Consistency and Safety in Electrofishing Methodology

Consistency and Safety in Electrofishing Methodology Within the study of electrofishing and fishery habitat management, there are specific guidelines which the management professional must adhere to in order to protect the safety of the wildlife, the boating participants, and the participating patrons. Such guidelines are industry standards and should be understood by all professionals who are participating in the fishing process. To ensure such failsafe mechanisms are in place on a consistent basis, activities must follow a professional and pre-determined path while preparing gear, loading into the watercourse, and performing electrofishing tasks. Professionals will understand that these steps cannot be ignored due to the need for similar results over an extended period of time. Given the adherence to such measures, the potential for a pure data stream and analysis is greatly improved. Given the scope of lake fishing operations, there are several key safety checks which must be performed prior to placing the boat into the water. Figure 1 demonstrates a standard safety check of the engine and generator systems on a typical electrofishing boat. Boat standardization across the industry is consistent; however, the components will often vary, requiring safety examinations which are constantly aware of standard features. Generally all boats will include a power supply and a power conditioner which are designed to meet the requirements of the specific body of water. By ensuring that the boating materials are properly calibrated for the specific investigation, researchers will ensure that their performance is not inconsistent with previously tested results. Participants in the electrofishing process will include the boat handler or driver and two additional participants for actually performing the fishing process. It is important that each individual is aware of the expectations of the task prior to moving into the water so that standards systems remain active. The handlers are responsible for placing the seining instruments into the lake for continuous shocking of the fish population. The stun process will involve retrieving the fish via net and charting their data aboard the boat. To ensure that such procedures are accomplished with limited negative affect on the fish, handlers must use care and be actively aware of their shocking methods. Niemla et al. (2000) challenge that within the electrofishing process that there are oftentimes inconsistencies in the population estimation process which can be minimized through a standardized and non-random selection process over a small number of suitable sites. There are alternative mechanisms which can also be used, including a random process or area sweep; however, what is important is that such procedures generate comparable results over time. One of the most significant challenges given the breadth of the lake environment and results driven electrofishing is to ensure that transets are predictable and time based. In successive examinations, researchers recognize that removal methods will oftentimes underestimate the actual fish population, due to a reduced catchability based on removal statistics (Gatz and Loar, 1988). To ensure that such deviation does not occur, the seining gear must be placed in approximately the same spatial area as participants navigate the lake. Extending the gear to a specific length, i.e. 10 feet, ensures that with each subsequent transet, fish are compared to the previous guidelines and not to a new set of unpredictable data. For appropriate fish sampling, a multiple pass system as highlighted by Kimmel and Argent (2006) may be used for accuracy’s sake; however, standardized systems will focus on length versus width consistency or a linear sampling distance. Recognizing that fish demographics offer substantial insight to fishery professionals, comparison data is often drawn using specific tools and tracking methods. A length board is a handy and standard tool which is used to compare fish throughout the study. Weight can be charted frequently or at regular intervals in order to gain a sampling of the representative fish population. Data regarding the water quality, temperature, and chemical composition should also be attained during this process through standard testing which includes the use of a dissolved oxygen probe. Implications of such study will become obvious during subsequent examinations and data comparison. During the multiple pass system, transets are established by visual shore markers which enable the consistent analysis over a period of time. Study of historic data trends by Humpl and Lusk (2006) demonstrated that singular pass systems were oftentimes inaccurate and could not provide researchers with adequate samples for long term comparison. Upon collection of data samples, the return process and docking procedure should mimic that of the initial boat placement, including the shutoff of all powered components prior to exiting the boat. Cataloguing data using visual methods and consistent charting materials enables long term comparison and researchers will be quickly able to identify any inconsistencies in the lake or habitat area. Considering the variability of lakes and the changing fishing population, such standardized electrofishing techniques ensure that results may be compared based on regular intervals. As biologists continue to develop more standard technologies for fishing bodies of water, integration of standard procedures the process, regardless of materials must be ensured. In this study, the underlying safety checks for the boating system were addressed, highlighting those key points where failure to investigate could mean a failed experiment and a stranded craft. Fishery management involves a relationship between the natural habitat, the visitors, and the investigating professionals; through well directed, consistent efforts, the information gathered can directly assist in charting the long term sustainability of a fish population as well as the surrounding ecology. References Gatz, A.J; Loar, J.M. (1988) â€Å"Petersen and Removal Population Size Estimates.† Environmental Biology of Fish, Vol. 21, pp. 293-307. Humpl, M; Lusk, S. (2006) â€Å"Effect of Multiple Electro-Fishing on Determining the Structure of Fish Communities in Small Streams.† Folia Zoology, Vol. 55, No. 3, pp. 315-322. Kimmel,W.G; Argent, D.G. (2006) â€Å"Efficacy of Two-Pass Electrofishing Employing Multiple Units to Assess Stream Fish Species Richness.† Fisheries Research, Vol. 82, pp. 14-18. Niemla, E; Julkunen, M; Erkinaro, J. (2000) â€Å"Quantitative Electrofishing for Juvenile Salmon Densitites: Assessment of Catchability During a Long-Term Monitoring Programme.† Fisheries Research, Vol. 48, pp. 15-22.

Poetry Response to Wallflowers by Donna Vorreyer Essay

This poem makes me think of my favorite book called The Perks Of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. It is the story of a boy named Charlie and his not-so-average life. The story is written as letters to someone he has never met, but heard was a good shoulder to lean on. This book is my favorite because I can really relate to Charlie. Speaking of Charlie, that is my puppy’s name. He is a chihuahua and dachshund mix. He is my best friend and is always at my side. He is probably the coolest puppy ever, except at three in the morning when he is sitting outside my door whining, then he can be someone else’s best friend. This poem is probably one of my new favorites because it actually made me feel something and that is really important to me when reading. I really enjoy how the poet talks about words people never use because I have an extensive vocabulary, but rarely use any of the words I know because most people I know would not understand me at all. The reason I am so educated in words reminds me of my grandmother, who is one of the most intelligent people I know. When I was about six or seven, she would say words to me that no Kindergartner knows and I was expected to spell them. Most of the time, I was pretty close and when I got it right, she would tell me what the words meant. At that age, I was more interested in the taste of my boogers than in learning boring words I never thought would matter. Looking back, I cannot thank her enough for that small effort to help me in life. I am sure without her, I would be using words like â€Å"ain’t† and phrases such as â€Å"don’t got no† instead of knowing how to speak like a civilized human being. my grandma is awesome, and as soon as Meya (my daughter) starts school, I plan to use this same technique on her to ensure she grows up to make something of herself. Might as well end this with things about Meya. She is the most beautiful child, and she is so intelligent, it is almost scary at times. She sings and dances and amazes me in every way daily. She is the greatest gift I have ever received and I love her with every fiber of my being. To finally wrap this up, the poem Wallflowers by Donna Vorreyer makes me think up some of my fondest memories and reminds me of the wonderful things I have.

Multi User Operating Systems Essay

An operating system is a set of software programs, which manage computer hardware in a controlled fashion. The operating system controls the file-system, process management, memory management and peripherals. Multi-user operating systems are used on large mainframe computers. A mainframe computer system has one very powerful processing unit, which may contain many microprocessors. Many users will all share this processing unit. They use terminals (a keyboard and a monitor) to access the mainframe computer. A multi-user operating system lets more that one user work on a mainframe computer at the same time. Features of a MUOS The main features of multi user operating systems are resource sharing, multi tasking and background processing.  · Using resource sharing in a multi-user operating system allocates the CPU time of the mainframe computer between the different users. Each user in turn is given a small time slice of the CPU time. Because these time slices are very small the users believe that they are all using the mainframe at the same time. Resource sharing also lets users share peripherals such as printers or hard drives and also lets users share files on a network.  · Multi-tasking lets the operating system run more than one program at a time. One example of a multi tasking could be editing a word document while browsing the Internet. The way this is done is by the processor using time slicing.  · Background processing is a term which means when commands are not processed straight away but rather executed â€Å"in the background†, often while other programs are interfacing with the system in real time. Types of MUOS There are three main types of multi user operating system. These are distributed systems, time sliced systems and multi processor systems.  · In a distributed system, to the user it appears to be a single computer system but in fact is made up from a number of different host computers, which are connected together. This is completely hidden from the user. All decisions about what computer each user will connect to would be taken by the distributed system’s operating system. Each individual host within such a distributed could be any type of computer at all.  · Time sliced systems split each users time of use of the system to fairly allocate each user a fair amount of time of use. These time slices are so small that it appears to the user that their programs are running continuously when in fact the CPU is jumping from user to user. Each time slice is milliseconds long so each user is actually given several time slices every second. The more each user tries to do the slower their programs will run as their time slice has to split between their different tasks.  · Multi processor systems use more than one processor in a single computer to make themselves much more powerful and relieve the load of sharing the operating system and CPU. Users will again be distributed time slices but since there will be more than one processor there will be more allocation of time to each user rather than if there were only one processor. Main Components of a MUOS There are many components that are needed to run a multi user operating system. These include the processor, memory, data storage devices, terminals and input/output devices.  · The processor, also known as CPU or central processing unit In  terms of computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer system. The CPU is the brains of the computer. Sometimes referred to simply as the processor or central processor, the CPU is where most calculations take place. On large machines, CPUs require one or more printed circuit boards. On personal computers and small workstations, the CPU is housed in a single chip called a microprocessor.  · Memory refers to the physical memory that is internal to the computer. Sometimes mistaken for mass storage devices such as hard drives the word ‘main’ is used to differentiate it from this. Memory is usual known as RAM or Random Access Memory. The computer can only manipulate data that is in main memory, therefore, every program that you execute and every file that you access must be copied from a storage device such as a hard drive into main memory. The amount of main memory on a computer is crucial because it determines how many programs can be run at one time and how much data can be readily available to a program.  · There is a couple of data storage devices used in multi user operating systems. The term usually refers to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives or tape drives. Large amounts of data such as the operating system itself and any other programs that are installed on the computer are all kept on such devices so that can be accessed by the RAM and then processed to be used by the user. The main types of storage are: – o Hard disk drives: The most common type of mass data storage used on a computer because of the large amounts of data which can be held and the speed it can be accessed at. o Floppy disks: Much slower than hard drives and hold very little data but are easy portable and inexpensive. o Optical disks: This method uses lasers to read and write data. Optical drives hold a large capacity but are not as fast as hard drives but are as portable as floppy disks and with the right equipment (CD Writer) can be used to read and write data. o Tapes: Not too expensive and hold large amounts of data but do not permit random access of data.  · There are two main types of terminal used to access multi user operating systems. One is a dumb terminal, which just consists of a computer and a keyboard, but practically no processing power. They allow a user to carry out work on the remote server, minicomputer or mainframe. Smart terminals provide additional resources to perform local editing and simple processing. Basically, smart terminals are low cost PC platforms with no external storage like hard drives booting from a network.  · Input/Output devices refers to devices with allow the user to put data and receive data to and from the computer system. For instance an input device may be a keyboard or a mouse and output devices can be things such as monitors and printers. Software Components of a MUOS The main software components of a multi user operating system are the kernel, device handlers, spoolers and the user interface.  · The kernel of an operating system is the most protected and privileged layer of the operating system and acts as a timekeeper and regulator for the system, controlling any time slicing for multi user or multi tasking functions. This ensures fairness in the way resources are allocated and used, and dealing with interrupts having different priorities, which arrive to signal internal and external events.  · A device handler is a small program, which controls a particular type of device connected to a computer. There are device drivers for every hardware component on a computer. If a complex device is added to the machine then a device handler must be added to the operating software because this will contain the code needed to communicate with the device.  · A spooler puts jobs on a queue and takes them off one at a time. Most operating systems come with one or more spoolers, such as a print spooler for spooling documents. In addition, some applications include spoolers. Many word processors, for example, include their own print spooler. A good print spooler should allow you to change the order of documents in the queue and to cancel specific print jobs. Acronym for simultaneous peripheral operations on-line, spooling refers to putting jobs in a buffer, a special area in memory or on a disk where a device can access them when it is ready. Spooling is useful because devices access data at different rates. The buffer provides a waiting station where data can rest while the slower device catches up.  · The user interface is the junction between a user and a computer program. An interface is a set of commands or menus through which a user communicates with a program. A command-driven interface is one in which you enter commands. A menu-driven interface is one in which you select command choices from various menus displayed on the screen. The user interface is one of the most important parts of any program because it determines how easily you can make the program do what you want. A powerful program with a poorly designed user interface has little value. Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that use windows, icons, and pop-up menus have become standard on personal computers.

Notes On The Homeland Security - 2290 Words

DEPT. OF HOMELAND SEC. V. MACLEAN: TSA ATTEMPTS TO SILENCE WHISTLEBLOWERS Author (51)* I. INTRODUCTION In response to the savage attacks orchestrated by foreign terrorist organization Al-Qaeda on September 11, the United States Congress enacted the Homeland Security Act in 2002. This Act established the Department of Homeland Security as an executive department of the United States. The Department of Homeland Security combined 22 different federal agencies into a unified, integrated Department for the purpose of protecting the nation against threats to the homeland. The Homeland Security Act authorized the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to â€Å"prescribe regulations prohibiting the disclosure of information . . . if the Under Secretary decides that disclosur[e] would . . . be detrimental to the security of transportation.† Acting on the authority outlined in the Homeland Security Act, the TSA created and implemented regulations that prohibited the unauthorized disclosure of â€Å"sensitive security information,† which included â€Å"[s]pecific detail s of aviation security measures . . . [such as] information concerning specific numbers of Federal Air Marshals, deployments or missions, and the methods involved in such operations.† The issue before the U.S. Supreme Court in this case is two-fold: (1) whether a whistleblower’s disclosure was specifically prohibited by the TSA’s regulations on sensitive security information , and (2) whether the whistleblower’sShow MoreRelatedKey Elements Of The Homeland Assessment Process Essay837 Words   |  4 Pagesin the homeland assessment process have you identified as your top five in an ordinal ranking? Why? The Baldrige Criteria is used when conducting a Homeland Security Assessment for an organization. Within this particular assessment there are eight (8) steps listed that are suggested for a positive implementation of the assessment (Fisher, 2013). The Baldrige Criteria was developed as established guidelines and best practices that can be used by the organizations to appraise the homeland securityRead MoreDefense Against Terrorism1661 Words   |  7 PagesIn the years following the September 11th terrorist attacks, homeland security has been at the forefront of American public policy. According to a January 2015 Pew Research poll, seventy-five percent of Americans believe that protecting the Homeland against terrorism should be the number one priority for policy makers (Pew Research Center 2015). These sentiments on homeland security are not novel to Americans. National Security has been of great concern to Americans since World War I (Reid 2015)Read MoreThe Assessment Team Admini strator Should Begin The Process Of Soliciting Evaluation Team Members838 Words   |  4 Pagesconsidered from a group of employees who have expressed an interest in better understanding homeland security and using the Baldrige Criteria as a template for improving their organization’s homeland security infrastructure. Once team members have been selected, it is recommended that an assessment workshop be conducted by the assessment team administrator or team participants who have an understanding of homeland security issues and the Baldrige Criteria. The workshop may include using a case study for theRead MoreRisk Management And Homeland Security1309 Words   |  6 PagesRisk Management and Homeland Security The nation’s homeland security is a very multifaceted environment which must be controlled to effective function at its highest potential. â€Å"The safety, security, and resilience of the Nation are threatened by an array of hazards, including acts of terrorism, manmade accidents, and natural disasters† (DHS., 2011). All together, homeland security agencies must manage risks at all levels connected with an array of components. Collectively, these external andRead MoreRole Of Risk Management Within The Homeland Security Enterprise1271 Words   |  6 Pagesability of the Department of Homeland Security to effectively manage risk is vital to national security. Risk in general, is something that is permanent but because this is known, strategies can be used to mitigate situations as they present themselves. Government managers must manage risk in a complex environment taking into consideration the diverse missions and multiple objectives of public agencies (Hardy, 2014 ). The role of risk management within the homeland security enterprise was managed byRead MoreEssay on The National Response Framework852 Words   |  4 PagesKatrina. The NRF is comprised of 4 sections. These are the foundation document, the Emergency Support Functions (ESF) Annexes, the Support Annexes, and the Incident Annexes. These annexes describe how the NRF can be implemented. It is important to note that the NRF and the National Incident Management System (NIMS) are meant to work in conjunction with each other, while NIMS and its component the Incident Command System (ICS) supply the NRF with an incident management function (Federal EmergencyRead MoreWhat Impact Did 9 / 11 Have On Policing Essay809 Words   |  4 Pagesalso an amalgam of change brought about by various political, economic, and social factors in the United States...† (Homeland Security for Policing, 2007, p. 43). Post September 11, Americans made the massive movement towards anti-terrorism. After the attacks, President George W. Bush created the Department of Homeland Security to help protect the citizens from terrorists. On that note as well, this counterterrorism move impacted law enforcement as well. Their roles grew from community law enforcementRead MoreIntelligence And The Homeland Security1205 Words   |  5 Pagesthe capabilities and limitations of intelligence in supporting homeland security efforts? While the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is one, centralized agency, securing the homeland involves the cooperation and collaboration of many, different agencies and organizations ranging from local law enforcement to national agencies such as the NSA, CIA, and FBI. Each of these agencies contributes to the development of homeland security intelligence. By carefully analyzing and commenting on the objectivesRead MoreDepartment of Homeland Security1073 Words   |  4 PagesDepartment of Homeland Security (DHS) is third largest Executive Department of the Federal Government charged with protecting the security of American homeland. Its primary mission is to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reducing vulnerability to terrorism and minimizing the damage from potential attacks and natural disasters. The DHS was created by President G.W. Bush in the aftermath of terrorist attacks on America in 2001. It is relatively new agency that continues to evolveRead MoreT he Department Of Homeland Security1258 Words   |  6 Pages HLSS302 Progress Assignment Ericlee F. Albarran American Public University System The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Risk Lexicon (2010) states that â€Å"risk is a key organizing principle for homeland security strategies, programs, efforts, and activities† (p. 1). This means that risk management is a decision making tool that allows for the DHS to intelligently and efficiently make planning choices based on threat level priorities. Some of the choices that are made using risk