The U.S. Military Targets and Destroys Alleged Narcotics Trafficking Vessels in the Southern Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean, Killing Nearly All of Their Crew

A new shallow water species of the lucinid bivalve Pleurolucina is described from Curaçao in the southern Caribbean Sea and compared with known species of the genus from the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. Although confused with the Floridian species Pleurolucina leucocyma, it is most similar to the eastern Pacific Pleurolucina undata. As in all studied lucinids, the new species possesses symbiotic bacteria housed in the ctenidia. The shell microstructure is unusual with repeated and intercalated conchiolin layers that have sublayers of ‘tulip-shaped’ calcareous spherules. Predatory drillings by naticid gastropods frequently terminate at the conchiolin layers.

We constructed stable isotope profiles for 16 Recent venerid bivalve shells from four environmental regions in the eastern tropical Pacific and the southwestern Caribbean. The environments sampled were: 1) the Gulf of Chiriqui, a nonupwelling region in the eastern Pacific; 2) Panama Bay, an upwelling region in the eastern Pacific; 3) the Caribbean non-upwelling region of northern Panama and northwestern Colombia west of Cartegena; and 4) the Caribbean upwelling region of northern Colombia east of Cartagena and the northern Gulf of Venezuela. The four environments are generally well-characterized by the shell profiles. In particular, the 6180 range is greatest in upwelling environments, and, to a lesser extent, is greater in the eastern Pacific than in the Caribbean.

ABSTRACTThe horizontal temperature zones of the earth tend to restrict the latitudinal ranges of species but allow the possibility of exceedingly broad longitudinal dispersals. In the Tropical Zone, biodiversity on the continental shelves is not homogeneous but is concentrated in two conspicuous peaks, one in the Indo‐Pacific Ocean and the other in the Atlantic. The Indo‐Pacific biodiversity peak is located within a relatively small area called the East Indies Triangle. The Atlantic peak is located in the southern Caribbean Sea. Evidence that has been accumulated over the years indicates that each area functions as a centre of origin and evolutionary radiation. What are the causes of these concentrations and their present functions? A newly published model indicates a positive relationship between environmental temperature and the rate of speciation. While this helps to explain the generally high tropical diversity, and the negative relationship between diversity and latitude, it does not provide a reason for the longitudinal concentrations. But, other new research serves to substantiate previous indications of a positive relationship between speciation rate and species diversity. The existence of this positive feedback, together with some contributory factors, provides the reason why concentrations occur. The evolutionary radiation probably begins when the build‐up of species diversity reaches a critical level. The warm‐temperate biotas are derived from the tropics. Their northern longitudinal relationships tend to be minor but, in the southern hemisphere, the West Wind Drift is an important dispersal mechanism for both warm‐temperate and cold‐temperate species. The cold‐temperate biotas peaked in two areas, the North Pacific and the Antarctic; each has developed into a centre of origin. The continuous dispersal of well‐adapted species from the centres helps peripheral communities maintain diversity.

Artificial river diversions cause intense and unpredictable changes in the geomorphological evolution and sedimentary dynamics of deltas. This study analyzes the effects of the 1958 course diversion of the Turbo River delta, Gulf of Urabá, southern Caribbean Sea. Recent satellite images were analyzed and beach topography was monitored to obtain the shoreline migration and sediment budget; surface sediments were seasonally sampled, and their grain size parameters were determined; and seasonal sediment transport directions were deduced according to grain size trends. It was concluded that the bimodal wave regime controls the seasonal sedimentary patterns associated with southward longshore transport during both the dry and rainy seasons, and the northward longshore transport occurs in the midsummer drought. Beach morphodynamics of Yarumal Point, close to the present-day river mouth, show that this is the most exposed sector to waves, whereas fluvial sediment inputs are evidenced by a decrease in mean grain size and by poorly sorted sediments in the rainy season. A new spit is forming in Yarumal Point, with an intense increase in area and a westward progradation related to high fluvial sediment inputs from the La Niña event of 2010–12 and low erosion from the El Niño events of 2009–10 and 2015–16. In the central sector, longshore drift has formed the Yarumal barrier spit with a southeastward progradation that recently closed the interdistributary El Uno Bay. Consequently, a humaninduced sand barrier–lagoon system resulted with a stable or slightly regressive shoreline. Moreover, the Yarumal barrier spit has generated a new sediment bypass to Barajas Beach in the northern limit of the Las Vacas spit (i.e. the ancient delta lobe). Therefore, there is an unusual accretion of the abandoned delta lobe by sediment supply from the new lobe.

Congruence between microsatellite loci, SNPs, and COI gene reveals a phylogeographic break in the southern Caribbean Sea: The case of West Indian top shell Cittarium pica (Gastropoda: Tegulidae)

Mangroves provide habitat to a variety of fish species, potentially enhancing fish production in small-scale fisheries. Fish production ecosystem services have been correlated with mangrove area and perimeter in many tropical locations; however, nothing has been published linking small-scale fish catch and mangrove attributes in the southern Caribbean Sea. We correlated environmental variables with experimentally-derived catch per unit effort (CPUE) and richness of fishes in the Colombian southern Caribbean Sea, an area not directly connected with other productive coastal habitats. Concurrently, we measured mangrove attributes (area, perimeter, above-ground carbon), water quality (salinity, total dissolved solids), and water column productivity parameters (chlorophyll a, seston, zooplankton biovolume). Mangrove area and zooplankton biovolume were the main factors influencing fish species richness. Mangrove area was positively correlated with catches for three of the most common fish species in the local artisanal fishery: Ariopsis canteri Acero P, Betancur-R, and Marceniuk, 2017, Mugil incilis Hancock, 1830, and Sciades proops (Valenciennes, 1840), which represent about 22% of the total regional annual catch. Our results suggest causal links between mangrove habitat and fishery production through a mangrove trophic contribution. Ariopsis canteri appears to be a mangrove-dependent species and M. incilis a mangrove- associated species. These results support managing or preserving mangroves in the most extensive areas in the southern Caribbean to sustain small-scale fishery resources used mainly for community sustenance where alternative resources are limited.

We present a 40-year long monthly resolved Sr/Ca record from a fossil Diploria strigosa coral from Bonaire (Southern Caribbean Sea) dated with U/Th at 2.35 ka before present (BP). Secondary modifiers of this sea surface temperature (SST) proxy in annually-banded corals such as diagenetic alteration of the skeleton and skeletal growth-rate are investigated. Extensive diagenetic investigations reveal that this fossil coral skeleton is pristine which is further supported by clear annual cycles in the coral Sr/Ca record. No significant correlation between annual growth rate and Sr/Ca is observed, suggesting that the Sr/Ca record is not affected by coral growth. Therefore, we conclude that the observed interannual Sr/Ca variability was influenced by ambient SST variability. Spectral analysis of the annual mean Sr/Ca record reveals a dominant frequency centred at 6–7 years that is not associated with changes of the annual growth rate. The first monthly resolved coral Sr/Ca record from the Southern Caribbean Sea for preindustrial time suggests that fossil corals from Bonaire are suitable tools for reconstructing past SST variability. Coastal deposits on Bonaire provide abundant fossil D. strigosa colonies of Holocene age that can be accurately dated and used to reconstruct climate variability. Comparisons of long monthly resolved Sr/Ca records from multiple fossil corals will provide a mean to estimate seasonality and interannual to interdecadal SST variability of the Southern Caribbean Sea during the Holocene.

A headquarters agreement plays an important role in the law of an international organization. Although there are general principles of law on the legal status and position of international organizations, it is often necessary to specify clearly the exact parameters for the application of the principles to a particular organization. The headquarters agreement enables the organization and the host State to make provision for specific issues and problems that may arise in practice but which it may not be appropriate or sometimes possible. Although the headquarters agreement is primarily an agreement between the organization and the host State and essentially governs the relationship between the organization and the host State, it could have implications far beyond the narrow confines of the interface between the organization and host state. Keywords:headquarters agreement; host State; law of international organizations; legal status

Seasonal and intraseasonal variability of active and quiescent upwelling events in the Guajira system, southern Caribbean Sea

Population structure of carite ( Scomberomorus brasiliensis) in waters offshore of Trinidad and northern Venezuela

Specimens of Squalus cubensis (n = 137; 38.5–67.3 cm total length–TL) and Squalus cf. quasimodo (n = 183; 41.1–93.2 cm TL) were opportunistically collected from the catches of artisanal gillnetters working in the southern Caribbean Sea off Venezuela between January 2006 and December 2007 and assessed for maturation and reproductive biology. Catches of each species comprised considerably more, and mostly larger, females (n = 124 and 174, for S. cubensis and S. cf. quasimodo, respectively) than males (n = 13 and 9). Based on changes to the reproductive organs, both species were partitioned into four maturation stages for females (juvenile, ovulating, gravid and post-partum) and two stages for males (juvenile and adult). Squalus cubensis and S. cf. quasimodo both were least represented by juveniles (n = 10 and 13, respectively) and most by ovulating females (n = 74 and 120, respectively). Formal assessments of 50% sizes at sexual maturity (± SE) were restricted to females, and were 44.5 ± 0.5 TL for S. cubensis and 59.9 ± 0.2 cm TL for S. cf. quasimodo. All sampled male S. cubensis were mature above 43.8 cm TL, while only one adult male S. cf. quasimodo (82.4 cm TL) was recorded. Gravid females of both species had each uteri functional with between one and five embryos—the numbers of which were not correlated to the TLs of the mothers. A common observation of gravid females for both species during many of the sampled months, and an absence of clear temporal progression in embryo size implied asynchronous reproduction, although the few post-partum individuals (n = 5 and 4 for S. cubensis and S. cf. quasimodo, respectively) were restricted to December. Because of their low reproductive output and apparent potential for exploitation, further life-history studies are warranted for both species.

Vibrio spp. are associated with waterbirds mainly in temperate latitudes. We evaluated the prevalence and distribution of Vibrio spp. from fecal samples of resident and migratory aquatic birds collected during October 2011 and March 2012 at two coastal sites in the tropical southern Caribbean Sea. We amplified DNA by PCR in 40% of samples, resulting in 47% and 36% estimated prevalence for resident and migratory birds in Cuare Wildlife Refuge, and 33% and 44% in Margarita Island, respectively. We found nontoxigenic Vibrio cholerae in Cuare Wildlife Refuge with a higher prevalence in resident birds (18%). Our PCR results for Vibrio and V. cholerae were not significantly different between sites or bird migratory status. The 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis sequences from fecal samples from Cuare Wildlife Refuge were highly similar to V. cholerae and Vibrio vulnificus , whereas sequences from Margarita Island samples formed clusters with species related to the Harveyi clade. Our findings indicate that several species of Vibrio are common in aquatic birds along the southern Caribbean Sea and contribute to our understanding of the role of birds as possible reservoirs of potentially pathogenic bacteria.

The comparative phylogeography of marine species with contrasting dispersal potential across the southern Caribbean Sea was evaluated by the presence of two putative barriers: the Magdalena River plume (MRP) and the combination of the absence of a rocky bottom and the almost permanent upwelling in the La Guajira Peninsula (ARB + PUG). Three species with varying biological and ecological characteristics (i.e., dispersal potentials) that inhabit shallow rocky bottoms were selected: Cittarium pica (PLD < 6 days), Acanthemblemaria rivasi (PLD < 22 days), and Nerita tessellata (PLD > 60 days). We generated a set of SNPs for the three species using the ddRad-seq technique. Samples of each species were collected in five locations from Capurganá to La Guajira. For the first time, evidence of a phylogeographic break caused by the MRP is provided, mainly for A. rivasi (AMOVA: ΦCT = 0.420). The ARB + PUG barrier causes another break for A. rivasi (ΦCT = 0.406) and C. pica (ΦCT = 0.224). Three populations (K = 3) were identified for A. rivasi and C. pica, while N. tessellata presented one population (K = 1). The Mantel correlogram indicated that A. rivasi and C. pica fit the hierarchical population model, and only the A. rivasi and C. pica comparisons showed phylogeographic congruence. Our results demonstrate how the biological traits of these three species and the biogeographic barriers have influenced their phylogeographic structure.

This chapter identifies two reasons for incomplete IIAs: strong protectionism and lack of institutional capacity. Both substantially increase transaction costs and result in incompleteness far below the optimum level. First, protectionist motives, lobbying, and host countries' ongoing legal reforms are arguably the main reasons for incomplete IIAs. A strong preference for gradual, rather than rapid, market openings by host countries' legislative bodies can induce negotiation teams to leave their IIAs incomplete. Lobbying activities by protected industries in host nations make difficult for a negotiation team to conclude a complete version of an IIA. Moreover, complications arising from ongoing legal reforms in host countries, such as examining and sorting out unsettled domestic measures, further challenge the completion of IIAs. In addition to protectionism, a lack of institutional capacity, both failures in intra-government coordination and cooperation as well as a concomitant lack of legal and technical expertise, causes incomplete IIAs. First, limited coordination and cooperation between a negotiation team and line ministries result in incomplete IIAs. The negotiation team may leave agreements incomplete because the ministries do not (or cannot) timely comply with a team's requests for information. Many ongoing bilateral and multilateral negotiations have deadlines, and line ministries have difficulties completing all requested tasks on time. Another problem is the lack of legal and technical expertise. Many host countries, particularly developing countries, lack sufficient legal expertise and have trouble understanding the legal consequences of modifying the terms of an IIA. This chapter analyzes the reasons for the absence of legal expertise, including staff turnover, a lack of human resources, and an inability to hire legal counsel.

Smart devices have become ubiquitous in everyday life, and it is commonplace that migrants are among the users of connected tools. With the realization that migrants rely on connectivity for multiple purposes, including to access information and services, many initiatives started working on developing ICT tools to assist migrants to integrate into their new society. Technological tools, however, come with inherent risks, many of which are linked to the processing of personal data of their users. This is especially true for migrants, who are often vulnerable due to their migration status, which is not always secure in the host country. To mitigate these risks, we argue that an expanded data protection impact assessment, analyzing not only the impacts related to data protection, but also to the specific situation of migrants, should be conducted at the outset of any technology development project to influence the development of safe and reliable ICT tools for this target population. A practical example of the application of such an assessment is provided, based on the authors’ experience as legal advisors in the REBUILD project, which is one of the current initiatives in the EU aiming to develop ICT tools for migrant integration.