. 24/7 Space News .
WATER WORLD
More bang for the buck
by Staff Writers
Santa Barbara CA (SPX) Mar 03, 2017


Sediment runoff from roads like this in West Maui affects corals' ability to photosynthesize. Image courtesy Kirsten Oleson.

Land-based pollutants have been linked to the degradation of several Hawaiian reefs. Take West Maui, for instance, where coral ecosystems are so impacted that reefs and watersheds have been recognized by multiple state and federal programs as in need of special protection.

Between 2000 and 2015, coral cover on West Maui's northern reefs has dramatically declined from 30 percent to 10 percent. The likely culprit: sediment runoff during rain events. Corals' ability to photosynthesize and grow is compromised in the presence of sediment, which in turn allows for algae to take over.

To address the challenge of managing such pollutants with limited resources, two senior fellows at UC Santa Barbara's National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Carrie Kappel and Kim Selkoe, worked with University of Hawaii ecological economist Kirsten Oleson to determine which scenarios offered the best solutions.

They found that cooperation among landowners to reduce sediment runoff to near-shore reefs results in more cost-efficient and ecologically effective outcomes than acting independently. The findings appear in the Journal of Environmental Management.

"It's critical for landowners and watershed managers to consider the big picture," said co-author Kappel. "We show that the best outcomes result from making choices based on cost-effectiveness - the ones that give you the biggest bang for your buck - and working together."

The research team used simple methods to identify cost-effective solutions to address erosion from unpaved agricultural roads - a problem common to many areas in Hawaii and elsewhere. They compared the costs and benefits of alternative actions that could be taken to repair agricultural roads and reduce sediment runoff across the West Maui landscape.

Seven management scenarios were considered, defined by whether decisions were made cooperatively or independently among landowners and by the approach to road repair (minimizing costs, minimizing sediment or both).

The investigators showed that targeting specific runoff "hotspots" is more cost-effective than targeting all road segments within a given land parcel. In addition, the best environmental gains for the lowest economic costs are achieved when landowners cooperate and target cost-effective road repairs, although collective action alone becomes counterproductive when cost-effectiveness is ignored.

"Managers are generally working with really tight budgets, especially in Hawaii," Selkoe said. "Decision support tools like this one, which quantify the tradeoffs, can help them identify the most effective ways to put their limited resources to work to protect vulnerable coral reefs."

This research is part of the larger Ocean Tipping Points project, which seeks to understand and characterize dramatic shifts in ocean ecosystems and develop new tools to help managers avoid or respond to such shifts.

WATER WORLD
First direct measurements of Pacific seabed sediments reveal strong methane source
London, UK (SPX) Mar 01, 2017
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) have discovered a major source of an important greenhouse gas in the Tropical Pacific Ocean for the first time. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, and a major contributor to increasing global temperatures. The largest pool of marine methane on Earth spans from the coast of Central America to Hawaii in the Tropical Pacific Ocean. ... read more

Related Links
University of California - Santa Barbara
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


Comment on this article using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

WATER WORLD
The NASA Imager Dentists Use Daily

Marshall shakes, packs, ships and tracks NASA payloads

NASA and SpaceX gives ASU a competitive edge in technological innovation

How bright is the future of space food

WATER WORLD
SpaceX says it will fly civilians to the moon next year

Flight Hardware for NASA's Space Launch System on Its Way to Cape

Spacex To Send Privately Crewed Dragon Spacecraft Beyond The Moon Next Year

Sounding Rocket Flies in Alaska to Study Auroras

WATER WORLD
Humans May Quickly Evolve on Mars, Biologist Claims

Science checkout continues for ExoMars orbiter

NASA Explores Opportunity for Smaller Experiments to 'Hitch a Ride' to Mars

Martian Winds Carve Mountains, Move Dust, Raise Dust

WATER WORLD
China to Conduct Test Flight of CZ-8 Carrier Rocket by 2018

China to launch first high-throughput communications satellite in April

Chinese cargo spacecraft set for liftoff in April

China looks to Mars, Jupiter exploration

WATER WORLD
OneWeb, Intelsat merge to advance satellite internet

GomSpace to supply satellites for Sky and Space Global constellation

Kacific places order with Boeing for a high throughput satellite

ESA affirms Open Access policy for images, videos and data

WATER WORLD
New use for paper industry's sludge and fly ash in plastics

Turning food waste into tires

Coffee-ring effect leads to crystallization control

Researchers use laser-generated bubbles to create 3-D images in liquid

WATER WORLD
The missing link in how planets form

Volcanic hydrogen spurs chances of finding exoplanet life

Evidence of Star Wars-like Planetary System

Dust Traps: Missing Link in Planet Formation

WATER WORLD
Juno to remain in current orbit at Jupiter

Europa Flyby Mission Moves into Design Phase

NASA receives science report on Europa lander concept

New Horizons Refines Course for Next Flyby









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.