Strong connections, loose coupling: the influence of the Bering Sea ecosystem on commercial fisheries and subsistence harvests in Alaska
Human-environment connections are the subject of much study, and the details of those connections are crucial factors in effective environmental management. In a large, interdisciplinary study of the eastern Bering Sea ecosystem involving disciplines from physical oceanography to anthropology, one o...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Resilience Alliance
2016-12-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Society |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol21/iss4/art6/ |
| _version_ | 1819140364729057280 |
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| author | Alan C. Haynie Henry P. Huntington |
| author_facet | Alan C. Haynie Henry P. Huntington |
| author_sort | Alan C. Haynie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Human-environment connections are the subject of much study, and the details of those connections are crucial factors in effective environmental management. In a large, interdisciplinary study of the eastern Bering Sea ecosystem involving disciplines from physical oceanography to anthropology, one of the research teams examined commercial fisheries and another looked at subsistence harvests by Alaska Natives. Commercial fisheries and subsistence harvests are extensive, demonstrating strong connections between the ecosystem and the humans who use it. At the same time, however, both research teams concluded that the influence of ecosystem conditions on the outcomes of human activities was weaker than anticipated. Likely explanations of this apparently loose coupling include the ability of fishers and hunters to adjust to variable conditions, and the role of social systems and management in moderating the direct effects of changes in the ecosystem. We propose a new conceptual model for future studies that incorporates a greater range of social factors and their dynamics, in addition to similarly detailed examinations of the ecosystem itself. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T11:37:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-90ef8ca464e74d0ca23793d843e9072b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1708-3087 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T11:37:23Z |
| publishDate | 2016-12-01 |
| publisher | Resilience Alliance |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Society |
| spelling | doaj.art-90ef8ca464e74d0ca23793d843e9072b2022-12-21T18:27:23ZengResilience AllianceEcology and Society1708-30872016-12-01214610.5751/ES-08729-2104068729Strong connections, loose coupling: the influence of the Bering Sea ecosystem on commercial fisheries and subsistence harvests in AlaskaAlan C. Haynie0Henry P. Huntington1Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management Division, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationEagle River, AlaskaHuman-environment connections are the subject of much study, and the details of those connections are crucial factors in effective environmental management. In a large, interdisciplinary study of the eastern Bering Sea ecosystem involving disciplines from physical oceanography to anthropology, one of the research teams examined commercial fisheries and another looked at subsistence harvests by Alaska Natives. Commercial fisheries and subsistence harvests are extensive, demonstrating strong connections between the ecosystem and the humans who use it. At the same time, however, both research teams concluded that the influence of ecosystem conditions on the outcomes of human activities was weaker than anticipated. Likely explanations of this apparently loose coupling include the ability of fishers and hunters to adjust to variable conditions, and the role of social systems and management in moderating the direct effects of changes in the ecosystem. We propose a new conceptual model for future studies that incorporates a greater range of social factors and their dynamics, in addition to similarly detailed examinations of the ecosystem itself.http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol21/iss4/art6/Bering Seacommercial fisheriesecosystem studieshuman-environment connectionssubsistence |
| spellingShingle | Alan C. Haynie Henry P. Huntington Strong connections, loose coupling: the influence of the Bering Sea ecosystem on commercial fisheries and subsistence harvests in Alaska Ecology and Society Bering Sea commercial fisheries ecosystem studies human-environment connections subsistence |
| title | Strong connections, loose coupling: the influence of the Bering Sea ecosystem on commercial fisheries and subsistence harvests in Alaska |
| title_full | Strong connections, loose coupling: the influence of the Bering Sea ecosystem on commercial fisheries and subsistence harvests in Alaska |
| title_fullStr | Strong connections, loose coupling: the influence of the Bering Sea ecosystem on commercial fisheries and subsistence harvests in Alaska |
| title_full_unstemmed | Strong connections, loose coupling: the influence of the Bering Sea ecosystem on commercial fisheries and subsistence harvests in Alaska |
| title_short | Strong connections, loose coupling: the influence of the Bering Sea ecosystem on commercial fisheries and subsistence harvests in Alaska |
| title_sort | strong connections loose coupling the influence of the bering sea ecosystem on commercial fisheries and subsistence harvests in alaska |
| topic | Bering Sea commercial fisheries ecosystem studies human-environment connections subsistence |
| url | http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol21/iss4/art6/ |
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