Identifying The Causality And Criticality Of Factors Influencing The Promotion Of Asian Island-Hopping Cruise Tourism In Taiwan,
2026
Dept. of Shipping and Transportation Management, National Taiwan Ocean University.
Identifying The Causality And Criticality Of Factors Influencing The Promotion Of Asian Island-Hopping Cruise Tourism In Taiwan, Hsiao-Chuan Liu, Gin-Shuh Liang, Feng-Ming Tsai, Yu-Ling Lien
Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the global tourism industry has steadily recovered since 2022. Island-hopping cruises have gained increasing attention for enhancing regional connectivity and diversifying marine travel experiences; however, their development in Asia remains limited compared with that in Europe and the Caribbean due to fragmented policy coordination, inadequate port infrastructure, and uneven technological readiness. Although Taiwan possesses a geographic advantage and can serve as a strategic hub linking Asian island destinations, systematic planning and stakeholder coordination remain insufficient, resulting in unclear mechanisms that drive or constrain island-hopping cruise tourism. Existing studies mainly focus on market demand or passenger behavior, …
Technical Analysis And Market Liquidity In Sale-And-Purchase Transactions Of Second-Hand Oil Tankers,
2026
Department of Shipping and Transportation Management, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
Technical Analysis And Market Liquidity In Sale-And-Purchase Transactions Of Second-Hand Oil Tankers, Chih-Chung Cheng, Po-Yin Wang, Heng-Chih Chou
Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan
In addition to using second-hand oil tankers to fulfil immediate shipping needs, shipowners can leverage price fluctuations in the tanker market to make vessel sale-and-purchase (S&P) transactions. Given that the profitability of vessel S&P transactions depends primarily on timing decisions, in this study, technical analysis was applied to identify the optimal transaction timing for 5-, 10-, and 15-year-old second-hand Aframax tankers. In a simulation, an S&P strategy based on technical analysis outperformed a benchmark buy-and-hold strategy, particularly for newer tankers, possibly due to the higher price volatility and lower market efficiency in the markets for these vessels. However, the lack …
Synchronous Deep Reinforcement Learning For Optimized Storage Assignment Of Ship Blocks,
2026
Major in Industrial Data Science & Engineering, Department of Industrial Engineering, Pusan National University, Pusan, Republic of Korea
Synchronous Deep Reinforcement Learning For Optimized Storage Assignment Of Ship Blocks, Gawon Lee, Jaehyeon Heo, Misung Kim, Hyerim Bae
Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan
This paper presents a deep reinforcement learning (RL) framework for optimizing block storage allocation in shipbuilding yards. During the shipbuilding process, vessels are constructed in block units to maximize the operational efficiency. Following assembly, these blocks must be stored in limited yard spaces, creating a complex variant of the binary packing problem. This storage allocation problem is further complicated by operational constraints, including the barge capacity and transportation time restrictions. Moreover, poor storage decisions can lead to redundant block movements, which can adversely affect downstream processes and increase operational costs. To resolve this problem, a policy-gradient-based synchronous RL model was …
A Resilience Early Warning Assessment Of The Maritime Supply Chain: A Case Study Of China’S New Energy Vehicle Exports,
2026
College of Navigation, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China
A Resilience Early Warning Assessment Of The Maritime Supply Chain: A Case Study Of China’S New Energy Vehicle Exports, Xiuqian Chen, Liangyong Chu, Mengyao Wang, Jiayin Du, Yiming Zhang, Xiyao Xu
Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan
Enhancing resilience through early warning is a critical strategy for mitigating disruption risks in the maritime supply chain (MSC). This study proposes a novel early warning assessment framework to determine the resilience of the MSC. It is referred to as a resilience early warning system. An evaluation index system for shipping enterprises is developed based on four dimensions: withstand capacity, adaptive capacity, learning capability, and the external environment. A resilience assessment model that uses the Bayesian best-worst method (BBWM) and the extension cloud model (ECM) is established to quantify MSC resilience. An early warning evaluation model based on a Bayesian …
Public-Port Throughput As An Activity Proxy For Near-Port Air Quality And Health: A Transferable Two-Scale Framework (Kaohsiung, 2017–2024),
2026
Superintendents’ Office, Tungs’ Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital, Taichung 43503, Taiwan
Public-Port Throughput As An Activity Proxy For Near-Port Air Quality And Health: A Transferable Two-Scale Framework (Kaohsiung, 2017–2024), Ping-Jen Wang, Ying-Lin Hsu, Shih-Hao Chang, Bao-Tzung Wu
Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan
We developed a two-scale time series framework using monthly container throughput (20-foot equivalent units, TEU) as a port activity indicator. Applied to Kaohsiung, Taiwan (2017–2024), we related TEU to near-port NO₂ and PM₂.₅ (monthly) and air quality to outpatient respiratory diagnoses (weekly) across the 2019–2020 sulfur rules and the COVID-19 pandemic. Transfer-function models indicate TEU tends to lead near-port NO₂ by 6–9 months. Structural break tests at policy dates indicate nonsignificant changes in levels and slopes, suggesting gradual rather than abrupt shifts in the activity–pollution linkage. Weekly two-pollutant distributed-lag Poisson models estimated relative risks (lags 0–8) per interquartile range (IQR) …
A New Bubblegum Coral From The Nazca Ridge Reveals Chitin As The Structural Scaffold Of Skeleton-Less Paragorgia Colonies,
2026
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
A New Bubblegum Coral From The Nazca Ridge Reveals Chitin As The Structural Scaffold Of Skeleton-Less Paragorgia Colonies, Juan Armando Sánchez, Erin E. Easton, Nayeli Elizavet Garcia, Yony Román-Ochoa, Julia Kaled Cáceres, Javier Sellanes
School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Bubblegum corals (Paragorgia; Corallidae) form among the largest branching colonies in deep-sea environments despite lacking an axial skeleton. How these octocorals maintain structural cohesion using only sub-millimeter sclerites has remained unexplained. Here we describe Paragorgia quitinosa Sánchez & Easton n. sp., collected at 670 m depth on the Nazca Ridge (southeastern Pacific) during the Schmidt Ocean Institute RV Falkor (too) expedition FKt240708, and report the first evidence of visible chitin in octocoral tissues. The new species is diagnosed by autozoids and siphonozoids retracted on prominent, rounded mounds, large 8-derived radiate capstan sclerites (mean 0.095 mm), and canal walls …
Broadening The Community Of Nudibranch Enthusiasts Through Multilingual Educational Programming To Increase Climate Advocacy Engagement,
2026
Chapman University
Broadening The Community Of Nudibranch Enthusiasts Through Multilingual Educational Programming To Increase Climate Advocacy Engagement, Richelle Li Tanner, Cintya Felix Mendivil, Ashley Lam, Lorena Muñoz, Micah Kim, Elena G. Morales Poot, Gabrielle Keeler-May
Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research
Environmental literacy and advocacy for environmental protections are essential components of responsible stewardship. For coastal communities, stewardship requires knowledge of ocean processes and the biological communities living within these ecosystems. While many studies highlight difficulties in engaging American audiences in environmental concern and stewardship due to hyper-individualistic societal values, tidepooling is one recreational pathway to coastal community engagement that strengthens sense of place, and therefore, responsibility to protect natural resources. We sought to broaden the tidepooling community to include more diverse voices through a participatory science program with inland city-dwelling, multilingual, and non-English speaking adults. Using nudibranchs as an environmental …
Infrared Detectability Of Whale Species And Behaviors To Enhance Automatic Detection For Real-Time Vessel Strike Avoidance,
2026
University of Massachusetts Boston
Infrared Detectability Of Whale Species And Behaviors To Enhance Automatic Detection For Real-Time Vessel Strike Avoidance, Laura J. Howes
Graduate Masters Theses
Real-time detection of large whales at sea is critical for mitigating serious injury and mortality from ship strikes and other human activities such as seismic surveys, especially for endangered species such as the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis). Traditional marine mammal observers are limited by environmental conditions and human factors, necessitating a robust, 24-hour solution. This study investigates the efficacy of a novel onboard detection tool infrared (IR) technology to detect whale blows and body parts. While IR is a promising advancement, its performance under varying sea conditions (e.g., fog, humidity) and its ability to …
Beyond Better Conditions: Seaweed Farming And The Number Of Sentient Animals In Aquaculture,
2026
Ethical Seafood Research
Beyond Better Conditions: Seaweed Farming And The Number Of Sentient Animals In Aquaculture, Shrilaxmi Patil, Matthew Unerman, Wasseem Emam
Animal Sentience
Oldfield & Bonano (2024) (O&B) document how far fish welfare research lags behind welfare research in other animals. We share O&B’s feelings-based concept of welfare and agree that aquaculture seeded this field; but research volume has not scaled with animal numbers: Welfare attention per farmed fish or decapod remains negligible. Along the lines of preceding commentaries (Maia 2024, Mather 2024), we treat farmed aquatic animals as individuals rather than tonnage. We then raise a point so far absent from the commentary on O&B so far: reducing the number of sentient animals entering intensive systems. Coastal seaweed farming, which cultivates non-sentient …
Pathways For Coordinating High-Quality Exploitation Of Marine Resources And High-Level Protection Of Marine Ecosystems,
2026
South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
Pathways For Coordinating High-Quality Exploitation Of Marine Resources And High-Level Protection Of Marine Ecosystems, Jianping Yin, Peimin Duan, Si Zhang
Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)
The ocean serves as a vital strategic space and a reservoir of resources essential for human survival and development, offering robust support for socioeconomic progress. Simultaneously, as a critical component of the Earth’s ecological environment, the ocean plays a pivotal role in regulating climate change, conserving biodiversity, and maintaining ecological balance. In recent years, China has continuously intensified the exploitation and utilization of marine resources, with the growth of the marine economy injecting blue momentum into the nation’s development. Nevertheless, the long-term, high-intensity exploitation of offshore resources, coupled with the ongoing advancement into deep-sea resource development, has led to frequent …
Land-Use Transitions And Carbon Emissions Of Aquaculture Expansion In The Brazilian Amazon,
2026
Cornell University
Land-Use Transitions And Carbon Emissions Of Aquaculture Expansion In The Brazilian Amazon, Felipe S. Pacheco, Sebastian A. Heilpern, Rafael M. Almeida, Suresh A. Sethi, Marcela Miranda, Nicholas Ray, Laura Greenstreet, Joshua Fan, Brendan H. Rappazzo, Marcelo Gomes Da Silva
School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Accounting for land-use change underlying food sector expansion is critical for conserving ecosystem integrity. This challenge is particularly acute in the Amazon, where the conversion of forests for food production is pronounced and has broad implications for global biodiversity and the cycling of water and carbon. Here, we analyze land-use transitions associated with aquaculture development in the Brazilian Amazon. We found that a 450-fold increase in aquaculture pond area from 1985 to 2022 occurred primarily on pasturelands (87%) but also included wetland conversion (4%) and deforestation (5%). Notably, continued growth can be sustained within already altered landscapes: In Rondônia, the …
Changes In Water Quality And Microbiota Over Two Years In Florida Hard Clam (Mercenaria Mercenaria) Hatcheries,
2026
Florida Atlantic University
Changes In Water Quality And Microbiota Over Two Years In Florida Hard Clam (Mercenaria Mercenaria) Hatcheries, Bonnie Getter
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This thesis characterized the water quality and bacterial communities in nine hard clam hatcheries over two production years through weekly or biweekly water quality and chemistry monitoring, monthly bacterial plating in the second year of production, and select 16S microbiome sampling at select hatcheries to address production bottlenecks and support the reliable production of high-quality seed for Florida’s growing hard clam aquaculture industry. Logistic regression models showed that water source was distinguished by pH, salinity, alkalinity, and nitrite, whereas geographic location was distinguished by temperature, salinity, nitrate, and calcium; temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and alkalinity distinguished seasons. Vibrio bacteria differed …
Blue Crab Reproductive Output And Phenology In A Changing Climate,
2026
University of Southern Mississippi
Blue Crab Reproductive Output And Phenology In A Changing Climate, Blaise Rohan
Master's Theses
Globally, ecosystems are experiencing rising temperatures due to climate change, with potential consequences for reproductive investment and timing in many species. Blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, support valuable commercial fisheries throughout the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and understanding variation in reproductive output has important management and conservation implications. This study examined two components of blue crab reproduction: (1) reproductive investment across populations spanning multiple latitudes (New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Texas), using a space-for-time substitution to assess the effects of varying thermal regimes on fecundity and egg quality, and (2) spawning phenology in North Carolina from …
Why Technical Readiness Is Not Enough: Institutional Barriers To Full Harvest Strategy Adoption In The International Pacific Halibut Commission,
2026
McGill University
Why Technical Readiness Is Not Enough: Institutional Barriers To Full Harvest Strategy Adoption In The International Pacific Halibut Commission, Evelyn Roozee, Owen Temby, Gordon M. Hickey
School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Harvest strategies are increasingly promoted as a mechanism to reduce political discretion and align fisheries management with pre-agreed scientific objectives. While substantial progress has been made in tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), non-tuna RFMOs have lagged behind. Existing research has focused primarily on technical modeling challenges, with comparatively limited attention to the governance dynamics shaping adoption. Using the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) as an instrumental case study, we examine the progress and delays in the development of a harvest strategy policy (HSP) through semi-structured interviews and participant observation. We find that the IPHC successfully addressed commonly cited barriers, …
A Comparison Of Survival, Growth, And Stress Resilience In Three Different Lineages Of The Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea Gigas) Farmed On The California Central Coast,
2026
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
A Comparison Of Survival, Growth, And Stress Resilience In Three Different Lineages Of The Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea Gigas) Farmed On The California Central Coast, Victoria F. Hanshaw
Master's Theses
Aquaculture of Pacific oysters on the US West Coast is routinely impacted by seasonal unexplained mortality events. To better understand these large-scale mortality events in oyster aquaculture, shellfish growers and scientists in California have partnered together to conduct comparative, multi-estuary farm trials of discrete Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) lineages. In this thesis we investigate how the more recently imported Midori lineage performs compared to the historically used Miyagi lineage, as well as a Hybrid (Midori x Miyagi) lineage. As part of a 7-month long field study from April-November of 2024 in Morro Bay and Tomales Bay, California, we evaluated …
Environmental Dna For Endangered Freshwater Mussel Monitoring: A Review On Global Synthesis Of Edna Methods, Challenges, And Innovative Strategies,
2026
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Environmental Dna For Endangered Freshwater Mussel Monitoring: A Review On Global Synthesis Of Edna Methods, Challenges, And Innovative Strategies, Mizanur Rahman, Md. Saydur Rahman, Richard J. Kline
School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Freshwater mussels (family Unionidae) are among the most endangered aquatic species worldwide, making effective monitoring vital for their conservation. Traditional surveys are laborious, time-consuming, and often miss rare or low-density populations. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a highly sensitive, non-invasive approach for freshwater mussel detection and monitoring; however, uncertainties in ecological interpretation continue to limit its broader application in freshwater biodiversity monitoring. We conducted a systematic review of 49 peer-reviewed studies, identified through an extensive literature search, to assess temporal research trends, methodological advancements, ecological contexts, and regulatory readiness of freshwater mussel eDNA monitoring. Findings show that freshwater mussel eDNA research …
Using A Cell Flux Model To Investigate Phytoplankton Growth And Macromolecular Allocation Under Iron Limitation,
2026
University of Rhode Island Narragansett Bay Campus
Using A Cell Flux Model To Investigate Phytoplankton Growth And Macromolecular Allocation Under Iron Limitation, Margaret Bernish, Meng Gao, Jongsun Kim, Benoit Pasquier
School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
Global biogeochemical models are powerful tools used to interpret observations and empirical data, create hypotheses, and make predictions. Many of these models, however, represent marine microbes as static stoichiometric reactions that convert nutrients into biomass. To better constrain the biological processes that control nutrient cycling in the global ocean, we extend the Cell Flux Model of Phytoplankton to explore the impact of dissolved iron concentration on the allocation of macromolecules and elemental ratios within phytoplankton cells. This model is supported by data obtained from a range of incubation experiments conducted with phytoplankton of varying species and size categories. Model output …
Reel Into Fishing!: Providing A Recreational Fishing Education Program For Youth,
2026
Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Reel Into Fishing!: Providing A Recreational Fishing Education Program For Youth, Amelia Valente, Douglas R. Zemeckis, Lisa Morse, Gene Nigro
Journal of Extension
New Jersey is known as the Garden State, but with over 130 miles of Atlantic coastline, it also has very productive marine ecosystems that offer numerous opportunities for recreational marine fishing. The International Game Fish Association, a nonprofit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and the promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices, collaborated with Rutgers Cooperative Extension to host a youth educational program entitled Reel Into Fishing! The objective is to educate participants through hands-on engagement on ethical fishing practices and marine science to help develop the next generation of responsible anglers.
Exploring Immune Priming In The Species Exaiptasia Diaphana,
2026
University of Texas at Tyler
Exploring Immune Priming In The Species Exaiptasia Diaphana, Torrence Campos
Biology Theses
Vibrio coralliilyticus is a pathogen that infects various coral species across several reef ecosystems and causes mortality within a span of a few days. With increasing temperatures, the pathogen becomes more virulent towards coral. Probiotics such as MCH1-7 have previously been used to treat infected corals before and after exposure to V. coralliilyticus. In this study, we will be using a species of sea anemone Exaiptasia diaphana in place of coral to evaluate the effects of two V. coralliilyticus strains ATCC BAA-450 and OFT6-21. It was determined that BAA-450 was more virulent. It led to immediate stress and higher mortality. …
An Emergent Seafood Nationalism Takes Hold In The United States,
2026
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
An Emergent Seafood Nationalism Takes Hold In The United States, Owen Temby
School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications
This paper introduces the concept of ‘seafood nationalism’ to describe how, since 2024–2025, the United States increasingly uses tariffs, trade remedies, food safety enforcement and origin-based rules to favour American seafood over foreign products. Federal actions include Executive Order 14276, Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness, which directs agencies to address unfair trade practices, unsafe imports and to develop a coordinated seafood trade strategy. Additional measures include a tariff package imposing a 10% duty on nearly all seafood imports and 30% on seafood from China, as well as new anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders on warm-water shrimp. This paper presents Gulf …
