How much are YOU willing to pay to dive in Bay of Pigs?

Zara Curimjee, Molly Shane, MIIS

 

Abstract: Like many other small island developing states, Cuba lacks sufficient financial resources to effectively manage their marine protected areas (MPAs). In the face of a growing reef-based tourism industry, effective management of MPAs is all the more critical. By leveraging the tourism industry as a partner in conservation, Cuba can create sustainable funding mechanisms to support the protection of its unique marine ecosystems. We designed a Contingent Valuation Method survey to estimate tourists' willingness to pay an entrance or use fee to access and/or dive in the Bay of Pigs, Cuba. Revenues collected through the MPA entrance fees can help cover the costs of monitoring and enforcement. In this interactive talk, participants will have an opportunity to decide how much they would be willing to pay to support marine conservation in the Bay of Pigs.

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Application of SquidPods, underwater camera sensor platforms, to quantify natural mortality rates of D. opalescens embryos in the field

Michael Hang, CSUMB

 

Abstract: The marine environment offers a variety of ecosystems for study; however, these ecosystems are highly dynamic, difficult to study for long periods of time, and/or completely inaccessible to most people. Compared to the terrestrial environment, this makes conducting in situ research more difficult. Many ecological studies rely on SCUBA but divers are exposed to dangerous conditions and can only be under for a limited amount of time. ROVs and AUVs remove the danger component but commercial ones are extremely expensive to obtain and operate. With the advent of open-source technologies and the maker movement, ecological research in the marine environment has now become more accessible to researchers with limited funding. My project was involved in quantifying natural mortality rates of market squid embryos in shallow and deep waters of Monterey Bay using custom, cost-efficient underwater camera-sensor systems. They were designed to record temporal observations of embryo mortality by taking time-lapse video and oceanographic measurements.

 

Bio: Website.

 

 

Uncovering the sale of endangered species within legal markets

Nathan Truelove, Stanford (Hopkins)

 

Abstract: In recognition of extensive overfishing and limited international management, the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) voted in 1990 to list Caribbean queen conch (Lobatus gigas) on Appendix II to regulate international commercial trade. Are queen conch seafood products available in the market today exclusively from countries in compliance with CITES? We developed a genomic technique to verify the origin of queen conch seafood by deeply sequencing the transcriptomes of 96 queen conch (n=16/fishery) from three CITES approved fisheries (Bahamas, Belize, and Jamaica) and from three fisheries where international trade is currently prohibited (Aruba, Florida, and St. Eustatius). This approach identified 21,123 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which is a type of genetic variation that occurs at a single nucleotide in the genome. Population assignment testing using 92 of the most informative SNPs accurately (>99%) assigned individual queen conch to their correct population. Our work demonstrates that a genomic technique now exists to validate the legality of CITES protected queen conch seafood products.

 

Exploring Monterey Bay's marine ecosystems from the classroom: an interactive lesson on kelp forests and the rocky intertidal

Rachel Zuercher, UCSC

 

Abstract: Looking for an easy way to teach the next generation of scientists about studying the ocean? Interested in lending your expertise to a local school? The Raimondi-Carr Lab at UCSC can help! We’ve developed a lesson to expose students to the nearshore marine ecosystems of Monterey Bay. The lesson encourages participants to think critically about ecology, teaches basic animal and algae identification skills, introduces the concept of long-term monitoring, and guides students through hypothesis development and simple analysis of long-term monitoring results. Rather than by lecture, students learn by “climbing” through the intertidal, and “swimming” through the kelp forest to collect their own data. The lesson is easily adaptable to students in 1st – 8th grades, and was designed to allow for add-on activities such as graph making, independent or group research on a marine species, or – the crowd favorite – trying on field clothes and SCUBA gear to promote an enthusiasm for ecology and careers in science. Your graduate department likely has everything you'll need to take this type of lesson to elementary classrooms in your community. Find us at the expo to learn how!

 

Bio: Website.