Hello,
You are invited to participate in a survey conducted by The Nature Conservancy in Maine and the University of Washington, in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, to assess the social and ecological vulnerability of fishing communities in New England.
A sweepstakes for ten $100 Amazon gift cards is being held in conjunction with this survey. Completion of the survey is not required to enter this drawing. Individuals over 18 who enter between July 7, 2020 and August 31, 2020 will be eligible to win one of ten Amazon gift cards.
We appreciate your willingness to participate in this survey and thank you for your time.
To participate click the following link: http://selfserve.decipherinc.com/survey/selfserve/5d8/200504?list=3 [selfserve.decipherinc.com]
Project Details:
- Purpose of the project: Changes to the Gulf of Maine and Southern New England Ecosystems have the potential to impact fisheries and disrupt fishing communities, in addition to the current changes the fishing industry is experiencing as a result of COVID-19. We are seeing firsthand how changes in the fishing industry can increase stress on individuals and reduce community resilience. In order to address these issues from a climate context, we are asking for your perceptions of the vulnerabilities of coastal fisheries and fishing communities, and the strengths and resilience that help them adapt to change. The findings from this project will be shared with State agencies and decision-making bodies to help inform how fishermen are thinking and adapting to changing ocean conditions.
- What is involved: We are asking you for your perceptions on changes to fisheries, how you and your community are impacted by those changes, and your ability to respond to the impacts. This survey was sent to all licensed commercial fishermen in New England. If you agree to participate, the survey will require approximately 30 minutes of your time. All the information you provide is confidential; individual surveys will only be seen by the research team. Your participation is voluntary, and you may stop the survey at any time without any consequences.
- Risks and benefits: Participation in this survey has no known or anticipated risks. Your participation has the potential to influence how managers, NGOs, and scientists approach adaptation planning and support resilient fishing communities. If you choose to participate in the survey, your free and informed consent and that you understand the conditions of participation are implied. This survey (STUDY00008104) has been reviewed by the Human Subjects Division at the University of Washington. If you have any concerns about the ethics you may contact hsdinfo@uw.edu.
- Sharing results: Individual responses will remain confidential, when research findings are shared, they will be aggregated in a way that protects the identity of the participants. The results of this survey will potentially be shared with State management agencies (Maine DMR, NH Fish and Game, MA DMF, RI Fish and Wildlife, CT DEEP), the Maine Climate Council, the New England Fisheries Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission if interested, in scientific publications and presentations, and a report will be available online that you will be able to access. Funding for this work is provided by The Nature Conservancy in Maine. If you would like more information on the survey you can contact Jocelyn Runnebaum at jocelyn.runnebaum@tnc.org or Laura Nelson lknelson@uw.edu.
Thank you.
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