Status and Priority Capacity Needs for Local Compliance and Community-Supported Enforcement of Marine Resource Rules and Regulations in the Coral Triangle Region

Combating illegal and destructive resource exploitation in the Coral Triangle is central to ensuring the long-term effective management of fisheries, marine protected areas, and climate change adaptation efforts. This article presents results of an investigation of the perceived level of local compliance and enforcement with marine resource rules and regulations and evaluates the effectiveness or potential for community-supported enforcement efforts in the Coral Triangle region. The findings are consistent with those of the literature on compliance and enforcement that any compliance and enforcement system must not only use deterrence, but also be perceived by fishers as being legitimate, fair, accountable and equitable and the need for developing a personal morality and a social environment that supports compliance. There is an opportunity to strategically build on shared value and cultural norms that can promote collaborative fisheries management as a mechanism to increase compliance through non-coercive efforts. Strengthening the long-term capacity for consistent delivery of local support to marine management and enforcement will increase local compliance rates through time.     

High-resolution surveys of the biogeochemistry of the New England shelfbreak front during Summer, 2002

We present the observations from a pair of field experiments at the New England shelfbreak front in June and August of 2002, each consisting of 14 cross-frontal surveys using the Lamont Pumping SeaSoar. Measurements of the front's physical, chemical, and bio-optical characteristics were made at high spatial and temporal resolution. The front, based on water-column hydrographic distributions, was found within a few km of the 200 m isobath during both cruises. We present here composite sections, based on averages of individual sections shifted in space to a common frontal location, of the cross-frontal distributions of these properties as a measure of the mean state of the front in both June and August. The observations show the familiar temperature, salinity, and density distributions of the summertime front, dominated by surface thermal heating. Nutrient and bio-optical distributions show the combined effects of water-mass exchange and biological processes. T, S, silicate, and phosphate distributions are suggestive of cross-frontal exchange of slope- and shelf waters, although transport mechanisms and pathways are not apparent. These properties, along with nitrate and optical measures of the suspended particle distributions, show vertical displacements of isopleths as the front is approached: property contours slope upwards toward the front from the shoreward side, and downwards toward the front from the seaward side. Again, actual water-movement pathways are not constrained by these suggestive patterns. Bio-optical distributions show elevated indicators of photosynthetic efficiency both seaward and shoreward of the front, but the front itself is a minimum in biomass. Accumulation of photosynthetic biomass appears to be controlled primarily by nitrate scarcity in waters within and above the pycnocline. At the base of the pycnocline, light limitation appears to be the controlling factor, although the base of the euphotic zone is deeper than the biomass maxima and the base of the pycnocline. Mechanisms explaining this phenomenon are unclear, but tenuous evidence suggests low stratification at the depth of the 1% light level may not allow phytoplankton to optimize for the low-light, high-nutrient conditions at depth. Cross-frontal differences in nutrient and bio-optical parameters, particularly in August, suggest distinct phytoplankton assemblages, and the presence of calcite-forming or nitrogen fixing groups to the community structure, especially in very shallow waters across the front and in pycnocline waters seaward of the front.     

Cross-shelf circulation and phytoplankton distribution at the summertime New England shelfbreak front

We investigate aspects of the secondary (cross-shelf) circulation at the Middle Atlantic Bight shelfbreak front using high-resolution data collected on the New England Shelf in August 2002. The alongshore shelfbreak jet coincides with the front at the seaward edge of the cold pool (remnant winter shelf water) and there is a suggestion of a cross-stream convergence centered at the jet core. Despite indications of convergence we found no evidence of a surface subduction on the seaward side of the front. At depth 70 m near the shelfbreak there was a patch of chlorophyll, located within a local temperature–salinity maximum which, though significantly below the euphotic zone, appeared to be photo-acclimated and viable. The chlorophyll feature could be the result of a local subduction by a larger scale eddy circulation seaward of the front.Dye tracer experiments directly observed the convergence at the foot of the shelfbreak front and subsequent upwelling of bottom boundary layer water along the shoreward side of the shelfbreak front. But, we found no evidence that this upwelling influenced productivity at the front. Further, since there was no cross-shelf maximum in subsurface chlorophyll at the front, we conclude that this productivity is in general, sustained by a broadly distributed local vertical nutrient flux from an underlying nutrient reservoir.     

Resolving the impact of short-term variations in physical processes impacting on the spawning environment of eastern Baltic cod: application of a 3-D hydrodynamic model

Variations in oxygen conditions below the permanent halocline influence the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea through a number of mechanisms. In this study, we examine the effects of physical forcing on variations in the volume of deep oxygenated water suitable for reproductive success of central Baltic cod. Recent research has identified the importance of inflows of saline and oxygenated North Sea water into the Baltic Sea for the recruitment of Baltic cod. However, other processes have been suggested to modify this reproduction volume including variations in timing and volume of terrestrial runoff, variability of the solubility of oxygen due to variations in sea surface temperature as well as the influence of variations in wind stress. In order to examine the latter three mechanisms, we have performed simulations utilizing the Kiel Baltic Sea model for a period of a weak to moderate inflow of North Sea water into the Baltic, modifying wind stress, freshwater runoff and thermal inputs. The model is started from three-dimensional fields of temperature, salinity and oxygen obtained from a previous model run and forced by realistic atmospheric conditions. Results of this realistic reference run were compared to runs with modified meteorological forcing conditions and river runoff.From these simulations, it is apparent that processes other than major Baltic inflows have the potential to alter the reproduction volume of Baltic cod. Low near-surface air temperatures in the North Sea, the Skagerrak/Kattegat area and in the western Baltic influence the water mass properties (high oxygen solubility). Eastward oriented transports of these well-oxygenated highly saline water masses may have a significant positive impact on the Baltic cod reproduction volume in the Bornholm Basin.Finally, we analysed how large scale and local atmospheric forcing conditions are related to the identified major processes affecting the reproduction volume.     

On cost-efficiency of the global container shipping network

This paper presents a simple formulation in the form of a pipe network for modelling the global container-shipping network. The cost-efficiency and movement-patterns of the current container-shipping network have been investigated using heuristic methods. The model is able to reproduce the overall incomes, costs, and container movement patterns for the industry as well as for the individual shipping lines and ports. It was found that the cost of repositioning empties is 27% of the total world fleet running cost and that overcapacity continues to be a problem. The model is computationally efficient. Implemented in the Java language, it takes one minute to run a full-scale network on a Pentium IV computer.     

A framework for analyzing rank-ordered data with application to automobile demand

In this paper, we develop a general random utility framework for analyzing data on individuals’ rank-orderings. Specifically, we show that in the case with three alternatives one can express the probability of a particular rank-ordering as a simple function of first choice probabilities. This framework is applied to specify and estimate models of household demand for conventional gasoline cars and alternative fuel vehicles in Shanghai based on rank-ordered data obtained from a stated preference survey. Subsequently, the framework is extended to allow for random effects in the utility specification to allow for intrapersonal correlation in tastes across stated preference questions. The preferred model is then used to calculate demand probabilities and elasticities and the distribution of willingness-to-pay for alternative fuel vehicles.     

Origins,Management, and Measurement of Stress on the Coast of Southern Spain

A series of boater compliance studies was performed between 1995 and 1998 in order to assess the effectiveness of existing speed zones designed to protect manatees in two Florida counties (Sarasota County and Lee County). Surveys involved teams of boat- or land-based observers positioned along speed-restricted waterways. Vessel characteristics were recorded along with observed speed. Multiple survey sites were sampled within each county. A total of 26,000 vessels was observed and evaluated. Overall boater compliance was 63% in Sarasota County and 58% in Lee County. Compliance varied significantly with vessel type and size. Differences in compliance among survey sites were also significant and were related to travel patterns, traffic volume, vessel composition, sign placement, level of speed restriction, and law enforcement presence. From a management perspective, it is recommended that speed zones for the protection of manatees be evaluated on a site-by-site basis to identify specific areas of concern.     

Probability distributions of wave run-up on a TLP model

Wave run-up on multi-column compliant and rigid platforms both on the weather-side and beneath the platform deck is a complex wave–structure interaction problem. Predictions based upon higher order hydrodynamic design codes have been improved our understanding of this phenomena but have not appreciably reduced the reliance on model tests and statistical analyses. In this study a three parameter distribution model is developed based upon the inclusion of linear, second-order, and mean contributions to the wave run-up utilizing the method of L-moments. Explicit expressions are derived relating the L-moments and the input from experimental data. The sample L-moments are developed from a linear combination of ordered sequence of the data and consequently the high order L-moments, i.e. L-skewness and L-kurtosis, are less biased than the corresponding ordinary moments. The L-moment definitions of the variance, skewness and kurtosis are numerically compared with values obtained using the more standard definitions for these parameters. Rigid hull measurements are compared with the compliant hull configuration for a mini-TLP model. The sea-states investigated include the relatively benign sea conditions off of West Africa and the more extreme sea environments of Gulf of Mexico.     

Making meaningful comparisons between road and rail – substituting average energy consumption data for rail with empirical analysis

Within the transport sector, modal shift towards more efficient and less polluting modes could be a key policy goal to help meet targets to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. However, making comparisons between modes is not necessarily straightforward. Average energy and emissions data are often relied upon, particularly for, rail, which may not be applicable to a given context. Some UK train operating companies have recently fitted electricity metres to their trains, from which energy consumption data have been obtained. This has enabled an understanding to be gained of how energy consumption and related emissions are affected by a number of factors, including train and service type. Comparisons are made with existing data for road and rail. It is noted that although more specific data can be useful in informing policy and making some decisions, average data continue to play an important role when considering the overall picture.