New York Sea Grant

Nitric oxide (NO) from constitutive NO synthase (NOS) has been postulated to be a homeostatic regulator of leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions. By contrast, the inducible NO synthase (iNOS) isoform has been invoked as a potential pathogenic enzyme in numerous inflammatory diseases. The objective of this study was to determine whether the iNOS isoform is also capable of functioning as a regulator of leukocyte recruitment. Mice received endotoxin (LPS, 30 microg/kg, i.v.); 2-4 h later, intravital microscopy was used to examine leukocyte rolling and adhesion in postcapillary venules of the cremaster muscle and the sinusoids and postsinusoidal venules of the hepatic microcirculation. Leukocyte recruitment into the lung was also examined. RT-PCR confirmed that this treatment induced iNOS mRNA expression in wild-type mice as early as 2 h after LPS treatment. Between 2 and 4 h after LPS administration, the number of rolling and adherent leukocytes in cremasteric postcapillary venules and of adherent cells in liver postsinusoidal venules of iNOS-deficient mice were significantly higher than in wild-type mice. Leukocyte accumulation in the lung (measured by myeloperoxidase assay) was also significantly elevated in iNOS-deficient animals. These effects could not be attributed to differences in systemic blood pressure, shear rates, circulating leukocyte numbers, or baseline levels of rolling and adhesion because these parameters were not different between the two groups. To establish whether the differences in leukocyte recruitment were related to the leukocytes per se, perfusion of iNOS+/+ or iNOS-/- septic blood over purified E-selectin (using parallel plate flow chambers) revealed much larger recruitment of iNOS-/- leukocytes. These results suggest that iNOS induced in response to LPS releases NO that is capable of reducing leukocyte accumulation by affecting leukocytes directly and raises the possibility that induction of iNOS is a homeostatic regulator for leukocyte recruitment.

We have applied molecular approaches, including PCR-based detection strategies and DNA fingerprinting methods, to study the ecology of Listeria monocytogenes in food processing environments. A total of 531 samples, including raw fish, fish during the cold-smoking process, finished product, and environmental samples, were collected from three smoked fish processing facilities during five visits to each facility. A total of 95 (17.9%) of the samples tested positive for L. monocytogenes using a commercial PCR system (BAX for Screening/Listeria monocytogenes), including 57 (27.7%) environmental samples (n = 206), 8 (7.8%) raw material samples (n = 102), 23 (18.1%) samples from fish in various stages of processing(n = 127), and 7 (7.3%) finished product samples (n = 96). L. monocytogenes was isolated from 85 samples (16.0%) using culture methods. Used in conjunction with a 48-h enrichment in Listeria Enrichment Broth, the PCR system had a sensitivity of 91.8% and a specificity of 96.2%. To track the origin and spread of L. monocytogenes, isolates were fingerprinted by automated ribotyping. Fifteen different ribotypes were identified among 85 isolates tested. Ribotyping data established possible contamination patterns, implicating raw materials and the processing environment as potential sources of finished product contamination. Analysis of the distribution of ribotypes revealed that each processing facility had a unique contamination pattern and that specific ribotypes persisted in the environments of two facilities over time (P < or = 0.0006). We conclude that application of molecular approaches can provide critical information on the ecology of different L. monocytogenes strains in food processing environments. This information can be used to develop practical recommendations for improved control of this important food-borne pathogen in the food industry.

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2009. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of IOP Publishing for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in &#13;\nEnvironmental Research Letters 4 (2009): 044008, doi:10.1088/1748-9326/4/4/044008.

Abstract Black students face repeated racial microaggressions that may challenge their mental health and academic performance in engineering doctoral programs. Researchers attribute this to stereotypes and institutional climates that juxtapose their STEM and racial identities as incongruent. In this article, we analyzed the perceptions of environmental, behavioral, and verbal racial microaggressions of 33 Black doctoral students and postdocs, with a focus on their interactions with non‐Black peers. Data were collected through semi‐structured interviews with Black doctoral students from 11 Predominantly White Institutions in the United States. To analyze the experiences of our participants, we utilized two theoretical frameworks: Racial microaggressions and identity nonverification. Across the interviews, participants described various forms of racial microaggressions that greatly challenged their sense of belonging and identities as engineers. This research affirms the need to develop initiatives at the departmental and institutional levels to encourage more inclusive spaces for diverse students in STEM doctoral programs and to combat the types of exclusionary practices found in this study.

Abstract Background Engineering education in the United States has been accused of favoring White men at the exclusion of those traditionally underrepresented in engineering. However, contrary to the culturally responsive literature addressing approaches to “colorblindness,” engineering faculty believe they should treat all students equally. Purpose This study explored conceptions of equity and privilege present within the culture of engineering education, particularly the White male population. Method This longitudinal qualitative study investigated the experiences of one longtime engineering professor, an insider to the culture of engineering confronted with conceptions of his own privilege. We analyzed interview, focus group, and field note data to evaluate shifts in our participant's perspective while he was enrolled in a doctoral program that challenged his views of race, privilege, and equity. Results Our participant was initially opposed to conceptions of his own privilege. Through repeated challenges to his beliefs about privilege coupled with reflections on his experiences and positioning in society, his beliefs shifted toward recognizing inequities based on class and race. Conclusions In a discipline with an overrepresentation of White men, there can be resistance to addressing topics of equity and privilege. However, it is possible for engineering educators, despite their race and gender, to change their beliefs related to the culture of engineering education and to address inequities within engineering departments and classrooms.

A growing body of literature has examined the underrepresentation of women of color (WOC) in university engineering programs, but its primary focus has been on the experiences of women students of color. Research on WOC in engineering is usually drawn from all of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, which does little to illuminate the nuanced experiences of WOC within engineering culture. We sought a primary emphasis on persistence and perseverance rather than the typical examinations on mentoring, inventions, work-life balance, or the challenges that WOC face in engineering faculty environments. There are few studies on how and why women of color persist in academia in the face of the intersection of racism and sexism. Using intersectionality as a theoretical framework and inductive qualitative analyses of interviews with 56 women of color who identified as Asian, Black, Latina, and/or multiracial, we analyzed the sources of support for their persistence. Asking which collective factors support WOC in general and which are unique to each of the racial/ gender groups, we identified three major themes-persistence is aided by (1) supportive colleagues internal to the department or institution, (2) supportive colleagues external to the institution, and (3) the intersectional considerations of group-specific nuances shared by Black, Latina, and Asian women engineering faculty members. The implications suggest women of color thrive in departments with supportive faculty, proactive leadership, and a commitment to professional development. We outline specific racial group interventions that can be beneficial for Asian, Black, and Latina engineering faculty.

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is widely recognized as an important habitat and indicator of water quality in large rivers and estuaries. Despite the perceived importance, system-wide assessments of cover, susceptibility to change, and ecological functioning are rare because of the geographical scope and multi-disciplinary expertise required. A collaboration between scientists, estuarine managers, and environmental educators was initiated to map the SAV and the Eurasian water chestnut (Trapa natans) in the Hudson River estuary from Hastings-on-Hudson north to Troy, New York. These groups provided diverse scientific and estuarine management expertise to enable the first broad delimitation of SAV in the Hudson and sampling of beds to describe abundance, biomass, and species composition and to address management and education needs and opportunities. The areal extent of SAV based on a combination of 1995 and 1997 photographs in the study area was 1,802 hectares (4,453 acres), ∼6% of the river area and ∼18% of the shallows (defined as less than 3 meters deep at low tide). Trapa natans covered 575 hectares (1,421 acres), 2% of the river area and 6% of the shallows. In the most heavily vegetated portion of the Hudson (approximately 150–200 kilometers of river), the coverage by plants (both SAV and T. natans) approached 25% of the river bottom area. Results of this work have been integrated into the federal and state regulatory processes, local resource users, and local science education programs. Finally, we have initiated a volunteer SAV monitoring program.

Abstract Flooding is one of the most dangerous and costly natural hazards, and has a large impact on infrastructure, mobility, public health, and safety. Despite the disruptive impacts of flooding and predictions of increased flooding due to climate change, municipalities have little quantitative data available on the occurrence, frequency, or extent of urban floods. To address this, we have been designing, building, and deploying low‐cost, ultrasonic sensors to systematically collect data on the presence, depth, and duration of street‐level floods in New York City (NYC), through a project called FloodNet. FloodNet is a partnership between academic researchers and NYC municipal agencies, working in consultation with residents and community organizations. FloodNet sensors are designed to be compact, rugged, low‐cost, and deployed in a manner that is independent of existing power and network infrastructure. These requirements were implemented to allow deployment of a hyperlocal, city‐wide sensor network, given that urban floods often occur in a distributed manner due to local variations in land development, population density, sewer design, and topology. Thus far, 87 FloodNet sensors have been installed across the five boroughs of NYC. These sensors have recorded flood events caused by high tides, stormwater runoff, storm surge, and extreme precipitation events, illustrating the feasibility of collecting data that can be used by multiple stakeholders for flood resiliency planning and emergency response.

Although juvenile fish are studied extensively in estuarine and nearshore environments, surprisingly little is known about the basic habitat requirements of juveniles for offshore settlement and nursery areas. Between June 1996 and July 1997, settlement and nursery habitats of age-0 (early juvenile) demersal fish on the conti- nental shelf of the New York Bight were investigated by using a two-meter beam trawl. Replicate tows at 21 sta- tions along three cross-shelf transects (20-95 m depth), were sampled on a near monthly basis to determine gen- eral ecology (21,309 fish collected in 659 tows). Of the 47 species collected, 33 included age-0 juveniles, and 25 included near-settlement size individuals. The two dominant species, Pleuronectes fer- rugineus and Merluccius bilinearis, con- stituted 88.9% of the total catch of age-0 fish. Of all age-0 fish, 94% were collected during summer and fall. Comparisons of weighted means and the use of canoni- cal correspondence analysis determined that settlement and nursery habitats across the shelf are primarily delin- eated by depth, temperature, and time of year. Three zones across the shelf (inner, middle, and outer) each had dis- tinct juvenile fish assemblages. Knowl- edge gained about the distribution and quality of juvenile habitat for commer- cially important offshore species should facilitate their improved management. With the decrease in fish abun- dance in the latter half of the twen- tieth century, particularly in the Northwest Atlantic (McHugh, 1972; NEFSC, 1992), fisheries managers

Bed and breakfast operations provide unique alternatives for both guest and host. A survey of B&Bs in New York State indicates the diversity of this lodging option

For over a decade, a study reported by Skea et al. (1979, 1981) has served as a much-cited reference on the effectiveness of fish fillet fat-trimming to reduce organochlorine contaminant burdens in fish from the Great Lakes. By 1990, however, the results from the Skea study had yet to be independently replicated. In an effort to verify these results and to address other related questions about fillet fat-trimming efficacy, twenty sport-caught brown trout (Salmo trutta) from Lake Ontario were selected for study. Total weight, total length, sex, age, and condition factor (K) for each fish were determined. One side (fillet) of each fish (including rib cage and scaled skin) was removed using standard filleting technique. The opposing fillet was trimmed using the fat-trimming procedures recommended by New York State for fat-soluble contaminant reduction. The trimming procedure resulted in substantial loss in yield (Mean: 41.6%) when compared to the untrimmed “standard fillet”, although this loss was chiefly composed of what would be generally considered as inedible or unpalatable body parts. The standard and trimmed fillets were analyzed for total fat content and for concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mirex using standard laboratory and gas chromatographic analyses. Results indicated significant reductions in total fat (61.8%), PCB (45.6%), and mirex (44.2%) levels in the trimmed fillets when compared to corresponding levels in standard fillets. Significant statistical correlations were also found between fat content and contaminant levels in both standard and trimmed fillets. The pattern of strong and/or statistically significant correlations between such physical factors as weight, length, age, and condition, and the levels of fat content and contaminant concentrations in the fillets suggested that the common health advisory recommendation to avoid larger and older fish in order to minimize ingestion of fat-soluble contaminants is clearly warranted. Sex of fish was found to be unrelated to fat content and contaminant levels. Results of this limited study compare closely to specific findings for brown trout reported by Skea. Comparison of the results from both studies suggests that the recommended fat-trimming procedure remains consistently effective despite wide variation in the initial (untrimmed fillet) levels of contamination.

Abstract Striped bass, Morone saxatilis , is an anadromous fish native to the North American Atlantic Coast and is well recognized as one of the most important and highly regarded recreational fisheries in the United States. Decades of research have been conducted on striped bass and its hybrid (striped bass × white bass Morone chrysops ) and culture methods have been established, particularly for the hybrid striped bass, the fourth largest finfish aquaculture industry in the United States (US $50 million). Domesticated striped bass have been developed since the 1990s and broodstock are available from the government for commercial fry production using novel hormone‐free methods along with traditional hormone‐induced tank and strip spawning. No commercial‐scale intensive larval rearing technologies have been developed at present and current fingerling production is conducted in fertilized freshwater ponds. Larval diets have not been successfully used as first feeds; however, they have been used for weaning from live feeds prior to metamorphosis. Striped bass can be grown out in marine (32 ppt) or freshwater (&lt;5 ppt); however, they require high hardness (200+ ppm) and some salinity (8–10 ppt) to offset handling stress. Juveniles must be 1–10 g/fish prior to stocking into marine water. Commercially available fingerling, growout, and broodstock feeds are available from several vendors. Striped bass may reach 1.36 kg/fish in recirculating aquaculture by 18 months and as much as 2.27 kg/fish by 24 months. Farm gate value of striped bass has not been determined, although seasonally available wild‐harvested striped bass are valued at about US $6.50 to US $10.14 per kg and cultured hybrid striped bass are valued at about US $8.45 to US $9.25 per kg whole; the farm gate value for cultured striped bass may be as much as US $10.00 or more per kg depending on demand and market. The ideal market size is between 1.36 and 2.72 kg/fish, which is considerably larger than the traditional 0.68 to 0.90 kg/fish for the hybrid striped bass market.

Abstract Since 1986, over 310,000 walleye fingerlings, Stizostedion vitreum, (35–125 mm TL) have been cultured in earthen ponds and stocked into New York bays and tributaries of Lake Ontario. These introductions are unusual because the walleye fingerlings were produced and stocked through a cooperative effort involving seven angler associations, the New York Sea Grant Extension Program, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and academia (particularly the State University of New York, College at Brockport and Cornell University). Based on several measures, the cooperative management program is a success. Cage studies indicate that 7–13-d survival of introduced fingerlings is high (>97%) and post-stocking samplings suggest that stocked fish contribute to the fisheries.

Wijsman, K., D. S. N. Auyeung, P. Brashear, B. F. Branco, K. Graziano, P. M. Groffman, H. Cheng, and D. Corbett. 2021. Operationalizing resilience: co-creating a framework to monitor hard, natural, and nature-based shoreline features in New York State. Ecology and Society 26(3):10. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12182-260310

Weakfish Cynoscion regalis support an important recreational fishery in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Several state fishery management agencies have imposed size and creel limits in an attempt to reduce weakfish fishing mortality. Despite these management measures, few data are available for the estimation of angling mortality following the catch and release of sublegal fish. We used sport-fishing tackle to capture 90 weakfish (300–453 mm total length) in Great South Bay, New York, during August–September 1995. All animals were caught with single barbed hooks (size 1/0) on either natural baits or artificial lures. We recorded bait type (natural or artificial) for each capture event. Mean short-term mortality was estimated at 2.6%, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.6–7.0%. Mortality did not differ significantly between fish caught on natural baits and those caught on artificial lures. The results suggest that inadvertent angling mortality of weakfish is quite low and unlikely to inhibit stock rebuilding efforts in the mid-Atlantic region.

Abstract The round goby ( Neogobius melanostomus ) is among the fastest‐spreading introduced aquatic species in North America and is radiating inland from the Great Lakes into freshwater ecosystems across the landscape. Predicting and managing the impacts of round gobies requires information on the factors influencing their distribution in habitats along the invasion front, yet this information is not available for many recently invaded ecosystems. We evaluated the seasonal habitat use and biomass of round gobies in an inland temperate lake to define the spatiotemporal scope of biological interactions at the leading edge of the round goby invasion. Using novel statistical approaches, we combined hierarchical models that control for imperfect species detection with flexible smooth terms to describe non‐linear relationships between round goby abundance and environmental gradients. Subsequently, we generated accurate detection‐corrected estimates of the standing stock biomass of round gobies. Our results show seasonally differentiated habitat niches, where suitable round goby habitat in summer months is restricted to shallow depths (&lt;18.4 m) with a mixture of vegetative and mussel cover. We found high round goby biomass of 122 kg/ha in occupied habitats during the summer, with a total lake‐wide biomass of 766,000 kg. In winter, round gobies migrate to deep offshore habitats and disperse, dramatically altering their scope for biological interactions with resident aquatic species across summer and winter seasons. The results of this study indicate that the scope of biological interactions in inland lakes may be seasonally variable, with potential for high round goby biomass in shallow lakes or at the periphery of deep lakes in the summer months. Such shallow‐water habitats may therefore present higher risk of ecological impacts from round gobies in invaded lentic ecosystems. As round gobies expand inland, consideration of seasonal habitat use will be an important factor in predicting the impacts of this pervasive invader.

In response to calls for marine ecosystem-based management (EBM), the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) developed a multidisciplinary science support framework called integrated ecosystem assessment (IEA). The IEA framework and a national NOAA program for implementing that framework were the culmination of many efforts in the 2000s. At a recent workshop, five leaders from the early days of NOAA IEA development participated in a panel to discuss the history of the framework and program, and to provide recommendations for future work. Panelists intended IEA to be a call to action for scientists and agencies to support EBM, and they designed the framework to be adaptable, scalable, and non-prescriptive so that it could be applied to a range of issues. Panelists emphasized the complementary nature of the processes, tools, and products that make up IEA efforts, and also stressed the need to adapt the IEA approach to shifting management and governance structures. Finally, panelists offered a range of recommendations for future development of the IEA approach, including: (1) broadening the stakeholder base; (2) developing objectives and reference points in partnership with end-users; (3) increasing diversity of IEA practitioners to better reflect the communities that IEA serves; (4) increasing development of readily updatable, real-time products; (5) carefully assessing and prioritizing the demands placed on IEA practitioners; (6) increasing collaboration across disciplines and resource sectors; (7) seeking opportunities to engage with emerging governance structures; and (8) strengthening support for IEA by effectively communicating its stories.

Abstract The authors submit that the professional fisheries science community has failed to embrace and utilize fully the social sciences in the study and management of fisheries. A review of principal fisheries literature in recent years suggests that little attention is being given to the human parameters of fisheries. The authors restate and reaffirm some basic tenets pertaining to the importance of people's needs, values, and perceptions in any general resource management system and, more specifically, in fisheries resource development. The university is viewed as both contributor to the problem of the overlooked human component in fisheries study and as one important agent for addressing this shortcoming in the future. Lastly, it is offered that today's fishery managers can also help to remedy the shortfall in the use and appreciation of social analyses in fisheries work. This can be done through greater receptivity among managers for social science research results, and through efforts to legitimize...

Coastal communities are threatened by extreme weather events in the form of storm surge and by frequent, chronic, or nuisance flooding. The physical damage of these events is vast and established in the literature; however, the social-emotional impacts are less well-documented. This pilot study sought to understand the impacts of tidal flooding on flood-prone communities in Queens, NY. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews (n=9) with civic science participants, we document flooding impacts, identify adaptations to flooding, and examine sources of information about flooding--including local networks and relationship to government. We found that participants are knowledgeable about and engaged with the processes, rhythms, and impacts of tidal flooding. Qualitative methods can be used to surface experiences of living with flooding and therefore inform planning processes. This work demonstrates the need to attune methods and data collection to better capture and understand lived experience, local ecological knowledge, and civic engagement--as these are crucial building blocks for strengthening social resilience. Finally, by rooting the research in civic science and a co-production approach, this study provides a starting point for building shared knowledge across different stakeholders to inform collaborative adaptation planning. Ultimately, we seek to better engage local knowledge -- including rich, qualitative data capturing lived experience -- into adaptation and resilience planning.

Ecosystem managers confronted with newly invasive species may respond with a program of suppression or eradication. Suppression of an invasive species refers to management of a species such that its effect on other biota in the local ecosystem is acceptable. Eradication is the removal of all individuals of a species from a defined region. We examine the cost and benefit trade-offs between suppression and eradication of Laurentian Great Lakes sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) based on discussions at the 3rd Sea Lamprey International Symposium (held in 2019). Substantial effort has been expended annually since the 1960s to suppress sea lampreys in the Great Lakes basin. Choosing between suppression and eradication is a value judgement, ideally made jointly by scientists, decision-makers, stakeholders, and society. Successful large-scale eradications have been limited to a small number of cases for which the cost to human society justified and supported the long-term commitment necessary for success. The greatest challenge to successful eradication of sea lampreys from the Great Lakes may be a suitable social, political, legal, and institutional environment. Preparations could be made now for a transition in which public pushback on current control methods (pesticide applications and barriers to fish passage) leads to more extensive use of an alternative control method, such as genetic control.