Environmental Sciences Commons^™

Using Bayesian Multispecies Models To Evaluate Fish And Invertebrate Detection Probability And Distribution In The Hypersaline Bahia Grande Tidal Basin, Roy M. Ulibarri, Catherine M. Eckert, David Hicks, David Montagne, Brandon Jones, David R. Stewart

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective

In 2000, the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge acquired the Bahia Grande (Texas) management unit, a space that had lain barren and arid for 70 years. A large cooperative partnership launched a restoration project to replenish the basin and recover its original tidal hydrology. In 2005, the construction of a pilot channel successfully restored water throughout the basin, and plans to eventually widen the channel were developed. Our study aims to evaluate an estuarine habitat restoration by assessing ecological drivers and the impacts on species diversity.

Methods

We evaluated species richness, detection/occupancy rates, and species–habitat relationships, and we estimated …

Improvement Of A Low-Cost Diy Wave Gauge, Matthew F. Virden, Nigel A. Temple, Bret M. Webb, Eric L. Sparks

The Journal of Extension

The impacts of waves on shorelines and nearshore ecosystems has highlighted the need for extension and other environmental professionals to have access to accurate and affordable wave measurements. The development of a low-cost DIY wave gauge improved the accessibility of these measurements; however, the original design was limited in battery life. Here, an improved version of the low-cost DIY wave gauge, the DIY Feather Wave Gauge, is presented with the same performance, longer battery life, smaller design, and cheaper cost along with tutorials, parts lists, and other resources. This new gauge has been used to improve shoreline management recommendations.

The Risk Of Multiple Anthropogenic And Climate Change Threats Must Be Considered For Continental Scale Conservation And Management Of Seagrass Habitat, Kathryn Mcmahon, Kieryn Kilminster, Robert Canto, Chris Roelfsema, Mitchell Lyons, Gary A. Kendrick, Michelle Waycott, James Udy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Globally marine-terrestrial interfaces are highly impacted due to a range of human pressures. Seagrass habitats exist in the shallow marine waters of this interface, have significant values and are impacted by a range of pressures. Cumulative risk analysis is widely used to identify risk from multiple threats and assist in prioritizing management actions. This study conducted a cumulative risk analysis of seagrass habitat associated with the Australian continent to support management actions. We developed a spatially explicit risk model based on a database of threats to coastal aquatic habitat in Australia, spanning 35,000 km of coastline. Risk hotspots were identified …

Examining The Northern Shrimp Fishery In A Changing Gulf Of Maine, Ashley N. Charleson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Northern Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) once supported a key commercial fishery in the State of Maine. Since its closure in 2013, the stock has remained in a particularly vulnerable state following recruitment failure, overfishing, and rising water temperatures. Furthermore, without this source of supplemental income, local fishermen have also experienced financial stress following unstable fishing conditions in other fisheries. The collective goal of this research project was to assess factors impacting the feasibility of reopening and maintaining this vulnerable winter fishery. These goals are addressed over 4 chapters. Chapter two offers insight regarding what is most often omitted from the regulatory …

Spatial And Seasonal Differences In The Top Predators Of Easter Island: Essential Data For Implementing The New Rapa Nui Multiple‐Uses Marine Protected Area, Naiti A. Morales, Erin E. Easton, Alan M. Friedlander, Euan S. Harvey, Rodrigo Garcia, Carlos F. Gaymer

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

1. Reef fishes are an important component of marine biodiversity, and changes in the composition of the assemblage structure may indicate ecological, climatic, or anthropogenic disturbances. To examine spatial differences in the reef fish assemblage structure around Easter Island, eight sites were sampled during autumn and summer 2016–2017 with baited remote underwater video systems.
2. To determine seasonal changes, quarterly (seasonal) sampling was conducted at five of those eight sites. Fifteen pelagic species of fishes were recorded during this study, some of which have not previously been recorded in scuba surveys, including the Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis, Snodgrass & Heller, …

Biological Impacts Of Underwater Noise From Vessels, Kathy Heise

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Floodplain Condition Across Puget Sound: An Emerging Tool For Tracking Investments And Communicating Status, Jennifer Burke, Colin Hume, Ilon Logan, Scott Mckinney

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Floodplains are some of the most economically and ecologically vital lands of Puget Sound but also some of the most impaired as well. Investments at the local and regional level aim to improve aquatic and terrestrial habitat, reduce flood risk, and protect economically important lands. However, the condition and status of Puget Sound floodplains is poorly quantified in a consistent manner across the 17 major watersheds, hindering strategic investments and planning. The Puget Sound Partnership and Washington Department of Ecology are developing an assessment of floodplain condition and status for a Sound-wide watershed-scale floodplain monitoring effort using spatial data and …

Nitrogen Inventory In The Nooksack-Fraser Transboundary Watershed, Jiajia Lin, Jana Compton, Jill Baron, Chris Clark, Donna Schwede, Shabtai Bittman, David Hooper, Barb Carey, Peter Homann, Hanna Winter, Peter Kiffney, Nichole Embertson, Heather Mackay, Robert Black, Gary Bahr

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Nooksack-Fraser transboundary area (2639 km2) is home to communities with a strong base in farming, fisheries and outdoor recreation. Water quality issues impact parts of this area, where sewage effluent and animal waste are potential sources of both fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) and nitrogen (N) in the environment. Excessive nitrogen loading can lead to eutrophication in coastal areas, and nitrate contamination of groundwater. The Nooksack-Fraser Transboundary Nitrogen (NFT-N) project was developed to determine the sources and fates of N in the watershed using data on energy use, transportation, fertilization, wastewater treatment plants, livestock operations, wildlife and more. This project …

Noaa Rockfish Recovery Management And Research In The Salish Sea, Washington, James R. (James Robert) Selleck, Dan Tonnes

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Rockfish are a long-lived species group that provide an important function for the food web dynamics in the Salish Sea, as both a mid-level trophic predator and important prey source, and they hold cultural significance to the region. Rockfish are comprised of over 25 different species locally, and over 60 species from California to Alaska. Many species experienced declines since the 1980’s, and two species are listed in the Salish Sea under ESA as threatened (yelloweye) or endangered (Bocaccio). Different species occupy a range of habitat types, from deep-water rock piles and hard bottom substrate, to nearshore kelp forests and …

A Framework For Incorporating The Toxicity Of Pesticide Mixtures Into Ecological Risk Assessments, Cathy Laetz, David Hugh Baldwin, Tony Hawkes, Scott A. Hecht, Nathaniel L. Scholz

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Pesticides are widely used throughout the Puget Sound region and are frequently detected as complex mixtures in aquatic habitats. As a result, pesticide mixture toxicity is an important component of risk assessments performed within the Salish Sea region. Here we describe a process for assessing toxicity of three categories of pesticide mixtures; formulated products (one product containing multiple active ingredients), tank mixes (multiple pesticides applied simultaneously), and environmental mixtures (resulting from unrelated pesticide use over the landscape). Mixtures were assumed to be either dose-additive or response-additive, depending on the modes of action of the individual pesticide components. Toxicity estimates utilized …

The Spatial Context Of “Winning” In Mpa Network Design: Location Matters, Andrew S. Kough, Claire B. Paris, Mark J. Butler Iv

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) Chollett et al. (2017) make the case that a local network of marine protected areas (MPAs) enhances fisheries for Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) off the coast of Honduras. However, their simulation focused on one ecoregion where self-recruitment is predicted to be among the highest in the Caribbean (Cowen, Paris, & Srinivasan, 2006). The shallow banks and scattered cays of the Honduran-Nicaraguan Rise, separating the Cayman and Colombian basins, create an obstacle to the powerful southern Caribbean jet (Richardson, 2005), fostering an ideal location for topographically steered eddies and larval retention. Local management,whether based on traditional …

Management Recommendations For Restoration Of The Degraded Olympia Oyster, Ostrea Lurida Carpenter 1864 In Tomales Bay, Ca, Carolyn M. Gibson

Master's Projects and Capstones

This research addresses the effective restoration of Olympia oyster populations in Tomales Bay, Marin County, California. Chapter 2 provides background information on the Tomales Bay estuary, regional history, and ecology of the Olympia oyster. Following this background discussion, each of the three aforementioned degraders of Olympia oyster populations in Tomales Bay is presented: ocean acidification (Chapter 3), sedimentation (Chapter 4), and invasive species (Chapter 5). Each of these issues creates numerous barriers that require the attention of resource protection managers. Chapter 6 presents overall Research Conclusions and Chapter 7 identifies management recommendations to effectively begin the restoration of the Olympia …

Fisheries Research Report No. 175 - An Assessment Of The Finfish Catch By Recreational Fishers, Tour Operators, Commercial Lobster Fishers And Commercial Wetline Fishers From The Houtman Abrolhos Islands During 2006, Neil R. Sumner

Fisheries research reports

The catch of finfish from the Houtman Abrolhos Islands was estimated for recreational boats, tour operators, commercial rock lobster fishers and occupants of their camps on the islands. Separate methods were used for each of the different sectors due to the variation in fishing activities. Recreational boats and commercial rock lobster fishers were surveyed to determine catches, whereas the catches by tour operator and commercial wet-line fishers were determined from their compulsory catch and effort returns submitted to the Department of Fisheries.

The reported commercial wetline catch for pink snapper, sweetlip emperor and Western Australian dhufish greatly exceeded the combined …

A Five-Year Management Strategy For Recreational Fishing In The Pilbara/Kimberley Region Of Western Australia. Final Report., Pilbara/Kimberley Recreational Fishing Working Group

Fisheries management papers

The discussion paper (Fisheries Management Paper No. 181 'A quality future for recreational fishing in the Pilbara/Kimberley Region) attracted widespread comment, with around 200 people attending public meetings in the region. In addition, 152 written submissions were received from recreational fishers, angling clubs, and other stakeholders. The Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC) and the Pilbara/Kimberley Recreational Fishing Working Group would like to thank those people and organizations that took the time to provide this valuable feedback. All recommendations contained in this final report, along with the action that needs to be taken to protect the long-term sustainability of our fish …