Digital Commons Network^™

Sense Of Place Among New England Organic Farmers And Commercial Fishermen: How Social Context Shapes Identity And Environmentally Responsible Behavior, Anneliese Marie Mueller

Doctoral Dissertations

Given the prominence of sense of place in new environmental education curricula, this study aims to strengthen the conceptual and empirical foundations of sense of place, and to determine how sense of place may be linked to environmentally responsible behavior. For this study, five commercial fishermen and five organic farmers from the New England Seacoast region participated in a series of in-depth phenomenological interviews and observations. The data was systematically coded in order to allow themes and categories to emerge. The results indicate that aspects of the existing conceptual framework of sense of place, such as place attachment, ecological knowledge, …

Impacts Of The Introduced Crabs, Carcinus Maenas And Hemigrapsus Sanguineus, In Northern New England, Megan Conlon Tyrrell

Doctoral Dissertations

Two introduced crab species are presently found in northern New England, Carcinus maenas, which has been in this region for over 100 years, and Hemigrapsus sanguineus which was first reported in New Hampshire in 1998. Carcinus maenas is a generalized predator and its introduction has had negative effects on several native mollusc species but the community wide impacts of its introduction have been relatively neglected. Hemigrapsus sanguineus is just beginning to establish populations in this region, and its effects on the resident community are unknown. Both monitoring and experimental approaches were used to retroactively infer the impacts of C. maenas …

Winter Flounder Pseudopleuronectes Americanus Stock Enhancement In New Hampshire: Developing Optimal Release Strategies, Elizabeth Alden Fairchild

Doctoral Dissertations

As part of a program to assess the feasibility of winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, stock enhancement, optimal release size, site, season, and condition of cultured, juvenile winter flounder were evaluated.

To determine optimal release size, the predator-prey size relationship between winter flounder and the green crab, Carcinus maenas, was examined. The number of flounder killed per day was significantly higher (31%) in winter flounder <20 mm compared to all other larger fish size classes (4--8% killed/day). Additionally, these fish were attacked at a faster rate than any other fish size class. These results suggest that only flounder >20 mm should be released.

Field studies were conducted in three potential release sites in the Great Bay Estuary during 1999--2001 to determine optimal release site and season. Optimal site selection was based on growth and …