Opportunities to improve fisheries management through innovative technology and advanced data systems

Fishery‐dependent data are integral to sustainable fisheries management. A paucity of fishery data leads to uncertainty about stock status, which may compromise and threaten the economic and food security of the users dependent upon that stock and increase the chances of overfishing. Recent developments in the technology available to collect, manage and analyse fishery‐relevant data provide a suite of possible solutions to update and modernize fisheries data systems and greatly expand data collection and analysis. Yet, despite the proliferation of relevant consumer technology, integration of technologically advanced data systems into fisheries management remains the exception rather than the rule. In this study, we describe the current status, challenges and future directions of high‐tech data systems in fisheries management in order to understand what has limited their adoption. By reviewing the application of fishery‐dependent data technology in multiple fisheries sectors globally, we show that innovation is stagnating as a result of lack of trust and cooperation between fishers and managers. We propose a solution based on a transdisciplinary approach to fishery management that emphasizes the need for collaborative problem‐solving among stakeholders. In our proposed system, data feedbacks are a key component to effective fishery data systems, ensuring that fishers and managers collect, have access to and benefit from fisheries data as they work towards a mutually agreed‐upon goal. A new approach to fisheries data systems will promote innovation to increase data coverage, accuracy and resolution, while reducing costs and allowing adaptive, responsive, near real‐time management decision‐making to improve fisheries outcomes.     

Evaluating of veterinarians' and veterinary students' knowledge and clinical use of pulse oximetry

RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY: We hypothesized that veterinarians and veterinary students may lack key knowledge about pulse oximetry, which may result in this type of patient monitor not being used on appropriate patient populations or to its full capabilities. METHODOLOGY: A questionnaire was developed to assess an individual's knowledge and understanding of pulse oximetry. Residents and specialists in anesthesiology and critical care at several academic institutions were surveyed first to assess the questionnaire for clarity and to serve as a control group. General veterinary practitioners (GPs) attending continuing education courses at the University of Georgia were surveyed over a 24-month period. Students entering their senior-year anesthesiology rotation at the University of Georgia were also surveyed. RESULTS: Residents and specialists (69% correct responses) scored significantly higher than senior students (46%), who scored significantly higher than GPs (34%). Only 15% of GPs and 21% of senior students reported that they had received training in pulse oximetry in school. Those who had received training scored significantly higher than those who had not. Many GPs did not report using a pulse oximeter on their critical patients under anesthesia, a group that would be expected to benefit from its use. CONCLUSIONS: Veterinarians have a poor understanding of how pulse oximetry works, the information it provides, and how best to apply it to their patients. Furthermore, the respondents did not use pulse oximeters in a manner that would yield the most information and result in the greatest benefit to the patient relative to the cost of the instrument. Didactic training in veterinary curricula and during continuing education opportunities continues to be necessary in order to produce veterinarians who have an understanding of the technologies available to improve patient care.     

Soil carbon sequestration and changes in fungal and bacterial biomass following incorporation of forest residues

Sequestering carbon (C) in forest soils can benefit site fertility and help offset greenhouse gas emissions. However, identifying soil conditions and forest management practices which best promote C accumulation remains a challenging task. We tested whether soil incorporation of masticated woody residues alters short-term C storage at forested sites in western and southeastern USA. Our hypothesis was that woody residues would preferentially stimulate soil fungal biomass, resulting in improved C use efficiency and greater soil C storage. Harvest slash at loblolly pine sites in South Carolina was masticated (chipped) and either (1) retained on the soil surface, (2) tilled to a soil depth of 40 cm, or (3) tilled using at least twice the mass of organics. At comparative sites in California, live woody fuels in ponderosa pine stands were (1) masticated and surface applied, (2) masticated and tilled, or (3) left untreated. Sites with clayey and sandy soils were compared in each region, with residue additions ranging from 20 to 207 Mg ha⁻¹. Total and active fungal biomass were not strongly affected by residue incorporation despite the high input of organics. Limited response was also found for total and active bacterial biomass. As a consequence, fungal:bacterial (F:B) biomass ratios were similar among treatments at each site. Total soil C was elevated at one California site following residue incorporation, yet was significantly lower compared to surface-applied residues at both loblolly pine sites, presumably due to the oxidative effects of tilling on soil organic matter. The findings demonstrated an inconsequential effect of residue incorporation on fungal and bacterial biomass and suggest a limited potential of such practices to enhance long-term soil C storage in these forests.     

Seasonal shifts in bacteria associated with Jersey cows on a small dairy farm and the potential for bedding choice and low levels of iodine use to inhibit mastitic pathogens

Milk products from small dairies are increasingly in demand, as access to pasture provides benefits to the cow, consumer, and environment. The productivity and profitability of small dairy farms particularly rely on the prevention of infectious diseases. Cattle on seasonal grazing dairies live primarily outdoors until inclement weather warrants relocation indoors. While shifts in the amounts of bacteria associated with livestock may be expected from this transition, potentially increasing risks for infectious diseases, changes in bacteria levels on cows relocated to indoor facilities have not been well-studied. In addition, the optimal use of bedding materials and iodine are critical in bovine infectious diseases prevention. However, the antibacterial potential of bedding material with high polyphenol content or low concentrations of iodine, are poorly understood. Cow teats were swabbed and total bacteria and coliform counts, as well as extracellular enzyme activities (EEA) were utilized to assess shifts in bacterial levels on cows at pasture and then housed indoors. To test the antibacterial efficacy of bedding materials, as well as low concentrations of povidone-iodine, growth curves with laboratory strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, as well as S. aureus isolated from a dairy farm, were performed with three concentrations of red cedar shavings or iodine. Post hoc multiple comparisons indicated that total bacteria, coliform, and β-galactosidase activities were significantly greater among cows housed indoors compared to bacterial samples from cows at pasture. Laboratory strains of S. aureus, but not K. pneumoniae, were significantly inhibited by moderate and high treatments of red cedar shavings, while S. aureus isolated from a dairy were inhibited by the high treatment only. All low iodine concentrations significantly inhibited each bacterial strain investigated. These results may help optimize strategies for the prevention of infectious diseases of bovine udders critical to the productivity and profitability of small dairies.