Managing the spread of pathogens and aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes recreational fishery: An application of the drivers- pressures-state-impacts-responses framework Nadine Heck a, b, * , T. Bruce Lauber b , Richard C. Stedman b a Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA b Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA article info Article history: Received 22 January 2016 Received in revised form 5 August 2016 Accepted 10 August 2016 Keywords: Fisheries DPSIR Great Lakes Management responses Human-nature interaction abstract The Great Lakes are one of the most invaded aquatic ecosystems in the world, and the spread of fish pathogens and aquatic invasive species (AIS) has become a serious issue for fishery management in the Great Lakes. Our study applies the Drivers-Pressures-State-Impacts-Responses model (DPSIR) to identify social-ecological linkages in the spread of pathogens and AIS by anglers, boaters, and bait dealers in the Great Lakes. We developed a conceptual DPSIR model based on input by staff members in governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations that have been involved in the management of pathogens and AIS. The integration of managers' input to develop the model is a novel approach for understanding fisheries. Most previous studies using the DPSIR framework did not account for natural resource man- agers' input even though the DPSIR framework is frequently applied to provide information to these groups. The identified relationships in our model provide multiple entry points for empirical, interdis- ciplinary research. These studies would help understand the effectiveness of management responses to change human behaviors, and to understand and predict changes in the Great Lakes ecosystem and fishery. The model could also be used to promote understanding of the impacts of pathogens and AIS on the fishery, and to increase awareness of human behaviors that contribute to the continued spread. Future studies could further expand or replicate the model with input by other stakeholder groups such as bait dealers and/or anglers and boaters to identify if these groups share an understanding of the management problem and responses. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The spread of pathogens and invasive species has become a major driver of biodiversity loss and global ecological and evolu- tionary change (Sala et al., 2000; Myers and Knoll, 2001; Olden et al., 2004; Lodge et al., 2006; Anderson et al., 2014). Freshwater systems in particular are highly susceptible to the introduction of pathogens and aquatic invasive species (AIS) as they are exposed to multiple pathways of introduction such as ballast water exchange, the release of alien plant and animal species, or the construction of canals (e.g. Rahel, 2007; Strayer and Findlay, 2010; Oidtmann et al., 2011; Kelly et al., 2013). The fluid nature of aquatic ecosystems further contributes to dispersal and movement of pathogens and AIS once they have been introduced (Vanderploeg et al., 2002; Jacobs and Macisaac, 2007; Rahel, 2007; Kelly et al., 2013). Our study investigates the management of pathogens and AIS in the Great Lakes, which are one of the most invaded aquatic eco- systems in the world (Ricciardi, 2006). The Great Lakes basin con- sists of five connected lakes (Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario) that make up the largest surface freshwater system in the world (EPA 2014) (Fig. 1). Multiple agencies across the basin are involved in the management of pathogens and AIS and the fishery in the lakes including federal, state, and provincial government agencies, and tribal authorities/First Nations in the US and Canada (Gaden et al., 2012). More than 180 non-native aquatic organisms including plants, fish, algae and mollusks have become established in the Great Lakes in the past 200 years (Holeck et al., 2004; Ricciardi, 2006; Vander Zanden et al., 2010). With an increase in human activity in the * Corresponding author. Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA. E-mail address: nheck@ucsc.edu (N. Heck). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Ocean & Coastal Management journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ocecoaman http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2016.08.007 0964-5691/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Ocean & Coastal Management 132 (2016) 38e45