Characterization of a winter upwelling event in the Northern Galician Rias

II International Symposium in Marine Sciences = II Simposio internacional de Ciencias del Mar, Vigo, 27-30 abril 2009N

Combining offshore wind and solar photovoltaic energy to stabilize energy supply under climate change scenarios: a case study on the western Iberian Peninsula

The expansion of marine renewable power is a major alternative for the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions. In Europe, however, the high penetration of offshore wind brings intermittency and power variability into the existing power grid. Offshore solar photovoltaic power is another technological alternative under consideration in the plans for decarbonization. However, future variations in wind, air temperature or solar radiation due to climate change will have a great impact on both renewable energy resources. In this context, this study focusses on the offshore energy assessment off the coast of Western Iberia, a European region encompassing Portugal and the Northwestern part of Spain. Making use of a vast source of data from 35 simulations of a research project called CORDEX, this study investigates the complementarity of offshore wind and solar energy sources with the aim of improving the energy supply stability of this region up to 2040. Although the offshore wind energy resource has proven to be higher than solar photovoltaic resource at annual scale, both renewable resources showed significant spatiotemporal energy variability throughout the western Iberian Peninsula. When both renewable resources are combined, the stability of the energy resource increased considerably throughout the year. The proposed wind and solar combination scheme is assessed by a performance classification method called Delphi, considering stability, resource, risk, and economic factors. The total index classification increases when resource stability is improved by considering hybrid offshore wind-photovoltaic solar energy production, especially along the nearshore waterX. Costoya is supported by the Spanish Government through a Juan de la Cierva Postdoctoral Fellowship (FJCI-2017-32577). This work was partially supported by Xunta de Galicia under project ED431C 2021/44 (Grupos de Referencia Competitiva) and Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Government of Spain under the project SURVIWEC PID2020-113245RB-I00. D. Carvalho acknowledges the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for his researcher contract (CEECIND/01726/2017) and the FCT/MCTES for the financial support to CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020+UIDB/50017/2020), through national fundsS

POLYBIUS2020, a cost-effective underwater autonomous video system to record fishing gear selectivity performance catching fish and marine litter

Underwater video cameras are a highly versatile survey solution for marine fsheries research. The POLYBIUS2020 is a system specially designed to be used as a tool for video recording inside towed fshing gears. Its design allows for rapid installation onboard commercial fshing vessels as well as for quick reconfguration and battery replacement. The system is based on simple commercial components to ensure low costs and the opportunity of future studies using house technology. The feld experiments carried out have shown the fexibility and ability of the system to obtain key information about fshing selectivity, fora and fauna characterization and marine litter presence.Peer Reviewe

Economic feasibility of floating offshore wind farms considering near future wind resources: case study of Iberian Coast and Bay of Biscay

Wind energy resources are subject to changes in climate, so the use of wind energy density projections in the near future is essential to determine the viability and profitability of wind farms at particular locations. Thus, a step forward in determining the economic assessment of floating offshore wind farms was taken by considering current and near-future wind energy resources in assessing the main parameters that determine the economic viability (net present value, internal rate of return, and levelized cost of energy) of wind farms. This study was carried out along the Atlantic coast from Brest to Cape St. Vincent. Results show that the future reduction in wind energy density (2%–6%) mainly affects the net present value (NPV) of the farm and has little influence on the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). This study provides a good estimate of the economic viability of OWFs (Offshore Wind Farms) by taking into account how wind resources can vary due to climate change over the lifetime of the farm.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. Project PID2019-105386RA-I00Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431C 2017/64Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. SFRH/BD/114919/2016Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. UIDP/50017/2020Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | Ref. UIDB/50017/202

Will climate change compromise the thermal comfort areas of socio-economically important bivalve species in the Rías Baixas (NW Spain)?

Ponencia presentada en: XII Congreso de la Asociación Española de Climatología celebrado en Santiago de Compostela entre el 19 y el 21 de octubre de 2022.[ES]Los bivalvos infaunales Ruditapes decussatus, Ruditapes philippinarum, Venerupis corrugata y Cerastoderma edule forman parte de una de las pesquerías con mayor importancia socioeconómica en las Rías Baixas (NO de España). El calentamiento del océano podría afectar a estas pesquerías ya que el aumento de la temperatura daría lugar a un incremento del estrés al que se ven sometidas estas especies, reduciendo su productividad e incluso propiciando cambios en su distribución geográfica. En este estudio se analizó cómo el aumento de la temperatura del agua podría afectar a la distribución geográfica de las zonas de confort térmico de estos bivalvos a finales del siglo XXI. El modelo Delft3D se utilizó para simular la hidrodinámica de las Rías Baixas durante los meses de julio y agosto del periodo histórico (1990-2019) y el periodo futuro (2075-2099) bajo el escenario RCP8.5. Durante el periodo histórico, las zonas más favorables para especies intermareales como R. decussatus, R. philippinarum y C. edule se observaron principalmente en la parte interior de las rías. Para V. corrugata, las zonas con confort se sitúan en el intermareal inferior y submareal somero. Las proyecciones futuras sugieren un aumento general de la extensión de las zonas con condiciones térmicas óptimas en comparación con el periodo histórico para R. decussatus, C. edule y V. corrugata. En el caso de R. philippinarum, la extensión podría disminuir en el futuro. Por último, la productividad de estas especies podría verse reducida en las áreas de marisqueo situadas en las zonas menos profundas de los sectores interiores de las Rías Baixas debido al aumento de la temperatura del agua.[EN]The infaunal bivalves Ruditapes decussatus, Ruditapes philippinarum, Venerupis corrugata and Cerastoderma edule are part of one of the most socio-economically important shellfisheries in the Rías Baixas (NW Spain). Ocean warming may affect these fisheries as the increase in water temperature would increase the stress conditions these species are subjected to. It could reduce their productivity and even change their geographical distribution. The present study analysed how rising ocean temperatures could affect the geographical distribution of the thermal comfort areas of these bivalves at the end of the 21st century. The Delft3D model was used to simulate the hydrodynamics of the Rías Baixas during the months of July and August of the historical period (1990-2019) and the future period (2075-2099) under the RCP8.5 scenario. Historically, the most comfortable areas for intertidal species such as R. decussatus, R. philippinarum and C. edule are mainly found in the inner part of the rias. For V. corrugata, the comfort zones are located in the lower intertidal and shallow subtidal. Future projections suggest a general increase in the extent of areas with optimal thermal conditions compared to the historical period for R. decussatus, C. edule and V. corrugata and a decrease for R. philippinarum. Finally, the productivity of these species could be reduced in the shellfishing areas located in the shallower areas of the inner sectors of the Rías Baixas due to the increase in water temperature

Aprovechamiento de la energía undimotriz a lo largo de la costa gallega

Ponencia presentada en: XII Congreso de la Asociación Española de Climatología celebrado en Santiago de Compostela entre el 19 y el 21 de octubre de 2022.[ES]Se ha calculado el recurso undimotriz a lo largo de la costa gallega (noroeste de España) durante el periodo 2014-2021 usando datos horarios de alta resolución espacial procedentes del modelo Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN). Además, se analizó la potencia eléctrica (PE) y el rendimiento que puede obtenerse del conversor de energía undimotriz (WEC) Wave Dragon. El rendimiento del Wave Dragon se calculó atendiendo a dos parámetros: el factor de carga de potencia (ε) y el ancho de captura normalizado respecto a la geometría del WEC (eficiencia). Los resultados muestran que el recurso undimotriz es menor que 10 kWm-1 cerca de la costa, pero aumenta hasta 55 kWm-1 en mar abierto. Wave Dragon presenta valores de PE menores a 500 kW en el interior de las rías y ~2200 kW en mar abierto. Además, alcanza valores de 25−30% en la costa noroeste y la eficiencia alcanza hasta el 40% en la costa oeste. Debido a su profundidad óptima de operación y a los resultados obtenidos, Wave Dragon parece ser una buena opción para aprovechar la energía undimotriz en la costa gallega.[EN]The wave power resource (WP) has been calculated along the Galician coast (NW Spain) over the period 2014-2021 using high spatial resolution hourly data from the Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN) model. In addition, the electrical power energy (PE) that can be extracted for the Wave Dragon wave energy converter (WEC) was analyzed. The performance of Wave Dragon has also been calculated attending to two parameters: the power load factor (ε) and the normalized capture width with respect to the WEC’s geometry (efficiency). Results show that the WP resource is lower than 10 kWm-1 onshore but it increases to about 55 kWm-1 offshore. Wave Dragon presents PE values less than 500 kW inside the estuaries and ~2200 kW offshore. Additionally, ε reaches values of 25−30% on the Northwest Coast and the efficiency reaches up to 40% on the West Coast. Due to its optimum operating depth and the results obtained, Wave Dragon seems to be a good option to implement wave energy on the Galician coast

Changes in Present and Future Circulation Types Frequency in Northwest Iberian Peninsula

The aim of the work described herein was to study projection scenarios in order to find changes in the synoptic variability of the northwest Iberian Peninsula in the 21st century. To this end, we investigated the changes in the frequency of the different circulation types computed for the study area using three different models used in the IPCC 4th assessment report. The circulation types were computed using the procedure known as Lamb circulation types. The control simulation for the late 20th century was evaluated objectively from the results obtained using data from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis, as to evaluate the ability of the model to reproduce the present climate. We have compared not only seasonal mean sea level pressure fields but also the mean seasonal frequency of circulation types. The results for the end of the 21st century show a decrease in the frequency of cyclonic, W, and SW circulation types in the spring and summer months. This trend also appears in the autumn, with a concomitant increase in the anticyclonic types

Alteridad, etnicidad y racismo en la búsqueda de orígenes de personas adoptadas. El caso de España

En España, la búsqueda de orígenes de las personas adoptadas, motivada por la necesidad de comunicar la historia previa a los/las menores provenientes principalmente de China, Rusia, Etiopía y Vietnam, transita entre lo biológico y lo cultural. Las adopciones internacionales introducen en el contexto de la adopción un replanteamiento de las nociones origen e identidad e incorporan las de etnicidad y raza. En este artículo, mediante el análisis crítico de discurso de un trabajo etnográfico, se subraya la importancia de repensar qué se está entendiendo por “orígenes”, tanto institucional como académicamente, y cuáles son las consecuencias —tanto teóricas como metodológicas y prácticas— de esta conceptualización en la construcción de otredad y diferencia en las personas adoptadas, en función de su procedenciaIn Spain, the search for the origins of adopted people, driven by the need to communicate the prior history of minors coming mainly from China, Russia, Ethiopia and Vietnam, moves between the biological and the cultural. International adoptions introduce a rethinking of the notions of origin and identity and incorporate those of ethnicity and race into the context of adoption. In this article, through the critical discourse analysis of an ethnographic paper, we highlight the importance of rethinking what is being understood as “origins”, both institutionally as well as academically, and what are the consequences —both theoretically as well as methodologically and practically— of this conceptualization in the construction of otherness and difference in adopted people, based on their provenance.El presente artículo se inscribe en el Proyecto I+D+i, “Menores migrantes en el arco mediterráneo: movilidad, sistemas de acogida e integración” (DER2017-89623-R), financiado por el Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad del Gobierno de España

Influence of atmospheric modes on coastal upwelling along the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula, 1985 to 2005

Using night-time weekly sea surface temperatures (1985 to 2005), we analysed how several European regional patterns of atmospheric variation influenced coastal upwelling along the western coast of the Iberian peninsula. The regional patterns of atmospheric variation considered were: the North Atlantic Oscillation, the East Atlantic pattern, the Scandinavia pattern, the East Atlantic/Western Russia pattern and the Europe Polar/Eurasia pattern (NAO, EA, SCA, EA/WR and POL, respectively). The upwelling index along the entire coast was calculated as the difference between coastal and oceanic Sea surface temperature at the same latitude for 25 locations distributed from 37 to 43°N. Relationships with atmospheric circulation modes during the upwelling season (July to October) show that the main upwelling anomaly variability can be explained in terms of the EA, showing a significant negative correlation along the entire western coast. The NAO pattern is the second most influential atmospheric mode, with influence on the upwelling index showing a significant positive correlation only between 38 and 41°N.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia | Ref. CTM2007-62546-C03-03Xunta de Galicia | Ref. PGIDIT06PXIB383285PRXunta de Galicia | Ref. PGIDIT06PXIB383288P

The state of climate in NW Iberia

Since 1974, there has been a significant increasing trend in land and sea surface temperatures of 0.5 and 0.24°C decade-1, respectively, in the NW Iberian Peninsula. Over the same period, annual precipitation does not show any trend, although some tendencies have been detected at seasonal scales. A significant positive trend, on average of 2 cm decade–1, was also observed in sea level rise from 1943 onwards. Ekman transport perpendicular to the coast (upwelling index) showed a decrease from 1975 to 2008 at both annual and seasonal scales. In addition, the flow of the Miño River (the main river in the area) has also decreased at a mean rate of 18 m3 s-1 decade-1 since 1970. At a synoptic scale, winter cyclone frequency and winter and spring blocking activity have decreased since the 1950s, which may partially explain the winter precipitation decline and the winter and spring temperature increases. These changes in synoptic systems are also in agreement with reported trends in the dominant variability modes of atmospheric circulation affecting NW Iberia, particularly a pronounced positive trend in the North Atlantic Oscillation from the 1970s to the 1990s.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia | Ref. CTM2007-62546-C03-03Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. CGL2009-09143Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. INCITE09383278P