In November 2002, coastal and fisheries staff from Olympic National Park conducted a four-day inventory of intertidal fishes at San Juan Island National Historical Park. Beach seine sampling was employed in all intertidal zone habitat types associated with the coastal areas of the American and English Camp units. A total of 26 sites were sampled in both park units, with 11 sites sampled in the protected bay habitats of English Camp and 15 in the more exposed coastal habitats of American Camp. Intertidal habitat diversity was relatively low, with most areas dominated by mixed-coarse gravel and sand (American Camp) or mud/silt (English Camp) substrates. A total of 14 species were documented including various baitfish (smelt, herring, sandlance), surfperch, flatfish, sculpins, and gunnels. This project is the first effort to inventory the intertidal fishes of San Juan Island National Historical Park and only represents the assemblage structure found within the limited sampling period.

The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea; leatherback) is the largest and most migratory of the world's turtles, with the most extensive geographic range of any living reptile. This highly specialized turtle is the only living member of the family Dermochelyidae. It exhibits reduced external keratinous structures: scales are temporary, disappearing within the first few months and leaving the entire body covered by smooth black skin. Dorsal keels streamline a tapered form. The species has a shallow genealogy and strong population structure worldwide, supporting a natal homing hypothesis. Gravid females arrive seasonally at preferred nesting grounds in tropical and subtropical latitudes, with the largest colonies concentrated in the southern Caribbean region and central West Africa. Non-breeding adults and sub-adults journey into temperate and subarctic zones seeking oceanic jellyfish and other soft-bodied invertebrates. Long-distance movements are not random in timing or location, with turtles potentially possessing an innate awareness of profitable foraging opportunities. The basis for high seas orientation and navigation is poorly understood. Studies of metabolic rate demonstrate marked differences between leatherbacks and other sea turtles: the "marathon" strategy of leatherbacks is characterized by relatively lower sustained active metabolic rates. Metabolic rates during terrestrial activities are well-studied compared with metabolic rates associated with activity at sea. The species faces two major thermoregulatory challenges: maintaining a high core temperature in cold waters of high latitudes and/or great depths, and avoiding overheating in some waters and latitudes, especially while on land during nesting. The primary means of physiological osmoregulation are the lachrymal glands, which eliminate excess salt from the body. The leatherback was re-classified in 2000 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species as Critically Endangered. It remains vulnerable to a wide range of threats, including bycatch, ingestion of and entanglement in marine debris, take of turtles and eggs, and loss of nesting habitat to coastal processes and beachfront development. There is no evidence of significant current declines at the largest of the Western Atlantic nesting grounds, but Eastern Atlantic populations face serious threats and Pacific populations have been decimated. Incidental mortality in fisheries, implicated in the collapse of the Eastern Pacific population, is a largely unaddressed problem worldwide. Although sea turtles were among the first marine species to benefit from legal protection and concerted conservation effort around the world, management of contemporary threats often falls short of what is necessary to prevent further population declines and ensure the species' survival throughout its range. Successes include regional agreements that emphasize unified management approaches, national legislation that protects large juveniles and breeding-age adults, and community-based conservation efforts that offer viable alternatives to unsustainable patterns of exploitation. Future priorities should include the identification of critical habitat and priority conservation areas, including corridors that span multiple national jurisdictions and the high seas, the creation of marine management regimes at ecologically relevant scales and the forging of new governance patterns, reducing or eliminating causal factors in population declines (e.g., over-exploitation, bycatch), and improving management capacity at all levels.

The Hudson is a mighty and magnificent river that holds a unique place in world history. This book gives readers the tools they need to understand the river and its variety of qualities that make up this special waterway. The goal of this book is twofold. First and foremost, it educates readers on the importance of the Hudson River as a natural resource, key transportation artery, and chief provider of food, oxygen, and water needed to sustain the local, national, and global ecosystem. Second, this book mentions its characteristics, tributaries, and how the river is an historic and scenic treasure-a treasure that also economically benefits New York and New Jersey by offering its residents and tourists many attractions and recreational opportunities. Chapters include: Hudson River: Overview of the Hudson River and Its Tributaries; Aquatic Plants, Habitats, Hudson River Estuaries (tributaries within the estuaries), Its Ecosystem, Fish and Wildlife; Hudson Estuary Program, Its Ecosystem (including changes in it), Fish and Other Wildlife (Con't)/River Pollution Problems & Solutions; Photo Section; Hudson River Access/Transportation Links (Railroads, Recreation and Commercial Vessels, Bridges, Tunnels, etc.); Hudson River Historical Attractions/Recreational Activities and Sites; Newly Completed & Future Hudson Riverfront Development Projects and Hudson River Real Estate Market; Some Historical Highlights of the Hudson River and Its Valley; and the Author's Summary.

Charles Robert Darwin, FRS (12 February 1809 - 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection. Darwin published his theory with compelling evidence for evolution in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species, overcoming scientific rejection of earlier concepts of transmutation of species. By the 1870s the scientific community and much of the general public had accepted evolution as a fact. However, many favoured competing explanations and it was not until the emergence of the modern evolutionary synthesis from the 1930s to the 1950s that a broad consensus developed in which natural selection was the basic mechanism of evolution. In modified form, Darwin's scientific discovery is the unifying theory of the life sciences, explaining thediversity of life. -wikipedia

This is a new release of the original 1961 edition.

This volume reviews the experience of cooperation in five international river basins, focusing on the perceptions of risks and opportunities by decision makers in countries responding to a specific prospect of cooperation. For each basin, the analysis centered on "tipping points," or periods in time when policymakers in the countries involved were faced with a critical decision concerning water cooperation. This study was inspired, in part, by the intensified involvement of the World Bank and development partners in shared international waters, resulting in a growing interest to better understand the political economy surrounding regional cooperation deals over water. While the associated economic benefits and costs of cooperation are generally well analyzed, the perceptions of decision makers regarding political risks and opportunities have been much less explored. Responding to this knowledge gap, this study looked at the political dimension of cooperation over international waters, beginning with perceived risks. Five categories of perceived risk were analyzed: 1) Capacity and Knowledge; 2) Accountability and Voice; 3) Sovereignty and Autonomy; 4) Equity and Access; and 5) Stability and Support. All five categories of risk were found to exert a significant influence on cooperation decisions, indicating that perceived risks were a core consideration for decision makers in countries. Furthermore, cooperation was more likely when risks were reduced, or opportunities created for political gains. This has important implications for development partners' engagement in shared international waters. Partners are advised to conduct risk assessments in consultation with countries involved, and devise plans for reducing perceived risks. Suggested measures for partner action are also included. In addition to the discussions of risk and enhancing the potential for cooperation, this volume offers some important lessons on supporting cooperation. First, cooperation can take several years of planning and confidence building, often before negotiations even begin. Thus, a long-term time commitment by partners is likely required. Finally, deals are dynamic. Once a deal is reached, the situation does not become static: deals can be fragile and fall apart or evolve and grow into stronger and more sustainable arrangements. Accordingly, periodic assessments are needed to reflect changing realities and as inputs for a revised strategy.|It is often said that children have always been part of the workforce. With the onset of the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century, children were exploited under miserable conditions in factories, and a movement against child labor began. A worldwide campaign increased awareness and alerted international organizations and governments to the idea that child labor would best be replaced by child education. The current objectives of such a campaign seem simple and laudable but the issues involved are complex and questions must be answered: What actually is child labor, and what determines childhood? How many child laborers are there in the world? Is child labor restricted to developing countries or is it frequently used in order to stigmatize the non-Western world? Is regulation of labor conditions the solution or should governments and civil society opt for a radical ban? Is there a role for corporate social responsibility? Kristoffel Lieten is professor of child labour studies at the International Institute of Social Studies at the University of Amsterdam.