Do protected areas mitigate the effects of fisheries-induced evolution on parental care behaviour of a recreationally-important teleost fish?

Human-induced selection on animals and plants has been highly influential throughout our history and resulted in both intentional benefits and unintended detriments. Fisheries-induced evolution (FIE) describes the unintended selection on wild fish populations by fishing that has resulted in the evolution of exploited populations. While the use of aquatic protected areas that exclude angling might be considered an evolutionarily-enlightened management approach to dealing with issues arising from FIE little is known about the effectiveness of this approach for maintaining the phenotypic diversity of traits in protected areas versus those outside of their boundaries. In species that exhibit parental care, including the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), active nest guarding and aggression towards potential brood predators by males increases the survival of offspring. This aggression may render these individuals particularly vulnerable to capture via angling as a result of increased propensity to attack fishing lures near their nests. Relative levels of aggression by these males during the parental care period correlate with their vulnerability to angling year round. Inasmuch as this parental behavior is heritable, this selective removal of more aggressive individuals by anglers should drive population-average phenotypes towards lower levels of aggression. To assess the effectiveness of protected areas at mitigating FIE, I compared the nest guarding behaviours of wild, free-swimming male bass during the early nesting period for bass within and outside protected areas. I found that nesting males within long-standing fishing sanctuaries (>70 yrs) were more aggressive towards captive bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) placed directly on their nests, and patrolled larger areas around their nests compared to bass outside of sanctuaries. Males within protected areas were more likely to strike at artificial fishing lures and more prone to capture during experimental angling events. Collectively, my findings suggest that recreational angling selects for individual bass with lower levels of parental care and aggression, and that the establishment of protected areas may mitigate potential FIE. The extent to which this phenomenon occurs in other species and systems likely depends on the reproductive strategies of the fishes being considered, their spatial ecology relative to sanctuary boundaries, and habitat quality within protected areas.

Perspectives of Teachers Regarding the Integration of Mathematics and Science at the Secondary School Level

The integration of mathematics and science in secondary schools in the 21st century continues to be an important topic of practice and research. The purpose of my research study, which builds on studies by Frykholm and Glasson (2005) and Berlin and White (2010), is to explore the potential constraints and benefits of integrating mathematics and science in Ontario secondary schools based on the perspectives of in-service and pre-service teachers with various math and/or science backgrounds. A qualitative and quantitative research design with an exploratory approach was used. The qualitative data was collected from a sample of 12 in-service teachers with various math and/or science backgrounds recruited from two school boards in Eastern Ontario. The quantitative and some qualitative data was collected from a sample of 81 pre-service teachers from the Queen’s University Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) program. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the in-service teachers while a survey and a focus group was conducted with the pre-service teachers. Once the data was collected, the qualitative data were abductively analyzed. For the quantitative data, descriptive and inferential statistics (one-way ANOVAs and Pearson Chi Square analyses) were calculated to examine perspectives of teachers regardless of teaching background and to compare groups of teachers based on teaching background. The findings of this study suggest that in-service and pre-service teachers have a positive attitude towards the integration of math and science and view it as valuable to student learning and success. The pre-service teachers viewed the integration as easy and did not express concerns to this integration. On the other hand, the in-service teachers highlighted concerns and challenges such as resources, scheduling, and time constraints. My results illustrate when teachers perceive it is valuable to integrate math and science and which aspects of the classroom benefit best from the integration. Furthermore, the results highlight barriers and possible solutions to better the integration of math and science. In addition to the benefits and constraints of integration, my results illustrate why some teachers may opt out of integrating math and science and the different strategies teachers have incorporated to integrate math and science in their classroom.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY EXPERIENCES OF PERSIAN WOMEN RECENTLY IMMIGRATED TO CANADA

New immigrants to Canada are generally in similar or better physical and mental health than people born in Canada, however, many studies suggest that their health tends to decline quickly after immigration. Lower physical activity levels among new immigrants might be contributing to this phenomenon. There is a paucity of information regarding the physical activity behaviour of the Canadian immigrant population in general and of West Asian women, such as Iranians (Persians), in particular. Given that this group is characterised by an increasing population growth and lower rates of physical activity, it is critical to understand how best to address physical activity promotion in this population. Purpose: To understand the physical activity experiences of Persian women recently immigrated to Toronto, Canada in order to develop recommendations for the design and implementation of tailored physical activity programs. Methods: A qualitative interpretive description approach was chosen to collect and describe ideas, experiences, and perceptions of physical activity within 10 new immigrant women. Using an inductive approach, two fundamental techniques of immersion and crystallization were used throughout the analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted by performing a sequential process of open and axial coding. Emerged themes were further conceptualized through a socio-ecological lens. Results: The facilitators and barriers to physical activity among the women were situated within five overarching categories, 1) Perceptions about physical activity, 2) New physical environment and social structure, 3) Cultural heritage values, 4) Settlement and immigration factors, and 5) Physical activity program features. Discussion: Findings revealed that Persian new immigrant women’s engagement in physical activity after immigration is influenced by factors across the individual, sociocultural, environmental, institutional, and policy levels. Newcomer women’s physical activity was influenced by their transition from their society of origin to the host society and the challenges and successes experienced throughout the settlement and acculturation process. The most noticeable barrier to physical activity in Canada for the women emerged as the lack of communication of physical activity information to newcomers. A set of recommendations is provided for developing efficient physical activity programs for Persian immigrant women, which may also be relevant for other immigrant groups in Canada.