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Dr. Steven Scyphers
Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, Marine Science Center, Nahant, MA 01908, USA

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0 Conservation
0 Fisheries
0 sustainability science
0 social-ecological systems
0 Coastal development

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Contributed paper
Published: 01 July 2021 in Conservation Science and Practice
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Shoreline hardening is a major driver of biodiversity and habitat loss in coastal ecosystems yet remains a common approach to coastal management globally. Using surveys of waterfront residents in North Carolina, USA, we sought to identify factors influencing individual shore-protection decisions and ultimately impacting coastal ecosystems, particularly coastal wetlands. We found that neighboring shore condition was the best predictor of respondent shore condition. Respondents with hardened shorelines were more likely to have neighbors with hardened shorelines, and to report that neighbors influenced their shore-protection choices than respondents with natural shorelines. Further, respondents who expressed climate-change skepticism and preference for shoreline hardening were opposed to shoreline-hardening restrictions. Despite preferring hardening, respondents ranked wetlands as highly valuable for storm protection and other ecosystem services, suggesting a disconnect between the ecological knowledge of individuals and social norms of shore-protection decisions. However, our results also suggest that efforts to increase the installation of living shorelines have the potential to conserve and restore important coastal habitats and support biodiversity along shorelines that may otherwise be degraded by hardening. Further, encouraging waterfront-property owners who have adopted living shorelines to recommend them to neighbors may be an effective strategy to initiate and reinforce pro-conservation social norms.

ACS Style

Rachel K. Gittman; Steven B. Scyphers; Christopher J. Baillie; Anna Brodmerkel; Jonathan H. Grabowski; Mariah Livernois; Abigail K. Poray; Carter S. Smith; F. Joel Fodrie. Reversing a tyranny of cascading shoreline‐protection decisions driving coastal habitat loss. Conservation Science and Practice 2021, e490 .

AMA Style

Rachel K. Gittman, Steven B. Scyphers, Christopher J. Baillie, Anna Brodmerkel, Jonathan H. Grabowski, Mariah Livernois, Abigail K. Poray, Carter S. Smith, F. Joel Fodrie. Reversing a tyranny of cascading shoreline‐protection decisions driving coastal habitat loss. Conservation Science and Practice. 2021; ():e490.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rachel K. Gittman; Steven B. Scyphers; Christopher J. Baillie; Anna Brodmerkel; Jonathan H. Grabowski; Mariah Livernois; Abigail K. Poray; Carter S. Smith; F. Joel Fodrie. 2021. "Reversing a tyranny of cascading shoreline‐protection decisions driving coastal habitat loss." Conservation Science and Practice , no. : e490.

Featured paper
Published: 04 June 2021 in North American Journal of Fisheries Management
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Management of Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus has been a topic of much scientific debate and intensive public scrutiny. In response to political, public, and management desires for more robust data on Red Snapper populations, a gulfwide initiative commonly referred to as the “Great Red Snapper Count” (GRSC) was funded to estimate the absolute abundance of Red Snapper in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Here, we describe the results of an online survey designed to (1) characterize the social dimensions of Red Snapper anglers, (2) measure satisfaction with current Red Snapper populations and regulations, (3) assess overall patterns of awareness of the GRSC, and (4) evaluate the potential benefits of GRSC stakeholder engagement videos. A key finding of our survey was that awareness of the GRSC was associated with up to three times higher satisfaction with fisheries management. Through an in-survey experiment, we found that anglers that were presented a video on specific GRSC project components reported slightly higher management satisfaction than those presented an overview video or no video. Collectively, our results indicate that angler awareness, when underpinned by effective engagement and outreach activities, can enhance angler satisfaction.

ACS Style

Steven B. Scyphers; J. Marcus Drymon; Kelsi L. Furman; Elizabeth Conley; Yvette Niwa; Amanda E. Jefferson; Gregory W. Stunz. Understanding and Enhancing Angler Satisfaction with Fisheries Management: Insights from the “Great Red Snapper Count”. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 2021, 41, 559 -569.

AMA Style

Steven B. Scyphers, J. Marcus Drymon, Kelsi L. Furman, Elizabeth Conley, Yvette Niwa, Amanda E. Jefferson, Gregory W. Stunz. Understanding and Enhancing Angler Satisfaction with Fisheries Management: Insights from the “Great Red Snapper Count”. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 2021; 41 (3):559-569.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Steven B. Scyphers; J. Marcus Drymon; Kelsi L. Furman; Elizabeth Conley; Yvette Niwa; Amanda E. Jefferson; Gregory W. Stunz. 2021. "Understanding and Enhancing Angler Satisfaction with Fisheries Management: Insights from the “Great Red Snapper Count”." North American Journal of Fisheries Management 41, no. 3: 559-569.

Evidence
Published: 17 May 2021 in Conservation Science and Practice
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As sea levels rise and the frequency of flooding events increases, so do efforts to stabilize coastal shorelines. Nature‐based solutions to shoreline stabilization (“green” solutions, as opposed to traditional “grey” shoreline hardening) have been increasingly adopted in the Gulf of Mexico and mid‐Atlantic regions of the United States, but they are only beginning to be implemented, documented, and understood in the northeastern United States. This case study contrasts two shoreline stabilization projects directly across from each other on the banks of the Mystic River, Boston Harbor, MA. These two projects, one private and one public, employ a spectrum of green‐grey shoreline stabilization techniques. Originally planned as traditional grey shoreline stabilizations, both projects shifted toward greener solutions due to local environmental group advocacy, highlighting the influence of outside groups as advocates for nature‐based solutions. This study documents the evolution of both projects, highlighting common challenges in permitting and vegetation maintenance, as well as critical differences in project goals, funding sources, and biodiversity impacts.

ACS Style

Katherine A. Castagno; Alison A. Bowden; Eric J. Roberts; Sara E. Burns; Sharon L. Harlan; Laura Senier; Steven B. Scyphers. Conservation practice insights from a comparative case study of two shoreline stabilization projects in Boston Harbor, MA. Conservation Science and Practice 2021, e465 .

AMA Style

Katherine A. Castagno, Alison A. Bowden, Eric J. Roberts, Sara E. Burns, Sharon L. Harlan, Laura Senier, Steven B. Scyphers. Conservation practice insights from a comparative case study of two shoreline stabilization projects in Boston Harbor, MA. Conservation Science and Practice. 2021; ():e465.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Katherine A. Castagno; Alison A. Bowden; Eric J. Roberts; Sara E. Burns; Sharon L. Harlan; Laura Senier; Steven B. Scyphers. 2021. "Conservation practice insights from a comparative case study of two shoreline stabilization projects in Boston Harbor, MA." Conservation Science and Practice , no. : e465.

Letter
Published: 13 August 2020 in Conservation Letters
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Shoreline armoring is a pervasive driver of habitat loss and ecosystem decline along coastlines. Nature‐based strategies for coastal protection, such as “living shorelines,” offer potential alternatives to armoring and are rapidly gaining traction among conservation scientists and practitioners. However, along residential coasts where armoring has often occurred at high rates, transitioning away from armoring has been generally slow. We studied the attitudes, beliefs, and decisions of waterfront homeowners with a goal of identifying effective incentives for living shorelines as a conservation tool for reversing coastal habitat loss. We show that while only 18% of homeowners with armored shorelines would willingly transition to living shorelines during a key window of opportunity, a modest economic incentive could increase the likelihood among 43% of all respondents and up to 61% of recent homeowners. Our study demonstrates potential pathways for navigating social, economic, and environmental influences on landowner decisions for coastal habitat conservation.

ACS Style

Steven B. Scyphers; Michael W. Beck; Kelsi L. Furman; Judy Haner; Andrew G. Keeler; Craig E. Landry; Kiera L. O'Donnell; Bret M. Webb; Jonathan H. Grabowski. Designing effective incentives for living shorelines as a habitat conservation strategy along residential coasts. Conservation Letters 2020, 13, 1 .

AMA Style

Steven B. Scyphers, Michael W. Beck, Kelsi L. Furman, Judy Haner, Andrew G. Keeler, Craig E. Landry, Kiera L. O'Donnell, Bret M. Webb, Jonathan H. Grabowski. Designing effective incentives for living shorelines as a habitat conservation strategy along residential coasts. Conservation Letters. 2020; 13 (5):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Steven B. Scyphers; Michael W. Beck; Kelsi L. Furman; Judy Haner; Andrew G. Keeler; Craig E. Landry; Kiera L. O'Donnell; Bret M. Webb; Jonathan H. Grabowski. 2020. "Designing effective incentives for living shorelines as a habitat conservation strategy along residential coasts." Conservation Letters 13, no. 5: 1.

Journal article
Published: 23 January 2020 in Sustainability
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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.

ACS Style

Bryan DeAngelis; Ariana Sutton-Grier; Allison Colden; Katie Arkema; Christopher Baillie; Richard Bennett; Jeff Benoit; Seth Blitch; Anthony Chatwin; Alyssa Dausman; Rachel Gittman; Holly Greening; Jessica Henkel; Rachel Houge; Ron Howard; A. Hughes; Jeremy Lowe; Steven Scyphers; Edward Sherwood; Stephanie Westby; Jonathan Grabowski. Social Factors Key to Landscape-Scale Coastal Restoration: Lessons Learned from Three U.S. Case Studies. Sustainability 2020, 12, 869 .

AMA Style

Bryan DeAngelis, Ariana Sutton-Grier, Allison Colden, Katie Arkema, Christopher Baillie, Richard Bennett, Jeff Benoit, Seth Blitch, Anthony Chatwin, Alyssa Dausman, Rachel Gittman, Holly Greening, Jessica Henkel, Rachel Houge, Ron Howard, A. Hughes, Jeremy Lowe, Steven Scyphers, Edward Sherwood, Stephanie Westby, Jonathan Grabowski. Social Factors Key to Landscape-Scale Coastal Restoration: Lessons Learned from Three U.S. Case Studies. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (3):869.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bryan DeAngelis; Ariana Sutton-Grier; Allison Colden; Katie Arkema; Christopher Baillie; Richard Bennett; Jeff Benoit; Seth Blitch; Anthony Chatwin; Alyssa Dausman; Rachel Gittman; Holly Greening; Jessica Henkel; Rachel Houge; Ron Howard; A. Hughes; Jeremy Lowe; Steven Scyphers; Edward Sherwood; Stephanie Westby; Jonathan Grabowski. 2020. "Social Factors Key to Landscape-Scale Coastal Restoration: Lessons Learned from Three U.S. Case Studies." Sustainability 12, no. 3: 869.

Journal article
Published: 26 November 2019 in Sustainability
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Coastal communities exist on the front lines of diverse natural hazards and the growing impacts of climate change. While traditional strategies for dealing with coastal hazards have often involved the hardening or armoring of shorelines, more recent research and practice have demonstrated the value and cost-effectiveness of “living shorelines” and other ecosystem-based strategies for coastal protection. To explore potential relationships among geographic exposure (waterfront vs. inland), shoreline condition (armored vs. natural), and hazard concerns, we surveyed 583 waterfront and inland residents in the northern Gulf of Mexico. We found that overall concern for coastal hazards was similar across waterfront and inland residents, as well as among residents with both armored and natural shorelines. However, concern for specific hazards differed across these groups. Waterfront residents were significantly more concerned about major hurricanes and erosion than inland residents. Conversely, inland residents were more concerned with drought and flooding than waterfront residents. Among waterfront residents, specific hazard concerns were similar between residents with natural and armored shorelines with two key exceptions. Residents with armored shorelines reported higher concern for erosion and sea level rise than residents with natural shorelines. Our results suggest that armored shorelines do not necessarily alleviate concerns about coastal hazards. In the context of balancing social and ecological objectives in addressing coastal hazards or adapting to climate change, understanding the perceptions and behaviors of coastal residents is essential for conserving and protecting coastal ecosystems along residential shorelines.

ACS Style

Steven B. Scyphers; Michael W. Beck; Kelsi L. Furman; Judy Haner; Lauren I. Josephs; Rebecca Lynskey; Andrew G. Keeler; Craig E. Landry; Sean P. Powers; Bret M. Webb; Jonathan H. Grabowski. A Waterfront View of Coastal Hazards: Contextualizing Relationships among Geographic Exposure, Shoreline Type, and Hazard Concerns among Coastal Residents. Sustainability 2019, 11, 6687 .

AMA Style

Steven B. Scyphers, Michael W. Beck, Kelsi L. Furman, Judy Haner, Lauren I. Josephs, Rebecca Lynskey, Andrew G. Keeler, Craig E. Landry, Sean P. Powers, Bret M. Webb, Jonathan H. Grabowski. A Waterfront View of Coastal Hazards: Contextualizing Relationships among Geographic Exposure, Shoreline Type, and Hazard Concerns among Coastal Residents. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (23):6687.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Steven B. Scyphers; Michael W. Beck; Kelsi L. Furman; Judy Haner; Lauren I. Josephs; Rebecca Lynskey; Andrew G. Keeler; Craig E. Landry; Sean P. Powers; Bret M. Webb; Jonathan H. Grabowski. 2019. "A Waterfront View of Coastal Hazards: Contextualizing Relationships among Geographic Exposure, Shoreline Type, and Hazard Concerns among Coastal Residents." Sustainability 11, no. 23: 6687.

Journal article
Published: 21 November 2019 in World Development
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Coastal regions of developing countries are highly vulnerable to climate impacts. Climate change is projected to increase sea level rise, coastal storm events, and natural resource scarcity, impacting coastal ecosystems and societies. These climate impacts intersect with other anthropogenic stressors contributing to the degradation of coastal habitats and ecosystems (driven by, among other things, development, encroachment and pollution), increasing the risk of coastal hazards. Given the complexities of coastal adaptation and the reality of scarce financial and human resources, policymakers must make challenging decisions regarding which adaptation strategies to prioritize. This study seeks to understand: 1) What approaches to coastal adaptation have been most commonly implemented in projects financed through multilateral adaptation funds? and 2) Were the projects designed to build climate-specific or broader adaptive capacity? Using a content analysis of project proposals for 60 coastal adaptation projects financed through multilateral adaptation funds across 39 countries (as well as two regional projects), we categorized adaptation approaches and assessed contributions to adaptive capacity. Our findings indicate that policy, planning, and capacity-building, as compared to more tangible implementation activities, have characterized most coastal adaptation projects in the past 15 years. We also found a common emphasis on climate-specific adaptive capacity which diverges from the widely discussed need to address climate change and development priorities synergistically. In the context of limited resources, decisions regarding which adaptation approaches to invest in inherently involves trade-offs that need to be explicitly acknowledged. While numerous regional studies have analyzed these trade-offs, our study provides a global context and identifies potential areas of underinvestment for coastal adaptation in developing countries.

ACS Style

Laura Kuhl; Kyla Van Maanen; Steven Scyphers. An analysis of UNFCCC-financed coastal adaptation projects: Assessing patterns of project design and contributions to adaptive capacity. World Development 2019, 127, 104748 .

AMA Style

Laura Kuhl, Kyla Van Maanen, Steven Scyphers. An analysis of UNFCCC-financed coastal adaptation projects: Assessing patterns of project design and contributions to adaptive capacity. World Development. 2019; 127 ():104748.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Kuhl; Kyla Van Maanen; Steven Scyphers. 2019. "An analysis of UNFCCC-financed coastal adaptation projects: Assessing patterns of project design and contributions to adaptive capacity." World Development 127, no. : 104748.

Brief report
Published: 28 October 2019 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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In the United States, the iconic groundfish fishery for Gulf of Maine cod has endured several dramatic reductions in annual catch limits and been federally declared an economic disaster. Using a repeated cross-sectional survey of fishing captains to assess potential social impacts of the fishery failure, we found that psychological distress and social disruption were pervasive throughout New England fishing communities. For instance, our results indicate that 62% of captains self-reported severe or moderate psychological distress 1 y after the crisis began, and these patterns have persisted for 5 y. Using classification tree analyses, we found that low levels of trust in fisheries management was the most powerful predictor of both initial and chronic psychological distress. Distress was most severe among individuals without income diversity and those with dependents in the household. Compared to other aspects of fisheries, measuring and managing for noneconomic social outcomes and human well-being has lagged behind, even though it is a necessary component of mitigating the adverse impacts of fisheries disruptions.

ACS Style

Steven B. Scyphers; J. Steven Picou; Jonathan H. Grabowski. Chronic social disruption following a systemic fishery failure. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2019, 116, 22912 -22914.

AMA Style

Steven B. Scyphers, J. Steven Picou, Jonathan H. Grabowski. Chronic social disruption following a systemic fishery failure. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2019; 116 (46):22912-22914.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Steven B. Scyphers; J. Steven Picou; Jonathan H. Grabowski. 2019. "Chronic social disruption following a systemic fishery failure." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116, no. 46: 22912-22914.

Perspective
Published: 15 February 2018 in Sustainability
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Much of the United States’ critical infrastructure is either aging or requires significant repair, leaving U.S. communities and the economy vulnerable. Outdated and dilapidated infrastructure places coastal communities, in particular, at risk from the increasingly frequent and intense coastal storm events and rising sea levels. Therefore, investments in coastal infrastructure are urgently needed to ensure community safety and prosperity; however, these investments should not jeopardize the ecosystems and natural resources that underlie economic wealth and human well-being. Over the past 50 years, efforts have been made to integrate built infrastructure with natural landscape features, often termed “green” infrastructure, in order to sustain and restore valuable ecosystem functions and services. For example, significant advances have been made in implementing green infrastructure approaches for stormwater management, wastewater treatment, and drinking water conservation and delivery. However, the implementation of natural and nature-based infrastructure (NNBI) aimed at flood prevention and coastal erosion protection is lagging. There is an opportunity now, as the U.S. government reacts to the recent, unprecedented flooding and hurricane damage and considers greater infrastructure investments, to incorporate NNBI into coastal infrastructure projects. Doing so will increase resilience and provide critical services to local communities in a cost-effective manner and thereby help to sustain a growing economy.

ACS Style

Ariana Sutton-Grier; Rachel Gittman; Katie Arkema; Richard Bennett; Jeff Benoit; Seth Blitch; Kelly Burks-Copes; Allison Colden; Alyssa Dausman; Bryan DeAngelis; A. Hughes; Steven Scyphers; Jonathan Grabowski. Investing in Natural and Nature-Based Infrastructure: Building Better Along Our Coasts. Sustainability 2018, 10, 523 .

AMA Style

Ariana Sutton-Grier, Rachel Gittman, Katie Arkema, Richard Bennett, Jeff Benoit, Seth Blitch, Kelly Burks-Copes, Allison Colden, Alyssa Dausman, Bryan DeAngelis, A. Hughes, Steven Scyphers, Jonathan Grabowski. Investing in Natural and Nature-Based Infrastructure: Building Better Along Our Coasts. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (2):523.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ariana Sutton-Grier; Rachel Gittman; Katie Arkema; Richard Bennett; Jeff Benoit; Seth Blitch; Kelly Burks-Copes; Allison Colden; Alyssa Dausman; Bryan DeAngelis; A. Hughes; Steven Scyphers; Jonathan Grabowski. 2018. "Investing in Natural and Nature-Based Infrastructure: Building Better Along Our Coasts." Sustainability 10, no. 2: 523.