Caribbean Coast Of Colombia Research Articles

The Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) along the Caribbean coast of Colombia: underused incidental records help identify present and past coastal‐lowland hotspots

The Antillean manatee (<i>Trichechus manatus manatus</i>) along the Caribbean coast of Colombia: underused incidental records help identify present and past coastal‐lowland hotspots

Discriminating an Accent, Enacting a Race (and Vice Versa): Perception and Representation of Phonic Variability on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia

We examine the metalinguistic, psychosocial, and identity-related indexical indications of (speaking about) the other, as provided by 36 Santa Marta inhabitants (Blestel 2022). Santa Marta is a city on Colombia’s septentrional coast, populated primarily by individuals of multiracial heritage, descended from Indigenous peoples, African slaves, and Spaniards. We show that the established main axis of differentiation (Gal and Irvine 2019) and associated judgments are adjacent, sometimes very explicitly, to racializing ideologies that more broadly traverse Colombian society as a whole. We maintain that these metapragmatic discourses, far from being anecdotal, indicate semiotic discrimination processes at work in sustaining or even renewing a system of values passed down from the colonial era.

Fine scale population structure of Acropora palmata and Acropora cervicornis in the Colombian Caribbean.

Using a standardized SNP array, we identified two populations of Acropora cervicornis and one population of A. palmata in the Caribbean coast of Colombia. San Andrés was the most genetically differentiated location for both species. An average pairwise FST value of 0.131 and 0.050 between San Andrés and neighboring collection sites was estimated, for A. cervicornis and A. palmata, respectively. Based on population patterns of both acroporid species, we inferred that Magdalena River is not a barrier of genetic connectivity among Colombian populations. Genetic comparisons between the Colombian coast of Caribbean with other Caribbean locations agree with previous studies for both species, where four populations were identified in A. cervicornis and three in A. palmata. Our results support published bio-physical model predictions and highlight the Panama-Colombia gyre as a possible isolating mechanism within the western Caribbean. However, the genetic diversity in both species was about half (mean HE per site = 0.321 in A. palmata and 0.369 in A. cervicornis) than previous estimates in acroporid populations in the Caribbean. The lower genetic diversity as well their relative isolation and high levels of reef degradation may be of particular conservation concern that may require species-specific management coupled with science-based restoration efforts.

Adherence to prophylactic treatment of patients with haemophilia A and B using the VERITAS-Pro in a population on the Colombian Caribbean Coast

Adherence to prophylactic treatment of patients with haemophilia A and B using the VERITAS-Pro in a population on the Colombian Caribbean Coast

Not all that glitters is gold: Can the real scenic value of the Colombian Caribbean coast be restored?

Currently, coastal erosion, extreme urbanization, woody debris, litter, sewage, noise, and beach driving are severely affecting the scenic value of the Caribbean Coast of Colombia. To determine the current state of this situation and give management inputs, this paper provides the scenic assessment of 300 coastal sites using the Coastal Scenery Evaluation System (CSES). The CSES assesses values from a checklist of 18 physical and 8 human parameters and allows calculation of a scenic evaluation index (D Value), which classifies coastal sites into five classes: Class I, usually natural areas of top scenic characteristics, to Class V, poor scenic natural areas with a higher impact of human interventions. Along the study area, 52 coastal sites (17.3%) appeared in Class I; 40 (13.3%) in Class II; 56 (18.7%) in Class III; 55 (18.3%) in Class IV, and 97 sites (32.3%) in Class V. This evaluation provides a complete assessment overview of the Caribbean Colombia coastal scenery and serves as baseline for implementation of management strategies. This management must be based on scientific knowledge and should address not only human use values, but also the maintenance and preservation of the environmental quality of the coast.

Predatory fish exploitation and relative abundance in a data‐poor region from the Caribbean coast of Colombia, inferred from artisanal fishery interview surveys and baited remote underwater video systems

Abstract Artisanal fisheries are socially and economically important along the Caribbean coast of Colombia. These fisheries remain poorly characterized, making it difficult to estimate their potential impact, especially on non‐targeted catch such as elasmobranchs. A rapid assessment framework was used to investigate the exploitation, use, and relative abundance of elasmobranchs and predatory teleosts in a region along the Caribbean coast of Colombia. In‐person structured interview surveys (n = 188) were conducted during the autumn of 2016 at eight fishing towns around Cartagena and the islands of the Natural National Park (NNP) Corales del Rosario and San Bernardo. Baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS) (n = 200) deployed at four reefs were used to assess the relative abundance of elasmobranchs and other predatory teleosts. Fishers reported capturing eight shark and five ray taxa. Although 99% of fishers indicated that they did not target sharks, 83% reported keeping the catches to sell, eat, or both. Similarly, 81% of fishers did not target rays, but 90% reported retaining catches. Most fishers (84%) perceived a decline of sharks in the coastal waters since they started fishing, compared with 41% reporting batoid declines. BRUVS data support the perceptions of elasmobranch declines. Elasmobranch abundances were very low and no difference was detected between protected and unprotected reefs. Results were similar for teleost taxa, but there were higher abundances inside one marine protected area (MPA) that had high enforcement. Taken together, the data suggest considerable degradation of not only elasmobranch populations but also predatory fish populations of coral reef habitats in a region of the Colombian Caribbean. Furthermore, artisanal fishers continue to exploit coral reef resources inside MPAs unless there is strong enforcement. Enforcement can be difficult with limited resources, and therefore community‐based conservation methods may be more effective. Engagement with the local fishing community may help to reduce existing tensions and improve compliance.

Interaction analysis of FTO and IRX3 genes with obesity and related metabolic disorders in an admixed Latin American population: a possible risk increases of body weight excess

Fat Mass and Obesity-related (FTO) has been one of the genes consistently related to common obesity. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FTO have been linked with the IRX3 gene. This study was designed by testing the hypothesis that: i) common SNPs in FTO and IRX3 are associated with obesity and related disorders; ii) there is significant linkage disequilibrium between both genes. A cross-sectional study was carried out on the Colombian Caribbean Coast. Anthropometric and biochemical variables were measured, and obesity and metabolic disorders were diagnosed. Four SNPs were genotyped: 3 at FTO locus (rs17817449, rs8050136, rs9939609) and one at IRX3 locus (rs3751723). LD between these SNPs was estimated. A logistic regression model was applied to estimate associations. A total of 792 subjects were included. FTO and IRX3 were not in LD (D'≤ 0.03; R2≤ 0.03). TT genotype (rs9939609) was found to be associated with waist circumference (p= 0.04; adj-p= 0.01), and IRX3 SNP with Body Weight Excess (BWE) (OR= 1.06, adj-p= 0.03). One FTO-IRX3 haplotype was associated with BWE (G-A-A-T, rs17817449-rs8050136-rs9939609-rs3751723; OR= 0.67, p= 0.04). The statistical significance of these relations continued after admixture adjustment for a three-hybrid population (p= 0.03). FTO was related to waist circumference, and IRX3 was associated with BWE in Latin American adults. This relation remained statistically significant after an adjustment for sex, age, and genetic ancestry was performed. Despite that these genes were not in LD, findings of a haplotype involving FTO-IRX3 suggest a gene-gene interaction associated with an increased risk of BWE.

Green Fuzzy Tourist Trip Design Problem

The shift from mass tourism to more personalized travel denotes great importance in the construction of tourist itineraries. Given the negative impacts of transport and tourism on the environment, sustainability criteria play an important role. The Tourist Trip Design Problem is related to the design of itineraries for tourists. Planning is complex in tourist regions of developing countries where the information associated with tourist activities is difficult to access, vague, and incomplete. With this information, tourists must plan their trip, and the conditions and limitations they establish for it are flexible and imprecise. Fuzzy optimization can address problems with this type of information and constraints. Therefore, in this paper, an analysis of the tourism supply chain is carried out, taking as a case study the Department of Sucre on Colombia's Caribbean coast. A Multiconstraint Multimodal Team Orienteering Problem with Time Windows and fuzzy constraints is developed to model the tourism trip design problem that maximizes profit and minimizes CO2 emissions. The model is tested using datasets from the literature and the real world. The results demonstrate consistency with the fuzzy approach and generate a set of low-emission solutions.

Chemical comparison of the essential oils of Lippia Origanoides in two agroclimatic zones of the Colombian Caribbean coast

The objective of this research is to compare the chemical profiles of the essential oils of Lippia origanoides leaves collected in Santa Marta and Sincelejo at different hours. The leaves were harvested at 6:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m, and 6:00 p.m, the essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation assisted by microwave radiation and the chemical profiles were determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The results showed Thymol as the major metabolite in all samples, however, Sincelejo presented the highest percentages of Thymol with 68.02% at 6:00 a.m., while in Santa Marta at 6:00 p.m was 63.19%. In all cases, the lowest concentrations of Thymol were found at 12:00 md, because high temperatures can volatilize this compound and in the case of Santa Marta, because it is a coastal area and temperature at noon is higher than in Sincelejo. Therefore, concentrations of 33.12% and 59.06% were found respectively. A similar case occurs with Ocimeno and 3-Tujeno, which showed a decrease of concentration in this period.

Microplastic pollution in water, sediments and commercial fish species from Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta lagoon complex, Colombian Caribbean

Microplastics are emerging pollutants that have been found in different environmental matrices of marine and coastal ecosystems, where they can generate harmful ecological impacts. Little is known about the current state of microplastic pollution in fragile tropical lagoon ecosystems, such as Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (CGSM) in the Caribbean coast of Colombia. This study assesses microplastic pollution in surface waters and sediments, and the occurrence of microplastic ingestion in commercially important fish species from CGSM. In waters, microplastic abundances ranged from 0.0 to 0.3 items L−1 while in sediments they varied from 0.0 to 3.1 items kg−1. The most abundant types of microplastics are fibers and fragments, with polypropylene, polyethylene and high-density polyethylene as the most abundant polymers. Also, 100 (i.e. 21.1%) out of 474 individuals from nine fish species had microplastics in their digestive tracts. Microplastics present in water and sediments and in the digestive tract of the analyzed fish species have similar characteristics, also showing a moderate and statistically significant association. Microplastic abundances are higher near river mouths and in urban areas with a high density of fishing activities and aquaculture infrastructures, which are important sources of contaminants. Microplastic pollution in CGSM represents a threat to the lagoon ecosystem and to local people depending on artisanal fishing. Consequently, effective actions to reduce pollution and its socio-environmental impacts are urgently required.

Notable records of migratory shorebirds from the Caribbean coast of Colombia

Notable records of migratory shorebirds from the Caribbean coast of Colombia

Identification of the nasopharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis by 16S rRNA Gene sequencing in asymptomatic adolescents and young adults in Cartagena, Colombia (2019–2020).

The bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, a strictly human pathogen, can cause meningitis, meningococcemia, sepsis, and death; repeatedly it scause outbreaks around the world. The frequency of asymptomatic carriage is often high in adolescents and young adults, increasing the invasive meningococcal disease risk and likelihood of transmission. However, detailed analyses of meningococcal carriage in this population in Colombia, particularly in coastal areas, are lacking. In this study, the prevalence and characteristics of Neisseria meningitidis carriage were evaluated in asymptomatic adolescents and young adults (11-25 years old) in Cartagena, Colombia. Oropharynx samples were collected from participants between August and December 2019. The phenotypic identification of bacteria was performed by conventional methods and biochemical testing. Molecular identification to the species level was performed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In total, 12 of 648 samples were positive for Neisseria meningitidis by 16S rRNA sequencing, indicating a prevalence of 1.9%. Isolates were classified into four invasive serogroups (A, B, C, and W) by a comparative sequence analysis of the ribosomal gene. Despite the occurrence of meningococcal disease in Cartagena city in the last several years, the frequency of oropharyngeal carriage in adolescents and young adults was low. Serogroup A had not been previously reported in nasopharyngeal samples in Colombia. This is the first report of Neisseria meningitidis on the Colombian Caribbean coast based on 16S rRNA sequencing and is expected to guide the development of vaccination and follow-up strategies.

CFD-FEM Modeling of a Floating Foundation under Extreme Hydrodynamic Forces Generated by Low Sea States

The high development of the offshore industry for supporting new marine and renewable energy projects requires a constant improvement of methods for structure designing. Because recent studies warned that maximum environmental loads occur during low sea states and not during extreme sea states as recommend by the offshore standards (e.g., RP 2AWSD-2014), this study used measured wave and current data for analyzing that warning. The Colombian Caribbean coast was selected as the study area, and in situ ADCP data combined with Reanalysis and numerical data was used for identifying proper sea states for the analysis. Then, two low and one extreme sea states were selected and their associated current profiles were extracted, for providing input data for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations to evaluate the effect of the hydrodynamic forces over a floating structure. The results showed that low sea states generated maximum loads and rotations in the floating structure, and the extreme sea states caused high-frequency vibrations that could provoke structural dynamics problems such as failures due to fatigue or sudden collapse by resonance and amplification.

Qualitative and Quantitative Beach Cleanliness Assessment to Support Marine Litter Management in Tropical Destinations

In addition to its ecological and recreational relevance, beach cleanliness is also one of the five most important aspects (i.e., the “Big Five”) for beach visitors around the world. Nonetheless, few efforts have been carried out to guide the sound management of this rising issue. This paper presents a quantitative and qualitative method to assess the level of beach cleanliness, in order to allow managers to focus their attention on the environmental management of the most frequent and relevant types of litter in tropical areas. In a first step, a survey on users’ perception was applied to 361 beachgoers in eight beaches in Colombia to identify the most relevant types of beach litter and the weighting factors to obtain quantitative calculations. In a second step, the thirteen categories of litter identified were analyzed in relation to beach cleanliness, origin of litter, and environmental impact, to define its individual weighting importance. Some categories were also selected according to particularities of tropical countries, such as the presence of abundant natural vegetation debris and gross polystyrene items, largely transported by rivers in great quantities. In a third step, the method was then tested at eight beaches in the Caribbean coast of Colombia through a period of four months, during which 192 transect samplings were carried out. The qualitative module of the proposed technique, named Beach Litter Assessment Technique—Qualitative and Quantitative (BLAT-QQ), identified the main types of beach litter and the quantitative module gave an overview on the state of beach cleanliness. The method is demonstrated to be quick and effective in diagnosing beach cleanliness, providing a simple instrument to carry out sound environmental management actions in coastal destinations.

A new species of Esola Edwards, 1891 (Crustacea, Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Laophontidae) from the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

A new species of the harpacticoid copepod genus Esola is described from specimens collected in Rodadero Beach, on Gaira Bay, on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. The species, E.wellsisp. nov., is described, illustrated, and com­pared with its congeners. Esolawellsisp. nov. differs from its known congeners in details of the armature of legs 1–4. It most closely resembles E.bulbifera (Norman, 1911) in the armature formula of P1–P5 but differs from the latter in several respects, including the female antennule segmentation (7-segmented in E.bulbifera but distinctly 6-segmented in E.wellsisp. nov.) and in the shape and size of the male P3ENP2 apophysis, among other characters. This is the second species of the genus known from the Caribbean and the second record of Esola in the Northwestern Tropical Atlantic. The genus now contains eight species. A key to the known species of the genus is also included.

Caerulines A and B, Flavonol Diacylglycosides from Persea caerulea.

Two undescribed 4′-O-methylkaempferol-[3″,4″-di-p-coumaroyl]-α-l-rhamnopyranosides, caerulines A and B (1–2), along with three known 4′-O-methylkaempferol diacylrhamnosides isomers (3–5) were isolated from an ethanol extract of the leaves of Persea caerulea, a native plant growing on the Colombian Caribbean coast. The chemical structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. The effect of compounds 1–5 against four pathogenic microorganisms [i.e., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Acinetobacter baumannii, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus fumigatus] was tested in vitro. The compounds exhibited no activity against these pathogens except MRSA (MIC 12–48 μg/mL). Caeruline B (2) was found to be the most active compound with a modest anti-MRSA activity (MIC = 12 μg/mL).

Pre-feasibility assessment for identifying locations of new offshore wind projects in the Colombian Caribbean.

The offshore wind energy sector is showing a growing interest because the increment of global energy demand and the commitment to reduce the CO2 emissions. The need to identify new wind offshore areas have motivated the development of methods where several quantitative and qualitative factors are considered. Then, this study reviewed these factors to establish a priority order to know when they could be analyzed within 3 main stages (pre-feasibility, feasibility and final decision). As a result, this research organized tha main factors in the 3 stages and performed a pre-feasibility analysis for assessing potential offshore areas considering technical-environmental features such as spatial classification, temporal variability (magnitude and direction) and geographical restrictions. The Colombian Caribbean coast was selected as study case, and 3 areas were identified according to their wind climate variability, in which 10 locations showed high potential for developing offshore wind projects. The north and central zone of the Colombian Caribbean coast were identified as the most suitable areas with mean annual wind-speed over 10 m/s with low magnitude and direction variability, two factors considered extremely important for the wind power generation.

Coastal Meteo-marine Parameters of Hurricane Matthew along the Colombian Caribbean Coast: Establishing a Baseline of Knowledge

Ortiz Royero, J.C.; Henriquez Cera, S., and Gomes, H., 2022. Coastal meteo-marine parameters of Hurricane Matthew along the Colombian Caribbean coast: Establishing a baseline of knowledge. Journal of Coastal Research, 38(1), 66–76. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The hurricanes on the Colombian continental coast have been lower in intensity and number than in other areas of the Caribbean Sea. Thus, given the lack of knowledge about the hurricane parameters in this area, the protocols to deal with a hurricane emergency on the Columbian continental coast are not clear. This work analyzes the meteo-marine parameters caused in Colombia by the passage of Hurricane Matthew to establish a baseline of knowledge. Further progress in understanding the effects the hurricane may have had on several coastal areas, particularly in the areas of hydrology, morphological changes, storm surge, and flood, is expected in future work. The results show that the most significant meteo-marine parameter was the swell generated by the hurricane; although it followed a NW trajectory toward the coast, the swell reached up to 4.5 m of significant wave height and a peak period of 14 seconds. Also, the accumulated rainfall in only 3 days significantly exceeded the average monthly values of October (the rainiest month of the year). This effect is of particular interest given that recent modeling studies established an increase in precipitation rates associated with tropical hurricanes. The wind was not significant with respect to typical values in the zone.

On the occurrence of Antillesoma antillarum (Grube, 1858) (Sipuncula, Antillesomatidae) on the south-central part of the Colombian Caribbean coast

We document here the first confirmed report of the sipunculan worm Antillesoma antillarum (Grube, 1858) based on freshly collected, taxonomically verified specimens from the south-central Colombian Caribbean coast. This species was encountered on massive coralline rocks, coral rubble, and coral boulder at San Antero. We briefly describe and illustrate this species and provide notes on its distribution, ecology, and habitat.

Wind and solar resource assessment and prediction using Artificial Neural Network and semi-empirical model: case study of the Colombian Caribbean region

This work is focused on the importance of developing and promoting the use of wind and solar energy resources in the Colombian Caribbean coast. This region has a considerable interest for the development of solar technology due to the available climatic characteristics. Therefore, a detailed solarimetric analysis has been carried out in the department of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, located in the Colombian Caribbean region, using a semi-empirical radiation model, based on the Bird & Hulstrom model, and the parameterizations of the Mächler & Iqbal model, which allowed obtaining an average total irradiation value of 6.5 kWh/m2day. In addition, a statistical analysis of the wind resource was carried out based on meteorological data, which yielded an average multiannual wind speed of 3.4 m/s, and a maximum wind speed of 15.2 m/s during the month of October. The meteorological input data used for this analysis were provided by the Colombian Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), in order to perform initial calculations and obtain a climatic profile of the areas with clear, medium and cloudy atmospheres throughout the year. Regarding the comparative study, the analysis was complemented with a prediction of solar radiation using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), where irradiance could be predicted with a fairly good agreement, which was validated with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.87 using the temperature, the relative humidity, the pressure and the wind speed as the input data.