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At least 37 records · Page 2

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DOE OSTI2020

Results of a fishery-independent longline survey targeting coastal sharks in the eastern Bahamas between 1979 and 2013

Long-term trends in shark abundance offer important insights for fisheries management. Few fisheries-independent, extended time-series data exist for coastal shark species in the northwest Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean outside of the United States. A decades old dataset comprised of standardized longline surveys provided us with the opportunity to characterize diversity and evaluate changes in the relative abundance of sharks in the eastern Bahamas between 1979–1990 and 2011–2013. Caribbean reef sharks Carcharhinus perezi and tiger sharks Galeocerdo cuvier were the two most commonly captured species throughout the survey and were the only two species analyzed in detail. For both species, sex ratios favored females. Using Bayesian generalized linear models, we found that Caribbean reef shark catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) exhibited a positive relationship with year and temperature, while size exhibited no relationship with year and a negative relationship with temperature. There was no relationship between tiger shark CPUE and year but there was a positive relationship between size and year. These results are presented in the context of Bahamian shark conservation efforts and the results of other surveys in the region.

Fisheries-independent survey, Caribbean reef shark↗

DOE OSTI2020

Energy Snapshot - Belize

This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape of Belize, a Central American country bordering Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Although not an island nation, Belize is included in this energy snapshot series because it is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), an alliance of 15 Caribbean nations in the region.

44 EE - Strategic Programs, Energy Transition Init↗

DOE OSTI2024

Accelerated Energy Storage Deployment in RELAC Countries

"Renewables in Latin America and the Caribbean" or RELAC is a regional initiative across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) that was created at the end of 2019, within the framework of the United Nations Climate Action Summit, with the objective of reaching at least 70% of renewable energy installed capacity, and 80% of the region's total electricity generation from renewables by 2030. 16 countries are members (Barbados, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay), and others are in discussions to join. RELAC provides these countries with support in addressing technical and financial needs to increase renewable energy penetration, matchmaking with financial resources to support capacity building needs and implementation of RE expansion plans, and knowledge exchange via peer-learning, and best practices in renewable energy integration to the electrical grid.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2020

Energy Snapshot - St. Lucia

This profile provides a snapshot of the electricity capacity and generation profile of Saint Lucia, one of six Caribbean countries that make up the Windward Islands - the southern arc of the Lesser Antilles chain - at the eastern end of the Caribbean Sea.

44 EE - Strategic Programs, Energy Transition Init↗

DOE OSTI2022

Disease resistance in coral is mediated by distinct adaptive and plastic gene expression profiles

Infectious diseases are an increasing threat to coral reefs, resulting in altered community structure and hindering the functional contributions of disease-susceptible species. We exposed seven reef-building coral species from the Caribbean to white plague disease and determined processes involved in (i) lesion progression, (ii) within-species gene expression plasticity, and (iii) expression-level adaptation among species that lead to differences in disease risk. Gene expression networks enriched in immune genes and cytoskeletal arrangement processes were correlated to lesion progression rates. Whether or not a coral developed a lesion was mediated by plasticity in genes involved in extracellular matrix maintenance, autophagy, and apoptosis, while resistant coral species had constitutively higher expression of intracellular protein trafficking. This study offers insight into the process involved in lesion progression and within- and between-species dynamics that lead to differences in disease risk that is evident on current Caribbean reefs.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

New species and records of the symbiotic shrimp genus Leptalpheus Williams, 1965, with notes on Fenneralpheus Felder & Manning, 1986, and preliminary molecular analysis of phylogenetic relationships (Crustacea: Decapoda: Alpheidae)

The shrimp genera Leptalpheus Williams, 1965 and Fenneralpheus Felder & Manning, 1986 are composed entirely of symbiotic species that co-inhabit burrows of infaunal macrocrustaceans. We report extensive collections of these genera from western Atlantic, eastern Pacific and Indo-West Pacific regions. Integrative taxonomy methods, including morphological comparisons and analysis of three mitochondrial genetic markers, are used to test species hypotheses and evolutionary relationships among members of these genera. Our molecular analysis failed to recover Leptalpheus or Fenneralpheus as monophyletic groups. Our results strongly supported the monophyly of three clades composed of species of Leptalpheus, loosely corresponding to previously proposed species groups. Three new species closely related to Leptalpheus forceps Williams, 1965, L. marginalis Anker, 2011, and L. mexicanus Ríos & Carvacho, 1983 are described. Leptalpheus ankeri n. sp., from the Caribbean Sea, Atlantic coast of Florida, and Gulf of Mexico, is a polymorphic species that exhibits two major cheliped morphotypes. Leptalpheus sibo n. sp., from the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, is morphologically very similar to L. ankeri n. sp., likely its transisthmian sister species, and shares its cheliped polymorphism. A reassessment of L. forceps concluded that records of this species from the Caribbean Sea and Brazil are not conspecific with L. forceps sensu stricto from the Atlantic coast of the USA and the Gulf of Mexico, and they are herein described as Leptalpheus degravei n. sp. Based on both molecular and morphological evidence, we found Leptalpheus bicristatus Anker, 2011 to be a junior synonym of L. mexicanus and Leptalpheus canterakintzi Anker & Lazarus, 2015 to be a junior synonym of Leptalpheus azuero Anker, 2011. First reports of Leptalpheus axianassae Dworschak & Coelho, 1999 in Texas and Mexico, Leptalpheus denticulatus Anker & Marin, 2009 in the Mariana Islands, Leptalpheus felderi Anker, Vera Caripe & Lira, 2006 and Leptalpheus lirai Vera Caripe, Pereda & Anker, 2021 in the USA, and Leptalpheus pereirai Anker & Vera Caripe, 2016 in Cuba are included.

Zoology↗

DOE OSTI2023

Coupled wave-current modeling for hydrodynamic load analysis of macroalgae cultivation farms

Large-scale cultivation of macroalgae is one of the most promising biofuel sources that could reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and would be particularly economically competitive when grown for the co-production of additional goods such as food and textiles. Current production of biofuel from algal biomass is limited by labor costs and lack of data on potential impacts of cultivation and harvesting on marine and coastal environments as well as a comprehensive characterization of the impact of environmental conditions on macroalgal feedstock and their bioproduct and biofuel yield and quality. Awarded by the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER) program, which seeks to enable the U.S. as a global leader in the production of marine biomass, the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) has been developing a test system for tropical seaweed cultivation in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. An integral step in designing macroalgae cultivation farms is to adequately characterize the hydrodynamic climate at potential growth sites. In regions like the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, which are highly exposed to tropical cyclones, it is critical to not only consider the day-to-day hydrodynamic conditions but to also assess the risk of extreme sea states to ensure the survivability of future macroalgae farms. Under these considerations, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is providing modeling support for MBL to inform the design and siting of the farm systems that have been proposed for their ARPA-E MARINER project. This report describes the development of a high-resolution coupled storm surge and wave model to simulate the hydrodynamics and wave climate at proposed macroalgae cultivation sites selected by MBL in Florida and Puerto Rico. Model results, including model validation, water level, current distributions, and sea states, are discussed for both selected sites in Florida and Puerto Rico coast. These simulations provide an accurate insight into the hydrodynamic conditions that a macroalgae farm is likely to experience during its operational lifetime, including current information to support fine-scale hydrodynamic load modeling, risk analysis and system design.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Implementación acelerada del almacenamiento de energía en los países de RELAC [Accelerated Energy Storage Deployment in RELAC Countries]

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Godzilla mineral dust and La Soufrière volcanic ash fallout immediately stimulate marine microbial phosphate uptake

During the “Godzilla” dust storm of June 2020, unusually high fluxes of mineral dust traveled across the Atlantic from the Sahara Desert, reaching the Caribbean Basin, Gulf Coast, and southeastern United States. Additionally, an eruption of the La Soufrière volcano on St. Vincent in April 2021 generated substantial ashfall in the southeastern Caribbean. While many studies have analyzed mineral dust’s ability to relieve nutrient limitation of phosphorus (P) in the P-stressed North Atlantic, less is known about the impact of extreme events and other natural aerosols on fluxes of P into seawater and from seawater into marine microbial cells. We quantified P and iron (Fe) content in mineral dust from the Godzilla dust storm and volcanic ash from the La Soufrière eruption collected at Ragged Point, Barbados. We also performed seawater incubations to assess the marine microbial response to aerosol deposition. Using environmentally-relevant concentrations of atmospheric particles for within the ocean’s mixed layer allowed us to draw realistic conclusions about how these deposition events impacted P cycling in situ. Volcanic ash has lower P content than mineral dust, and P in volcanic ash is far less soluble (~1%) than assumed in current atmospheric deposition models. Adding mineral dust and the volcanic ash leachate in concentrations representing different deposition scenarios increased soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations in coastal seawater by ~7-32 nM. Phosphate uptake rate was stimulated in coastal seawater after either mineral dust or volcanic ash deposition at aerosol concentrations relevant to the Godzilla dust event, with ash eliciting the fastest uptake rate. Furthermore, high concentrations of both the mineral dust and volcanic ash led to slightly elevated alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) compared to the relevant controls, indicating higher potential for use of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) as a P source. Quantifying these aerosols’ impacts on P cycling is a significant step towards achieving a better understanding of their potential roles in relieving nutrient limitation and fueling the biological carbon pump.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

U.S. Virgin Islands: Facing Challenges Head-On

The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) - located in the Caribbean just east of Puerto Rico between the Caribbean Sea and the north Atlantic Ocean - is composed of three main islands: St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas. USVI is confronted with high electricity costs and poor power system reliability, compounded by natural threats like hurricanes, failing infrastructure, and a strained local workforce. Two hurricanes caused widespread damage to power infrastructure in 2017. To combat these challenges, USVI is capitalizing on federal funding opportunities to build a significantly more robust power and water system, paving the way for a brighter and more resilient future.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2020

Energy Snapshot - Guyana

This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape for Guyana, a country on the northern mainland of South America that is culturally tied to the Caribbean. In the Nationally Determined Contributions, Guyana has committed to develop a mix of wind, solar, biomass and hydro-power to supply both demand of the national grid and the energy requirements for towns and villages in Guyana’s hinterland. Guyana has set an ambitious target of achieving close to 100% renewable energy in the power sector by 2025.

44 EE - Strategic Programs, Energy Transition Init↗

DOE OSTI2020

Energy Snapshot - Jamaica

This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape of Jamaica, an island nation located in the north Caribbean Sea. Jamaica has set a national target of producing 30% of the country's electricity from renewable energy by 2030.

44 EE - Strategic Programs, Energy Transition Init↗

DOE OSTI2020

Energy Snapshot – Sint Maarten / Saint Martin

This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape of the northeast Caribbean island Saint Martin. The island is divided between two nations, France in the north (Saint-Martin) and the Netherlands in the south (Sint Maarten).

44 EE - Strategic Programs, Energy Transition Init↗

DOE OSTI2024

CARILEC Resilient Energy Community CoP for Cybersecurity Workshop Series: Cybersecurity Assessment Tools [Slides]

For the last several years and in collaboration with CARILEC, USAID and NREL have been working to support cyber resilience at power sector utilities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Direct technical assistance with regional utilities has been a key component of USAID-NREL Partnership activities, and technical assistance has typically included a foundational cybersecurity assessment using NREL's Distributed Energy Resource Cybersecurity Framework (DER-CF) tool. The DER-CF allows organizations to benchmark and evaluate their cybersecurity posture across the areas of Governance, Technical Management, and Physical Security. To complement the activities of the newly created CAREC IT/OT and Cybersecurity Team, this webinar on cybersecurity assessment tools includes an overview of the DER-CF tool and a discussion with regional stakeholders and NREL experts on the DER-CF assessment process and other resources for cybersecurity assessments.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2020

Energy Snapshot - Anguilla

This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape of Anguilla, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean.

44 EE - Strategic Programs, Energy Transition Init↗

DOE OSTI2020

Energy Snapshot – Haiti

This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape of Haiti, an independent nation that occupies the western portion of the island of Hispaniola in the northern Caribbean Sea.

44 EE - Strategic Programs, Energy Transition Init↗

DOE OSTI2020

Energy Snapshot – U.S. Virgin Islands

This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) - St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. The Virgin Islands archipelago makes up the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles and the western island group of the Leeward Islands, forming the border between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

44 EE - Strategic Programs, Energy Transition Init↗

DOE OSTI2020

Energy Snapshot - St. Vincent and The Grenadines

This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape of St Vincent and the Grenadines - islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago.

44 EE - Strategic Programs, Energy Transition Init↗