Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zhaoqing Yang, Taiping Wang, Ruth Branch, Ziyu Xiao, Mithun Deb
Summary: This study characterized the tidal energy resource in the Salish Sea using a high-resolution tidal hydrodynamic model, identifying 16 tidal channels as hotspots for potential tidal energy development. Analysis of power density distributions and kinetic energy fluxes at these hotspots ranked Admiralty Inlet, Rosario Strait, and Middle Channel as the top three tidal energy hotspots in the area, highlighting the importance of accurate simulation of tidal currents in large estuarine systems for resource assessment.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tomas M. Koontz
Summary: In complex social-ecological systems, environmental governance involves multiple actors and institutions interacting across scales. This study in the Puget Sound, USA, explores how actors in local collaborative organizations share and utilize scientific information, revealing patterns in horizontal and vertical information sharing, the role of knowledge brokers, and scale mismatches. The use of scientific findings by local collaborative organizations depends on the biophysical and political context, with tension between scientific rigor and local applicability.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Simone Des Roches, Juhi R. LaFuente, Hannah S. Faulkner, Jason R. Morgan, Bianca S. Perla, Maria Metler, Megan N. Dethier, Jason D. Toft
Summary: Humans have significantly altered marine nearshore ecosystems through shoreline armoring, resulting in reduced abundance and diversity of key ecological features. However, restoration efforts have shown positive effects in increasing ecological responses, with restored shore types exhibiting similar variability to natural shore types.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tim Kiessling, Katrin Knickmeier, Katrin Kruse, Magdalena Gatta-Rosemary, Alice Nauendorf, Dennis Brennecke, Laura Thiel, Antje Wichels, Ilka Parchmann, Arne Koertzinger, Martin Thiel
Summary: The study found a significant amount of floating macroplastics and meso-/microplastics in rivers in Germany, with some hotspots potentially linked to plastic-producing industries, wastewater treatment plants, weirs, and residential areas. The identification of litter hotspots could lead to targeted mitigation measures to prevent further pollution.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jillian Campbell, Samuel Starko
Summary: This study aimed to establish allometric relationships for the widespread kelp Saccharina latissima in the Salish Sea, comparing the abilities of four non-destructive metrics to predict thallus fresh weight and ranking models based on their AICc scores. The appropriate sample size for constructing local models was determined through a resampling experiment, providing inexpensive and effective methods for non-destructively estimating S. latissima biomass.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Katherine Conroy, Daniel Tonnes, Max Calloway, Nicole Naar, Kalloway Page, Betsy Peabody
Summary: The article "Diversity and Importance of Kelp Species in Puget Sound Waters" discusses the widespread distribution of kelp species in Puget Sound, providing numerous ecosystem services; however, there has been documented loss of bull kelp forests, posing a threat to marine ecosystems and jeopardizing economic activities. Despite the recognition of the need for action in the recently released Kelp Conservation and Recovery Plan, local environmental regulations may complicate restoration efforts and fail to adequately protect kelp. Through content analysis of 45 local Shoreline Master Programs, the assessment reveals generally low levels of kelp protection and support for restoration.
Article
Ecology
Sian E. Green, Philip A. Stephens, Mark J. Whittingham, Russell A. Hill
Summary: Camera traps are commonly used in wildlife monitoring and citizen science, but concerns over video performance have led to the majority of studies collecting still images. However, a study conducted in the UK found no difference in ecological outputs between video and photo datasets. Additionally, citizen scientists were able to classify videos more accurately and provide more additional information compared to experts. This suggests that using video in camera-trapping projects, especially when combined with citizen science, can yield higher quality data.
REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Michael J. O. Pocock, Mark Logie, Nick J. B. Isaac, Richard Fox, Tom August
Summary: Opportunistic species sightings submitted by citizen science volunteers are important for biodiversity trend analysis. This study tested the effect of recorder behaviour on the analysis results and found that recorder potential has the greatest impact.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Diane Colombelli-Negrel
Summary: This study compares the ability of a trained researcher, amateur volunteers, and an automated software to detect Little Penguin calls. It also assesses the effects of environmental factors on call variability and detectability and determines the feasibility of using automated recorders to estimate population sizes. The results show that the trained researcher detects significantly more calls than the amateur volunteers and automated software. Neither wind speed nor moon illumination affects call variability and detectability, and the automated recorders estimate between 3% and 14-26% of the population. This study contributes to our understanding of the efficacy of automated recorders for avian monitoring.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Frazer G. Coomber, Bethany R. Smith, Tom A. August, Colin A. Harrower, Gary D. Powney, Fiona Mathews
Summary: Conservation actions are often initiated by monitoring trends in species population size, geographical range, or occupancy rates. This study in the UK used occupancy modeling to estimate long-term trends for 37 terrestrial mammal species, revealing varying rates of increase and decrease among different species. Overall, small mammal occupancy rates were decreasing, while bats and deer were increasing, and mid-sized mammals were stable.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biology
Robin J. Boyd, Thomas A. August, Robert Cooke, Mark Logie, Francesca Mancini, Gary D. Powney, David B. Roy, Katharine Turvey, Nick J. B. Isaac
Summary: This paper describes an operational workflow for generating annual estimates of species occupancy at national scales, which can be used to construct policy-relevant biodiversity indicators. The workflow involves data acquisition, assessment, manipulation, modeling, evaluation, application, and dissemination. Challenges in ecology, taxonomy, data science, computing, and statistics are addressed, and methodologies applicable outside the UK are suggested. The paper also highlights areas for improvement, such as mitigating bias risks in biodiversity data and addressing outstanding questions related to species distribution EBVs.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alison Johnston, Wesley M. Hochachka, Matthew E. Strimas-Mackey, Viviana Ruiz Gutierrez, Orin J. Robinson, Eliot T. Miller, Tom Auer, Steve T. Kelling, Daniel Fink
Summary: Ecological data collected by volunteers are valuable for research and conservation planning, but they often face challenges such as spatial bias and species reporting bias. This study focused on estimating species distributions with eBird data, testing the impact of data processing on model performance and variability in data density. Results showed that model performance improved with data refinement, particularly with the use of complete checklists and covariates, highlighting the importance of addressing data challenges for robust ecological inferences.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Kelly Biedenweg, David J. Trimbach, Whitney Fleming
Summary: Social science plays a critical role in ecosystem restoration by enhancing stakeholder-driven management practices, excavating assumptions, and improving understanding of outcomes. In the Puget Sound region, there has been substantial progress in integrating social science into restoration efforts through a governance-oriented approach, despite challenges posed by top-down planning dominated by natural science perspectives.
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION
(2021)
Article
Biology
Julie K. Sheard, Carsten Rahbek, Robert R. Dunn, Nathan J. Sanders, Nick J. B. Isaac
Summary: By combining participatory science data and museum records, the study analyzed the long-term changes in occupancy for 29 ant species in Denmark over 119 years. Bayesian occupancy modelling revealed that occupancy changed for 15 species, with five increasing, four declining, and six showing fluctuating trends. The study highlights the complexity of biodiversity change in insects, challenging the simplistic narrative of insect decline.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nao Takashina, Evan P. Economo
Summary: Understanding patterns in space and time is crucial in ecology for addressing ecological questions and designing conservation strategies. Standardized ecological sampling methods play a key role in enhancing data reliability and usage in ecological research.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Martin G. Raphael, Andrew J. Shirk, Gary A. Falxa, Scott F. Pearson
JOURNAL OF MARINE SYSTEMS
(2015)
Article
Environmental Sciences
J. Mark Hipfner, Moira Galbraith, Strahan Tucker, Katharine R. Studholme, Alice D. Domalik, Scott F. Pearson, Thomas P. Good, Peter S. Ross, Peter Hodum
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2018)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christopher J. Hart, Ryan P. Kelly, Scott F. Pearson
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Scott F. Pearson, Shannon M. Knapp, Cyndie Sundstrom
BIRD CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL
(2016)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
L. Ignacio Vilchis, Christine K. Johnson, Joseph R. Evenson, Scott F. Pearson, Karen L. Barry, Peter Davidson, Martin G. Raphael, Joseph K. Gaydos
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2015)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Susan Knowles, Barbara L. Bodenstein, Brenda M. Berlowski-Zier, Susan M. Thomas, Scott F. Pearson, Jeffrey M. Lorch
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Scott F. Pearson, Shannon M. Knapp
Article
Ecology
Adrian L. Wolf, Gary L. Slater, Scott F. Pearson, Hannah E. Anderson, Randall Moore
Article
Fisheries
Benjamin W. Nelson, Scott F. Pearson, Joseph H. Anderson, Steven J. Jeffries, Austen C. Thomas, William A. Walker, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutierrez, Iris M. Kemp, Monique M. Lance, Amelia Louden, Madelyn R. Voelker
Summary: Management of protected species becomes challenging when aiming for the recovery of both predator and prey. By updating their understanding of seal predation on juvenile Chinook and Coho salmon in Puget Sound using new predator diet data and simulation modeling, researchers found significant variability in predation estimates. The analysis highlights the importance of updating model inputs and re-evaluating assumptions for ecosystem-based fisheries management.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Wales A. Carter, Scott F. Pearson, Adam D. Smith, Scott R. McWilliams, Douglas J. Levey
Summary: The study found that non-breeding songbirds primarily consume fruits and seeds, with significant differences in resource use among species during the fall and winter seasons, and caution should be taken when interpreting fecal estimates of fruit contributions to songbird tissues.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Scott F. Pearson, Ilai Keren, Monique M. Lance, Martin G. Raphael
Summary: The marbled murrelet is a threatened species in the USA, and there is limited information about its distribution, abundance, and population trends during the non-breeding season. This study conducted an 8-year assessment in Puget Sound, Washington, and found that the non-breeding population trends were similar to those observed during the breeding season. This study also identified important over-wintering areas for the marbled murrelets.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Scott F. Pearson, Ilai Keren, Peter J. Hodum, Brie A. Drummond, J. Mark Hipfner, Nora A. Rojek, Heather M. Renner, Susan M. Thomas
Summary: Regional and local studies have shown that the Tufted Puffin population in North America is declining in certain areas. This study examines population trends across the species' range by analyzing 11 datasets spanning 115 years. The findings indicate declines in the California Current and Gulf of Alaska ecosystems, while the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands ecosystem shows positive trends. Factors such as depredation, population growth, and immigration may contribute to the population changes. Overall, the study highlights the conservation concern for the Tufted Puffin.
BIRD CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
J. Mark Hipfner, Marie M. Prill, Katharine R. Studholme, Alice D. Domalik, Strahan Tucker, Catherine Jardine, Mark Maftei, Kenneth G. Wright, Jessie N. Beck, Russell W. Bradley, Ryan D. Carle, Thomas P. Good, Scott A. Hatch, Peter J. Hodum, Motohiro Ito, Scott F. Pearson, Nora A. Rojek, Leslie Slater, Yutaka Watanuki, Alexis P. Will, Aidan D. Bindoff, Glenn T. Crossin, Mark C. Drever, Theresa M. Burg
Article
Fisheries
Brandon Chasco, Isaac C. Kaplan, Austen Thomas, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutierrez, Dawn Noren, Michael J. Ford, M. Bradley Hanson, Jonathan Scordino, Steve Jeffries, Scott Pearson, Kristin N. Marshall, Eric J. Ward
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES
(2017)
Article
Ornithology
Stephen J. Dinsmore, Eleanor P. Gaines, Scott F. Pearson, David J. Lauten, Kathleen A. Castelein