Challenges and Prospects of Fisheries Co-Management under a Marine Extractive Reserve Framework in Northeastern Brazil

In Brazil, Marine Extractive Reserves—MERs (Reservas Extrativistas Marinhas) represent the most significant government-supported effort to protect the common property resources upon which traditional small-scale fishers depend. From an initial small-scale experience in 1992, MERs have expanded countrywide, now encompassing 30 units (9,700 km²) and nearly 60,000 fishers. Despite such escalating interest in the model, there is little research on the effectiveness of MERs. In this article, we discuss relevant parts of the history and examine the current situation of the fisheries co-management initiative in the Marine Extractive Reserve of Corumbau, which was created in 2000 as the first MER to encompass coral reefs and reef fisheries. We describe the Extractive Reserve co-management arrangement and its main policy and legislative challenges. Finally, we discuss the prospects for the use of MERs as management frameworks for traditional small-scale fisheries in Brazil.     

Oceanic CO2 uptake and biogeochemical variability during the formation of the Eastern North Atlantic Central water under two contrasting NAO scenarios

Long-term variability of the biogeochemical properties during the formation of central waters in the Eastern North Atlantic were analyzed between 42–47°N and 10–20°W from the dataset gathered during the Galicia VII (GVII) and C. Darwin 58/59 (CD58/59) cruises. These cruises that showed important changes in the thermohaline properties and the nutrient abundance of the upper layers were carried out under contrasting conditions of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. The different climate forcing led a meridional shift of the transition zone between the formation regions of subpolar and subtropical Eastern North Atlantic Central Water (ENACWp and ENACWt, respectively). This displacement conditioned the presence of each ENACW in the study region and so the thermohaline and biogeochemical properties. The effect of the observed variability at decadal scale on the air–sea CO₂ gradient (ΔfCO₂) and exchange (F_CO2) was analyzed using 1D model approach throughout 11 weekly-steps that simulated the development of a spring bloom during the shoaling of the mixed layer. The outputs of the model showed an intensification of the ocean CO₂ uptake due to higher biological CO₂ drawdown, during positive NAO conditions and its weakening under negative NAO influence.     

A latent variable representation of count data models to accommodate spatial and temporal dependence: Application to predicting crash frequency at intersections

This paper proposes a reformulation of count models as a special case of generalized ordered-response models in which a single latent continuous variable is partitioned into mutually exclusive intervals. Using this equivalent latent variable-based generalized ordered response framework for count data models, we are then able to gainfully and efficiently introduce temporal and spatial dependencies through the latent continuous variables. Our formulation also allows handling excess zeros in correlated count data, a phenomenon that is commonly found in practice. A composite marginal likelihood inference approach is used to estimate model parameters. The modeling framework is applied to predict crash frequency at urban intersections in Arlington, Texas. The sample is drawn from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) crash incident files between 2003 and 2009, resulting in 1190 intersection-year observations. The results reveal the presence of intersection-specific time-invariant unobserved components influencing crash propensity and a spatial lag structure to characterize spatial dependence. Roadway configuration, approach roadway functional types, traffic control type, total daily entering traffic volumes and the split of volumes between approaches are all important variables in determining crash frequency at intersections.     

Residual circulation in the Ría de Muros (NW Spain): A 3D numerical model study

The residual circulation of the Ría de Muros, a large coastal embayment in NW Spain, are studied using a three-dimensional baroclinic finite-difference model. The driving forces considered by the model include the tide, winds, river inflows and density forcing at the open boundary. In situ data of current velocity and direction, water level, wind velocity and direction, river discharge, and temperature and salinity are used for model validation. Simulated and observed time series of water level and current velocity are in good agreement. Once validated, the model is applied to compute the residual circulation induced by the relevant agents of the ría hydrodynamics—the tide, an upwelling-favourable wind characteristic of spring and summer, a downwelling-favourable wind typical of winter, and freshwater inflows associated with high river runoff. The resulting residual circulation differ notably. The tide does not generate significant residual flows except in the inner ría. By contrast, winds and river discharges induce important residual flows throughout; in the middle and outer ría they generate a 3D residual circulation pattern which renders the conventional two-layer scheme of estuarine circulation too simplistic in this case. Thus, this first application of a 3D numerical model to the Ría de Muros sheds new light on its fundamental hydrodynamics.     

Gender Issues within the Population-Environment Nexus in Philippine Coastal Areas

Sixty percent of the Philippine's population resides in the coastal zone. Women and men in coastal communities depend chiefly on the sea for subsistence. Over fifty percent of the dietary protein requirements of coastal communities are derived from municipal fisheries and shallow coastal habitats (reef fishes, marine plants, and mangroves). Coastal populations are young and expanding at rates that exceed regional and national averages. Expanding human pressures and man-made disturbances (over harvesting, destructive fishing, siltation, etc.) that offset natural processes are destroying habitats and creating protein food security crises and increasing malnutrition. At the same time conflicts among users of coastal resources are escalating. Access constraints, gender inequities, and cultural barriers stymie options for women and men to plan their families and create alternative livelihoods. National and local government agencies are addressing food security concerns through vertical policies and programs (e.g., fisheries management, integrated coastal management). The IPOPCORM project uses a cross-sectoral approach and quasi-experimental evaluation design to test the hypothesis that food security will be achieved more quickly when coastal resources management (CRM) and reproductive health (RH) management are implemented together. The purpose of this article is to review the project's experience and highlight the trends observed in program monitoring and evaluation during 2001–2004, which suggest better impact on RH, CRM, and gender indicators in the sites where the synergistic approach is being applied.     

Self-propulsion computations using a speed controller and a discretized propeller with dynamic overset grids

A method that can be used to perform self-propulsion computations of surface ships is presented. The propeller is gridded as an overset object with a rotational velocity that is imposed by a speed controller, which finds the self-propulsion point when the ship reaches the target Froude number in a single transient computation. Dynamic overset grids are used to allow different dynamic groups to move independently, including the hull and appendages, the propeller, and the background (where the far-field boundary conditions are imposed). Predicted integral quantities include propeller rotational speed, propeller forces, and ship’s attitude, along with the complete flow field. The fluid flow is solved by employing a single-phase level set approach to model the free surface, along with a blended k−ω/k−ɛ based DES model for turbulence. Three ship hulls are evaluated: the single-propeller KVLCC1 tanker appended with a rudder, the twin propeller fully appended surface combatant model DTMB 5613, and the KCS container ship without a rudder, and the results are compared with experimental data obtained at the model scale. In the case of KCS, a more complete comparison with propulsion data is performed. It is shown that direct computation of self-propelled ships is feasible, and though very resource intensive, it provides a tool for obtaining vast flow detail.     

Estimation of a constrained multinomial logit model

Identifying the set of available alternatives in a choice process after considering an individual’s bounds or thresholds is a complex process that, in practice, is commonly simplified by assuming exogenous rules in the choice set formation. The Constrained Multinomial Logit (CMNL) model incorporates thresholds in several attributes as a key endogenous process to define the alternatives choice/rejection mechanism. The model allows for the inclusion of multiple constraints and has a closed form. In this paper, we study the estimation of the CMNL model using the maximum likelihood function, develop a methodology to estimate the model overcoming identification problems by an endogenous partition of the sample, and test the model estimation with both synthetic and real data. The CMNL model appears to be suitable for general applications as it presents a significantly better fit than the MNL model under constrained behaviour and replicates the MNL estimates in the unconstrained case. Using mode choice real data, we found significant differences in the values of times and elasticities between compensatory MNL and semi-compensatory CMNL models, which increase as the thresholds on attributes become active.     

Sight distance analysis of highways using GIS tools

Analyzing the distance visible to a driver on the highway is important for traffic safety, especially in maneuvers such as emergency stops, when passing another vehicle or when vehicles cross at intersections. This analysis is necessary not only in the design phase of highways, but also when they are in service. For its use in this last phase, a procedure supported by a Geographic Information System (GIS) has been implemented that determines the highway distances visible to the driver. The use of a GIS allows the sight distance analysis to be integrated with other analyses related to traffic safety, such as crash and design consistency analyses. In this way, more complete analyses could be made and costs shared. Additionally, with the procedure proposed it is possible to use data regarding the trajectory of a vehicle obtained on a highway with a Global Positioning System (GPS) device. This application is very useful when highway design data are not available. The procedure developed and its application in a case study are presented in this article.