Globally fish production has continued to increase during recent years at a rate exceeding that of human population growth. However the contribution from capture fisheries has remained largely static since the late 1980s with the increase in production being accounted for by dramatic growth in the aquaculture sector. As of 2012 aquaculture accounted for approximately 42% of total fisheries production and 78% of inland fish production. In view of these figures it is unsurprising that for a number of regions aquaculture represents an important source of both food security and income. The use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and spatial data have seen substantial developments in recent years with the help of increasingly affordable computing capacity. From an aquaculture perspective the use of GIS has shown significant potential as a means of combining varied data sources, including those acquired via remote sensing, into models to provide decision support in relation to site selection. A common theme amongst site suitability assessments is the incorporation of climate variables relating to temperature and water availability. These factors in turn can have a significant influence on aquaculture in terms of water availability and quality, and temperature modulated growth performance. There is now a strong consensus that during the 20th century, and especially during recent decades, the earth has experienced a significant warming trend. There is also strong agreement that this warming trend is at least partially a consequence of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and that some degree of further warming is inevitable. While global warming is typically discussed in terms of degrees centigrade of average global temperature increase the full effects in terms of climate changes will be varied both in terms of location and season. The current project focuses on site suitability for aquaculture in relation to changing climate conditions. Significant use is made of GIS and a range of spatial data including remotely sensed data and output from a series of climate models. The project consists of a number of key components: 1. Vulnerability of aquaculture related livelihoods to climate change was assessed at the global scale based on the concept of vulnerability to climate related impacts as a function of sensitivity to climate change, exposure to climate change, and adaptive capacity. Use was made of national level statistics along with gridded climate and population data. Climate change scenarios were supplied using the MAGICC/SCENGEN climate modelling tools. Analysis was conducted for aquaculture in freshwater, brackish, and marine environments with outputs represented as a series of raster images. A number of Asian countries (Vietnam, Bangladesh, Laos, and China) were indicated as most vulnerable to impacts on freshwater production. Vietnam, Thailand, Egypt and Ecuador stood out in terms of brackish water production. Norway and Chile were considered most vulnerable to impacts on Marine production while a number of Asian countries (China, Vietnam, and the Philippines) also ranked highly. 2. Site suitability for pond-based aquaculture was modelled at the global scale using a 10 arcsecond grid. Data from an ensemble of 13 climate models was used to model pond temperature and water availability for rain fed ponds under late 20th century conditions and for a 2°C global warming scenario. Two methods are demonstrated for combining data with a focus on the culture of warm water species. Results suggest both positive and negative impacts in relation to the 2°C warming scenario depending on location and season. Some areas are projected to see negative effects from maximum temperatures during the warmest parts of the year while for many regions there are likely to be potential increases in growth performance during colder months with possible expansion into previously unsuitable areas. 3. Methods for detecting surface water using remotely sensed data were investigated for Bangladesh. Use was made of data from the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Landsat ETM+ instruments with accuracy assessed against ground truth data collected in the field. A time series was constructed using all available MODIS data (approximately 13 years with an 8 day temporal resolution) to show areas of: surface water, land, and mixed land and water. The time series was then analysed to produce a layer showing the percentage of the total time series where surface water is indicated thus providing a spatial representation of flood prevalence. 4. A land cover data set was produced using 9 Landsat ETM+ scenes to cover the majority of Bangladesh. 10 different classification routines were evaluated including a decision tree approach unique to the current study. Classification results were assessed against two sets of ground control points produced: one based on field collected ground truth data and the other using a stratified random sampling procedure in association with visual analysis of high resolution true colour satellite images and ETM+ composites. The most accurate classifications were provided by the decision tree method developed for the current study and a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) neural network based classifier. 5. Site suitability for pond-based aquaculture within Bangladesh was assessed using a GIS in combination with the ETM+ based land cover data, the MODIS based surface water time series, and components of the global site suitability assessment including modelled pond temperature data. Assessments were made based on late 20th century conditions and a 2°C global warming scenario. The MODIS surface water time series was also used to show the effects of storm surge flooding in relation to cyclone Aila that struck Bangladesh on 25th May 2009. The south and east of the country were considered most suitable for aquaculture due to more favourable cold season temperatures and higher water balance values. The north west of the country was considered least favourable due to higher maximum modelled pond temperatures and lower water balance values. The effect of the 2°C warming scenario was to enhance these trends. To date the potential spatial implications of changing climate for aquaculture has been significantly under researched. In this respect the current study provides a highly useful indication of where aquaculture related livelihoods may be vulnerable. In addition valuable and unique insights are provided into the distribution of areas of both potential increased, as well as decreased, suitability for existing aquaculture and further aquaculture development.

A acessibilidade está relacionada com a maneira como a disponibilidade de transportes e os usos do solo afetam os indivíduos na realização de viagens para o desenvolvimento de suas atividades habituais. Freqüentemente se assume que os moradores de baixa renda da periferia são os mais afetados pela falta de acesso aos meios de transporte. A questão subjacente a esta afirmação, no entanto, permanece sem uma resposta definitiva: o nível de renda, por si só, seria um indicativo do nível de acessibilidade? O objetivo deste estudo é explorar a união de ferramentas de estatística espacial e SIG (Sistema de Informações Geográficas) com um propósito específico, que é o de analisar as relações entre aspectos da distribuição espacial de características da população (como a renda, por exemplo) de uma cidade média brasileira e os diversos níveis de acessibilidade por diferentes modos de transporte nela observados, buscando possíveis respostas para esta pergunta. Quando se utiliza procedimentos de visualização e classificação de dados espaciais comuns em SIG, nem sempre as informações são diretamente perceptíveis. Logo, deve-se utilizar ferramentas que ampliem as possibilidades de compreensão e análise dos dados. Inicialmente, as ferramentas selecionadas para uso neste trabalho são apresentadas e discutidas quanto à sua aplicação e utilização na análise proposta. Para tal foram utilizados dados coletados em uma pesquisa origem–destino (O-D) realizada na cidade de Bauru - SP, agrupados por setores censitários e adicionados ao SIG, aplicando técnicas de estatística espacial utilizadas para entidades do tipo área. Os resultados obtidos são apresentados na forma de mapas e de índices que medem a associação espacial global e local entre estas zonas. Uma das conclusões interessantes da aplicação foi a identificação de regiões da cidade com dinâmica particular, que contrariam o padrão global observado nas demais partes da área urbana. Pôde-se constatar ainda particularidades a respeito do uso de cada modo de transportes. O modo automóvel como motorista, por exemplo, possui agrupamento espacial bem definido no nível de renda alta tanto nas regiões de periferia, como nas de transição e central. Já o modo ônibus é predominantemente utilizado nas zonas de renda baixa das regiões de periferia e transição, enquanto que os modos não motorizados possuem uma dinâmica bem diversificada em toda a área urbana. Estes e outros resultados do estudo de caso deixam claro que as análises de estatística espacial em ambiente SIG criam uma ferramenta para ampliar a análise convencional de acessibilidade em transportes / Transportation accessibility is directly related to the level of transportation supply and land uses and the way they affect individuals in their trip desires for accomplishing regular-basis activities. It is often assumed that low-income segments of the population living at the periphery of the cities are those affected the most by poor conditions of transportation accessibility. There is a subjacent question behind this statement, however, which is: can the income level or the location of an individual alone explain his/her accessibility level? In order to look for answers to this question, the aim of this study is to analyze, making use of spatial statistics tools in a GIS (Geographic Information System) environment, the relationships between accessibility and income and their geographical distributions in a medium-sized Brazilian city. The application of the most commonly used GIS resources, such as visualization and spatial data classification tools, not always assures a full comprehension of the phenomenon under analysis. As a consequence, many problems require tools that enhance the possibilities of observation and analysis. As tools with this characteristic have been used in this work, they were initially introduced. Thereafter, the possibilities of use of these tools in the problem analyzed were also discussed. Data of an origin-destination (O-D) survey carried out in the city of Bauru, located in the state of São Paulo, which brings information about four different transportation modes, were used in this study. Such data, grouped following the census tracts, were carefully examined in a Geographic Information System in order to look for spatial patterns of accessibility that are not visible in the traditional approaches. The results of the analysis are presented in maps and as indices that are able to capture glabal and local spatial association patterns in areas. One of the interesting outcomes of the application was the identification of regions with particular dynamics, which go against the pattern found in the overall urban area. Particularities regarding each particular transportation mode have also been noticed. The zones where the automobile is most used (by drivers, not by passengers) are spatially clustered, regardless if the zone is at the periphery, transition zone or central area of the city. The bus trips are predominantly carried out in low-income areas of the periphery and transition rings, while the non-motorized modes (walk and bicycle) have shown a very diversified dynamics in the entire urban area. This and other results of the case study clearly indicate that spatial statistics analyses in a GIS environment create a powerful tool to extend conventional transportation accessibility analysis

A acessibilidade está relacionada com a maneira como a disponibilidade de transportes e os usos do solo afetam os indivíduos na realização de viagens para o desenvolvimento de suas atividades habituais. Freqüentemente se assume que os moradores de baixa renda da periferia são os mais afetados pela falta de acesso aos meios de transporte. A questão subjacente a esta afirmação, no entanto, permanece sem uma resposta definitiva: o nível de renda, por si só, seria um indicativo do nível de acessibilidade? O objetivo deste estudo é explorar a união de ferramentas de estatística espacial e SIG (Sistema de Informações Geográficas) com um propósito específico, que é o de analisar as relações entre aspectos da distribuição espacial de características da população (como a renda, por exemplo) de uma cidade média brasileira e os diversos níveis de acessibilidade por diferentes modos de transporte nela observados, buscando possíveis respostas para esta pergunta. Quando se utiliza procedimentos de visualização e classificação de dados espaciais comuns em SIG, nem sempre as informações são diretamente perceptíveis. Logo, deve-se utilizar ferramentas que ampliem as possibilidades de compreensão e análise dos dados. Inicialmente, as ferramentas selecionadas para uso neste trabalho são apresentadas e discutidas quanto à sua aplicação e utilização na análise proposta. Para tal foram utilizados dados coletados em uma pesquisa origem–destino (O-D) realizada na cidade de Bauru - SP, agrupados por setores censitários e adicionados ao SIG, aplicando técnicas de estatística espacial utilizadas para entidades do tipo área. Os resultados obtidos são apresentados na forma de mapas e de índices que medem a associação espacial global e local entre estas zonas. Uma das conclusões interessantes da aplicação foi a identificação de regiões da cidade com dinâmica particular, que contrariam o padrão global observado nas demais partes da área urbana. Pôde-se constatar ainda particularidades a respeito do uso de cada modo de transportes. O modo automóvel como motorista, por exemplo, possui agrupamento espacial bem definido no nível de renda alta tanto nas regiões de periferia, como nas de transição e central. Já o modo ônibus é predominantemente utilizado nas zonas de renda baixa das regiões de periferia e transição, enquanto que os modos não motorizados possuem uma dinâmica bem diversificada em toda a área urbana. Estes e outros resultados do estudo de caso deixam claro que as análises de estatística espacial em ambiente SIG criam uma ferramenta para ampliar a análise convencional de acessibilidade em transportes / Transportation accessibility is directly related to the level of transportation supply and land uses and the way they affect individuals in their trip desires for accomplishing regular-basis activities. It is often assumed that low-income segments of the population living at the periphery of the cities are those affected the most by poor conditions of transportation accessibility. There is a subjacent question behind this statement, however, which is: can the income level or the location of an individual alone explain his/her accessibility level? In order to look for answers to this question, the aim of this study is to analyze, making use of spatial statistics tools in a GIS (Geographic Information System) environment, the relationships between accessibility and income and their geographical distributions in a medium-sized Brazilian city. The application of the most commonly used GIS resources, such as visualization and spatial data classification tools, not always assures a full comprehension of the phenomenon under analysis. As a consequence, many problems require tools that enhance the possibilities of observation and analysis. As tools with this characteristic have been used in this work, they were initially introduced. Thereafter, the possibilities of use of these tools in the problem analyzed were also discussed. Data of an origin-destination (O-D) survey carried out in the city of Bauru, located in the state of São Paulo, which brings information about four different transportation modes, were used in this study. Such data, grouped following the census tracts, were carefully examined in a Geographic Information System in order to look for spatial patterns of accessibility that are not visible in the traditional approaches. The results of the analysis are presented in maps and as indices that are able to capture glabal and local spatial association patterns in areas. One of the interesting outcomes of the application was the identification of regions with particular dynamics, which go against the pattern found in the overall urban area. Particularities regarding each particular transportation mode have also been noticed. The zones where the automobile is most used (by drivers, not by passengers) are spatially clustered, regardless if the zone is at the periphery, transition zone or central area of the city. The bus trips are predominantly carried out in low-income areas of the periphery and transition rings, while the non-motorized modes (walk and bicycle) have shown a very diversified dynamics in the entire urban area. This and other results of the case study clearly indicate that spatial statistics analyses in a GIS environment create a powerful tool to extend conventional transportation accessibility analysis

Over the last 3 decades, freshwater aquaculture has become one of the most important food industries. However the constant introduction of a reduced number of very successful species for aquaculture has been identified as one of the main activities related to the alarming decline of fish biodiversity worldwide. This issue has raised awareness amongst the scientific community, governmental authorities and the general public towards freshwater fish biodiversity. This new awareness has promoted the development of “green” markets and environmentally friendly strategies, aiming for a reliable production of protein sources. The development of native species aquaculture has been presented as a strong alternative for sustainable aquaculture and the protection of biodiversity. However, it seems clear that unplanned native species aquaculture developments can be as detrimental on local biodiversity as the introduction of exotic fish, if not more dangerous. Therefore, the advantages and disadvantages of native species aquaculture have to be clearly analysed before any aquaculture development. This study aimed to establish a philosophical background regarding the use of native fish species in aquaculture in contrast to the introduction of exotic species that may compete for a similar niche as food in local markets. The main ecological impacts that exotic fish species may have on natives, such as competition, predation, and hybridization were discussed. In addition, a well planned native species Aquaculture Strategy for the Protection of Biodiversity was produced, at catchment level, within a Geographic Information System (GIS). For the development of the native species aquaculture strategy in central Mexico, four species of Atherinids (Chirostoma estor, C. Jordani, C. promelas and Atherinella balsana) and two species of native Ictalurids (Ictalurus balsanus and Ictalurus dugesii) were included in this study. These six species are relatively new to aquaculture and they were selected on the basis of their importance in local fisheries and markets in their native basins of the Lerma-Santiago and Balsas rivers. Both of these basins are of great importance in central Mexico, not only because of their biodiversity but also because of their high human population densities and socio-economic status. The use of Geographic Information Systems was a fundamental factor in the development of the native species aquaculture strategy at catchment level, consisting of site suitability models (SSM) for each species in their corresponding native catchments. Overall, SSM identified 13,916 km2 and 11,178 km2 highly suitable for aquaculture of the studied Atherinids and Ictalurids respectively, based on Water, Soil and Terrain, Infrastructure and Risk sub-models. A set of predictive species distribution models (PSDM), which related ecological characteristics for each studied species with relevant environmental and topographic parameters into a GIS, were also produced. Such models were developed for the establishment of potential natural ranges of distribution for each species, as well as their potential to become exotic in new environments, as a potential for invasion model (PI). Based on a partial verification, both PSDM and PI models produced results that were satisfactorily consistent with the known distribution of each modelled species. The combination of SSM and PSDM produced an Aquaculture Strategy for the Protection of Biodiversity model (ASPB) which identified the most environmentally friendly suitable areas for aquaculture sites. In contrast, the combination of the SSM with PI models into an ASPB model identified the site suitability potential for non-native species that are genetically close to native ones, in an attempt to reduce the known impacts that exotic species have on local biodiversity. In this way the ASPB model identified 7,651 km2 suitable for aquaculture of I. balsanus in its native Balsas basin and 15,633 km¬2 suitable for aquaculture of the non-native I. dugesii. ASPB models were produced for all the studied species. The final results were used to produce a set of guidelines for the development of sustainable aquaculture of native species at catchment level that cover genetic and ecological implications, as well as a well planned decision making tool produced in a GIS.