Latest AFS Publications

As the number, size, and complexity of ecological data sets have increased, narrative and interactive raw data visualizations have emerged as important tools for exploring and understanding these large data sets. As a demonstration, we developed three visualizations to communicate and explore passive integrated transponder tag data from two long‐term field studies. We created three independent visualizations for the same data set, allowing separate entry points for users with different goals and experience levels. The first visualization uses a narrative approach to introduce users to the study. The second visualization provides interactive crossfilters that allow users to explore multivariate relationships in the data set. The last visualization allows users to visualize the movement histories of individual fish within the stream network. This suite of visualization tools allows a progressive discovery of more detailed information and should make the data accessible to users with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. Read more here

Diadromous species historically dominated the freshwater fish community in coastal northeastern United States rivers. As these fishes declined in concert with sweeping alterations to the region’s waterscapes, so too did their utility, visibility, and relevance to each passing human generation. Due to their historically iconic status, we used endangered Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar as a springboard in our study of attitudes and values about fish in the context of modern human connections to places and the water bodies therein. We surveyed Maine residents about their connections to local water bodies and fish populations. Respondents were generally apathetic toward fish overall, but they valued the water bodies in their home turf as escapes from daily stressors. We explored this finding as it relates to motivating behavior and redefining contemporary baselines of water body health, which may help restore Maine’s diadromous fish community to a local and regional treasure and commodity. Understanding the facets of sense of place, including satisfaction and attachment, can ultimately help to reframe how we communicate with the public about acting on behalf of the places they care about that overlap with important fish habitat. Read more here

The injurious wildlife provisions under the Lacey Act (U.S. Code, volume 18, section 42(a)(1)) are used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to regulate importation and movement of nonnative species in the United States. Under this act, “importation into the United States, any territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any possession of the United States, or any shipment between the continental United States, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any possession of the United States” of injurious wildlife is prohibited, except by permit for zoological, educational, medical, or scientific purposes (U.S. Code, volume 18, section 42(a)(1)). In addition to banning importation into the United States and movement between the listed jurisdictions, since the 1960s this act has been further interpreted to prohibit interstate movement of injurious wildlife species between individual states of the continental United States. Under the Lacey Act, wild mammals, wild birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, mollusks, and crustaceans that are determined to be “injurious to human beings, to the interests of agriculture, horticulture, forestry, or to wildlife or the wildlife resources of the United States” may be listed as injurious wildlife (U.S. Code, volume 18, section 42(a)(1)). The listing process is initiated by the USFWS or a petition from an outside source followed by an evaluation of scientific and economic data by the USFWS. The USFWS may then publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register, evaluate any new data and comments, and then publish in the Federal Register a final rule listing the species or an explanation of why no listing was done (USFWS 2017). Congress also has the authority to list injurious wildlife species by direct amendment of the Lacey Act. Read more here