I. ABSTRACTA geophysical survey conducted off Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada in November 1998 collected data using multibeam bathymetric, sidescan sonar, high-resolution subbottom profiler, and acoustic seafloor classification systems. During the survey, multibeam bathymetric and sidescan sonar data were processed on-site and imported into a Geographical Information System for further analysis and display. Shaded relief images derived from the multibeam bathymetric data and sidescan sonar mosaics were combined with data from maps and aerial photographs of the area. These maps and images formed the basis for a preliminary interpretation of geological processes and features on the seabed. Post-processing of the multibeam bathymetric data using newly-developed algorithms improved the resolution of seafloor features and provided acoustic backscatter intensity measurements. These data were used to defme the distribution of coarse and fine-grained sediments and seabed features and to compare and contrast various system resolutions. Seafloor samples and photographs were also taken to provide information for the interpretation of the various acoustic data sets. A variety of seafloor features are presented, using both sidescan sonar and multibeam bathymetric data for illustration.The seafloor is dominated by glacial features deposited during the recession of the last glaciers across the area (ca. 14,000-12,000 years BP). These include a large curvilinear moraine, smaller ribbed moraines and glaciomarine sediment. Bedrock crops out in many areas forming shoals. The glacial features were slightly modified, largely by shore-face processes, during a subsequent rise of post-glacial sea level from a low stand of approximately 65 m below present-day sea level to its present position. During the marine transgression, several coastal sand bodies were deposited at the northern flank of bedrock outcrops. Ribbed or lift-off moraines, which are normally thought to be destroyed in transgressed zones on the inner shelf, dominate the topography of the study area. Their distribution, in depths as shallow as 15 m, suggests that they survived the effects of the marine transgression largely intact. Bottom photographs confirm that the moraines are erosional remnants, armoured by boulders and cobbles. Existing models of marine transgression and sea level history must therefore consider the idea that some glacial features can survive shoreface erosion during marine transgression.

The Scanning Hydrographic Operational Airborne LiDAR Survey (SHOALS) consists of a bathymetric LiDAR system which provides high precision measurements of water depth. Even though the acquisition is focused on depth accuracy, the return signal, i.e. waveform, contains other relevant information because of integration signatures from the water surface, the water column and the sea-bed. This paper highlights the benthic characterization in extracting statistical parameters derived from the bottom backscatter. In applying multivariate analysis (K-means), it is significantly proven that signals derived from habitat, described as statistically homogeneous throughout ground-truth analysis, are (1) similar within an intra-habitat view, while they are (2) different between themselves.

IntroductionThe increasing incidence of pathogen transmission from animals to humans (zoonotic spillover events) has been attributed to behavioural practices and ecological and socioeconomic change. As these events sometimes involve pathogens with epidemic or pandemic potential, they pose a serious threat to population health. Public policies may play a key role in preventing these events. The aim of this review is to identify evaluations of public policies that target the determinants of zoonotic spillover, examining approaches taken to evaluation, choice of outcomes measures and evidence of effectiveness. Our approach to identifying and analysing this literature will be informed by a One Health lens, acknowledging the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health.Methods and analysisA systematic scoping review methodology will be used. To identify articles, we will search Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science and Global Health in May 2021 using search terms combining animal health and the animal–human interface, public policy, prevention and zoonoses. We will screen titles and abstracts and extract data according to published guidelines for scoping reviews. All evaluations of public policies aiming to prevent zoonotic spillover events will be eligible for inclusion. We will summarise key data from each study, mapping policies along the spillover pathway and outlining the range of policies, approaches to evaluation and outcome measures. Review findings will provide a useful reference for researchers and practitioners, outlining the state of the evaluative evidence around policies to prevent zoonotic spillover.Ethics and disseminationFormal ethical approval is not required, because the study does not involve primary data collection. The findings of this study will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication, presentations and summaries for key stakeholders.

Background: Given the complex determinants of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and the dynamic policy landscape, researchers and policymakers are exploring the use of systems thinking and complexity science (STCS) in developing effective policies. The aim of this review is to systematically identify and analyse existing applications of STCS-informed methods in NCD prevention policy. Methods: Systematic scoping review: We searched academic databases (Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE) for all publications indexed by 13 October 2020, screening titles, abstracts and full texts and extracting data according to published guidelines. We summarised key data from each study, mapping applications of methods informed by STCS to policy process domains. We conducted a thematic analysis to identify advantages, limitations, barriers and facilitators to using STCS. Results: 4681 papers were screened and 112 papers were included in this review. The most common policy areas were tobacco control, obesity prevention and physical activity promotion. Methods applied included system dynamics modelling, agent-based modelling and concept mapping. Advantages included supporting evidence-informed decision-making; modelling complex systems and addressing multi-sectoral problems. Limitations included the abstraction of reality by STCS methods, despite aims of encompassing greater complexity. Challenges included resource-intensiveness; lack of stakeholder trust in models; and results that were too complex to be comprehensible to stakeholders. Ensuring stakeholder ownership and presenting findings in a user-friendly way facilitated STCS use. Conclusion: This review maps the proliferating applications of STCS methods in NCD prevention policy. STCS methods have the potential to generate tailored and dynamic evidence, adding robustness to evidence-informed policymaking, but must be accessible to policy stakeholders and have strong stakeholder ownership to build consensus and change stakeholder perspectives. Evaluations of whether, and under what circumstances, STCS methods lead to more effective policies compared to conventional methods are lacking, and would enable more targeted and constructive use of these methods.