United States Coast Guard

Rapid population growth and coastal development are primary drivers of marine habitat degradation. Although shoreline hardening or armoring (the addition of concrete structures such as seawalls, jetties, and groins), a byproduct of development, can accelerate erosion and loss of beaches and tidal wetlands, it is a common practice globally. Here, we provide the first estimate of shoreline hardening along US Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico coasts and predict where future armoring may result in tidal wetland loss if coastal management practices remain unchanged. Our analysis indicates that 22 842 km of continental US shoreline – approximately 14% of the total US coastline – has been armored. We also consider how socioeconomic and physical factors relate to the pervasiveness of shoreline armoring and show that housing density, gross domestic product, storms, and wave height are positively correlated with hardening. Over 50% of South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts are fringed with tidal wetlands that could be threatened by future hardening, based on projected population growth, storm frequency, and an absence of coastal development restrictions.

Determining the importance of independent variables is of practical relevance to ecologists and managers concerned with allocating limited resources to the management of natural systems. Although techniques that identify explanatory variables having the largest influence on the response variable are needed to design management actions effectively, the use of various indices to evaluate variable importance is poorly understood. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we compared six different indices commonly used to evaluate variable importance; zero-order correlations, partial correlations, semipartial correlations, standardized regression coefficients, Akaike weights, and independent effects. We simulated four scenarios to evaluate the indices under progressively more complex circumstances that included correlation between explanatory variables, as well as a spurious variable that was correlated with other explanatory variables, but not with the dependent variable. No index performed perfectly under all circumstances, but partial correlations and Akaike weights performed poorly in all cases. Zero-order correlations was the only measure that detected the presence of a spurious variable, whereas only independent effects assigned overlap areas correctly once the spurious variable was removed. We therefore recommend using zero-order correlations to eliminate predictor variables with correlations near zero, followed by the use of independent effects to assign overlap areas and rank variable importance.

ABSTRACT Today, e-learning is a common delivery media for education and training within many organizations. Yet, while both the supply and demand for e-learning opportunities has risen in recent years, many professionals are beginning to question whether e-learn-ers are prepared to be successful in an online learning environment (e.g., Gug-lielmino & Guglielmino, 2003; Watkins & Corry, 2005). After all, a learner's demonstrated success in a conventional education and training classroom may not be an adequate predictor of success in an e-learning classroom. One way of gauging a potential online learner's readiness is through self-assessment. As a first step in defining an instrument that measures an e-learner's readiness, with the cooperation of volunteer participants from the U.S. Coast Guard, this study looked into the validity and internal consistency of items within a self-assessment of e-learning readiness that is under development, and provided data for the continuing development and revision of the instrument. Having demonstrated evidence of internal consistency and construct validity, the self-assessment now provides a tool for continuing research into the prediction of e-learning performance. Funding for this study was provided by the International Society for Performance Improvement.

While three deployed applications of game theory for security have recently been reported at AAMAS [12], we as a community remain in the early stages of these deployments; there is a continuing need to understand the core principles for innovative security applications of game theory. Towards that end, this paper presents PROTECT, a game-theoretic system deployed by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in the port of Boston for scheduling their patrols. USCG has termed the deployment of PROTECT in Boston a success, and efforts are underway to test it in the port of New York, with the potential for nationwide deployment. PROTECT is premised on an attacker-defender Stackelberg game model and offers five key innovations. First, this system is a departure from the assumption of perfect adversary rationality noted in previous work, relying instead on a quantal response (QR) model

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) with flame ionization detection has been applied to oil spill source identification. An oil spill case from the U.S. Coast Guard's Marine Safety Laboratories (MSL) was analyzed by GC × GC. A slightly weathered, marine diesel fuel spill sample was qualitatively and quantitatively compared to two potential source samples. The high resolving power of GC × GC separated several hundred components from the petroleum matrix. Compounds of similar chemical structure were grouped together in an ordered two-dimensional chromatogram. In these ordered groups, numerous small peaks representing minor components were separated and detected. This was especially helpful in determining compounds and compound classes to be used in the analysis. Several classes of compounds were found to be useful for comparing the samples, including alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkylbenzenes, alkylnaphthalenes, and anthracene/phenanthrenes. The GC × GC analysis resulted in a match between the spill sample and one of the source samples. This result was consistent with HRGC and GC/MS analyses employed by the MSL.

Multiple disciplines guide our practice, but none is more relevant than the wholesome approach of positive psychology. In Applied Positive Psychology: Improving Everyday Life, Health, Schools, Work, and Society (2011), the editors address four core areas: society, human development, institutional organizations, and future directions. The strength of this book lies in its comprehensive compilation of research-based, applied, and integrated practices for improving the living, working, and social conditions of those we strive to help every day. Applied Positive Psychology: Improving Everyday Life, Health, Schools, Work, and Society (ISBN: 978-0-415-87781-7) is published by Routledge.

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) was developed primarily as a tool for maritime safety - vessel collision avoidance, use by Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) and as a means for littoral states to get information on vessels operating near their coasts. AIS equipment aboard vessels continuously and autonomously transmits information about the vessel including its identity, position, course and speed to enhance safety. This information has also come to be seen by the U. S. Coast Guard as a critical tool in enhancing Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) in support of all Coast Guard missions. MDA is the effective understanding of anything associated with the global maritime environment that could affect the security, safety, economy, or environment of the United States. To achieve MDA, the Coast Guard must collect as much information as possible on activities occurring in the maritime domain. A large part of this activity relates to the movement of vessels, therefore detection, classification, identification and monitoring of vessels is a key component of MDA. The Coast Guard believes that AIS can provide a critical part of vessel tracking needs to build maritime domain awareness.

OBJECTIVE: We review historical and more recent efforts in boredom research and related fields. A framework is presented that organizes the various facets of boredom, particularly in supervisory control settings, and research gaps and future potential areas for study are highlighted. BACKGROUND: Given the ubiquity of boredom across a wide spectrum of work environments--exacerbated by increasingly automated systems that remove humans from direct, physical system interaction and possibly increasing tedium in the workplace--there is a need not only to better understand the multiple facets of boredom in work environments but to develop targeted mitigation strategies. METHOD: To better understand the relationships between the various influences and outcomes of boredom, a systems-based framework, called the Boredom Influence Diagram, is proposed that describes various elements of boredom and their interrelationships. RESULTS: Boredom is closely related to vigilance, attention management, and task performance. This review highlights the need to develop more naturalistic experiments that reflect the characteristics of a boring work environment. CONCLUSION: With the increase in automation, boredom in the workplace will likely become a more prevalent issue for motivation and retention. In addition, developing continuous measures of boredom based on physiological signals is critical. APPLICATION: Personnel selection and improvements in system and task design can potentially mitigate boredom. However, more work is needed to develop and evaluate other potential interventions.

A method for conducting leeway field experiments to establish the drift properties of small objects (0.1–25 m) is described. The objective is to define a standardized and unambiguous procedure for condensing the drift properties down to a set of coefficients that may be incorporated into existing stochastic trajectory forecast models for drifting objects of concern to search and rescue operations and other activities involving vessels lost at sea such as containers with hazardous material.\n\nAn operational definition of the slip or wind and wave-induced motion of a drifting object relative to the ambient current is proposed. This definition taken together with a strict adherence to a 10 m wind speed allows us to refer unambiguously to the leeway of a drifting object. We recommend that all objects if possible be studied using what we term the direct method, where the object’s leeway is studied directly using an attached current meter.\n\nWe establish a minimum set of parameters that should be estimated for a drifting object for it to be included in the operational forecast models used for prediction of search areas for drifting objects.\n\nWe divide drifting objects into four categories, depending on their size. For the smaller objects (less than 0.5 m), an indirect method of measuring the object’s motion relative to the ambient current must be used. For larger objects, direct measurement of the motion through the near-surface water masses is strongly recommended. Larger objects are categorized according to the ability to attach current meters and wind monitoring systems to them.\n\nThe leeway field method proposed here is illustrated with results from field work where three objects were studied in their distress configuration; a 1:3.3 sized model of a 40-foot Shipping container, a World War II mine and a 220 l (55-gallon) oil drum.

OBJECTIVES: To describe preoperative, surgical, and postoperative findings and determine prognostic indicators and treatment recommendations in dogs treated surgically for gallbladder mucocele. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 22 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES: Medical records of dogs with gallbladder mucoceles that were treated surgically were reviewed. History, clinical signs, results of selected clinicopathologic analyses and abdominal ultrasonography, surgical procedure performed, results of histologic examination of a liver biopsy specimen, and survival time were recorded. Follow-up information was obtained via telephone interview with owners and referring veterinarians. RESULTS: Dogs were 7 to 15 years of age and had non-specific clinical signs (vomiting, anorexia, and lethargy). Physical examination findings included icterus, signs of depression, and signs of discomfort on palpation of the abdomen. Sixteen dogs had a definitive diagnosis and 6 dogs were strongly suspected of having a gallbladder mucocele on the basis of results of abdominal ultrasonography. Fifteen dogs survived after surgery; 3 of these dogs had bile-induced peritonitis, and 4 had pancreatitis. One dog was euthanatized as a result of severe pancreatitis, and 1 was euthanatized because of acute renal failure; 5 dogs died as a result of pancreatitis, cholecystitis, or bile-induced peritonitis. Hepatic abnormalities were detected histologically in all dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: No predictors of survival were identified. No associations between outcome of surgical treatment (survival vs nonsurvival) and preoperative findings, biliary rupture, surgical procedure performed, results of histologic examination of the liver, or development of pancreatitis were found. Cholecystoduodenostomy and cholecystectomy appear to be acceptable treatments for gallbladder mucocele.

Biofouling exerts a frictional and cost penalty on ships and is a direct cause of invasion by marine species. These negative consequences provide a unifying purpose for the maritime industry and biosecurity managers to prevent biofouling accumulation and transfer, but important gaps exist between these sectors. This mini-review examines the approach to assessments of ship biofouling among sectors (industry, biosecurity and marine science) and the implications for existing and emerging management of biofouling. The primary distinctions between industry and biosecurity in assessment of vessels biofouling revolve around the resolution of biological information collected and the specific wetted surface areas of primary concern to each sector. The morphological characteristics of biofouling and their effects on propulsion dynamics are of primary concern to industry, with an almost exclusive focus on the vertical sides and flat bottom of hulls and an emphasis on antifouling and operational performance. In contrast, the identity, biogeography, and ecology of translocated organisms is of highest concern to invasion researchers and biosecurity managers and policymakers, especially as it relates to species with known histories of invasion elsewhere. Current management practices often provide adequate, although not complete, provision for hull surfaces, but niche areas are well known to enhance biosecurity risk. As regulations to prevent invasions emerge in this arena, there is a growing opportunity for industry, biosecurity and academic stakeholders to collaborate and harmonize efforts to assess and manage biofouling of ships that should lead to more comprehensive biofouling solutions that promote industry goals while reducing biosecurity risk and greenhouse gas emissions.

An important aspect of particle trajectory modeling in the ocean is the assessment of the uncertainty in the final particle position. Monte Carlo particle trajectory simulations using surface currents derived from standard‐range and long‐range CODAR HF radar systems were performed using random‐walk and random‐flight models of the unresolved velocities. Velocity statistics for these models were derived from the covariance functions of differences between CODAR and drifter estimates of surface currents. Comparison of predicted trajectories and drifter tracks demonstrate that these predictions are superior to assuming the drifters stay at their initial position. Vertical shear between the effective depth of long‐range CODAR measurements (∼2.4 m) and that of drifters (0.65 m) causes the drifters to move more rapidly downwind than predicted. This bias is absent when standard‐range CODAR currents (effective depth ∼0.5 m) are used, implying that drifter leeway is not the cause of the bias. Particle trajectories were computed using CODAR data and the random‐flight model for 24‐hour intervals using a Monte Carlo approach to determine the 95% confidence interval of position predictions. Between 80% and 90% of real drifters were located within the predicted confidence interval, in reasonable agreement with the expected 95% success rate. In contrast, predictions using the random‐walk approach proved inconsistent with observations unless the diffusion coefficient was increased to approximately the random‐flight value. The consistency of the random‐flight uncertainty estimates and drifter data supports the use of our methodology for estimating model parameters from drifter‐CODAR velocity differences.

The results of experiments for the natural frequencies and tension of a cable corresponding to a scale model of a guy wire for a 411 m (1,350 ft) tall radio navigation tower are compared to the theoretical predictions. For the theoretical determination of natural frequencies, alternate methods of using curvature are presented. The first 10 natural frequencies of the cable were measured at a number of different wire tension levels and were found to differ from the theoretical values by an average of only 0.7%. The experimental results for the frequencies show clear evidence of avoided crossings. The tension at the base of the cable was determined with an accuracy of 3% by comparing the measured natural frequencies with the theoretical predictions.

Current efforts to minimize ship crews now more than ever require all persons on board to be fully functional and capable of conducting their prescribed duties and responsibilities. However, inherent in the nature of any maritime profession, ships and, therefore, people are exposed to a multitude of motions as a result of weather and sea conditions. Coincident with these motions are a host of physiological, biomechanical, and psychological responses that can quickly reduce even the best efforts of the crew to a fraction of their utility when performed on a stable platform. Ship motions limit a crew's ability to perform essential command, control, and communications functions, navigation tasks, maintenance responsibilities, and even the preparation of food. Additionally, and more importantly, emergency situations may become more threatening in a situation where only a portion of the crew is able to respond effectively. This survey is intended to provide a working knowledge of effects of ship motions on crew performance, fatigue, and motivation. This information can then be used to improve ship and equipment design, and lead to enhanced vessel effectiveness and performance and, more importantly, to enhanced safety of the individuals on board. As ship design evolves and crew sizes decrease, greateremphasis must be placed upon the human factor input in order to ensure safety and efficiency during both routine and emergency operations.

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) was used to investigate the Bouchard 120 oil spill. The latter occurred on April 25, 2003, when the barge Bouchard 120 spilled ∼ 375,000 liters of No. 6 fuel oil into Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. In order to gain a better understanding of the natural processes affecting the fate of the spilled product, we collected and analyzed oil-covered rocks from Nyes Neck beach in North Falmouth, Massachusetts. Here we discuss the data from samples collected on May 9, 2003, and six months later, on November 23, 2003. Along with standard two-dimensional gas chromatographic analysis, we employed unique data-visualization techniques such as difference, ratio, and addition chromatograms to highlight how evaporation, water washing, and biodegradation weathered the spilled oil. These approaches provide a new perspective to studying oil spills and aid attempts to remediate them.

Protected areas (PAs) are expected to conserve nature and provide ecosystem services in perpetuity, yet widespread protected area downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD) may compromise these objectives. Even iconic protected areas are vulnerable to PADDD, although these PADDD events are often unrecognized. We identified 23 enacted and proposed PADDD events within World Natural Heritage Sites and examined the history, context, and consequences of PADDD events in 4 iconic PAs (Yosemite National Park, Arabian Oryx Sanctuary, Yasuní National Park, and Virunga National Park). Based on insights from published research and international workshops, these 4 cases revealed the diverse pressures brought on by competing interests to develop or exploit natural landscapes and the variety of mechanisms that enables PADDD. Knowledge gaps exist in understanding of the conditions through which development pressures translate to PADDD events and their impacts, partially due to a lack of comprehensive PADDD records. Future research priorities should include comprehensive regional and country-level profiles and analysis of risks, impacts, and contextual factors related to PADDD. Policy options to better govern PADDD include improving tracking and reporting of PADDD events, establishing transparent PADDD policy processes, coordinating among legal frameworks, and mitigating negative impacts of PADDD. To support PADDD research and policy reforms, enhanced human and financial capacities are needed to train local researchers and to host publicly accessible data. As the conservation community considers the achievements of Aichi Target 11 and moves toward new biodiversity targets beyond 2020, researchers, practitioners, and policy makers need to work together to better track, assess, and govern PADDD globally.

OBJECTIVE: To determine outcome for dogs and cats with diaphyseal fractures in which a plate-rod construct was used for fracture repair. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 35 dogs and 12 cats. PROCEDURES: Medical records and radiographs were reviewed to obtain information concerning signalment, fracture severity, construct design, time to radiographic union, complications, and outcome. Clients were contacted by telephone to obtain information on complications, limb usage, and overall satisfaction with the procedure. RESULTS: 31 femoral, 9 humeral, and 7 tibial fractures were assessed. Thirteen fractures consisted of 2 fragments, 22 consisted of 3 to 5 fragments, and 12 consisted of > 5 fragments. Forty-six of 47 (98%) fractures reached union. Mean +/- SD times to radiographic union were 7.5 +/- 2.7 weeks for the dogs and 4.8 +/- 1.3 weeks for the cats. There were 4 short-term, minor complications and 15 long-term complications (2 major and 13 minor). Owners of 21 of 30 dogs (70%) and 9 of 12 cats reported that their animals had normal limb function. Twenty-six of 28 dog owners (93%) and 12 of 12 cat owners indicated that they were satisfied with results of the procedure. As surgery time increased, time to union also increased. Time to union for fractures with > 5 fragments was significantly shorter than time to union for fractures with < or = 5 fragments. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that plate-rod constructs can successfully be used for repair of diaphyseal fractures of a wide range of severity in dogs and cats.

In this paper, we describe the model, theory developed, and deployment of PROTECT, a game-theoretic system that the United States Coast Guard (USCG) uses to schedule patrols in the Port of Boston. The USCG evaluated PROTECT’s deployment in the Port of Boston as a success and is currently evaluating the system in the Port of New York, with the potential for nationwide deployment. PROTECT is premised on an attacker-defender Stackelberg game model; however, its development and implementation required both theoretical contributions and detailed evaluations. We describe the work required in the deployment, which we group into five key innovations. First, we propose a compact representation of the defender’s strategy space by exploiting equivalence and dominance, to make PROTECT efficient enough to solve real-world sized problems. Second, this system does not assume that adversaries are perfectly rational, a typical assumption in previous game-theoretic models for security. Instead, PROTECT relies on a quantal response (QR) model of the adversary’s behavior. We believe this is the first real-world deployment of a QR model. Third, we develop specialized solution algorithms that can solve this problem for real-world instances and give theoretical guarantees. Fourth, our experimental results illustrate that PROTECT’s QR model handles real-world uncertainties more robustly than a perfect-rationality model. Finally, we present (1) a comparison of human-generated and PROTECT security schedules, and (2) results of an evaluation of PROTECT from an analysis by human mock attackers.

Abstract Managing interactions between human activities and marine mammals often relies on an understanding of the real‐time distribution or occurrence of animals. Visual surveys typically cannot provide persistent monitoring because of expense and weather limitations, and while passive acoustic recorders can monitor continuously, the data they collect are often not accessible until the recorder is recovered. We have developed a moored passive acoustic monitoring system that provides near real‐time occurrence estimates for humpback, sei, fin and North Atlantic right whales from a single site for a year, and makes those occurrence estimates available via a publicly accessible website, email and text messages, a smartphone/tablet app and the U.S. Coast Guard's maritime domain awareness software. We evaluated this system using a buoy deployed off the coast of Massachusetts during 2015–2016 and redeployed again during 2016–2017. Near real‐time estimates of whale occurrence were compared to simultaneously collected archived audio as well as whale sightings collected near the buoy by aerial surveys. False detection rates for right, humpback and sei whales were 0% and nearly 0% for fin whales, whereas missed detection rates at daily time scales were modest (12%–42%). Missed detections were significantly associated with low calling rates for all species. We observed strong associations between right whale visual sightings and near real‐time acoustic detections over a monitoring range 30–40 km and temporal scales of 24–48 hr, suggesting that silent animals were not especially problematic for estimating occurrence of right whales in the study area. There was no association between acoustic detections and visual sightings of humpback whales. The moored buoy has been used to reduce the risk of ship strikes for right whales in a U.S. Coast Guard gunnery range, and can be applied to other mitigation applications.

Abstract The concentration and nature of mainly aromatic and polar organic compounds in surface sediments form the Elizabeth River was assessed in 28 samples, using methodlology combining simplicity and reliability so that it scould be applied in a quasi routine fashion. The analyses reveal unsubstituted polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as major components of these sediments, indicating an origin form high temperature processes. The conspicuous absence of cyclopenta (c,d)pyrene in these samples is characteristic of an origin form coal. Concentrations of PAHs were highest in the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, where the sum of 14 generally abundant pyrogenic PAHs in one sample was 170 ppm and could be traced to two massive spills of wood preservatives. This maximum concentration decreases exponentially towards the mouth of the river with a correlation coefficient of -0.92 and fits a diffusion-advection model for -k/w=3.5km. The physcial details of the processes dispersing these PAHs are not understood.