National Symposium Will Discuss the Future of Working Waterfronts

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U.S. waterfronts account for over 6.75 million jobs, $284 billion in wages, and $645 billion in income. Yet across the United States, this valuable real estate is getting squeezed as increasing coastal populations generate conflicts over access to and uses of waterfronts. This March 25-28, Tacoma, Wash., will be the meeting site for coastal communities seeking a shared vision for the future of working waterfronts. The third National Working Waterfronts and Waterways Symposium will bring together maritime leaders representing a broad range of coastal interests and provide a forum to discuss evolving waterfront challenges and creative solutions.

The list of speakers includes: Congressman Derek Kilmer; Washington State Sen. Kevin Ranker; Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council Chair Ron Sims (former deputy director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Development and former King County Executive); and Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland.
In addition, the symposium will feature panels of experts from all over the country. Sessions will cover a variety of issues facing waterfronts today, from hazard preparedness to preserving industrial space to recreational fishing opportunities. Presentations will range from the general — “Strategies for Balancing Conflicts” — to the specific — “Integrating Public Access and Habitat into Working Waterfronts.”
Session panelists will cover the spectrum of maritime interests from large west coast port directors such as Geraldine Knatz from the Port of Los Angeles, to small community fishermen such as Guy Hoppen from Gig Harbor.

More broadly, the symposium will explore these four key topic areas:

  • Economic and social impacts of and on working waterfronts
  • Successful local, regional, state and federal strategies to address working waterfront issues
  • The future of working waterfronts, including potential impacts of changing uses and climates
  • Keeping waterfront industries commercially viable.

The symposium is being coordinated jointly by the Washington and Oregon Sea Grant programs. It begins March 25 with a full day of field trips around the Tacoma waterfront and the region. For more information, visit the symposium website — http://depts.washington.edu/uwconf/workingwaterfronts/ — or contact Nicole Faghin, symposium coordinator, at wwaters2013@uw.edu or 206-685-8286.

Based at the University of Washington, Washington Sea Grant provides statewide marine research, outreach and education services. The National Sea Grant College Program is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce. http://www.wsg.washington.edu/

Effects of management tactics on meeting conservation objectives for Western north american groundfish fisheries.

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Effects of management tactics on meeting conservation objectives for Western north american groundfish fisheries.

PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e56684

Authors: Melnychuk MC, Banobi JA, Hilborn R

Abstract
There is considerable variability in the status of fish populations around the world and a poor understanding of how specific management characteristics affect populations. Overfishing is a major problem in many fisheries, but in some regions the recent tendency has been to exploit stocks at levels their maximum sustainable yield. In Western North American groundfish fisheries, the status of individual stocks and management systems among regions are highly variable. In this paper, we show the current status of groundfish stocks from Alaska, British Columbia, and the U.S. West Coast, and quantify the influence on stock status of six management tactics often hypothesized to affect groundfish. These tactics are: the use of harvest control rules with estimated biological reference points; seasonal closures; marine reserves; bycatch constraints; individual quotas (i.e., ‘catch shares’); and gear type. Despite the high commercial value of many groundfish and consequent incentives for maintaining stocks at their most productive levels, most stocks were managed extremely conservatively, with current exploitation rates at only 40% of management targets and biomass 33% above target biomass on average. Catches rarely exceeded TACs but on occasion were far below TACs (mean catchTAC ratio of 57%); approximately $150 million of potential landed value was foregone annually by underutilizing TACs. The use of individual quotas, marine reserves, and harvest control rules with estimated limit reference points had little overall effect on stock status. More valuable fisheries were maintained closer to management targets and were less variable over time than stocks with lower catches or ex-vessel prices. Together these results suggest there is no single effective management measure for meeting conservation objectives; if scientifically established quotas are set and enforced, a variety of means can be used to ensure that exploitation rates and biomass levels are near to or more conservative than management targets.

PMID: 23460809 [PubMed – in process]

via pubmed: school of aquatic an… http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/23460809?dopt=Abstract

Estimation of genotyping error rate from repeat genotyping, unintentional recaptures and known parent-offspring comparisons in 16 microsatellite loci for brown rockfish (Sebastes auriculatus).

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Estimation of genotyping error rate from repeat genotyping, unintentional recaptures and known parent-offspring comparisons in 16 microsatellite loci for brown rockfish (Sebastes auriculatus).

Mol Ecol Resour. 2012 Nov;12(6):1114-23

Authors: Hess MA, Rhydderch JG, LeClair LL, Buckley RM, Kawase M, Hauser L

Abstract
Genotyping errors are present in almost all genetic data and can affect biological conclusions of a study, particularly for studies based on individual identification and parentage. Many statistical approaches can incorporate genotyping errors, but usually need accurate estimates of error rates. Here, we used a new microsatellite data set developed for brown rockfish (Sebastes auriculatus) to estimate genotyping error using three approaches: (i) repeat genotyping 5% of samples, (ii) comparing unintentionally recaptured individuals and (iii) Mendelian inheritance error checking for known parent-offspring pairs. In each data set, we quantified genotyping error rate per allele due to allele drop-out and false alleles. Genotyping error rate per locus revealed an average overall genotyping error rate by direct count of 0.3%, 1.5% and 1.7% (0.002, 0.007 and 0.008 per allele error rate) from replicate genotypes, known parent-offspring pairs and unintentionally recaptured individuals, respectively. By direct-count error estimates, the recapture and known parent-offspring data sets revealed an error rate four times greater than estimated using repeat genotypes. There was no evidence of correlation between error rates and locus variability for all three data sets, and errors appeared to occur randomly over loci in the repeat genotypes, but not in recaptures and parent-offspring comparisons. Furthermore, there was no correlation in locus-specific error rates between any two of the three data sets. Our data suggest that repeat genotyping may underestimate true error rates and may not estimate locus-specific error rates accurately. We therefore suggest using methods for error estimation that correspond to the overall aim of the study (e.g. known parent-offspring comparisons in parentage studies).

PMID: 22958648 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

via pubmed: school of aquatic an… http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/22958648?dopt=Abstract

Citation patterns of a controversial and high-impact paper: worm et Al. (2006) “impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services”.

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Citation patterns of a controversial and high-impact paper: worm et Al. (2006) “impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services”.

PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e56723

Authors: Branch TA

Abstract
Citation patterns were examined for Worm et al. 2006 (Science 314∶787-790), a high-impact paper that focused on relationships between marine biodiversity and ecosystem services. This paper sparked much controversy through its projection, highlighted in the press release, that all marine fisheries would be collapsed by 2048. Analysis of 664 citing papers revealed that only a small percentage (11%) referred to the 2048 projection, while 39% referred to fisheries collapse in general, and 40% to biodiversity and ecosystem services. The 2048 projection was mentioned more often in papers published soon after the original paper, in low-impact journals, and in journals outside of fields that would be expected to focus on biodiversity. Citing papers also mentioned the 2048 projection more often if they had few authors (28% of single-author papers vs. 2% of papers with 10 or more authors). These factors suggest that the more knowledgeable the authors of citing papers were about the controversy over the 2048 projection, the less likely they were to refer to it. A noteworthy finding was that if the original authors were also involved in the citing papers, they rarely (1 of 55 papers, 2%) mentioned the 2048 projection. Thus the original authors have emphasized the broader concerns about biodiversity loss, rather than the 2048 projection, as the key result of their study.

PMID: 23437224 [PubMed – in process]

via pubmed: school of aquatic an… http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/23437224?dopt=Abstract

Impacts of ocean acidification on marine seafood

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Impacts of ocean acidification on marine seafood

Trevor Branch (SAFS), Liza Ray (SAFS), Bonnie DeJoseph (SEMA), and
Cherie Wagner (SMEA)

A review of the effects of ocean acidification that arose from
graduate student participants in the 2011 Bevan Series on Sustainable
Seafood has just been published in Trends in Ecology and Evolution.

Abstract
Ocean acidification is a series of chemical reactions due to
increased CO2 emissions. The resulting lower pH impairs the senses of
reef fishes and reduces their survival, and might similarly impact
commercially targeted fishes that produce most of the seafood eaten by
humans. Shelled molluscs will also be negatively affected, whereas
cephalopods and crustaceans will remain largely unscathed. Habitat
changes will reduce seafood production from coral reefs, but increase
production from seagrass and seaweed. Overall effects of ocean
acidification on primary productivity and, hence, on food webs will
result in hard-to-predict winners and losers. Although adaptation,
parental  effects, and evolution can mitigate some effects of ocean
acidification, future seafood platters will look rather different
unless CO2 emissions are curbed.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169534712002625

The Soundscapes of Lakes across an Urbanization Gradient.

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The Soundscapes of Lakes across an Urbanization Gradient.

PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e55661

Authors: Kuehne LM, Padgham BL, Olden JD

Abstract
BACKGROUND/METHODOLOGY: A significant implication of increasing urbanization is anthropogenic noise pollution. Although noise is strongly associated with disruption of animal communication systems and negative health effects for humans, the study of these consequences at ecologically relevant spatial and temporal scales (termed soundscape ecology) is in early stages of application. In this study, we examined the above- and below-water soundscape of recreational and residential lakes in the region surrounding a large metropolitan area. Using univariate and multivariate approaches we test the importance of large- and local-scale landscape factors in driving acoustic characteristics across an urbanization gradient, and visualize changes in the soundscape over space and time. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Anthropogenic noise (anthrophony) was strongly predicted by a landcover-based metric of urbanization (within a 10 km radius), with presence of a public park as a secondary influence; this urbanization signal was apparent even in below-water recordings. The percent of hourly measurements exceeding noise thresholds associated with outdoor disturbance was 67%, 17%, and 0%, respectively, for lakes characterized as High, Medium, and Low urbanization. Decreased biophony (proportion of natural sounds) was associated with presence of a public park followed by increased urbanization; time of day was also a significant predictor of biophony. Local-scale (shoreline) residential development was not related to changes in anthrophony or biophony. The patterns we identify are illustrated with a multivariate approach which allows use of entire sound samples and facilitates interpretation of changes in a soundscape. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: As highly valued residential and recreation areas, lakes represent everyday soundscapes important to both humans and wildlife. Our findings that many of these areas, particularly those with public parks, routinely experience sound types and levels associated with disturbance, suggests that urban planners need to account for the effect of increasing development on soundscapes to avoid compromising goals for ecological and human health.

PMID: 23424636 [PubMed – in process]

via pubmed: school of aquatic an… http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/23424636?dopt=Abstract

Characterizing coastal foodwebs with qualitative links to bridge the gap between the theory and the practice of ecosystem-based management.

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Characterizing coastal foodwebs with qualitative links to bridge the gap between the theory and the practice of ecosystem-based management

Michael P. Carey, Phillip S. Levin, Howard Townsend, Thomas J. Minello, Glen R. Sutton, Tessa B. Francis, Chris J. Harvey, Jodie E. Toft, Katie K. Arkema, Jennifer L. Burke, Choong-Ki Kim, Anne D. Guerry, Mark Plummer, Georgi Spiridonov and Mary Ruckelshaus.

ICES Journal of Marine Science: doi:10.1093/icesjms/fst012

Tools that integrate the complexity of natural systems are needed to facilitate ecosystem-based management (EBM). Loop analysis is an underutilized qualitative tool for EBM that uses information on foodweb links (e.g. predator–prey interactions) and the resulting pathways (cycles) through the foodweb to predict responses to press perturbations. We explore the utility of loop analysis related to management actions: increasing crab abundance and reducing eutrophication in coastal foodwebs. We found that crab-related management actions propagated through the foodweb, with positive and negative impacts. Several negatively impacted species support important fisheries; their declines illustrate the challenge of developing multispecies plans. In our analysis, the management actions decreasing eutrophication reduced most functional groups. However, these predictions were unreliable, suggesting indiscernible bottom-up effects in the foodwebs. Simultaneously managing for crab increases and reducing eutrophication created mostly decreasing abundances in other functional groups and reduced the predictability of the responses. The response to each management action suggests trade-offs between goals, and the qualitatively unreliable predictions could result from variation in the strength of species interactions or indicate knowledge gaps. EBM can benefit from both the explicit articulation of trade-offs and the identification of gaps in our understanding of these systems.

Link:
http://icesjms.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/02/16/icesjms.fst012.abstract?keytype=ref&ijkey=zUwwKo4BA6Jkfzx

Spatial Segregation of Spawning Habitat Limits Hybridization between Sympatric Native Steelhead and Coastal Cutthroat Trout

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Spatial Segregation of Spawning Habitat Limits Hybridization between Sympatric Native Steelhead and Coastal Cutthroat Trout

T. W. Buehrens, J. Glasgow, C. O. Ostberg, T. P. Quinn

Abstract
Native Coastal Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii and Coastal  Steelhead O. mykiss irideus hybridize naturally in watersheds of the Pacific Northwest yet maintain species integrity. Partial reproductive isolation due to
differences in spawning habitat may limit hybridization between these species, but this process is poorly understood. We used a riverscape approach to determine the spatial distribution of spawning habitats used by native Coastal
Cutthroat Trout and Steelhead as evidenced by the distribution of recently emerged fry. Molecular genetic markers were used to classify individuals as pure species or hybrids, and individuals were assigned to age-classes based on
length. Fish and physical habitat data were collected in a spatially continuous framework to assess the relationship between habitat and watershed features and the spatial distribution of parental species and hybrids. Sampling occurred in 35 reaches from tidewaters to headwaters in a small (20 km2) coastal watershed in Washington State. Cutthroat, Steelhead, and hybrid trout accounted for 35%, 42%, and 23% of the fish collected, respectively. Strong
segregation of spawning areas between Coastal Cutthroat Trout and Steelhead was evidenced by the distribution of age-0 trout. Cutthroat Trout were located farther upstream and in smaller tributaries than Steelhead were. The best
predictor of species occurrence at a site was the drainage area of the watershed that contributed to the site. This area was positively correlated with the  occurrence of age-0 Steelhead and negatively with the presence of Cutthroat
Trout, whereas hybrids were found in areas occupied by both parental species. A similar pattern was observed in older juveniles of both species but overlap was greater, suggesting substantial dispersal of trout after emergence. Our results offer support for spatial reproductive segregation as a factor limiting  hybridization between Steelhead and Coastal Cutthroat Trout.

To link to this article:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00028487.2012.728165

Dispersal and tributary immigration by juvenile coho salmon contribute to spatial expansion during colonisation

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Dispersal and tributary immigration by juvenile coho salmon contribute to spatial expansion during colonisation

Joseph H. Anderson, George R. Pess, Peter M. Kiffney, Todd R. Bennett, Paul L. Faulds, William I. Atlas*, Thomas P. Quinn

Accepted for publication July 12, 2012

Abstract
Anadromous fishes are frequently restricted by artificial barriers to movement such as dams and culverts, so measuring dispersal helps identify sites where improved connectivity could promote range expansion and population viability. We used a combination of DNA-based parentage analysis and mark–recapture techniques to evaluate dispersal by juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in a population in the initial stages of colonisation following installation of fish passage structures at a previously impassable dam on the Cedar River,
WA, USA. The spatial distribution of individuals within maternal families revealed that dispersal was common. Among the offspring of radio-tagged mothers, 28% were collected outside the spawning reach and dispersed up to
6.3 km (median = 1.5 km). Most juveniles captured in a tributary (Rock Creek, where few adults spawned) had immigrated from the Cedar River and represented many different families. Juvenile dispersal therefore provided a
secondary phase of spatial expansion following initial colonisation by adults. Consistent with the conditiondependent dispersal hypothesis, juveniles that dispersed farther upstream in the tributary were larger than fish collected near the tributary mouth. Overall, the results demonstrated widespread dispersal in a system with low coho salmon densities, and this might increase the rate of population growth if it reduces the effects of local density dependence. By implication, juveniles can take advantage of rearing habitats reconnected through barrier removal, even when such areas are located several kilometres from adult breeding grounds.

Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2013: 22: 30–42
All rights reserved

Key words: movement, condition dependence, reintroduction, parentage, pedigree, dams

Summer emigration and resource acquisition within a shared nursery lake by sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) from historically discrete rearing environments

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Summer emigration and resource acquisition within a shared nursery lake by sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) from historically discrete rearing environments

R.K. Simmons,* T.P. Quinn, L.W. Seeb, D.E. Schindler, and R. Hilborn. School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Box 355020, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.

Abstract
Many fish species disperse broadly during juvenile life history stages. While this may enable persistence in variable environments, it may also produce novel competitive interactions in recipient habitats that contain conspecifics from other populations. Here we used genetics techniques to study the stock-specific movement and performance of juvenile sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) between July and August of 2008 in an ecosystem characterized by extensive juvenile migration and environmental change: the Chignik Lake system, Alaska. Genetic composition of juvenile sockeye salmon in the lower nursery lake based on 45 single nucleotide polymorphism markers indicated that 2008 was characterized by earlier timing and larger magnitude of emigrations from the upper lake, where rearing conditions have become increasingly unstable in recent decades. However, the larger size of emigrants did not confer a clear advantage in foraging based on comparisons of growth and body condition with juveniles native to the lower lake. These results highlight how shifting environmental conditions may exert pressures on evolved behavior patterns and increase interactions between sympatric populations, a theme of increasing importance where ecological uncertainty is high.

Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 70: 57–63 (2013) dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2012-0159 Published at www.nrcresearchpress.com/cjfas on 8 November 2012.