In the United States, extensive investments have been made to restore the ecological function and services of coastal marine habitats. Despite a growing body of science supporting coastal restoration, few studies have addressed the suite of societally enabling conditions that helped facilitate successful restoration and recovery efforts that occurred at meaningful ecological (i.e., ecosystem) scales, and where restoration efforts were sustained for longer (i.e., several years to decades) periods. Here, we examined three case studies involving large-scale and long-term restoration efforts including the seagrass restoration effort in Tampa Bay, Florida, the oyster restoration effort in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia, and the tidal marsh restoration effort in San Francisco Bay, California. The ecological systems and the specifics of the ecological restoration were not the focus of our study. Rather, we focused on the underlying social and political contexts of each case study and found common themes of the factors of restoration which appear to be important for maintaining support for large-scale restoration efforts. Four critical elements for sustaining public and/or political support for large-scale restoration include: (1) resources should be invested in building public support prior to significant investments into ecological restoration; (2) building political support provides a level of significance to the recovery planning efforts and creates motivation to set and achieve meaningful recovery goals; (3) recovery plans need to be science-based with clear, measurable goals that resonate with the public; and (4) the accountability of progress toward reaching goals needs to be communicated frequently and in a way that the general public comprehends. These conclusions may help other communities move away from repetitive, single, and seemingly unconnected restoration projects towards more large-scale, bigger impact, and coordinated restoration efforts.

Since its recognition in the early 1980s, enteric septicemia of catfish (ESC), caused by the gram-negative enteric Edwardsiella ictaluri, is one of the most significant pathogens affecting catfish aquaculture. In efforts to improve disease management in U.S. catfish aquaculture, a live-attenuated ESC vaccine and method of in-pond oral vaccine delivery was developed. This work evaluated the efficacy of the oral delivery platform using a live-attenuated E. ictaluri vaccine under simulated commercial conditions. Channel catfish fingerlings were orally vaccinated approximately 40-50 days poststocking by mixing the attenuated vaccine with feed using a patent-pending mechanized delivery system. Across three discrete years under varying evaluation methods, vaccination resulted in significant improvements in survival, feed conversion ratio, feed fed, and total yield. An economic analysis of experimental data suggests a significant positive net economic benefit from vaccination.After accounting for a projected cost of vaccination, the realized improvements in survival and yield resulted in an estimated benefit exceeding $3,500/ha ($1,400/acre) on fingerling operations. These results suggest vaccinating channel catfish fingerlings against ESC is an effective strategy to mitigate ESC-related losses and can significantly improve production efficiency and profitability on catfish operations.

Dicamba and 2,4-D tolerance traits were introduced to soybean and cotton, allowing for over the top applications of these herbicides. Avoiding antagonism of glyphosate and clethodim by dicamba or 2,4-D is necessary to achieve optimum weed control. Three field studies were conducted in fallow fields with broadleaf signalgrass (Urochloa platyphylla) and Italian ryegrass (Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum) pressure. A tractor-mounted dual boom sprayer was modified to spray one of three application methods: (1) two herbicides tanked-mixed (TMX); (2) two herbicides in separate tanks mixed in the boom line (MIL); and (3) two herbicides in separate tanks applied through separate booms simultaneously (SPB). One study compared the three application methods with sethoxydim applied with bentazon, the second compared clethodim applied with dicamba or 2,4-D, and the third compared glyphosate applied with dicamba or 2,4-D. In most cases over all three trials, there was a 7–15% increase in efficacy when using the SPB application method. Antagonism of all the herbicide combinations above was observed when applied using the TMX and MIL methods. In some cases, antagonism was avoided when using the SPB method. The separate boom application method increased efficacy, which allowed herbicides to be used more effectively, resulting in improved economic and environmental sustainability of herbicide applications.

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