Drost Resigned

[CajunSteelsetter]

So....I'm guessing there's got to be a few pen wizards on here with sharp literary skills. Why don't we appoint someone to use some of that data from MG (and W?) and write up some articles. Newspaper, magazines, journals, etc. It's not that difficult. Unfortunately I don't fish enough or have the specific insight on this issue to be of much help. However, if MG's data is all legit and published, or at least if he gets it peer reviewed by some credible third party sources, it could do a lot to get this info into the public eye a bit.

On another note. I know everyone is working, and concerned with, agencies and contractors etc. Why don't y'all appoint a few members with some time to promote the agenda from a political standpoint? It's really very easy to lobby for something on your own as a citizen not affiliated with anybody but just concerned over a specific issue. I did it many times in high school (mom was a freelance lobbyist and political guru). You can go to the capital while they are in session or to their offices when they aren't and speak with the Senators and Reps personally most of the time. Doesn't take much at all to get some backing. You can use friends made in the house and senate as a little leverage on certain agencies or groups.

House of Representatives committee of Ag, forestry, Aquaculture and Rural development. tada! http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Cmtes/H_CMTE_AG.asp

House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Cmtes/H_CMTE_NR.asp

House Appropriations Committee http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Cmtes/H_CMTE_Ap.asp

[Speckmeister]

Originally Posted by CajunSteelsetter

So....I'm guessing there's got to be a few pen wizards on here with sharp literary skills. Why don't we appoint someone to use some of that data from MG (and W?) and write up some articles. Newspaper, magazines, journals, etc. It's not that difficult. Unfortunately I don't fish enough or have the specific insight on this issue to be of much help. However, if MG's data is all legit and published, or at least if he gets it peer reviewed by some credible third party sources, it could do a lot to get this info into the public eye a bit.

On another note. I know everyone is working, and concerned with, agencies and contractors etc. Why don't y'all appoint a few members with some time to promote the agenda from a political standpoint? It's really very easy to lobby for something on your own as a citizen not affiliated with anybody but just concerned over a specific issue. I did it many times in high school (mom was a freelance lobbyist and political guru). You can go to the capital while they are in session or to their offices when they aren't and speak with the Senators and Reps personally most of the time. Doesn't take much at all to get some backing. You can use friends made in the house and senate as a little leverage on certain agencies or groups.

House of Representatives committee of Ag, forestry, Aquaculture and Rural development. tada! http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Cmtes/H_CMTE_AG.asp

House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Cmtes/H_CMTE_NR.asp

House Appropriations Committee http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Cmtes/H_CMTE_Ap.asp

MathGeek's superiors will not allow him speaking to the press as of yet. But we tried. :-)

[MathGeek]

Originally Posted by Speckmeister

MathGeek's superiors will not allow him speaking to the press as of yet. But we tried. :-)

It's not so much superiors in this case as colleagues and journals with embargo rules (no release to press prior to publication). Releasing material or speaking to the press considerably narrows the field of journals when it comes time to publish in ways that speaking on internet forums, presenting at meetings, etc. does not. Releasing material to the press can also create a negative bias among likely peer-reviewers.

Then there are the practical issues of preparing the data for more formal presentation or publication. We have the 2014 creel survey data and have prepared preliminary graphs showing the relative condition factors of each species in 2000, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. But we do not yet have the 2014 oyster stock assessment data for comparison, and this data will not be available to late July (best case). Our research team tends to think that we need to wait for the oyster data before any graphs are released in any venue.

There is also the practical matter of digging deeper into the data analysis by computing correlation coefficients between the relative condition factors and other factors which may have an influence such as water temperature and salinity as was suggested by peer reviewers of the report from an earlier year. Just yesterday, we downloaded the USGS temperature and salinity data and computed mean 30, 60, and 90 day temperatures and salinities at Hackberry and Cameron for each study day and year in the data sets in preparation for computing the correlation coefficients. But completing this analysis will take some time, and we are currently working out the prioritization of this and several other interesting projects. Income generating projects usually get higher priority than unpaid work, and summer is a busy time for other projects.

I think the best case might be that we'd be able to share 2014 data in meetings and forums by August or September, which would also be the earliest we might have something to submit to a peer-reviewed journal. The peer-review and publication process varies from 3-9 months in most cases, so claiming peer-review in front of the LWC is likely not possible until Nov or Dec for 2014 data, and release to the press is not possible until publication (or at least until journal acceptance if the journal does not have a press embargo).