Occurrence of plastics ingested by Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) destined for human consumption (Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador).

In the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, fishing is a core occupation and also a source of marine plastic pollution. To look at this relationship, we examined 216 gastrointestinal tracts of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) caught by commercial fishers at Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. We found three tracts contained plastic for a frequency of occurrence of 1.

A field-based investigation of behavioural interactions between invasive green crab (), rock crab (), and American lobster () in southern Newfoundland.

Marine species invasions pose a global threat to native biodiversity and commercial fisheries. The European green crab () is one of the most successful marine invaders worldwide and has, in the last decade, invaded the southern and western coastal waters of the island of Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada. Impacts of green crab on the American lobster (), which are native to Newfoundland, are not well understood, particularly for interactions around deployed fishing gear.

Shifting headlines? Size trends of newsworthy fishes.

The shifting baseline syndrome describes a gradual lowering of human cognitive baselines, as each generation accepts a lower standard of resource abundance or size as the new norm. There is strong empirical evidence of declining trends of abundance and body sizes of marine fish species reported from docks and markets. We asked whether these widespread trends in shrinking marine fish are detectable in popular English-language media, or whether news writers, like many marine stakeholders, are captive to shifting baselines.

Improving the efficiency of the Fukui trap as a capture tool for the invasive European green crab () in Newfoundland, Canada.

The European green crab () is a crustacean species native to European and North African coastlines that has become one of the world's most successful marine invasive species. Targeted fishing programs aimed at removing green crabs from invaded ecosystems commonly use Fukui multi-species marine traps. Improving the efficiency of these traps would improve the ability to respond to green crab invasions.

National contributions to global ecosystem values.

Current conservation templates prioritize biogeographic regions with high intensity ecosystem values, such as exceptional species richness or threat. Intensity-based targets are an important consideration in global efforts, but they do not capture all available opportunities to conserve ecosystem values, including those that accrue in low intensity over large areas. We assess six globally-significant ecosystem values-intact wilderness, freshwater availability, productive marine environments, breeding habitat for migratory wildlife, soil carbon storage, and latitudinal potential for range shift in the face of climate change-to highlight opportunities for high-impact broadly-distributed contributions to global conservation.

Comparing catch efficiency of five models of pot for use in a Newfoundland and Labrador cod fishery.

Sustainability of commercial fisheries is best achieved when fishing gears are selective and have low impacts on bottom habitat. Pots (baited traps) are a fishing technology that typically has lower impacts than many other industrial gears. In this study we compared the efficiency of five models of pots (baited traps) designed to catch Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) for use in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL)'s expanding cod fishery.

Using underwater video to evaluate the performance of the Fukui trap as a mitigation tool for the invasive European green crab () in Newfoundland, Canada.

The European green crab () is a destructive marine invader that was first discovered in Newfoundland waters in 2007 and has since become established in nearshore ecosystems on the south and west coast of the island. Targeted fishing programs aimed at removing green crabs from invaded Newfoundland ecosystems use Fukui traps, but the capture efficiency of these traps has not been previously assessed. We assessed Fukui traps using observation with underwater video cameras as they actively fished for green crabs.

Will you swim into my parlour? observations of Atlantic cod () interactions with baited pots, with implications for gear design.

Pots (also known as traps) are baited fishing gears widely used in commercial fisheries, and are being considered as a tool for harvesting Atlantic cod () in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Pots produce lower environmental impacts than many other fishing gears, but they will only be a viable fishing strategy if they are efficient and selective at catching their target species. To study the behaviour of cod in and around pots, and how those behaviours affect pot efficiency, we used long-duration underwater video cameras to assess two models of cod pot deployed in the nearshore waters of Fogo Island, NL.

Trends in extinction risk for imperiled species in Canada.

Protecting and promoting recovery of species at risk of extinction is a critical component of biodiversity conservation. In Canada, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) determines whether species are at risk of extinction or extirpation, and has conducted these assessments since 1977. We examined trends in COSEWIC assessments to identify whether at-risk species that have been assessed more than once tended to improve, remain constant, or deteriorate in status, as a way of assessing the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation in Canada.

Seventy-one important questions for the conservation of marine biodiversity.

The ocean provides food, economic activity, and cultural value for a large proportion of humanity. Our knowledge of marine ecosystems lags behind that of terrestrial ecosystems, limiting effective protection of marine resources. We describe the outcome of 2 workshops in 2011 and 2012 to establish a list of important questions, which, if answered, would substantially improve our ability to conserve and manage the world's marine resources.