Papers by Elizabeth L Mclean, PhD
Frontiers in Sustainability, 2021
Climate change and extreme weather events put in peril the critical coastal infrastructure that i... more Climate change and extreme weather events put in peril the critical coastal infrastructure that is vital to economies, livelihoods, and sustainability. However, for a variety of reasons, decision makers often do not implement potential adaptation strategies to plan and adjust to climate and extreme weather events. To respond to the question of how seaport decision makers perceive strategies to overcome the barriers to adaptation we used semi-structured interviews of 30 seaport directors/managers, environmental specialists, and safety managers from 15 medium-and high-use ports of the U.S. North Atlantic. This paper contributes four broad strategies identified by seaport decision makers as necessary to help them advance on this challenge: funding, better planning or guidance, research and education, and advocacy/lobbying. We coded these strategies parallel to our partner paper that identified seven key barriers faced by the same set of decision makers. Results can help direct resources in ways targeted to the needs of seaport decision makers. The proposed framework contributes to theories of resilience building and barriers to decision making. Being strategic about change facilitates effective adaptation, decreasing risk, and enables continuity of safe, and sustainable, operations of U.S. seaports in the face of climate and extreme weather events.
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
ABSTRACT A close look at fishermen’s local ecological knowledge brings us closer to how their kno... more ABSTRACT A close look at fishermen’s local ecological knowledge brings us closer to how their knowledge influences the quality of life, well-being, and the resilience of our coastal communities (Garcia Quijano 2009). A study in collaboration with scientists from Fisheries, Anthropology departments took place at the University of Rhode Island. The data consists of over 10 hours of interview recorded during 3 focus-group meetings, where a facilitator guided the discussion on lobster fishermen’s local ecological knowledge. The purpose of the study is to assess fishermen’s local ecological knowledge and to analyze the relationship that exists between local voices and their environment, and how understanding these voices we draw closer to conserving and protecting our environments. The information gathered constitutes, field notes and transcriptions analyzed using coding to identify themes, units knowledge and meanings; followed by reformulation and mapping to construct models of understandings. Initial findings bring to the forefront the power and value of the voices local people: their knowledge on ecology, biology of lobsters and their habitats, as well as fishermen’s interactions with other fishermen, scientists and managers. We cannot underestimate the value of local ecological knowledge and its timeliness as it captures social and cultural aspects of fishers and how they respond to changes and the dynamics of their local communities. Our contention is that through the integration of local ecological knowledge we promote an ecosystem base management approach to safeguarding our natural environments, and that alternatively, by not listening to their voices, our unsustainable trends will persist.
Journal of Environmental Management, 2020
Lobstermen in Southern New England come from a longstanding intergenerational fishing tradition. ... more Lobstermen in Southern New England come from a longstanding intergenerational fishing tradition. Their local ecological knowledge (LEK) on the American lobster, Homarus americanus can be an important source of information for management.
This paper examines lobstermen's LEK as it relates to stock assessment and the overlap to science based ecological knowledge (SEK). Although in recent years, using vent-less trap assessments and conducting young of the year surveys, has set the stage for more cooperative research, in our opinion, lobstermen's LEK remains underutilized in fisheries management. There has been a steady decline in the lobster stocks over the years, raising concerns regarding fisheries management.
For this reason, we turn to lobstermen's knowledge as an important source that could inform fisheries management. Using a semi-structured approach, the stakeholders' LEK and open discussions were recorded during three meetings where lobstermen participated with managers and scientists. LEK was transcribed and categorized and matched to the corresponding SEK described in the literature. Results generally found that the lobstermen's LEK corresponded with the best available SEK. LEK is compatible with an ecosystem view of the fishery that integrates the complexities of interacting systems. The lobstermen explained that they viewed their fishing grounds as “managed landscapes”, areas used productively, maintained and protected by them. These results are a starting point to broaden the base of the knowledge used in fisheries management enabling us to see the whole picture. Topics of LEK and SEK convergence are promising common ground, while topics where lobstermen and managers' views differ, can serve as points of entry to enable research and cooperative management. Both can be the basis for cooperative hypothesis testing.
Ecological Applications, 2017
We tested whether fishers’ local ecological knowledge (LEK) of two fish life‐history parameters, ... more We tested whether fishers’ local ecological knowledge (LEK) of two fish life‐history parameters, size at maturity (SAM) at maximum body size (MS), was comparable to scientific estimates (SEK) of the same parameters, and whether LEK influenced fishers’ perceptions of sustainability. Local ecological knowledge was documented for 82 fishers from a small‐scale fishery in Samaná Bay, Dominican Republic, whereas SEK was compiled from the scientific literature. Size at maturity estimates derived from LEK and SEK overlapped for most of the 15 commonly harvested species (10 of 15). In contrast, fishers’ maximum size estimates were usually lower than (eight species), or overlapped with (five species) scientific estimates. Fishers’ size‐based estimates of catch composition indicate greater potential for overfishing than estimates based on SEK. Fishers’ estimates of size at capture relative to size at maturity suggest routine inclusion of juveniles in the catch (9 of 15 species), and fishers’ estimates suggest that harvested fish are substantially smaller than maximum body size for most species (11 of 15 species). Scientific estimates also suggest that harvested fish are generally smaller than maximum body size (13 of 15), but suggest that the catch is dominated by adults for most species (9 of 15 species), and that juveniles are present in the catch for fewer species (6 of 15). Most Samaná fishers characterized the current state of their fishery as poor (73%) and as having changed for the worse over the past 20 yr (60%). Fishers stated that concern about overfishing, catching small fish, and catching immature fish contributed to these perceptions, indicating a possible influence of catch‐size composition on their perceptions. Future work should test this link more explicitly because we found no evidence that the minority of fishers with more positive perceptions of their fishery reported systematically different estimates of catch‐size composition than those with the more negative majority view. Although fishers’ and scientific estimates of size at maturity and maximum size parameters sometimes differed, the fact that fishers make routine quantitative assessments of maturity and body size suggests the potential for future collaborative monitoring efforts to generate estimates usable by scientists and meaningful to fishers.
Coastal Management, 2020
Understanding how Caribbean small-scale fishers can adapt to climate change is critical to sustai... more Understanding how Caribbean small-scale fishers can adapt to climate change is critical to sustaining coastal communities and livelihoods in the region. Fishers continuously adapt their practices to climate variability and recurring extreme weather events, such as hurricanes. However, it remains unclear how their “everyday” responses contribute to building their adaptive capacity for future changes and unpredictable extreme climate events. This paper identifies and analyzes strategies used by fishers in the Dominican Republic and Belize to deal with extreme weather events and climate variability. We draw on two separate case studies to identify their current autonomous adaptive strategies and explore how these align with broader dimensions of adaptive capacity. We find that fishers in both countries respond to changes and climate variability by relying on three strategies: (1) storing, saving and borrowing resources, (2) using experiential knowledge, flexibility and mobility, and (3) diversifying livelihoods and intensifying fishing. We show that fishers build their adaptive capacity on flexibility to sustain their livelihoods and on local knowledge to mitigate risk and damage from extreme weather events. The paper argues that the adaptive responses used by fishers in the Dominican Republic and in Belize can sustain their livelihoods but cannot enable a long term and transformative adaptation to ongoing and cumulative climate changes.
ERDC/CHL CR-19-3, 2019
Abstract: Numerous decision-making barriers prevent or delay climate and extreme weather resilien... more Abstract: Numerous decision-making barriers prevent or delay climate and extreme weather resilience investments. Port decision-makers' perceptions of such barriers are important for proactive strategies for reducing coastal vulnerability and supporting safe and sustainable operations of U.S. ports. This report identifies the perceived adaptation barriers for seaports, and strategies to remove them. Interviews with 30 directors/managers, environmental specialists, and safety planners at 15 medium- and high-use ports of the North Atlantic resulted in a typology of factors and conditions that hamper adaptation actions, planning, and perceived strategies to overcome these barriers. This study finds that the decision-makers have consensus on seven overarching barriers to adaptation: the lack of understanding of the risks (93%), lack of funding (77%), perceived levels of risks do not exceed the action threshold (70%), governance disconnect (67%), physical constraints (67%), lack of communication amongst individuals (7%), and the problem (of adaptation) is overwhelming (7%). For strategies to overcome the adaptation barriers, the study points to the importance of fostering collaborations, making regulatory changes, and conducting risk assessments. Port decision-makers also mentioned the need for developing financial incentives and taking advantage of communication networks as necessary strategies to implement climate and extreme weather adaptations.
ERDC/CHL CR-19-2, 2019
Abstract: This research identified vulnerability indicators from open-data sources that represent... more Abstract: This research identified vulnerability indicators from open-data sources that represent the three components of vulnerability, as outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. With input from experts knowledgeable in port operations, planning, policy, and data, researchers refined a set of high-level vulnerability indicators to answer the following key questions: (1) how sufficient is the current state of U.S. seaport sector data for developing expert-supported vulnerability indicators for a regional sample of ports and (2) how can indicators be used to measure the relative vulnerability (i.e., exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity) of multiple ports? Using open-data sources, this study developed an Indicator-Based Vulnerability Assessment methodology that integrates multiple vulnerability indicators for ports in the North Atlantic region. The Analytic Hierarchy Process, a technique for organizing and analyzing complex decisions using pairwise comparisons, was used to develop a ranking that matched 3 of the top-4 most vulnerable ports that were subjectively identified by port experts. This demonstrates a strong promise for this methodological approach to measure seaport vulnerability to climate and extreme weather events. Indices of seaport relative vulnerability to climate and extreme weather can advance goals for a resilient Marine Transportation System by informing efforts and plans to prioritize and allocate limited resources.
Small-scale fisheries in the Caribbean are important to coastal communities, but their effects on... more Small-scale fisheries in the Caribbean are important to coastal communities, but their effects on exploited populations are notoriously hard to quantify. We evaluated the effect of artisanal and recreational fishing on populations of a large tropical intertidal gastropod, Cittarium pica, in the British Virgin Islands. C. pica is argued to be the third most important marine invertebrate landed in the Caribbean following spiny lobster and queen conch. It is widely held that C. pica populations are in decline from overfishing, but fishers also believe that coastal development has impacted populations. The rarity and small size of C. pica on sheltered shore provides circumstantial evidence for overfishing, because sheltered shores are easy for fishers to access. It is, however, unclear whether C. pica are more common and larger on exposed shores because of reduced fishing pressure in these areas, or because C. pica is simply responding to a natural gradient in wave forces. By surveying sites that spanned gradients in both access by fishers and exposure to prevailing sea conditions, we found that fishing access is at least partly responsible for declines in abundance and body size on shores that are sheltered and/or easy to access on foot. Despite size-regulations and a closed season, chronic over-harvesting of C. pica is occurring at some sites, and we consider possible alternative management strategies for C. pica to ensure sustainable long-term exploitation.
– The challenge today with an increasing
volume and complexity of information is the actual
conne... more – The challenge today with an increasing
volume and complexity of information is the actual
connections we make with the information, its value and
how it impacts us. This paper interweaves three topics
as they relate to communicating scientific knowledge
and the use of the arts to heighten our ability to connect
to the information, so as to transition from up in the
clouds to down to earth, i.e. from the intangible to the
tangible. Educators, teachers and an evolving breed of
mentors play an important role in the transition from a
hierarchical arena to one of reciprocal interactions,
mutual learning and respect, openness to novel ideas and
encouragement to think outside the box. The topics to be
explored are the following: the outlining of a story –
from up in the clouds to down to the earth, the art of
Scientific Storytelling and the uncovering of the ‘scoop’
in the story: translating knowledge into action. This
paper embraces nonconventional forms of learning and
imparting acquired skills and knowledge using the
Scientific Storytelling method for innovative learning
modules. The method presented in this paper provokes
new insights and conversations, while exploring the cross
pollination of the sciences that enables others to connect
to one’s stories.
The overgrowth of octocorals by sponges is generally disadvantageous for the octocorals. When
the... more The overgrowth of octocorals by sponges is generally disadvantageous for the octocorals. When
the growth of octocoral populations increases the reefs’ structural complexity, more substrate
space becomes available for epibionts to grow. One of these epibionts is the sponge Desmapsamma
anchorata, known to grow exponentially faster than other sponges, and for its ability to overwhelm
the substrate over which it grows. Our objective in this study is to determine if the overgrowth
of branching octocorals by varying sponges is defined only by species-specific interactions,
or if some physical attributes make this octocoral more susceptible to being overgrown than others.
To determine this, on a reef south of Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, we monitored the attachment of various
demosponges to branching octocorals in a series of experiments to assess the response effect
of the interactions and properties leading to attachment and subsequent sponge overgrowth on
branching octocorals. Substrate effects, species-specific reactions, and time of exposure were considered.
Additionally, following successful-attachment, preliminary growth rates of two sponge
species epizoic on two octocoral species were monitored. Differences in the observed interaction
between species and treatments were analyzed with a multinomial response model to isolate a
species-specific effect from other interacting effects of the properties tested. Results indicate that
time of exposure of a sponge in direct contact with the octocoral fragment significantly affects the
outcome of the interaction; secondly, physical properties and species-specific interactions also influence
the attachment. Following the successful attachment to an octocoral, the growth of the
sponge varies as a function of the sponge’s differential growth rate and the substrate species over
which it grows. In the context of species successions, understanding interactions between coralreef
organisms is important as these interactions explain species composition and diversity, and
provide a basis for the prediction of future changes in complex reef communities.
In benthic communities sponges commonly outcompete other organisms in the race for suitable space... more In benthic communities sponges commonly outcompete other organisms in the race for suitable space. Superior competitive ability allows them to grow and overgrow other sessile organisms, some of these being octocorals. Acquiring substratum space, a resource often more limiting than food, is the obvious benefit of these competitive interactions. However, sponges that overgrow larger structures such as branching octocorals also change their position in the water column, and potentially their access to food and exposure to grazers. This study explored the potential benefit of sponge–octocoral associations by examining the effect of height off the bottom on growth of two species of ropelike demosponges under natural conditions. The growths of Amphimedon compressa and Iotrochota birotulata were monitored over 12 months at Cross Harbour, Great Abaco, The Bahamas, using small (5-cm) sponge fragments that were established at three heights above the bottom (0–5, 30, 60 cm). Growth rates differed among the two species and among different heights. Over 12 months, the mean volumetric growth for A. compressa was 17.7 cm3 ± 1.4 compared with 8.9 cm3 ± 1.4 for I. birotulata. Both species had a higher growth rate at the 60-cm level. These results suggest that these ropelike sponges benefit from their association and growth on octocorals, not only by using the octocoral skeletal axis as support, but also by acquiring exposure to higher water flow.
Thesis Chapters by Elizabeth L Mclean, PhD
Sponges are a prominent component of the invertebrate fauna of Caribbean reefs. This study descri... more Sponges are a prominent component of the invertebrate fauna of Caribbean reefs. This study describes various aspects of the ecology of the demosponge Desmapsamma anchorata, Carter 1882, off southwest Puerto Rico. The distribution of Desmapsamma was examined at various sites (San Cristobal reef, Pelotas reef and Guayanilla Bay) and more detailed studies (field experiments, spatial dispersion pattern, population dynamics and interactions with other organisms) were largely conducted at Media Luna reef. This sponge occurs in depths ranging from 2 to more than 20m in inner, middle and outer reefs systems as well as in other habitats (mangrove roots, Thalassia beds, etc.). The spatial dispersion pattern of Desmapsamma is aggregated, probably because of the patchy distribution of suitable substrates. In addition to its presence on inanimate substrates, Desmapsamma is often associated with other organisms (gorgonians, other sponges, corals, zoanthids). The biological associations involve positive (mutualistic), negative (competitive), and no effect (standoff) interactions depending upon the specific organism. In addition, competitive interactions included both overgrowth and allelopathic effects depending upon the associated species. For instance Desmapsamma overgrew scleractinians and killed tissues of the gorgonian Gorgonia ventalina through allelopathy. Mortality of Desmapsamma was size-dependent, with the highest survival for medium size colonies. The greater drag forces associated with wave action are probably responsible for the high mortality of large colonies. Recruitment was largely the result of sexual reproduction rather than asexual fragmentation. A size-specific matrix model indicated that the Desmapsamma population was decreasing during the study period.
The results of this study indicate that Desmapsamma populations are affected by a complex interplay of physical effects and biological interactions.
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Papers by Elizabeth L Mclean, PhD
This paper examines lobstermen's LEK as it relates to stock assessment and the overlap to science based ecological knowledge (SEK). Although in recent years, using vent-less trap assessments and conducting young of the year surveys, has set the stage for more cooperative research, in our opinion, lobstermen's LEK remains underutilized in fisheries management. There has been a steady decline in the lobster stocks over the years, raising concerns regarding fisheries management.
For this reason, we turn to lobstermen's knowledge as an important source that could inform fisheries management. Using a semi-structured approach, the stakeholders' LEK and open discussions were recorded during three meetings where lobstermen participated with managers and scientists. LEK was transcribed and categorized and matched to the corresponding SEK described in the literature. Results generally found that the lobstermen's LEK corresponded with the best available SEK. LEK is compatible with an ecosystem view of the fishery that integrates the complexities of interacting systems. The lobstermen explained that they viewed their fishing grounds as “managed landscapes”, areas used productively, maintained and protected by them. These results are a starting point to broaden the base of the knowledge used in fisheries management enabling us to see the whole picture. Topics of LEK and SEK convergence are promising common ground, while topics where lobstermen and managers' views differ, can serve as points of entry to enable research and cooperative management. Both can be the basis for cooperative hypothesis testing.
volume and complexity of information is the actual
connections we make with the information, its value and
how it impacts us. This paper interweaves three topics
as they relate to communicating scientific knowledge
and the use of the arts to heighten our ability to connect
to the information, so as to transition from up in the
clouds to down to earth, i.e. from the intangible to the
tangible. Educators, teachers and an evolving breed of
mentors play an important role in the transition from a
hierarchical arena to one of reciprocal interactions,
mutual learning and respect, openness to novel ideas and
encouragement to think outside the box. The topics to be
explored are the following: the outlining of a story –
from up in the clouds to down to the earth, the art of
Scientific Storytelling and the uncovering of the ‘scoop’
in the story: translating knowledge into action. This
paper embraces nonconventional forms of learning and
imparting acquired skills and knowledge using the
Scientific Storytelling method for innovative learning
modules. The method presented in this paper provokes
new insights and conversations, while exploring the cross
pollination of the sciences that enables others to connect
to one’s stories.
the growth of octocoral populations increases the reefs’ structural complexity, more substrate
space becomes available for epibionts to grow. One of these epibionts is the sponge Desmapsamma
anchorata, known to grow exponentially faster than other sponges, and for its ability to overwhelm
the substrate over which it grows. Our objective in this study is to determine if the overgrowth
of branching octocorals by varying sponges is defined only by species-specific interactions,
or if some physical attributes make this octocoral more susceptible to being overgrown than others.
To determine this, on a reef south of Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, we monitored the attachment of various
demosponges to branching octocorals in a series of experiments to assess the response effect
of the interactions and properties leading to attachment and subsequent sponge overgrowth on
branching octocorals. Substrate effects, species-specific reactions, and time of exposure were considered.
Additionally, following successful-attachment, preliminary growth rates of two sponge
species epizoic on two octocoral species were monitored. Differences in the observed interaction
between species and treatments were analyzed with a multinomial response model to isolate a
species-specific effect from other interacting effects of the properties tested. Results indicate that
time of exposure of a sponge in direct contact with the octocoral fragment significantly affects the
outcome of the interaction; secondly, physical properties and species-specific interactions also influence
the attachment. Following the successful attachment to an octocoral, the growth of the
sponge varies as a function of the sponge’s differential growth rate and the substrate species over
which it grows. In the context of species successions, understanding interactions between coralreef
organisms is important as these interactions explain species composition and diversity, and
provide a basis for the prediction of future changes in complex reef communities.
Thesis Chapters by Elizabeth L Mclean, PhD
The results of this study indicate that Desmapsamma populations are affected by a complex interplay of physical effects and biological interactions.
This paper examines lobstermen's LEK as it relates to stock assessment and the overlap to science based ecological knowledge (SEK). Although in recent years, using vent-less trap assessments and conducting young of the year surveys, has set the stage for more cooperative research, in our opinion, lobstermen's LEK remains underutilized in fisheries management. There has been a steady decline in the lobster stocks over the years, raising concerns regarding fisheries management.
For this reason, we turn to lobstermen's knowledge as an important source that could inform fisheries management. Using a semi-structured approach, the stakeholders' LEK and open discussions were recorded during three meetings where lobstermen participated with managers and scientists. LEK was transcribed and categorized and matched to the corresponding SEK described in the literature. Results generally found that the lobstermen's LEK corresponded with the best available SEK. LEK is compatible with an ecosystem view of the fishery that integrates the complexities of interacting systems. The lobstermen explained that they viewed their fishing grounds as “managed landscapes”, areas used productively, maintained and protected by them. These results are a starting point to broaden the base of the knowledge used in fisheries management enabling us to see the whole picture. Topics of LEK and SEK convergence are promising common ground, while topics where lobstermen and managers' views differ, can serve as points of entry to enable research and cooperative management. Both can be the basis for cooperative hypothesis testing.
volume and complexity of information is the actual
connections we make with the information, its value and
how it impacts us. This paper interweaves three topics
as they relate to communicating scientific knowledge
and the use of the arts to heighten our ability to connect
to the information, so as to transition from up in the
clouds to down to earth, i.e. from the intangible to the
tangible. Educators, teachers and an evolving breed of
mentors play an important role in the transition from a
hierarchical arena to one of reciprocal interactions,
mutual learning and respect, openness to novel ideas and
encouragement to think outside the box. The topics to be
explored are the following: the outlining of a story –
from up in the clouds to down to the earth, the art of
Scientific Storytelling and the uncovering of the ‘scoop’
in the story: translating knowledge into action. This
paper embraces nonconventional forms of learning and
imparting acquired skills and knowledge using the
Scientific Storytelling method for innovative learning
modules. The method presented in this paper provokes
new insights and conversations, while exploring the cross
pollination of the sciences that enables others to connect
to one’s stories.
the growth of octocoral populations increases the reefs’ structural complexity, more substrate
space becomes available for epibionts to grow. One of these epibionts is the sponge Desmapsamma
anchorata, known to grow exponentially faster than other sponges, and for its ability to overwhelm
the substrate over which it grows. Our objective in this study is to determine if the overgrowth
of branching octocorals by varying sponges is defined only by species-specific interactions,
or if some physical attributes make this octocoral more susceptible to being overgrown than others.
To determine this, on a reef south of Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, we monitored the attachment of various
demosponges to branching octocorals in a series of experiments to assess the response effect
of the interactions and properties leading to attachment and subsequent sponge overgrowth on
branching octocorals. Substrate effects, species-specific reactions, and time of exposure were considered.
Additionally, following successful-attachment, preliminary growth rates of two sponge
species epizoic on two octocoral species were monitored. Differences in the observed interaction
between species and treatments were analyzed with a multinomial response model to isolate a
species-specific effect from other interacting effects of the properties tested. Results indicate that
time of exposure of a sponge in direct contact with the octocoral fragment significantly affects the
outcome of the interaction; secondly, physical properties and species-specific interactions also influence
the attachment. Following the successful attachment to an octocoral, the growth of the
sponge varies as a function of the sponge’s differential growth rate and the substrate species over
which it grows. In the context of species successions, understanding interactions between coralreef
organisms is important as these interactions explain species composition and diversity, and
provide a basis for the prediction of future changes in complex reef communities.
The results of this study indicate that Desmapsamma populations are affected by a complex interplay of physical effects and biological interactions.