Research Writing

3-4 position statement: Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to give students experience in delving into a current topic of debate in aquatic resource management. Students will research a topic of interest to them and use the information that they obtain to write a “position statement” from the perspective of an expert in aquatic sciences. Description: Students will pick a topic from the list below (or you may propose an alternative): • Marcellus Shale Drilling and its impacts on aquatic resources • Mountaintop Removal Mining and its impacts on aquatic resources • Estuarine Dead Zones (Gulf of Mexico and / or Chesapeake Bay) • Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration and Fisheries Management Students will then conduct a review of information on the topic from various sources. • Sources of information should be balanced among the following types: o Newspaper and magazine articles (local, regional, and national) o Internet (especially position statements from relevant organizations) o Technical Journal Articles (research articles and policy notes) Students will then write a 3-4 page position statement in the form of: • Position statement from a professional society (e.g., Society of Freshwater Science, American Fisheries Society, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpotologists); or • Policy note published in a scientific journal Questions to be addressed in the position statement: • What are the socio-economic benefits of the activities that lead to aquatic resource problems? • What are the specific ecological impacts to aquatic resources? • What is being done by regulatory agencies and industries to protect aquatic ecosystems? Is it enough? • What laws are in place to protect aquatic ecosystems from these activities? Are they enough? • What else is needed to ensure effective management of aquatic resources? (research, policy, execution of policy)