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The influence of oncogenic phenomena on the ecology and evolution of animal species is becoming an important research topic. Similar to host-pathogen interactions, cancer negatively affects host fitness, which should lead to the selection of host control mechanisms, including behavioral traits that best minimize the proliferation of malignant cells. Social behavior is suggested to influence tumor progression. While the ecological benefits of sociality in gregarious species are widely acknowledged, only limited data are available on the role of the social environment on cancer progression. Here, we exposed adult Drosophila, with colorectal-like tumors, to different social environments. We show how subtle variations in social structure have dramatic effects on the progression of tumor growth. Finally, we reveal that flies can discriminate between individuals at different stages of tumor development and selectively choose their social environment accordingly. Our study demonstrates the reciprocal links between cancer and social interactions and how sociality may impact health and fitness in animals and its potential implications for disease ecology.

Conventionally, inefficiencies in supplying socially optimal levels of natural amenities have been addressed by government intervention via taxes and subsidies. However, these measures may not result in the socially optimal level of provision because they are often influenced by collective action and may inadequately account for local tastes and preferences. This dissertation research addresses the ways in which private markets instead can be used to solve the dilemma of under-provision and over-exploitation of natural resources. The first manuscript examines a prominent ecolabeling program that provides consumers with information about responsible sourcing of seafood and investigates whether or not there is a demonstrated price premium in the retail market for ecolabeled seafood. The study specifically focuses on the commonly-voiced doubts regarding whether consumers are willing to pay a premium for the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) label. The analysis utilizes scanner data on frozen pollock products from supermarkets in the metropolitan area of London, UK across a sixty-five week panel. I use a hedonic model to control for brand, package size, product type and form. I find evidence that consumers within the sampled area are paying a 14% premium for MSC-certified pollock products. The second and third manuscripts address the possibility of creating a direct market for natural amenities in which consumers can contract with suppliers or custodians of the resource. However, complications arise when eliciting preferences for natural amenities because they are often public goods and thus are non-rival and non-excludable, i.e. scenic views, clean air and drinking water, etc. Willingness to pay for public goods are difficult to measure because individuals have incentives to hide their true values for the good offered for exchange. This research deals with the two most prominent sources of this bias: incentives to free-ride on others' contributions and the tendency of