Vegetation Effects on Fish Distribution in Impounded Salt Marshes

We compared the density and biomass of resident fish in vegetated and unvegetated flooded habitats of impounded salt marshes in the northern Indian River Lagoon (IRL) Estuary of east-central Florida. A 1-m2 throw trap was used to sample fish in randomly located, paired sample plots (n = 198 pairs) over 5 seasons in 7 impoundments. We collected a total of 15 fish taxa, and 88% of the fishes we identified from the samples belonged to three species: Cyprinodon variegatus (Sheepshead Minnow), Gambusia holbrooki (Eastern Mosquitofish), and Poecilia latipinna (Sailfin Molly). Vegetated habitat usually had higher density and biomass of fish. Mean fish density (and 95% confidence interval) for vegetated and unvegetated sites were 8.2 (6.7–9.9) and 2.0 (1.6–2.4) individuals m-2, respectively; mean biomass (and 95% confidence interval) for vegetated and unvegetated sites were 3.0 (2.5–3.7) and 1.1 (0.9–1.4) g m-2, respectively. We confirmed previous findings that impounded salt marshes of the northern IRL Estuary produce a high standing stock of resident fishes. Seasonal patterns of abundance were consistent with fish moving between vegetated and unvegetated habitat as water levels changed in the estuary. Differences in density, mean size, and species composition of resident fishes between vegetated and unvegetated habitats have important implications for movement of biomass and nutrients out of salt marsh by piscivores (e.g., wading birds and fishes) via a trophic relay

Scale-Dependent Habitat Selection of Nesting Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets

Foraging habitat selection of nesting Great Egrets ( Ardea alba ) and Snowy Egrets ( Egretta thula ) was investigated within an estuary with extensive impounded salt marsh habitat. Using a geographic information system, available habitat was partitioned into concentric bands at five, ten, and 15 km radius from nesting colonies to assess the relative effects of habitat composition and distance on habitat selection. Snowy Egrets were more likely than Great Egrets to depart colonies and travel to foraging sites in groups, but both species usually arrived at sites that were occupied by other wading birds. Mean flight distances were 6.2 km (SE = 0.4, N = 28, range 1.8-10.7 km) for Great Egrets and 4.7 km (SE = 0.48, N = 31, range 0.7-12.5 km) for Snowy Egrets. At the broadest spatial scale both species used impounded (mostly salt marsh) and estuarine edge habitat more than expected based on availability while avoiding unimpounded (mostly fresh water wetland) habitat. At more local scales habitat use matched availability. Interpretation of habitat preference differed with the types of habitat that were included and the maximum distance that habitat was considered available. These results illustrate that caution is needed when interpreting the results of habitat preference studies when individuals are constrained in their choice of habitats, such as for central place foragers

Co-located wave and offshore wind farms: A preliminary approach to the shadow effect

In recent years, with the consolidation of offshore wind technology and the progress carried out for wave energy technology, the option of combine both technologies has arisen. This combination rest mainly in two main reasons: in one hand, to increase the sustainability of both energies by means of a more rational harnessing of the natural resources; in the other hand, to reduce the costs of both technologies by sharing some of the most important costs of an offshore project. In addition to these two powerful reasons there are a number of technology synergies between wave and wind systems which makes their combination even more suitable. Co-located projects are one of the alternatives to combine wave-wind systems, and it is specially for these project were so-called shadow effect synergy becomes meaningful. In particular, this paper deals with the co-location of Wave Energy Conversion (WEC) technologies into a conventional offshore wind farm. More specifically, an overtopping type of WEC technology was considered in this work to study the effects of its co-location with a conventional offshore wind park. This study aims to give a preliminary approach to the shadow effect and its implications for both wave and offshore wind energies

CO-LOCATED WAVE AND OFFSHORE WIND FARMS: A PRELIMINARY CASE STUDY OF AN HYBRID ARRAY

In recent years, with the consolidation of offshore wind technology and the progress carried out for wave energy technology, the option of co-locate both technologies at the same marine area has arisen. Co-located projects are a combined solution to tackle the shared challenge of reducing technology costs or a more sustainable use of the natural resources. In particular, this paper deals with the co-location of Wave Energy Conversion (WEC) technologies into a conventional offshore wind farm. More specifically, an overtopping type of WEC technology was considered in this work to study the effects of its co-location with a conventional offshore wind park

A review of combined wave and offshore wind energy

The sustainable development of the offshore wind and wave energy sectors requires optimising the exploitation of the resources, and it is in relation to this and the shared challenge for both industries to reduce their costs that the option of integrating offshore wind and wave energy arose during the past decade. The relevant aspects of this integration are addressed in this work: the synergies between offshore wind and wave energy, the different options for combining wave and offshore wind energy, and the technological aspects. Because of the novelty of combined wave and offshore wind systems, a comprehensive classification was lacking. This is presented in this work based on the degree of integration between the technologies, and the type of substructure. This classification forms the basis for the review of the different concepts. This review is complemented with specific sections on the state of the art of two particularly challenging aspects, namely the substructures and the wave energy conversion

A Novel Hybrid Wind-Wave Energy Converter for Jacket-Frame Substructures

The research dataset supporting this publication can be accessed at http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/11045.The growth of the offshore wind industry in the last couple of decades has made this technology a key player in the maritime sector. The sustainable development of the offshore wind sector is crucial for this to consolidate within a global scenario of climate change and increasing threats to the marine environment. In this context, multipurpose platforms have been proposed as a sustainable approach to harnessing different marine resources and combining their use under the same platform. Hybrid wind-wave systems are a type of multipurpose platform where a single platform combines the exploitation of offshore wind and wave energy. In particular, this paper deals with a novel hybrid wind-wave system that integrates an oscillating water column wave energy converter with an offshore wind turbine on a jacket-frame substructure. The main objective of this paper is to characterise the hydrodynamic response of the WEC sub-system of this hybrid energy converter. A 1:50 scale model was tested under regular and irregular waves to characterise the hydrodynamic response of the WEC sub-system. The results from this analysis lead to the proof of concept of this novel hybrid system; but additionally, to characterising its behaviour and interaction with the wave field, which is a requirement for fully understanding the benefits of hybrid systems

The effect of after-school music programs in at-risk students\u27 self-esteem and social skills in San Juan, Puerto Rico

The purpose of this study was to examine and expand upon the role the Programas de Orquestas Sinfonicas Juveniles (POSJU) experiences play in self-esteem and social skills. The research took place in Felipe Gutierrez y Espinoza School, one of ten POSJU centers, located in the San Juan, Puerto Rico. Thirty-eight students (N=38) aged 7 to 17 participated in this study. Participants rated their self-esteem and social skills using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and the Social Skills Competence Checklist (SSCC). No significant differences between pre- and post-evaluations on RSES and. SSCC were found. For additional information, teachers evaluated all participants using the Teacher Student Report (TSR). Significant differences were found across the construct of social skills, but not self-esteem. Information regarding the POSJU after school program was collected from parents through a Parent Questionnaire Report (PQR). Overall, parents’ responses towards the program show satisfaction with POSJU

Green Fluorescent Protein in the sea urchin: new experimental approaches to transcriptional regulatory analysis in embryos and larvae

The use of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) as a reporter for expression transgenes opens the way to several new experimental strategies for the study of gene regulation in sea urchin development. A GFP coding sequence was associated with three different previously studied cis-regulatory systems, viz those of the SM50 gene, expressed in skeletogenic mesenchyme, the CyIIa gene, expressed in archenteron, skeletogenic and secondary mesenchyme, and the Endo16 gene, expressed in vegetal plate, archenteron and midgut. We demonstrate that the sensitivity with which expression can be detected is equal to or greater than that of whole-mount in situ hybridization applied to detection of CAT mRNA synthesized under the control of the same cis-regulatory systems. However, in addition to the important feature that it can be visualized nondestructively in living embryos, GFP has other advantages. First, it freely diffuses even within fine cytoplasmic cables, and thus reveals connections between cells, which in sea urchin embryos is particularly useful for observations on regulatory systems that operate in the syncytial skeletogenic mesenchyme. Second, GFP expression can be dramatically visualized in postembryonic larval tissues. This brings postembryonic larval developmental processes for the first time within the easy range of gene transfer analyses. Third, GFP permits identification and segregation of embryos in which the clonal incorporation of injected DNA has occurred in any particular desired region of the embryo. Thus, we show explicitly that, as expected, GFP transgenes are incorporated in the same nuclei together with other transgenes with which they are co-injected

Report of final project conference, Aalborg, Denmark

The Streamlining of Ocean Wave Farms Impact Assessment (SOWFIA) Project (IEE/09/809/ SI2.558291) is an EU Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) funded project that draws together ten partners, across eight European countries, who are actively involved with planned wave farm test centres. The SOWFIA project aims to achieve the sharing and consolidation of pan-European experience of consenting processes and environmental and socio-economic impact assessment (IA) best practices for offshore wave energy conversion developments. Studies of wave farm demonstration projects in each of the collaborating EU nations are contributing to the findings. The study sites comprise a wide range of device technologies, environmental settings and stakeholder interests. Through project workshops, meetings, on-going communication and networking amongst project partners, ideas and experiences relating to IA and policy are being shared, and co-ordinated studies addressing key questions for wave energy development are being carried out. The overall goal of the SOWFIA project is to provide recommendations for approval process streamlining and European-wide streamlining of IA processes, thereby helping to remove legal, environmental and socio-economic barriers to the development of offshore power generation from waves. By utilising the findings from technology-specific monitoring at multiple sites, SOWFIA will accelerate knowledge transfer and promote European-wide expertise on environmental and socio-economic impact assessments of wave energy projects. In this way, the development of the future, commercial phase of offshore wave energy installations will benefit from the lessons learned from existing smaller-scale developments