December 3, 2013

Knauss Lecture Series

12-1 PM Thursday, December 5, 2013 at NOAA Central Library, 2nd Floor, SSMC3

Fishery Management and Information Sharing Networks: The Association between Sector Management and Social Capital

Gabe Dunham

The benefits from increased levels of social capital have been shown to manifest themselves in ways that can increase the efficiency of the use and regulation of natural resources, as well as increase the resiliency of resource dependent communities against fluctuations in abundance. While the literature shows evidence of the positive effects that social capital can have on management and stakeholder institutions, few studies examine the effects of changes in management on levels of social capital in commercial fisheries.
This study employs network and econometric analyses to examine social capital in the Northeast multispecies groundfish fishery. We compare alternative measurements of social capital, and find suggestive evidence of decreased levels of social capital associated with a recent change from effort-based to rights-based management. Increased knowledge of this relationship may provide tangible benefits to both management institutions and resource users.

Plastic pollution in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

Miriam Goldstein, Ph.D

Parts of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, a remote area nestled between the trade winds and the westerlies, have been dubbed the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” Plastic pollution was first detected in this area in the early 1970s and has since become a matter of scientific and public concern. Relatively little is known about the consequences of plastic debris in the NPSG, but since most of the debris is in the form of small particles (<5 mm in diameter) on the ocean’s surface, surface-dwelling biota are most likely to be impacted. I will discuss the abundance, distribution, and size of the plastic debris, as well as how plastic is interacting with pelagic invertebrates. Impacts to marine life include direct ingestion, increased surface area for oviposition, and the transportation of nonindigenous species.

Aquaculture

Virginia Sea Grant Launches the USDA and NOAA-Supported Aquaculture Information Exchange Online Community Platform

The Aquaculture Information Exchange (AIE) online community platform website is now live and open for new user registrations. The AIE represents a joint effort between NOAA’s National Sea Grant Office, NOAA’s Fisheries Office of Aquaculture, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and Virginia Sea Grant.

Sea Grant Announces the 2024 Class of the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2024 class of the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program. The 85 early-career professionals selected will be placed in federal government offices throughout Washington, D.C., and join the over 1,600 individuals who have participated in the program since its inception in 1979.

Sea Grant announces funding opportunities to support community-engaged marine debris removal and prevention

Sea Grant announces $19 million in federal funding opportunities to address the prevention and removal of marine debris. These opportunities are a component of nearly $3 billion in targeted investments for NOAA in the areas of habitat restoration, coastal resilience and weather forecasting infrastructure through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.