Volunteer Handbook

This Handbook has been prepared to inform you of the National Ocean Service’s history, philosophy, policies, and expectations of you and the NOS. No volunteer handbook can answer every question, so we hope through regular conversations between you and your supervisor we can continue to add to the Handbook as conditions warrant. We hope this Handbook will help you feel comfortable with us. We depend on you in an ever shrinking workforce - your success is our success. Please do not hesitate to ask questions. Your direct supervisor or Volunteer Coordinator will gladly answer them. We ask that you read this Handbook carefully, and refer to it whenever questions arise. The NOS policies, benefits and rules, as explained herein, may be changed from time to time as business, volunteer legislation, and economic conditions dictate. If and when changes are made, you will be made aware of the changes.

Elevating fishers of Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir

The deteriorating condition of one of the most magnificent lakes of India, the Dal Lake, has provoked a lot of research interest from the biological and ecological points of view. However, the impact of deterioration of the ecology on the inhabitant fisher folk around Dal Lake has not been given much importance. In this study, the three major beats of the lake, namely, Hazratbal, Nishat and Nehru Park, were surveyed, randomly taking 10% of the fishermen families. It was observed that the summer mean catch per day (5.18 ± 0.69 kg) was more than the mean winter catch per day (2.85 ± 0.40 kg). However, the total annual catch per person was only 1195.56 ± 211.63 kg. Moreover, marketing through middlemen, especially, during summer, was observed to be very low fetching in terms of mean price per kilogram fish, amounting to Rs 37.50 ± 2.54 for local fish and Rs 22.50 ± 2.88 for the carp. It was also observed that the fisher folk had borrowed a good amount of money for the repair and construction of their houses and boats. Therefore, on the whole, the fishing business around Dal Lake was observed to be under severe stress. In this context, this paper has come out with recommendations to uplift the socio-economic conditions of the fishers.

The Sundarbans fishers coping in an overly stressed mangrove estuary

The fishing community of the Sundarbans are the human group most at home in the mud-slush-water-forest environment of this famous mangrove estuary. Their skills, knowledge, and technique have developed in response to a challenging environment. Yet, of the countless studies on the various aspects of this eco-region, there are exceedingly few that have studied the Sundarbans fisher in his/her ecological, historical and demographic context—as a key stakeholder in an environment under considerable stress. The present study seeks to reduce this lacuna a little. Its object is not merely to examine and analyse, but also to identify means, both tradition-based and innovative, which might contribute to protect the environment, improve economic conditions, and usher in people-based governance of resources.

Poverty in the fisheries, inductors, causes and intervention

The study is prompted by the poverty that persisted among the fishing communities of lake victoria at time of considerable cash inflow into the fisheries development of fish processing industry. There has been need for understanding of the poverty and what strategies would be most appreciate for it's reduction.This study has attempted to respond to the needby identifying the nature and distribution of the poverty within the fisheries lake victoria,Uganda, the factor responsible for itand the options for poverty reduction intervention. The study examined the global and regional perspectives of poverty and wealth distribution, noting that wide disparities existed between the developed and the developing world and also between the developing countries themselves. A historical review of development policies and strategies revealed that while successive strategies were able to contribute to growth, their achievement towards poverty alleviation were less than satisfactory, hence the need for continually developing new strategies. A background to Uganda’s society and economy is provided, examining the demographic, political, environmental and economic conditions of the country. Uganda’s development strategies are reviewed, highlighting the role of the Poverty Eradication Action Plan, Uganda’s main strategy for implementing the policy of poverty reduction and wealth distribution. At the agricultural sector level, the Plan for the Modernisation of Agriculture has been formulated, followed by the National Fisheries Policy, aimed at providing a policy framework for the management and development of the fisheries. An appropriate definition of poverty was formulated, considered relevant to the situation of Lake Victoria. The dimensions of poverty included inadequate basic necessities, low education and health achievements, a sense of insecurity and exposure to risk. The research methodology was enhanced by the examination of the Lélé Model of the Poverty–Environmental Degradation problem, the World Bank Model of Poverty Causation and the subsequent Lake Victoria Model developed in this study. It has provided a plan for the research, the consideration of criteria and a data collection plan. The data collection instruments included secondary data search, key informant interviews and a sample survey based on a structured questionnaire. The study identified all the four dimensions of poverty in the fisheries, provided poverty profiles with respect to the different activities, groups of people and regions in the fisheries, based on consumption poverty. Among the people identified to be in poverty were the fishing labourers, fishers of Oreochromis niloticus and those operating with non-powered boats. In the post-harvest fisheries, large proportions of processors involved in salting and sun-drying, market stall and bicycle traders were in the poverty category. The ethnic groups most affected included the Samia, Basoga and Bakenye while the Districts of Jinja, Bugiri and Busia had the highest proportions of fishers in the poverty category. With respect to the other dimensions of poverty, the study showed that educational achievement was low within the fishing communities. The health status was poor, due mainly to the prevalence of malaria, diarrhoea, bilharzia and HIV/AIDS. There was a sense of insecurity within certain sections of the fishing community, due to leadership weaknesses within the local as well as the Government institutions. Some community members operated in a state of risk because they were vulnerable to episodes of income, health and education. The causes of poverty in fisheries included weaknesses within the institutional and social environment, limitations in the technology available to the poor, resource degradation and unfavourable economic factors. The recommendations of the study for poverty reduction included strengthening of policies, developing links, improving capacities and increasing resources, to be applied at the levels of Central Government, Local Government and of the community. In view of the achievements of the methodology used on this study, involving reference to the models, it is recommended that future research should build upon this model approach, as it will continue to produce results, especially when attempting to forecast changes relating to interventions.

Impact of community-based fisheries management practices on production and species diversity in Turag-Bangshi basin floodplains in Kaliakoir, Gazipur, Bangladesh

The study was conducted to investigate the communities perception and compliance to community-based fisheries management (CBFM) in Turag-Bangshi floodplains under Kaliakoir, Gazipur District. Measures such as ban on use of the harmful fishing gears, seasonal fishing closure, halt of fry fishing, halt of dewatering of beels and the impact of establishment of sanctuaries on fish production and species diversity were introduced by MACH project. Almost all members of the communities in Turag-Bangshi MACH (Management of Aquatic Ecosystem through Community Husbandry) site welcomed the introduction and complied with the implementation of all management measures which helped stopped use of harmful fishing gears, ensured survival and breeding of brood fish in the rainy season, protected and allowed fry to grow big, restored lost and degraded fisheries and organized communities for sustainable development of the fisheries. A total of 51 species of fishes were found in Makosh beel (natural depression). Among these, small indigenous species (SIS) under Cyprinidae family (Puntius sophore) was the most dominant. Many species available in the past recorded disappeared from the Makosh beel due to loss of habitat and industrial pollution that damaged spawning and nursery grounds of fish. Introduction of some selective native endangered species (Nandus nandus, Notopterus notopterus, Ompok pabda and Labeo calbasu) by MACH in the Turag-Bangshi water bodies increased diversity of species from 82 to 95. Over a period of five years during MACH intervention, the average production remained nearly 200% higher than the baseline production of 57 kg/ha to present 207 kg/ha due to maintaining sanctuaries and the closed fishing seasons. Per capita daily fish consumption of the surrounding communities also increased by 78% (from 27 to 48 g/person/day) which is much higher than the national average fish consumption in Bangladesh. The implementation of community-based MACH project management measures substantially improved fish habitat, production, consumption and socio-economic conditions of the surrounding communities. The model can be used to improve the floodplains of Bangladesh.

A bioeconomic analysis of sustainability of marine fish production in Kerala

The study has been undertaken in Kerala State in India with an overall objective of analyzing the bio-economic conditions of commercially exploited marine fishes for assessing their sustainability in the context of existing management practices. Maximum sustainable yield, maximum economic yield and open access levels of yield and effort were analyzed using Gompertz-Fox growth model. The study concluded that the fishing effort exceeded the economically optimal levels and there is unnecessary wastage of money, manpower and fuel in the fishing industry. The study stressed the urgent need for capture fisheries management in the State which at present follows an open access fishery where regulations exist only in the form of seasonal closure in the monsoon season.

Sustainable livelihood approach of prawn production and marketing systems in Mymensingh, Bangladesh

An investigation was carried out in Phulpur upazila, Mymensingh to examine the current production practices of freshwater giant prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii and its marketing systems with sustainable livelihood approach. The livelihoods of a considerable number of rural poor are associated with prawn production in Phulpur upazila. Based on a sample of 50 farmers, about 94% farmers were found to culture prawn with fish in their ponds. Only 4% and 2% farmers were found to culture prawn-fish-dike crops and only prawn respectively. Prawn marketing is almost exclusively a preserve of the private sector where the livelihoods of a large number of people are associated with its distribution and marketing systems. The market chain from producers to consumers passes through a number of intermediaries. About 40% of the produced prawns are exported and the rest 60% are sold to local markets. The price of prawn depends on quality, size and weight. The average farm-gate price of prawn varied from Tk. 110 to 160/kg, whereas it's [sic] market price varied from Tk. 150 to 350/kg. Most of the farmers and traders have improved their socio-economic conditions through prawn farming and marketing activities. However, concerns arise about the long-term sustainability of prawn farming and marketing systems due to lack of technical knowledge of prawn farming, poor road and transport facilities, higher transport cost, poor supply of ice, lack of cash and credit facilities. It is therefore essential to provide institutional and organizational support and credit facilities for sustainable prawn production and marketing systems.

Engineering Fundamentals of Energy Efficiency

Using energy more efficiently is essential if carbon emissions are to be reduced. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), energy efficiency improvements represent the largest and least costly savings in carbon emissions, even when compared with renewables, nuclear power and carbon capture and storage. Yet, how should future priorities be directed? Should efforts be focused on light bulbs or diesel engines, insulating houses or improving coal-fired power stations? Previous attempts to assess energy efficiency options provide a useful snapshot for directing short-term responses, but are limited to only known technologies developed under current economic conditions. Tomorrow's economic drivers are not easy to forecast, and new technical solutions often present in a disruptive manner. Fortunately, the theoretical and practical efficiency limits do not vary with time, allowing the uncertainty of economic forecasts to be avoided and the potential of yet to be discovered efficient designs to be captured. This research aims to provide a rational basis for assessing all future developments in energy efficiency. The global fow of energy through technical devices is traced from fuels to final services, and presented as an energy map to convey visually the scale of energy use. An important distinction is made between conversion devices, which upgrade energy into more useable forms, and passive systems, from which energy is lost as low temperature heat, in exchange for final services. Theoretical efficiency limits are calculated for conversion devices using exergy analysis, and show a 89% potential reduction in energy use. Efforts should be focused on improving the efficiency of, in relative order: biomass burners, refrigeration systems, gas burners and petrol engines. For passive systems, practical utilisation limits are calculated based on engineering models, and demonstrate energy savings of 73% are achievable. Significant gains are found in technical solutions that increase the thermal insulation of building fabrics and reduce the mass of vehicles. The result of this work is a consistent basis for comparing efficiency options, that can enable future technical research and energy policy to be directed towards the actions that will make the most difference.

基于显式分形插值的高保真地震数据重建方法研究

Based on the fractal theories, contractive mapping principles as well as the fixed point theory, by means of affine transform, this dissertation develops a novel Explicit Fractal Interpolation Function（EFIF）which can be used to reconstruct the seismic data with high fidelity and precision. Spatial trace interpolation is one of the important issues in seismic data processing. Under the ideal circumstances, seismic data should be sampled with a uniform spatial coverage. However, practical constraints such as the complex surface conditions indicate that the sampling density may be sparse or for other reasons some traces may be lost. The wide spacing between receivers can result in sparse sampling along traverse lines, thus result in a spatial aliasing of short-wavelength features. Hence, the method of interpolation is of very importance. It not only needs to make the amplitude information obvious but the phase information, especially that of the point that the phase changes acutely. Many people put forward several interpolation methods, yet this dissertation focuses attention on a special class of fractal interpolation function, referred to as explicit fractal interpolation function to improve the accuracy of the interpolation reconstruction and to make the local information obvious. The traditional fractal interpolation method mainly based on the randomly Fractional Brown Motion (FBM) model, furthermore, the vertical scaling factor which plays a critical role in the implementation of fractal interpolation is assigned the same value during the whole interpolating process, so it can not make the local information obvious. In addition, the maximal defect of the traditional fractal interpolation method is that it cannot obtain the function values on each interpolating nodes, thereby it cannot analyze the node error quantitatively and cannot evaluate the feasibility of this method. Detailed discussions about the applications of fractal interpolation in seismology have not been given by the pioneers, let alone the interpolating processing of the single trace seismogram. On the basis of the previous work and fractal theory this dissertation discusses the fractal interpolation thoroughly and the stability of this special kind of interpolating function is discussed, at the same time the explicit presentation of the vertical scaling factor which controls the precision of the interpolation has been proposed. This novel method develops the traditional fractal interpolation method and converts the fractal interpolation with random algorithms into the interpolation with determined algorithms. The data structure of binary tree method has been applied during the process of interpolation, and it avoids the process of iteration that is inevitable in traditional fractal interpolation and improves the computation efficiency. To illustrate the validity of the novel method, this dissertation develops several theoretical models and synthesizes the common shot gathers and seismograms and reconstructs the traces that were erased from the initial section using the explicit fractal interpolation method. In order to compare the differences between the theoretical traces that were erased in the initial section and the resulting traces after reconstruction on waveform and amplitudes quantitatively, each missing traces are reconstructed and the residuals are analyzed. The numerical experiments demonstrate that the novel fractal interpolation method is not only applicable to reconstruct the seismograms with small offset but to the seismograms with large offset. The seismograms reconstructed by explicit fractal interpolation method resemble the original ones well. The waveform of the missing traces could be estimated very well and also the amplitudes of the interpolated traces are a good approximation of the original ones. The high precision and computational efficiency of the explicit fractal interpolation make it a useful tool to reconstruct the seismic data; it can not only make the local information obvious but preserve the overall characteristics of the object investigated. To illustrate the influence of the explicit fractal interpolation method to the accuracy of the imaging of the structure in the earth’s interior, this dissertation applies the method mentioned above to the reverse-time migration. The imaging sections obtained by using the fractal interpolated reflected data resemble the original ones very well. The numerical experiments demonstrate that even with the sparse sampling we can still obtain the high accurate imaging of the earth’s interior’s structure by means of the explicit fractal interpolation method. So we can obtain the imaging results of the earth’s interior with fine quality by using relatively small number of seismic stations. With the fractal interpolation method we will improve the efficiency and the accuracy of the reverse-time migration under economic conditions. To verify the application effect to real data of the method presented in this paper, we tested the method by using the real data provided by the Broadband Seismic Array Laboratory, IGGCAS. The results demonstrate that the accuracy of explicit fractal interpolation is still very high even with the real data with large epicenter and large offset. The amplitudes and the phase of the reconstructed station data resemble the original ones that were erased in the initial section very well. Altogether, the novel fractal interpolation function provides a new and useful tool to reconstruct the seismic data with high precision and efficiency, and presents an alternative to image the deep structure of the earth accurately.

企业效率表现和中国环境政策-以造纸企业为例

Understanding relationship between environmental protection and economic development is crucial to form practical environmental policy. At micro level, implementation of environmental regulations often causes production mills adjustment of technology which might leads to change of productive efficiency and cost, which, in turn, determine effort level of mills and even local government in pollution control. Using a stochastic frontier production model and a set of survey data on 126 paper mills from six provinces of China, we measure the technical efficiency changes and analyze the determinants of efficiency. in particular, we examine impact of environmental policy on paper mills' efficiency, using an indicator of environmental policy-the levy ratio of COD. We also estimate a simultaneous-equation model in which the levy rate and emission are jointly determined. The results indicate that there have been efficiency improvements during 1999-2003, when enforcement of environmental regulations have been tightened. The impacts, nevertheless, are different for different types of mills. We also find the levy ratio, which is influenced by both the local social and economic conditions and the characters of paper mills, such as scale, has strong impact on the abatement of the pollutant-COD. Additionally, paper mills' technical efficiency has positive effect on the reduction of the emission intensity of the pollutant-COD. These results lead a set of implications pertinent to policy improvement.

中小学生欺负行为及其主要影响因素研究

The present paper studied the school bullying and the primary impact factors, for understanding the nature of bullying, and providing measures and references to the elimination and controlling of school bullying. Primarily with methods of questionnaires and psychometrics, combined with case study and interviews, the following findings were found: in Chinese culture, bullying is a behavior intentionally causing harm to the weaker or weakers. There were 5 types of bullying-physical, social exclusion, threat, breakage and verbal. In Chinese schools the occurrence of bullying had regular patterns. The factor that impact children's bullying behavior was personality traits, interpersonal techniques, family atmosphere, education and upbringing styles. In personality traits, bullies tended to be more extroversive, impulsive, obstinate, obdurate and lack of sympathy. Victims tended to be more introversive, self-restrained, lack of confidence, lonely, anxious and depressive. Both of them expressed more mental problem tendencies than normal children did. When confronted with interpersonal conflicts, they used little problem solving strategies. Bullies had more extroverted emotional responses, and victims had more social support strategies. In the light of family influence, bullies were relatively superior in family's social economic conditions. But their parents had little time and energy spent on them. They tended to be punitive, and had indulgent, reject or despotic upbringing styles. The role of victim might be related to the disadvantage of family's social economic status. Their parents had the tendency of spoiling and overindulgence. The research concluded that in different cultures the connotation of bullying was not homogenous. The occurrence of school bullying had regular patterns. Bullying behavior was primarily influenced by the personality traits of both bullies and victims, the coping strategies of interpersonal conflicts, family's social economic status, parents' basic emotional attitudes, ways of educating, punitive tendencies and school atmosphere. The occurrence of bullying behavior was the result of the combined process of past experience, behavior habits, personality traits, cognitive evaluation, certain evocative clues and the environment conditions. It reminded that quality education and mental health education in schools was essential. Strengthening basic social skill training in school, creating positive family atmosphere, having more communications between schools and families and implementing strict regulations against bullying was essential to interfere and eliminate the school bullying.

Samorządy gminne województwa lubuskiego w kształtowaniu współpracy transgranicznej

Wydział Nauk Politycznych i Dziennikarstwa

Health Security in the White Book on National Security of the Republic of Poland - A Review of Provisions

The paper reviews the provisions of the White Book on National Security of the Republic of Poland. It states that the issue of health security is not given adequate significance there. The accessibility of health services is considered, in general, solely in terms of their availability. The assumptions concerning the concept of providing the number of beds required in a state of threat to national security and in time of war do not take into account the current socio-economic conditions and need to be reviewed. The conclusions emphasize the dilemmas that emerge as a result of the unilateral promotion of a single category of national security, that is military security, in the context of ensuring health security.

Continuity and change in monetary policy and banking in Ireland 1922-43

The primary objective of this thesis is to examine the development of monetary policy and banking in southern Ireland from the attainment of independence in 1922 (gained through the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921) to the establishment of the Central Bank of Ireland in 1943. This research serves to challenge the overwhelming concentration on the findings of a small number of major works, most notably by Ronan Fanning, Maurice Moynihan and Cormac Ó’Gráda, in the existing historiography. This thesis is based on the research hypothesis that there were two key factors impacting on the development of monetary and banking institutions in Ireland in the 1922-1943 period. First, an exogenous institutional context, primarily Anglo-Irish in focus, in which the wider macroeconomic landscape directly influenced monetary policy and banking in Ireland. Second, an individualist context in which the development of relationships between key individuals dictated development patterns and institutional structures. This research highlights that key Irish policymakers, such as Joseph Brennan, evidenced a more flexible and realistic approach to banking and monetary affairs than is currently recognised. It also develops three further issues which have been overlooked in the existing historiography. First, a germ of monetary reform existed in Ireland from as early as the mid-1920s and was consistent in promoting alternative policies in the period to 1943. Second, this research challenges the view that the creation of the Currency Commission in 1927 and the establishment of the Central Bank of Ireland in 1943 were insignificant events given the continued stagnation in Irish monetary policy in the decades after 1943. Third, this thesis identifies that wider international trends did influence Irish monetary and banking affairs in the 1922-43 period. At both an institutional and more individual level the process of monetary institution building in Ireland was directly impacted by wider international experiences.

The Vietnam's Transition Economy and Its Fledgling Financial Markets: 1986-2003

In this paper, we analyze the context of Vietnam’s economic standings in the reform period. The first section embarks on most remarkable factors, which promote the development of financial markets are: (i) Doi Moi policies in 1986 unleash ‘productive powers’. Real GDP growth, and key economic indicators improve. The economy truly departs from the old-style command economy; (ii) FDI component is present in the economy as sine qua non; a crucial growth engine, forming part of the financial markets, planting the ‘seeds’ for its growth; and (iii) the private economy is both the result and cause of the reform. Its growth is steady. Today, it represents a powerhouse, and helps form part of the genuine financial economy. A few noteworthy points found in the next section are: (i) No evidence of financial markets existence was found before Doi Moi. The reform has generated a bulk of private-sector financial companies. New developments have roots in the 1992-amended constitution (x3.2); (ii) The need to reform the financial started with the domino collapse of credit cooperatives in early 1990s. More stress is caused by the ‘blow’ of banking deficiency in late 1990s; and (iii) Laws on SBV and credit institutions, and the launch of the stock market are bold steps. Besides, the Asian financial turmoil forces the economy to reaffirm its reform agenda. Our findings also indicate, through empirical evidences, that economic conditions have stabilized throughout the reform, thanks to the contributions of the FDI and private economic sector. Private investment flows continue to be an eminent factor that drives the economy growth.