It’s Not the Destination, It’s the Journey: Multispecies Model Ensembles for Ecosystem Approaches to Fisheries Management

As ecosystem-based fisheries management becomes more ingrained into the way fisheries agencies do business, a need for ecosystem and multispecies models arises. Yet ecosystems are complex, and model uncertainty can be large. Model ensembles have historically been used in other disciplines to address model uncertainty. To understand the benefits and limitations of multispecies model ensembles (MMEs), cases where they have been used in the United States to address fisheries management issues are reviewed. The cases include: (1) development of ecological reference points for Atlantic Menhaden, (2) the creation of time series to relate harmful algal blooms to grouper mortality in the Gulf of Mexico, and (3) fostering understanding of the role of forage fish in the California Current. Each case study briefly reviews the management issue, the models used and model synthesis approach taken, and the outcomes and lessons learned from the application of MMEs. Major conclusions drawn from these studies highlight how the act of developing an ensemble model suite can improve the credibility of multispecies models, how qualitative synthesis of projections can advance system understanding and build confidence in the absence of quantitative treatments, and how involving a diverse set of stakeholders early is useful for ensuring the utility of the models and ensemble. Procedures for review and uptake of information from single-species stock assessment models are well established, but the absence of well-defined procedures for MMEs in many fishery management decision-making bodies poses a major obstacle. The benefits and issues identified here should help accelerate the design, implementation, and utility of MMEs in applied fisheries contexts.

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The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System: An Integrated Approach to Building an Operational Regional Observing System

Marine Technology Society Journal ◽

10.4031/mtsj.47.1.11 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 47 (1) ◽

pp. 118-133 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ann E. Jochens ◽

Stephanie M. Watson

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Real Time ◽

Algal Blooms ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

The United States ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Address Data ◽

Wide Range ◽

Ocean Observing

Abstract The Gulf of Mexico is one of the most important ecologic and economic resources in the United States. To help protect this resource and to support a wide range of decision-making, the Gulf of Mexico Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) is being built to be a sustained network that provides integrated coastal and ocean data from a diverse array of data sources in real time, near real time, and historically. GCOOS is 1 of the 11 regional components of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS). Because of the very limited resources available to date, the GCOOS Regional Association (GCOOS-RA), which is working to build the GCOOS, has not deployed any of its own observing systems. That, coupled with strong volunteer participation, has led the GCOOS-RA to focus its efforts on integrating existing federal and non-federal (regional, state, local, academic, and private) assets and data. The GCOOS-RA is working to adapt and expand the GCOOS to address data gaps identified by stakeholders and to apply the lessons learned from events such as the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, harmful algal blooms (HABs), Gulf hurricanes, and hypoxia. The contributions of GCOOS demonstrate the value of a sustained U.S. IOOS and provide specific lessons necessary for the successful build-out of the system in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the lessons also demonstrate the importance of applying additional resources to improve GCOOS’ ability to meet stakeholder needs such as in response to environmental events. A full, comprehensive GCOOS, exclusive of federal assets, is estimated to cost roughly $22 M for capital and $20-25 M/year for operation and maintenance (O&M) in the near term with approximately an additional $25 M in capital to complete the build-out and $35-50 M/year in O&M costs to maintain the system—an excellent value when compared to the billions of dollars of economic impact of four major industries in the Gulf of Mexico: oil and gas, tourism and recreation, fishing, and shipping.

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The Path to an Ecosystem Approach for Forage Fish Management: A Case Study of Atlantic Menhaden

Frontiers in Marine Science ◽

10.3389/fmars.2021.607657 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Kristen A. Anstead ◽

Katie Drew ◽

David Chagaris ◽

Amy M. Schueller ◽

Jason E. McNamee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Single Species ◽

Ecosystem Approach ◽

The United States ◽

Reference Points ◽

Atlantic Menhaden ◽

Forage Fish ◽

Ecosystem Models ◽

Fish Management

Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) support the largest fishery by volume on the United States East Coast, while also playing an important role as a forage species. Managers’ and stakeholders’ increasing concerns about the impact of Atlantic menhaden harvest on ecosystem processes led to an evolution in the assessment and management of this species from a purely single-species approach to an ecosystem approach. The first coastwide stock assessment of Atlantic menhaden for management used a single-species virtual population analysis (VPA). Subsequent assessments used a forward projecting statistical catch-at-age framework that incorporated estimates of predation mortality from a multispecies VPA while analytical efforts continued toward the development of ecosystem models and explicit ecological reference points (ERPs) for Atlantic menhaden. As an interim step while ecosystem models were being developed, a series of ad hoc measures to preserve Atlantic menhaden biomass for predators were used by managers. In August 2020, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission formally adopted an ecological modeling framework as a tool to set reference points and harvest limits for the Atlantic menhaden that considers their role as a forage fish. This is the first example of a quantitative ecosystem approach to setting reference points on the United States Atlantic Coast and it represents a significant advance for forage fish management. This case study reviews the history of Atlantic menhaden stock assessments and management, outlines the progress on the current implementation of ERPs for this species, and highlights future research and management needs to improve and expand ecosystem-based fisheries management.

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Transforming reef fisheries management: application of an ecosystem-based approach in the USA Caribbean

Environmental Conservation ◽

10.1017/s0376892908005018 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 232-241 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

RICHARD S. APPELDOORN

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Fisheries Management ◽

First Principles ◽

Key Management ◽

Fishery Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

The United States ◽

Reference Points ◽

Current Management ◽

Attitudes And Practices

SUMMARYFisheries in Puerto Rico and the United States (US) Virgin Islands are predominately dependent on nearshore coral reef ecosystems and have suffered from historical overfishing. The unique characteristics of reef fisheries, including strong habitat dependence, susceptibility to coastal impacts, diffuse landing sites and strong multispecies and multigear interactions suggest that standard approaches to fisheries management, especially those typically considered by the US Regional Fishery Management Councils, would not be applicable. Current management authority is split between local and federal agencies; however, there exists no uniform context and direction to current management initiatives, which results in lost efficiencies and opportunities. Proposed here is a new vision for fisheries management that takes into consideration the local ecological and socioeconomic characteristics of fishing, is compatible with regional resources and capacity, is ecosystem based and targets full stakeholder participation. Only an ecosystem-based approach can lead fisheries management out of the trap of unrealistic data collection and analysis demands, while at the same time refocusing emphasis away from attitudes and practices that promote overfishing. Management must be based on first principles regarding the desired state of the ecosystem and initiate strategies based on these principles. The key management goal is not to maximize fisheries catch, but to maintain the ecosystem in a state that will lead to sustained production. First principles would include maintaining ecosystem integrity and function, protecting all habitats and water quality, applying the precautionary approach, monitoring reference points and recognizing that production has limits. Resulting management tactics include marine reserves (to meet multiple goals), closed spawning aggregations, gear restrictions to maintain trophic balance and habitats, targeted data collection and assessments, adopting co-management practices and using ecosystem or community-based metrics. Fisheries management must fully incorporate the tools, resources and methods available within coastal zone management and other environmental agencies, while standards within those programmes must protect ecosystem health. Implementation will require attending to structural barriers inherent within existing fisheries legislation and regulations, multiple jurisdictions and the current cultures of scientists, managers and fisherfolk. Initial efforts should focus on developing a common language and frame of reference for all stakeholders.

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Combining Ecosystem and Single-Species Modeling to Provide Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management Advice Within Current Management Systems

Frontiers in Marine Science ◽

10.3389/fmars.2020.607831 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Howell ◽

Amy M. Schueller ◽

Jacob W. Bentley ◽

Andre Buchheister ◽

David Chagaris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fisheries Management ◽

Single Species ◽

Reference Points ◽

Atlantic Menhaden ◽

Irish Sea ◽

Management Systems ◽

The Irish Sea ◽

Management Advice ◽

Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management ◽

Single Species Model

Although many countries have formally committed to Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM), actual progress toward these goals has been slow. This paper presents two independent case studies that have combined strategic advice from ecosystem modeling with the tactical advice of single-species assessment models to provide practical ecosystem-based management advice. With this approach, stock status, reference points, and initial target F are computed from a single-species model, then an ecosystem model rescales the target F according to ecosystem indicators without crossing pre-calculated single-species precautionary limits. Finally, the single-species model computes the quota advice from the rescaled target F, termed here Feco. Such a methodology incorporates both the detailed population reconstructions of the single-species model and the broader ecosystem perspective from ecosystem-based modeling, and fits into existing management schemes. The advocated method has arisen from independent work on EBFM in two international fisheries management systems: (1) Atlantic menhaden in the United States and (2) the multi species fisheries of the Irish Sea, in the Celtic Seas ecoregion. In the Atlantic menhaden example, the objective was to develop ecological reference points (ERPs) that account for the effect of menhaden harvest on predator populations and the tradeoffs associated with forage fish management. In the Irish Sea, the objective was to account for ecosystem variability when setting quotas for the individual target species. These two exercises were aimed at different management needs, but both arrived at a process of adjusting the target F used within the current single-species management. Although the approach has limitations, it represents a practical step toward EBFM, which can be adapted to a range of ecosystem objectives and applied within current management systems.

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Characteristics of Physician Relocation Following Hurricane Katrina

Journal of Medical Regulation ◽

10.30770/2572-1852-95.1.6 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 95 (1) ◽

pp. 6-12

Author(s):

Kusuma Madamala ◽

Claudia R. Campbell ◽

Edbert B. Hsu ◽

Yu-Hsiang Hsieh ◽

James James

Keyword(s):

Hurricane Katrina ◽

Gulf Coast ◽

General Medicine ◽

The United States ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Bivariate Analysis ◽

Fisher Exact Test ◽

Exact Test ◽

Factors Associated ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT Introduction: On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Gulf Coast of the United States, resulting in the evacuation of more than 1.5 million people, including nearly 6000 physicians. This article examines the relocation patterns of physicians following the storm, determines the impact that the disaster had on their lives and practices, and identifies lessons learned. Methods: An Internet-based survey was conducted among licensed physicians reporting addresses within Federal Emergency Management Agency-designated disaster zones in Louisiana and Mississippi. Descriptive data analysis was used to describe respondent characteristics. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the factors associated with physician nonreturn to original practice. For those remaining relocated out of state, bivariate analysis with x2 or Fisher exact test was used to determine factors associated with plans to return to original practice. Results: A total of 312 eligible responses were collected. Among disaster zone respondents, 85.6 percent lived in Louisiana and 14.4 percent resided in Mississippi before the hurricane struck. By spring 2006, 75.6 percent (n = 236) of the respondents had returned to their original homes, whereas 24.4 percent (n = 76) remained displaced. Factors associated with nonreturn to original employment included family or general medicine practice (OR 0.42, 95 percent CI 0.17–1.04; P = .059) and severe or complete damage to the workplace (OR 0.24, 95 percent CI 0.13–0.42; P < .001). Conclusions: A sizeable proportion of physicians remain displaced after Hurricane Katrina, along with a lasting decrease in the number of physicians serving in the areas affected by the disaster. Programs designed to address identified physician needs in the aftermath of the storm may give confidence to displaced physicians to return.

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Winning the Argument and Moving the Fight: The Legacy of a Grassroots Humanitarian

Public Voices ◽

10.22140/pv.24 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 115

Author(s):

Mary Coleman

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

United States ◽

Winning Strategy ◽

Supreme Court Decision ◽

The United States ◽

Colleges And Universities ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

The Political ◽

Political Actors ◽

Trade Offs

The author of this article argues that the two-decades-long litigation struggle was necessary to push the political actors in Mississippi into a more virtuous than vicious legal/political negotiation. The second and related argument, however, is that neither the 1992 United States Supreme Court decision in Fordice nor the negotiation provided an adequate riposte to plaintiffs’ claims. The author shows that their chief counsel for the first phase of the litigation wanted equality of opportunity for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), as did the plaintiffs. In the course of explicating the role of a legal grass-roots humanitarian, Coleman suggests lessons learned and trade-offs from that case/negotiation, describing the tradeoffs as part of the political vestiges of legal racism in black public higher education and the need to move HBCUs to a higher level of opportunity at a critical juncture in the life of tuition-dependent colleges and universities in the United States. Throughout the essay the following questions pose themselves: In thinking about the Road to Fordice and to political settlement, would the Justice Department lawyers and the plaintiffs’ lawyers connect at the point of their shared strength? Would the timing of the settlement benefit the plaintiffs and/or the State? Could plaintiffs’ lawyers hold together for the length of the case and move each piece of the case forward in a winning strategy? Who were plaintiffs’ opponents and what was their strategy? With these questions in mind, the author offers an analysis of how the campaign— political/legal arguments and political/legal remedies to remove the vestiges of de jure segregation in higher education—unfolded in Mississippi, with special emphasis on the initiating lawyer in Ayers v. Waller and Fordice, Isaiah Madison

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Marine harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the United States: History, current status and future trends

Harmful Algae ◽

10.1016/j.hal.2021.101975 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 101975

Author(s):

Donald M. Anderson ◽

Elizabeth Fensin ◽

Christopher J. Gobler ◽

Alicia E. Hoeglund ◽

Katherine A. Hubbard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Harmful Algal Blooms ◽

Algal Blooms ◽

United States History ◽

The United States ◽

Current Status ◽

Future Trends ◽

States History

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The Global Limb Anatomic Staging System (GLASS) for CLTI: Improving Inter-Observer Agreement

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10163454 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (16) ◽

pp. 3454

Author(s):

Joep G. J. Wijnand ◽

Devin Zarkowsky ◽

Bian Wu ◽

Steven T. W. van Haelst ◽

Evert-Jan P. A. Vonken ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Staging System ◽

The United States ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Observer Agreement ◽

Lesion Length ◽

Solid Base ◽

Stepwise Approach ◽

Additional Tool ◽

Atherosclerotic Lesions ◽

Stenosis Severity

Objective: The 2020 Global Vascular Guidelines aim at improving decision making in Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia (CLTI) by providing a framework for evidence-based revascularization. Herein, the Global Limb Anatomic Staging System (GLASS) serves to estimate the chance of success and patency of arterial pathway revascularization based on the extent and distribution of the atherosclerotic lesions. We report the preliminary feasibility results and observer variability of the GLASS. GLASS is a part of the new global guideline and posed as a promising additional tool for EBR strategies to predict the success of lower extremity arterial revascularization. This study reports on the consistency of GLASS scoring to maximize inter-observer agreement and facilitate its application. Methods: GLASS separately scores the femoropopliteal (FP) and infrapopliteal (IP) segment based on stenosis severity, lesion length and the extent of calcification within the target artery pathway (TAP). In our stepwise approach, we used two angiographic datasets. Each following step was based on the lessons learned from the previous step. The primary outcome was inter-observer agreement measured as Cohen’s Kappa, scored by two (step 1 + 2) and four (step 3) blinded and experienced observers, respectively. Steps 1 (n = 139) and 2 (n = 50) were executed within a dataset of a Dutch interventional RCT in CLTI. Step 3 (n = 100) was performed in randomly selected all-comer CLTI patients from two vascular centers in the United States. Results: In step 1, kappa values were 0.346 (FP) and 0.180 (IP). In step 2, applied in the same dataset, the use of other experienced observers and a provided TAP, resulted in similar low kappa values 0.406 (FP) and 0.089 (IP). Subsequently, in step 3, the formation of an altered stepwise approach using component scoring, such as separate scoring of calcification and adding a ruler to the images resulted in kappa values increasing to 0.796 (FP) and 0.730 (IP). Conclusion: This retrospective GLASS validation study revealed low inter-observer agreement for unconditioned scoring. A stepwise component scoring provides acceptable agreement and a solid base for further prospective validation studies to investigate how GLASS relates to treatment outcomes.

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The COVID Army: Experiences from the Deployment of Non-Hospitalist Physician Volunteers during the 2020 COVID Pandemic

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2021.109 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Kevin Hauck ◽

Katherine Hochman ◽

Mark Pochapin ◽

Sondra Zabar ◽

Jeffrey A Wilhite ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

New York City ◽

Medical Center ◽

The United States ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Front Line ◽

Clinical Leadership ◽

Team Members ◽

Medical Centers ◽

Hospitalist Physician

Abstract Objective New York City was the epicenter of the outbreak of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. As a large, quaternary care medical center, NYU Langone Medical Center was one of many New York medical centers that experienced an unprecedented influx of patients during this time. Clinical leadership effectively identified, oriented, and rapidly deployed a “COVID Army”, consisting of non-hospitalist physicians, to meet the needs of this patient influx. We share feedback from our providers on our processes and offer specific recommendations for systems experiencing a similar influx in the current and future pandemics. Methods In order to assess the experiences and perceived readiness of these physicians (n=183), we distributed a 32-item survey between March and June of 2020. Thematic analyses and response rates were examined in order to develop results. Results Responses highlighted varying experiences and attitudes of our front-line physicians during an emerging pandemic. Thematic analyses revealed a series of lessons learned, including the need to: (1) provide orientations, (2) clarify roles/ workflow, (3) balance team workload, (4) keep teams updated on evolving policies, (5) make team members feel valued, and (6) ensure they have necessary tools available. Conclusions Lessons from our deployment and assessment are scalable at other institutions.

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Preparedness and response to an emerging health threat—Lessons learned from Candida auris outbreaks in the United States

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1017/ice.2021.12 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Diane Meyer ◽

Elena K. Martin ◽

Syra Madad ◽

Priya Dhagat ◽

Jennifer B. Nuzzo

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

New York ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

The United States ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Healthcare Organizations ◽

Candida Auris ◽

Term Care ◽

Healthcare Facilities

Abstract Objective: Candida auris infections continue to occur across the United States and abroad, and healthcare facilities that care for vulnerable populations must improve their readiness to respond to this emerging organism. We aimed to identify and better understand challenges faced and lessons learned by those healthcare facilities who have experienced C. auris cases and outbreaks to better prepare those who have yet to experience or respond to this pathogen. Design: Semi-structured qualitative interviews. Setting: Health departments, long-term care facilities, acute-care hospitals, and healthcare organizations in New York, Illinois, and California. Participants: Infectious disease physicians and nurses, clinical and environmental services, hospital leadership, hospital epidemiology, infection preventionists, emergency management, and laboratory scientists who had experiences either preparing for or responding to C. auris cases or outbreaks. Methods: In total, 25 interviews were conducted with 84 participants. Interviews were coded using NVivo qualitative coding software by 2 separate researchers. Emergent themes were then iteratively discussed among the research team. Results: Key themes included surveillance and laboratory capacity, inter- and intrafacility communication, infection prevention and control, environmental cleaning and disinfection, clinical management of cases, and media concerns and stigma. Conclusions: Many of the operational challenges noted in this research are not unique to C. auris, and the ways in which we address future outbreaks should be informed by previous experiences and lessons learned, including the recent outbreaks of C. auris in the United States.

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