Declining Expectations - The Phenomenon of Shifting Baselines

This instructional guide is designed to provide instructors with lecture support on the concept of shifting baselines and its application to marine fisheries.  Shifting baselines are defined and their contribution to fishery declines discussed.  Various methods that are used to establish historical baselines are described and illustrated with case studies.

A general lecture outline and a more detailed PowerPoint presentation with instructor notes are provided. Print, video and web-based resources that cover the topic are summarized and cited.  Instructors who wish to obtain greater detail on any of the topics discussed in this module are encouraged to seek out these additional resources or those cited in the Comprehensive Resources for NCSR Marine Fisheries Series. 

Module Objectives

Lecture Outline

Sample PowerPoint Slide with instructor notes

Module download or request a hardcopy (6.7 MB)

Return to NCSR Marine Fisheries Series Description

Return to Instructional and Educational Materials Listing

Curriculum produced by NCSR. Funding Provided by the National Science Foundation