 2012. Findings The discourse of workplace bullying prevention centered around three themes: prevention of workplace bullying through managerial presence, normalizing behaviors and controlling behaviors. All three are individual level discourses of workplace bullying prevention. Conclusion Current research indicates that workplace bullying is a complex issue with antecedents at the individual, departmental and organizational level. However, the discourse of the participants in this study only focused on prevention of bullying by moulding the behaviors of individuals. The effective prevention of workplace bullying will require departmental and organizational initiatives. Leaders in all types of organizations can use the results of this study to examine their organizations’ discourses of workplace bullying prevention to determine where change is needed. PMID:26010268

  19. 75 FR 65672 - Notice of Information Collection

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-26

    .... NASA's education and outreach portfolio includes efforts that span various organizational units within... the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of...

  20. Estimating benefits of past, current, and future reductions in smoking rates using a comprehensive model with competing causes of death.

    PubMed

    van Meijgaard, Jeroen; Fielding, Jonathan E

    2012-01-01

    Despite years of declining smoking prevalence, tobacco use is still the leading preventable contributor to illness and death in the United States, and the effect of past tobacco-use control efforts has not fully translated into improvements in health outcomes. The objective of this study was to use a life course model with multiple competing causes of death to elucidate the ongoing benefits of tobacco-use control efforts on US death rates. We used a continuous-time life course simulation model for the US population. We modeled smoking initiation and cessation and 20 leading causes of death as competing risks over the life span, with the risk of death for each cause dependent on past and current smoking status. Risk parameters were estimated using data from the National Health Interview Survey that were linked to follow-up mortality data. Up to 14% (9% for men, 14% for women) of the total gain in life expectancy since 1960 was due to tobacco-use control efforts. Past efforts are expected to further increase life expectancy by 0.9 years for women and 1.3 years for men. Additional reduction in smoking prevalence may eventually yield an average 3.4-year increase in life expectancy in the United States. Coronary heart disease is expected to increase as a share of total deaths. A dynamic individual-level model with multiple causes of death supports assessment of the delayed benefits of improved tobacco-use control efforts. We show that past smoking reduction efforts will translate into further increases in life expectancy in the coming years. Smoking will remain a major contributor to preventable illness and death, worthy of continued interventions.

  1. Use of Advanced Tsunami Hazard Assessment Techniques and Tsunami Source Characterizations in U.S. and International Nuclear Regulatory Activities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kammerer, A. M.; Godoy, A. R.

    2009-12-01

    In response to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, as well as the anticipation of the submission of license applications for new nuclear facilities, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC) initiated a long-term research program to improve understanding of tsunami hazard levels for nuclear power plants and other coastal facilities in the United States. To undertake this effort, the US NRC organized a collaborative research program jointly undertaken with researchers at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for the purpose of assessing tsunami hazard on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. This study identified and modeled both seismic and landslide tsunamigenic sources in the near- and far-field. The results from this work are now being used directly as the basis for the review of tsunami hazard at potential nuclear plant sites. This application once again shows the importance that the earth sciences can play in addressing issues of importance to society. Because the Indian Ocean Tsunami was a global event, a number of cooperative international activities have also been initiated within the nuclear community. The results of US efforts are being incorporated into updated regulatory guidance for both the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the United Nation’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Coordinated efforts are underway to integrate state-of-the art tsunami warning tools developed by NOAA into NRC and IAEA activities. The goal of the warning systems project is to develop automated protocols that allow scientists at these agencies to have up-to-the minute user-specific information in hand shortly after a potential tsunami has been identified by the US Tsunami Warning System. Lastly, USGS and NOAA scientists are assisting the NRC and IAEA in a special Extra-Budgetary Program (IAEA EBP) on tsunami being coordinated by the IAEA’s International Seismic Safety Center. This IAEA EBP is focused on sharing lessons learned, tsunami hazard assessment techniques, and numerical tools among UN Member States. The complete body of basic and applied research undertaken in these many projects represents the combined effort of a diverse group of marine geologists, geophysicists, geotechnical engineers, seismologists and hydrodynamic modelers at multiple organizations.

  2. A shuttle and space station manipulator system for assembly, docking, maintenance, cargo handling and spacecraft retrieval (preliminary design). Volume 3: Concept analysis. Part 2: Development program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    A preliminary estimate is presented of the resources required to develop the basic general purpose walking boom manipulator system. It is assumed that the necessary full scale zero g test facilities will be available on a no cost basis. A four year development effort is also assumed and it is phased with an estimated shuttle development program since the shuttle will be developed prior to the space station. Based on delivery of one qualification unit and one flight unit and without including any ground support equipment or flight test support it is estimated (within approximately + or - 25%) that a total of 3551 man months of effort and $17,387,000 are required.

  3. Whistleblowing in the pharmaceutical industry in the United States, England, Canada, and Australia.

    PubMed

    Boumil, Sylvester James; Nariani, Ashiyana; Boumil, Marcia M; Berman, Harris A

    2010-04-01

    Fraud and abuse in the spending of public monies plague governments around the world. In the United States the False Claims Act encourages whistleblowing by private individuals to expose evidence of fraud. They are rewarded for their efforts with monetary compensation and protection from retaliation. Such is not the case in Canada, England, and Australia. Although some recent legislation has increased the protections afforded to whistleblowers, they are still likely to be viewed more as disloyal employees than courageous public servants, and there is little incentive to risk their jobs and reputation. Qui tam laws provide a police force of thousands in the effort to reduce rampant fraud, waste, and abuse, and would be an asset in any health-care system where pubic health policy requires conservation of resources.

  4. Thermodynamics of organic compounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gammon, B. E.; Smith, N. K.

    1982-11-01

    This research program consisted of an integrated and interrelated effort of basic and applied research in chemical thermodynamics and thermochemistry. Knowledge of variation of physical and thermodynamic properties with molecular structure was used to select compounds for study that because of high ring strain or unusual steric effects may have good energy characteristics per unit volume or per unit mass and thus be useful in the synthesis of high energy fuels. These materials were synthesized, and their thermodynamic properties were evaluated. In cooperation with researcher at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, ramjet fuels currently in use were subjected to careful thermodynamic evaluation by measurements of heat capacity, enthalpy of combustion and vapor pressure. During the last year of this effort, seven kerosene-type fuels produced by British Petroleum and seven jet fuels produced from shale oil were studied.

  5. Synthesis of national reports for Rio+20

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    2013-01-15

    In the lead up to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which took place in Brazil in June 2012, there were numerous efforts in countries around the world to help governments, civil society organizations and individuals prepare for the event. One of the more significant efforts led by UNDP in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) was a support programme to 72 countries across all regions to build a consensus on national views around the themes and objectives of the Rio+20 Conference. This report highlights significant advances in sustainable development frommore » almost 60 country reports and underscores the challenges and bottlenecks to moving beyond the economic-led growth strategies of the past 20 years.« less

  6. LWST Phase I Project Conceptual Design Study: Evaluation of Design and Construction Approaches for Economical Hybrid Steel/Concrete Wind Turbine Towers; June 28, 2002 -- July 31, 2004

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    LaNier, M. W.

    The United States Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Energy Research Program has begun a new effort to partner with U.S. industry to develop wind technology that will allow wind systems to compete in regions of low wind speed. The Class 4 and 5 sites targeted by this effort have annual average wind speeds of 5.8 m/s (13 mph), measured at 10 m (33 ft) height. Such sites are abundant in the United States and would increase the land area available for wind energy production twenty-fold. The new program is targeting a levelized cost of energy of 3 cents/kWh at thesemore » sites by 2010. A three-element approach has been initiated. These efforts are concept design, component development, and system development. This work builds on previous activities under the WindPACT program and the Next Generation Turbine program. If successful, DOE estimates that his new technology could result in 35 to 45 gigawatts of additional wind capacity being installed by 2020.« less

  7. Fighting 'personhood' initiatives in the United States.

    PubMed

    Collins, Lee Rubin; Crockin, Susan L

    2012-06-01

    'Personhood' initiatives filed in many states within the United States threaten to impose potentially significant restrictions on infertility treatment, embryo disposition, pre-natal care, abortion, contraception, and stem-cell research, all through attempts to redefine a 'person' or 'human being' as existing from the moment of fertilization or conception, and endowed with the full legal and Constitutional rights of personhood. Virginia's recent, unsuccessful attempt to pass such legislation provides both a dramatic example of these efforts and valuable lessons in the fight against them by infertility advocates and others. Arguments over loss of infertility treatment seemed more persuasive to legislatures than did restrictions on abortion or stem cell research. Indeed, persuading legislators or voters that they could be 'pro-life' and still anti-personhood initiatives was a key strategy, and consumer efforts and media attention were instrumental. The most central lessons, however, may be the degree of intensity and coordinated strategy to shift public perception that lie behind these numerous state efforts, regardless of whether the actual initiatives are won or lost. Copyright © 2012 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. A Detailed Geomorphological Sketch Map of Titan's Afekan Crater Region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schoenfeld, A.; Malaska, M. J.; Lopes, R. M. C.; Le Gall, A. A.; Birch, S. P.; Hayes, A.

    2014-12-01

    Due to Titan's uniquely thick atmosphere and organic haze layers, the most detailed images (with resolution of 300 meters per pixel) of the Saturnian moon's surface exist as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images taken by Cassini's RADAR instrument. Using the SAR data, we have been putting together detailed geomorphological sketch maps of various Titan regions in an effort to piece together its geologic history. We initially examined the Afekan region of Titan due to extensive SAR coverage. Features described on Afekan fall under the categories (in order of geologic age, extrapolated from their relative emplacement) of hummocky, labyrinthic, plains, and dunes. During our mapping effort, we also divided each terrain category into several different subclasses on a local level. Our map offers a chance to present and analyze the distribution, relationship, and potential formation hypotheses of the different terrains. In bulk, we find evidence for both Aeolian and fluvial processes. A particularly important unit found in the Afekan region is the unit designated "undifferentiated plains", or the "Blandlands" of Titan, a mid-latitude terrain unit comprising 25% of the moon's surface. Undifferentiated plains are notable for its relative featurelessness in radar and infrared. Our interpretation is that it is a fill unit in and around Afekan crater and other hummocky/mountainous units. The plains suggest that the nature of Titan's geomorphology seems to be tied to ongoing erosional forces and sediment deposition. Other datasets used in characterizing Titan's various geomorphological units include information obtained from radiometry, infrared (ISS), and spectrometry (VIMS). We will present the detailed geomorphological sketch map with all the terrain units assigned and labeled.

  9. Proposal for Creating a Pocket of Innovation and Adaptability Within a Bureaucratic Enterprise

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nichols, T. T.; Millet, C. B.

    2001-07-02

    A conceptual framework is developed that is based on a behavioral model for organizations that rely upon innovation and adaptability for their survival in the market place. The model supports the assertion that change efforts aimed at performance improvement need a systems approach because contributions to an organization's performance cross functional lines and are systemic in nature. The model implies four conclusions for a unit trying to effectuate change within a greater bureaucracy. First, the desired behaviors are currently neither evaluated nor rewarded enough by either the enterprise or the local unit. Second, the model has to be applied tomore » the local unit, treating the unit as a distinct enterprise itself. Third, a misalignment between the unit's new form and that of the rest of the enterprise will invariably be created. Fourth, this misalignment has to be minimized enough by the local unit to avoid the larger enterprise from responding negatively to the change effort. The mode l results in a change approach that constrains localized behavior modification by the need to remain aligned with the overall structure of the complete enterprise. The conceptual framework is used to develop a proposal for effectuating behavioral change within the High-Level Waste (HLW) Program at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). A ''strawman'' involving a set of critical systems, performance and evaluation measures, and tactics is presented as a starting point for further discussion and development within the Program organization.« less

  10. Proposal for Creating a Pocket of Innovation & Adaptability within a Bureaucratic Enterprise

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nichols, Todd Travis; Millet, C. D.

    2001-07-01

    A conceptual framework is developed that is based on a behavioral model for organizations that rely upon innovation and adaptability for their survival in the market place. The model supports the assertion that change efforts aimed at performance improvement need a systems approach because contributions to an organization's performance cross functional lines and are systemic in nature. The model implies four conclusions for a unit trying to effectuate change within a greater bureaucracy. First, the desired behaviors are currently neither evaluated nor rewarded enough by either the enterprise or the local unit. Second, the model has to be applied tomore » the local unit, treating the unit as a distinct enterprise itself. Third, a misalignment between the unit's new form and that of the rest of the enterprise will invariably be created. Fourth, this misalignment has to be minimized enough by the local unit to avoid the larger enterprise from responding negatively to the change effort. The model results in a change approach that constrains localized behavior modification by the need to remain aligned with the overall structure of the complete enterprise. The conceptual framework is used to develop a proposal for effectuating behavioral change within the High-Level Waste (HLW) Program at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). A "strawman" involving a set of critical systems, performance and evaluation measures, and tactics is presented as a starting point for further discussion and development within the Program organization.« less

  11. Spin, Unit Climate, and Aggression: Near Term, Long Term, and Reciprocal Predictors of Violence Among Workers in Military Settings

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-08-01

    exposure to aggression (e.g., drug / alcohol use, burnout , suicidal ideation). The proposed effort includes both individual level variables (e.g...aggression (e.g., drug / alcohol use, burnout , suicidal ideation). The proposed effort includes both individual level variables (e.g., differences in...anger / rage, bullying, harassment, intimate partner violence) and related physical health and mental health concerns (e.g., drug / alcohol use, burnout

  12. The Budget of the United States Government. Department of Defense Extract for Fiscal Year 1985

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-02-01

    with real GNP rising over 6% and industrial production by 16%. Unemployment, though still unacceptably high , has declined by a record 2l/z...the administration will focus its legislative effort on three of those proposals, in modified form: cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) reform, a high 5...computer matching, adjusted payment schedules, contractor and grantee performance incentives, and a streamlined field structure. All of these efforts

  13. Countering Radicalization: Refocusing Responses to Violent Extremism Within the United States

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-12-01

    obsessed with religion.38 His initial goals were laudable; according to his brother, “He said he just wanted to do good. He wanted to go to heaven...time Samir arrived in North Carolina he was completely obsessed with extremist ideology. A friend, Adam Azad related that during their first...volunteer activities. Efforts can be tailored to specific areas such as university campuses, coffee shops, or community centers. Each effort

  14. AIDS Epidemic. Hearing before the Committee on Labor and Human Resources. United States Senate, One Hundredth Congress, First Session on Reviewing Federal Efforts Being Conducted toward Combating the AIDS Epidemic.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources.

    The text of a Senate hearing called to review federal efforts combating acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is presented in this document. Opening statements reviewing the AIDS crisis are given by Senators Edward Kennedy and Lowell Weicker, Jr. Prepared statements are included by Senators Orrin Hatch and Ted Stevens. David Baltimore and…

  15. 2009 Combat Vehicles Conference (BRIEFING CHARTS)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-10-14

    Strategy to Field 531 Systems Targeting Under Armor and FS3 Integration on A3 BFIST on the Move Our #1 Priority is to Support Units Engaged in O C i...Armored Knight Program • Targeting Under Armor /On the Move effort underway to • The M1200 Armored Knight provides increase survivability of...increased survivability Sustainment Survivability 32 10/13/2009 BFIST Program Overview • Targeting Under Armor /On the Move effort underway to

  16. Le Role des ONG dans la Mise en Application de la Convention des Droit de l'Enfant (The Role of Non Governmental Organizations in the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goutard, M.

    1992-01-01

    Examines cooperative efforts among nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in France to implement the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child. Describes collaborative efforts between NGO committees and government authorities, highlighting government experts' recommendations for changes in four areas of French law to conform to…

  17. Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency in Somalia: Assessing the Campaign Against Al Shabaab

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-01-01

    establishment of Islam.”11 Research Design In an effort to better understand al Shabaab and U.S. efforts to degrade it, this study asks three sets of questions...and International Studies , July 2011; Ken Menkhaus, “Al-Shabab’s Capabilities Post -Westgate,” CTC Sentinel, March 24, 2014; United Nations (UN...representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited

  18. HIV prevention costs and program scale: data from the PANCEA project in five low and middle-income countries.

    PubMed

    Marseille, Elliot; Dandona, Lalit; Marshall, Nell; Gaist, Paul; Bautista-Arredondo, Sergio; Rollins, Brandi; Bertozzi, Stefano M; Coovadia, Jerry; Saba, Joseph; Lioznov, Dmitry; Du Plessis, Jo-Ann; Krupitsky, Evgeny; Stanley, Nicci; Over, Mead; Peryshkina, Alena; Kumar, S G Prem; Muyingo, Sowedi; Pitter, Christian; Lundberg, Mattias; Kahn, James G

    2007-07-12

    Economic theory and limited empirical data suggest that costs per unit of HIV prevention program output (unit costs) will initially decrease as small programs expand. Unit costs may then reach a nadir and start to increase if expansion continues beyond the economically optimal size. Information on the relationship between scale and unit costs is critical to project the cost of global HIV prevention efforts and to allocate prevention resources efficiently. The "Prevent AIDS: Network for Cost-Effectiveness Analysis" (PANCEA) project collected 2003 and 2004 cost and output data from 206 HIV prevention programs of six types in five countries. The association between scale and efficiency for each intervention type was examined for each country. Our team characterized the direction, shape, and strength of this association by fitting bivariate regression lines to scatter plots of output levels and unit costs. We chose the regression forms with the highest explanatory power (R2). Efficiency increased with scale, across all countries and interventions. This association varied within intervention and within country, in terms of the range in scale and efficiency, the best fitting regression form, and the slope of the regression. The fraction of variation in efficiency explained by scale ranged from 26-96%. Doubling in scale resulted in reductions in unit costs averaging 34.2% (ranging from 2.4% to 58.0%). Two regression trends, in India, suggested an inflection point beyond which unit costs increased. Unit costs decrease with scale across a wide range of service types and volumes. These country and intervention-specific findings can inform projections of the global cost of scaling up HIV prevention efforts.

  19. Contribution of the conferences of the parties and the renewable energy role for the fight against climate change

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ghezloun, A., E-mail: a.ghezloun@cder.dz; Oucher, N.; Merabet, H.

    The Kyoto Protocol, which entered into force on 16 February 2005, commits developed countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases by 5% in 2012 compared to 1990. Due to the abstention of the United States and the absence of constraint on Southern countries, the protocol establishes obligations only to countries that represent only 33% of global CO{sub 2} emissions. All the diplomatic effort is therefore to seek the commitment of discussion for the period after 2012. The participation of the United States and emerging countries is imperative. The essential point of this second negotiation process is to search inmore » the effort to integrate the United States and the developing countries and, more particularly, emerging economies such as China, India or Brazil, whose current emissions and / or projected should exceed those of developed countries during the first half of the twenty-first century. Real progress has been made in recent years. Indeed, a first universal historic agreement and legally binding was adopted after two weeks of intense negotiations by the Parties from 30 November to 12 December 2015, which aims to limit global warming by the end of this century well below 2 ° C while continuing efforts to not exceed 1.5 ° C. Moreover, the European Union, China and the United States have expressed their willingness to reduce their greenhouse gas. Because, one of the great hopes of the fight against the emission of greenhouse gases is the development of renewable energy, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report highlights the need to move towards renewable energy sources. The European Union, China and United States also expressed their willingness to increase the share of renewable energy. It is therefore necessary to develop the only inexhaustible energy, renewable energy, to fight against climate change.« less

  20. Contribution of the conferences of the parties and the renewable energy role for the fight against climate change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghezloun, A.; Saidane, A.; Oucher, N.; Merabet, H.

    2016-07-01

    The Kyoto Protocol, which entered into force on 16 February 2005, commits developed countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases by 5% in 2012 compared to 1990. Due to the abstention of the United States and the absence of constraint on Southern countries, the protocol establishes obligations only to countries that represent only 33% of global CO2 emissions. All the diplomatic effort is therefore to seek the commitment of discussion for the period after 2012. The participation of the United States and emerging countries is imperative. The essential point of this second negotiation process is to search in the effort to integrate the United States and the developing countries and, more particularly, emerging economies such as China, India or Brazil, whose current emissions and / or projected should exceed those of developed countries during the first half of the twenty-first century. Real progress has been made in recent years. Indeed, a first universal historic agreement and legally binding was adopted after two weeks of intense negotiations by the Parties from 30 November to 12 December 2015, which aims to limit global warming by the end of this century well below 2 ° C while continuing efforts to not exceed 1.5 ° C. Moreover, the European Union, China and the United States have expressed their willingness to reduce their greenhouse gas. Because, one of the great hopes of the fight against the emission of greenhouse gases is the development of renewable energy, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report highlights the need to move towards renewable energy sources. The European Union, China and United States also expressed their willingness to increase the share of renewable energy. It is therefore necessary to develop the only inexhaustible energy, renewable energy, to fight against climate change.

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