Anthropogenic habitat change is the most important factor contributing to global losses in biodiversity. Ecological research can help identify the mechanisms that cause these declines by relating environmental characteristics to wildlife habitat use and productivity. Such studies can contribute to the design of land-use practices that enhance wildlife populations in conservation areas and promote efficient compromises between human use and conservation. The conflicts between human-use and conservation are particularly evident in coastal areas, which have enormous economic value and are thus coveted areas for development. Human-use can alter the habitat quality and affect coastal taxa, such as shorebirds. iv In this study I examine the breeding ecology and conservation biology of a beach-nesting, near-threatened shorebird, the Malaysian plover Charadrius peronii, which breeds on coastal areas throughout Southeast Asia. Although nearly half of the threatened shorebird species breed in tropical areas, little research has been conducted on the conservation and ecology of these species. My study is the first detailed research conducted on the Malaysian plover. It contributes to a better understanding of the environmental factors constraining breeding strategies in the tropics and identifies key mechanisms linking anthropogenic habitat change and wildlife populations. I used behavioural approaches to collect a wide range of data over a short-time period in order to describe the breeding ecology of Malaysian plovers, evaluate different types of constraints, identify anthropogenic impacts and provide recommendations on management approaches to mitigate the impacts of habitat change. Malaysian plovers have long breeding seasons, high site fidelity, complete biparental care and can nest multiple times in a single year. In contrast to shorebirds in Arctic environments, where fecundity is limited by the brief pulses of high seasonal productivity, Malaysian plover fecundity appeared to be constrained more by habitat availability rather than time. Malaysian plovers began defending territories several months prior to the breeding seasons and nested in the same habitats even if there were significant reductions in habitat quality throughout the course of the breeding season. In the Gulf of Thailand tourism-related habitat change that narrows beaches, alters vegetation structure and enhances human disturbance levels reduce habitat availability and breeding success. Enhanced vulnerability of clutches to tidal flooding, chicks to predation, exposure of eggs to heat and chicks to predation may be key mechanisms leading to these effects. Moreover Malaysian plovers had a density-dependent decline in breeding success. Consequently, if birds are displaced from preferred beaches due to habitat change, then breeding success may be reduced in otherwise high quality habitat as plovers crowd into remaining beaches. When people approach nesting or chick-rearing plovers, one or both of the adults will leave the clutch or chicks to conduct distraction displays. Compared to holarctic species, tropical shorebirds may be more vulnerable to the fitness impacts of human disturbance because even short periods of exposure to direct sunlight can cause clutch failure, whereas eggs are resistant to chilling. These results suggest that the environmental and ecological conditions in tropical regions may affect the susceptibility of breeding shorebirds to fitness impacts of anthropogenic disturbance and habitat change. Future research should assess cumulative impacts of habitat change by conducting multispecies studies and include wintering or stopover shorebirds. As my research was conducted in the best Malaysian plover breeding habitat in Thailand, it is important to assess the generality of my results by comparisons to other regions or across several years in which there may be a different range of predators or prey. Finally, it is important to note that these types of ecological conservation studies are only a first step towards successful protection of threatened species. The greater challenge is to tackle the ultimate socio-economic and institutional factors that limit the effectiveness of protected areas and contribute to the number of environmentally destructive coastal development projects.

Dreissenid mussels alter particle transport dynamics in the near shore environment of the Great Lakes by intercepting, retaining and recycling suspended solids that might otherwise be exported to the offshore environment (Hecky et al., 2004). Particulate materials filtered from the water column by dreissenids are subsequently released as either feces or pseudofeces (Walz, 1978). This bio-transformation process alters the nature (grain size distribution, settling velocity and density) and transport properties (critical shear stress for erosion, erosion rates and bed stability) of particulate matter in surficial sediments. While knowledge of the transport characteristics of this material is required to refine particle transport dynamics and energy flow models in the Great Lakes, few studies have been specifically conducted to directly quantify these processes. An annular flume was used to determine the bed stability, rate of erosion and critical shear stress for erosion of dreissenid biodeposits. Materials studied in the flume consisted of 1) a combination of biodeposits and surface sediments collected from dreissenid beds and 2) biodeposits harvested in a weir box with dreissenids. The results show that erosion characteristics and sediment transport properties were strongly influenced by bed age; however particle sizes did not increase in the presence of mussels as originally speculated. Bed stability increased after 7 days, with a τcrit of 0.26 Pa compared to the 2 and 14 day consolidation periods (τcrit= 0.13 and 0.15 Pa respectively). In 2010, following a 2 day consolidation period, pure biodeposits harvested in the weir box had a critical shear stress for erosion of 0.052 Pa. The decrease in bed stability found in biodeposits from 2010 compared to the 2008 biodeposit mixture, may be a result of a more diffuse biofilm developing on the highly organic substrate. The mixture of biodeposits collected in 2008 were a combination organic and inorganic materials which may be creating a nutrient limited environment, where biofilm structure consists of more tightly organized biofilm cells and as a result enhance stability in the bed sediments. The decrease observed after 14 days is likely a result of the microbes depleting their resources and dying off. Due to the added roughness the mussels created in the flume, τcrit could not be measured and critical revolutions per minute (RPM) for erosion are reported for flume runs with mussels. During experiments conducted in 2009 with pure biodeposits and mussels the critical RPM was 5.83 while in 2010 in the presence of mussels a critical RPM was not observed. Settling experiments found biodeposits from both years (2008 and 2010) had decreased settling velocities when compared to different sediment types from lacustrine environments. I speculate that the added enrichment of the surficial sediments by mussel biodeposits is enhancing the process of biostabilization and increasing the bed stability and that the presence mussels themselves may additionally be enhancing bed stability by inhibiting flow from reaching the surface sediments/biodeposits.

The goal of biodiversity conservation has been described as the conservation of diversity at three levels: ecosystem, species and genetic diversity. Developing a representative system of marine protected areas is considered an effective way to achieve this goal in the marine environment. The growing concern associated with threats to the marine environment has resulted in an increased demand for marine reserves (i.e. no-take areas) that conserve representative and adequate examples of biodiversity. Often, the decisions about where to locate reserves must be made in the absence of detailed information on the patterns of distribution of the biota. Alternative approaches are required that include defining habitats as surrogates for biodiversity. The development of biodiversity surrogates at fine-scales (i.e. habitats) will have an increasingly important role in the identification of sites that will contribute to a representative system of marine protected areas. This is because it will increase the likelihood that the system will adequately achieve biodiversity objectives by ensuring protection of a greater range of habitats and species. Surrogate measures of biodiversity enable decisions about where to locate marine reserves to be made more reliably in the absence of detailed data on the distribution of species. There is concern, however, about the reliability of surrogate measures to represent biotic diversity and the use of such measures in the design of marine reserve systems. Currently, surrogate measures are most often based on broad-scale (100s to 1000s of kilometres) bioregional frameworks that define general categories (sandy beach, rocky shore) for intertidal systems. These broad-scale categories are inadequate when making decisions about conservation priorities at the local level (10s to 100s of metres). This study provides an explanation of an intertidal shoreline habitat surrogate (i.e. shoreline types) used to describe 24,216 kilometres of Queensland’s coastline. The protective status of shoreline types was evaluated to assist with designing a representative system of intertidal marine protected areas. The shoreline types derived using physical properties of the shoreline were used as a surrogate for intertidal biodiversity to assist with the identification of sites for inclusion in a candidate system of intertidal marine reserves for 17,463 kilometres of the mainland coast of Queensland, Australia. This represents the first systematic approach, on essentially one-dimensional data, using fine-scale (10s to 100s of metres) intertidal habitats to identify a system of marine reserves for such a large length of coast. A range of solutions would provide for the protection of a representative example of shoreline types in Queensland. Shoreline types were used as a surrogate for intertidal biodiversity (i.e. habitats, microhabitats) to assist with the identification of sites to be included in a representative system of marine reserves in south east Queensland. The use of local-scale shoreline types increased the likelihood that sites identified for conservation achieved representation goals for the mosaic of habitats and microhabitats, and therefore the associated biodiversity present on rocky shores, than that provided by the existing marine reserve protection in south east Queensland. These results indicate that using broad-scale surrogate measures (rocky shore, sandy beach) for biodiversity (habitats, microhabitats and species) are likely to result in poor representation of fine-scale habitats and microhabitats, and therefore intertidal assemblages in marine reserves. When additional fine-scale data were added to reserve selection the summed irreplaceability of 24% (for spatial extent of habitats), and 29% (for presence/absence of microhabitats) of rocky shore sites increased above zero, where a value close to one means a site is necessary, for inclusion in a reserve system, to meet conservation targets. The use of finer-scale physical data to support marine reserve design is more likely to result in the selection of reserves that achieve representation at habitat and microhabitat levels, increasing the likelihood that conservation goals will be achieved. The design and planning of marine and terrestrial protected areas systems should not be undertaken independently of each other because it is likely to lead to inadequate representation of intertidal habitats in either system. The development of reserve systems specially designed to protect intertidal habitats should be integrated into the design of terrestrial and marine protected area systems. Marine reserve networks are a necessary and effective tool for conserving marine biodiversity. They also have an important role in the governance of oceans and the sustainable management of marine resources. The translation of marine reserve network theory into practice is a challenge for conservation practitioners. Barriers to implementing marine reserves include varying levels of political will and agency support and leadership, poorly coordinated marine conservation policy, inconsistencies with the use of legislation, polarised views and opposition from some stakeholders, and difficulties with defining and mapping conservation features. The future success of marine reserve network implementation will become increasingly dependent on: increasing political commitment and agency leadership to remove conflicts within and between government agencies involved in site identification and selection; greater involvement and collaboration with stakeholders; and the provision of resources to define and map conservation features. Key elements of translating marine reserve theory into implementation of a network of marine reserves are discussed based on approaches used successfully in New Zealand and New South Wales (Australia).

Thesis (M.Sc. Earth and Ocean Sciences)--University of Waikato, 2008. / Title from PDF cover (viewed September 18, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 121-123)

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves : [92]-97).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1998. / "UMI Number: 9911825." Includes bibliographical references. Available also on the web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Los Angeles, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 120-136).

Thesis (M.S.) University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (June 27, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

Depuis le début des années 2000, la filiale française du groupe Axa, un des leaders mondiaux du secteur de l’assurance, s’est engagée dans un long processus de “rationalisation” de son activité. L’informatisation du travail, la création de centres d’appels, dont certains déterritorialisés à Rabat au Maroc, participent d’une mutation de la relation entre l’assureur et ses assurés. Un contrat CIFRE avec la Direction du Service aux Clients de l’entreprise a permis une immersion, durant près de trois années, dans les différents lieux de la procédure d’indemnisation des incidents survenus dans l’habitat, que nous appelons petites catastrophes de la vie domestique. L’insertion de l’ethnographe au sein d’une « équipe opérationnelle » a permis l’observation du travail quotidien puis une campagne d’entretiens semi-directifs en France et à Rabat, dans les agences Axa et au domicile d’assurés sinistrés. La thèse cherche à éclairer la confrontation entre la singularité de la petite catastrophe et le modèle assurantiel (Zelizer, 1983). La dilatation de l’espace, la fragmentation du temps et l’anonymisation des interactions, orchestrées par des pratiques de gestion outillée, tendent à faire disparaître le contact physique et à accroître la distance entre le lieu de la petite catastrophe et celui de son évaluation. Elles modifient ainsi l’équilibre des interactions autour du calcul de la compensation financière en exacerbant le rapport à la voix. / Since the beginning of the century, the French subsidiary of the AXA Group, one of the world’s leading insurance companies, has been engaged in a long process of rationalising its business activities. The reorganisation and computerisation of work and the creation of call centres, with some located in Rabat (Morocco), are factors which lead to a change in the relationship between the insurer and the insured. In the frame of a CIFRE PhD Program with Axa Customer Services Management, I was totally immersed for almost three years in the administration of the company’s indemnity procedures for home insurance. I also conducted interviews with employees in France and Rabat (Morocco), in AXA branches and with customers at their home. This thesis examines the tension between the singular nature of the “petites catastrophes de la vie domestique” and the insurance model (Zelizer, 1983). The results revealed that spatial expansion, time fragmentation and partial anonymisation of interactions tend to eliminate physical contact and increase the distance between where the incident occurred and where it is assessed. These three factors modifie interactions around the calculation of financial payouts. They ‘re-personalize’ the relationship, lead to largely imaginary representations of the Other and intensify the connection with the voice.

Cette recherche porte sur des modélisation des évolutions à long terme du trait de côtes, dans laquelle on propose un modèle qui combine à la fois une contribution des processus cross-shore et celle de processus longshore pour améliorer les capacités prédictives. Le modèle cross-shore de Splinter et al. (2014) est ré-implémenté dans un but de comparaison avec le modèle combiné. Nous présentons un modèle longshore simple basé sur une approche "one-line" moyenne dans le temps. L’analyse de ce modèle longshore donne l’orientation de la plage d’équilibre par rapport à l’orientation de l’onde incidente. Il révèle également qu’une partie de la variabilité saisonnière des positions du trait de côte est due au transport par la dérive littorale. Par conséquent, la contribution longshore du modèle combiné améliore les capacités prédictives. Les prédictions du modèle sont confrontées à des mesures des positions du trait de côte de différents types de plages, comme celles de Truc Vert, en France et des plages en baie avec courbure de Narrabeen, en Australie et de Nha Trang, au Vietnam.Cette thèse offre deux nouvelles contributions précieuses. Le premier est un modèle longshore simple et l’orientation de la plage d’équilibre. Le second est un modèle combiné de long-shore et cross-shore. / This research focuses on the long-term shoreline evolution modeling, in which a combined model comprising the shoreline change due to longshore drift in a cross-shore shoreline model is proposed to improve the predictive skills of the long-term shoreline response. The cross-shore shoreline model of cite{splinter2014} is re-implemented for a purpose of comprehensive comparison with the combined model. A simplified longshore shoreline model is developed on the basis of the one-line type approach. The analysis of this longshore model yields the equilibrium beach orientation in relation to the incident wave orientation. It also reveals that part of seasonal shoreline position variability is due to the longshore transport. Therefore, the presence of the longshore model in the combined model clearly improves the model skills. The shoreline evolution models are calibrated with data from different beach types, such as a straight open beach shoreline of Truc Vert, France and embayed beach shoreline of Narrabeen, Australia and Nha Trang, Vietnam.This thesis gives two valuable contributions. The first one is a simplified longshore model and the equilibrium beach orientation. The second one is a combined longshore cross-shore phenomenological model.