scholarly journals A Community Science Approach to Conservation Challenges Posed by Rebounding Marine Mammal Populations: Seal-Fishery Interactions in New England

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Bogomolni ◽  
Owen C. Nichols ◽  
Dee Allen

Between 1880–1962, gray and harbor seals were targeted in legal seal bounty hunts across Maine and Massachusetts due to a perceived competition with commercial fisheries. Following their extirpation 50 years ago, legislative protections allowed seals to recolonize historical grounds along the New England coast. With this conservation success story, conflict has re-emerged as seen in the numerous media articles reflecting a temperament beckoning to the past century, with calls to cull the population and the spread of misinformation. The return of seals after decades of near-absence has created a new ecological and psychological baseline for New Englanders where for three generations, seals were rarely present. Although seals are statutorily protected species, unlike the tools and resources available for depleted, threatened or endangered species, the support needed to increase opportunities for coexistence of humans with rebounding pinnipeds, are comparatively lacking. Even as gray seals have the highest fisheries bycatch levels of any marine mammal in the U.S., resources to address these management challenges are minimal due to limitations and prioritization processes for committing available support. While seal conservation has been a success, the manner in which management is often separately applied to ecosystem elements (e.g., harvested species, protected species) contributes to knowledge gaps, and a disconnect between the goals of conservation to sustainably utilize natural resources while also protecting the intrinsic value of resources for ecosystem health. Solutions to such coexistence challenges could benefit from a more holistic ecosystem conservation approach. To address these disconnects, a two-day workshop was convened to understand seal-fishery interactions where we provided opportunities for community members to meet and learn from one another including, but not limited to, fishermen, natural resource managers, marine mammal stranding response personnel and scientists. A convening that might otherwise result in tumultuous and adversarial engagement, we used as a tool to engage. This community science approach led to long-term relationships that have allowed for successful applied, and community driven, solutions. Here we share the lessons learned and subsequent partnerships. Our intent is to share our approach to address other marine mammal conservation conflict challenges, allowing for collaborative pathways toward long-term coexistence.

Author(s):  
Darlene Williamson

Given the potential of long term intervention to positively influence speech/language and psychosocial domains, a treatment protocol was developed at the Stroke Comeback Center which addresses communication impairments arising from chronic aphasia. This article presents the details of this program including the group purposes and principles, the use of technology in groups, and the applicability of a group program across multiple treatment settings.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Gonçalves ◽  
Daniel G. Streicker ◽  
Mauro Galetti

Nowadays, restoration project might lead to increased public engagement and enthusiasm for biodiversity and is receiving increased media attention in major newspapers, TED talks and the scientific literature. However, empirical research on restoration project is rare, fragmented, and geographically biased and long-term studies that monitor indirect and unexpected effects are needed to support future management decisions especially in the Neotropical area. Changes in animal population dynamics and community composition following species (re)introduction may have unanticipated consequences for a variety of downstream ecosystem processes, including food web structure, predator-prey systems and infectious disease transmission. Recently, an unprecedented study in Brazil showed changes in vampire bat feeding following a rewilding project and further transformed the land-bridge island into a high-risk area for rabies transmission. Due the lessons learned from ongoing project, we present a novel approach on how to anticipate, monitor, and mitigate the vampire bats and rabies in rewilding projects. We pinpoint a series of precautions and the need for long-term monitoring of vampire bats and rabies responses to rewilding projects and highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary teams of scientist and managers focusing on prevention educational program of rabies risk transmitted by bats. In addition, monitoring the relative abundance of vampire bats, considering reproductive control by sterilization and oral vaccines that autonomously transfer among bats would reduce the probability, size and duration of rabies outbreaks. The rewilding assessment framework presented here responds to calls to better integrate the science and practice of rewilding and also could be used for long-term studying of bat-transmitted pathogen in the Neotropical area as the region is considered a geographic hotspots of “missing bat zoonoses”.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 (14) ◽  
pp. 830-854
Author(s):  
Tzahi Y Cath ◽  
Ryan W Holloway ◽  
Leslie Miller-Robbie ◽  
Mehul Patel ◽  
Jennifer R Stokes ◽  
...  

1980 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-159
Author(s):  
Edward F. Harris ◽  
Nicholas F. Bellantoni

Archaeologically defined inter-group differences in the Northeast subarea ate assessed with a phenetic analysis of published craniometric information. Spatial distinctions in the material culture are in good agreement with those defined by the cranial metrics. The fundamental dichotomy, between the Ontario Iroquois and the eastern grouping of New York and New England, suggests a long-term dissociation between these two groups relative to their ecologic adaptations, trade relationships, trait-list associations, and natural and cultural barriers to gene flow.


Author(s):  
J. Jbilou ◽  
A. El Bouazaoui ◽  
B. Zhang ◽  
J.L. Henry ◽  
L McDonald ◽  
...  

Older adults living in long-term care facilities typically receive insufficient exercise and have long periods of the day when they are not doing anything other than sitting or lying down, watching television, or ruminating (Wilkinson et al., 2017). We developed an intervention called the Experiential Centivizer, which provides residents with opportunities to use a driving simulator, watch world travel videos, and engage in exercise. We assessed the impact of the intervention on residents of a long-term care home in Fredericton, NB, Canada. In this paper, we report on the results observed and highlight the lessons learned from implementing a technological intervention within a long-term care setting. Practical and research recommendations are also discussed to facilitate future intervention implementation in long-term care.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1540
Author(s):  
Bence Fülöp ◽  
Bálint Pacsai ◽  
Judit Bódis

Semi-natural grasslands were previously established through traditional land use and maintained by active management, but their extension nowadays is declining rapidly, particularly in areas that also have tourism potential. In parallel, the conservation value of the remaining areas is increasing. The shore of Lake Balaton is a particularly good example, as Lake Balaton is an area highly affected by tourism, yet there have been valuable habitats able to survive and provide refuge for many vulnerable, protected species. Fortunately, we have reliable information about the vegetation of the area from two decades ago. Comparing these data with our recent surveys we investigated the changes in habitats and the distribution of protected plant species in connection with the active conservation treatments such as grazing or cutting. Our results show that in areas where treatments are still ongoing, protected plant species are more likely to survive, or even other species can appear, which is in clear contrast with conditions experienced in abandoned areas, where at least seven protected species have disappeared. According to our results, minor, but appropriately chosen and well-executed management interventions, can help in the long-term maintenance of species-rich habitats and improving the conservation status of threatened species.


Author(s):  
Ryan J Hannan ◽  
Margaret K Lundholm ◽  
Dennis Brierton ◽  
Noelle R M Chapman

Abstract Purpose To describe how health systems may respond to sudden changes in operations by leveraging existing resources and to share one organization’s experience responding to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Summary In a health system based in Illinois and Wisconsin, pharmacy services are provided by a single, integrated department responsible for all aspects of pharmaceutical care within the organization. Hospital, retail, ambulatory care, and population health services are all managed under one leadership team. All pertinent ancillary services are also managed within the department, including informatics, supply chain, and drug policy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the pharmacy services leadership has successfully managed volume and capacity challenges by redirecting resources to where they are needed. A disaster response framework based on Federal Emergency Management Agency guidance was put in place, and change management principles were used to rapidly operationalize change. Components of the nimble response have included quickly increasing capacity, thoughtful and timely communication to all team members, strategic decision making with available data, creating an agile pool of labor, and maintaining an efficient system supply chain. Well-being and resilience are emphasized alongside reflection on lessons learned. Some changes made in the urgent response to the pandemic are being considered for long-term implementation. Conclusion Organizations have the potential to respond to almost any situation if they are integrated and teams work together to build flexibility. The keys to success are thoughtful maximization of existing resources and strong communication.


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