Marine renewables represent a promising and innovative alternative source for satisfying the energy demands of growing populations while reducing the consumption of fossil fuels. Most technological advancements and energy yield assessments have focused on promoting the use of kinetic energy from tidal streams with flow velocities higher than 2.0 m s⁻¹. However, slower-moving flows from ocean currents are recently explored due to their nearly continuous and unidirectional seasonal flows. In this study, the potential of the Yucatan Current was analysed at nearshore sites over the insular shelf of Cozumel Island in the Mexican Caribbean. Field measurements were undertaken using a vessel-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) to analyse the spatial distribution of flow velocities, along with Conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) profiles as well as data gathering of bathymetry and water elevations. Northward directed flow velocities were identified, with increasing velocities just before the end of the strait of the Cozumel Channel, where average velocities in the region of 0.88–1.04 m s⁻¹ were recorded. An estimation of power delivery using horizontal axis turbines was undertaken with Blade Element Momentum theory. It was estimated that nearly 3.2 MW could be supplied to Cozumel Island, amounting to about 10% of its electricity consumption.

Santamaría-del-Ángel, E., Millán-Núñez, R., González-Silvera, A., Callejas-Jiménez, M., Cajal-Medrano, R., and Galindo-Bect, M. S. 2011. The response of shrimp fisheries to climate variability off Baja California, México. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 766–772. The effect of climate variability on the shrimp fishery in the upper Gulf of California and the west coast of southern Baja California was investigated using artisanal and industrial catches of blue shrimp (Litopenaeus stylirostris) and brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus californiensis). Catch data were compared with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and remotely sensed environmental parameters, including sea surface temperature, chlorophyll a, coloured dissolved organic matter, and particulate organic carbon (Rrs412 and Rrs490). Overall, temperature was the best environmental indicator of commercial shrimp catches. Catches of blue shrimp varied directly and of brown shrimp indirectly with the SOI in their dominant areas, suggesting that the two species are influenced by El Niño conditions in different ways.

Wetlands, such as those in Laguna Bacalar, Mexico, are highly productive and biodiverse ecosystems that provide a wide range of invaluable ecosystem services (ES). Despite their importance, these ecosystems are under significant threat from disturbances such as land-use changes, making them among the most endangered ecosystems worldwide. This study aimed to (1) assess the spatio-temporal variation of ecosystem services in Laguna Bacalar, Mexico, between 1999 and 2021 using medium-resolution satellite imagery from the Landsat sensor; and (2) estimate the monetary value of ES losses attributable to land-use changes by applying a unit value transfer method with global value coefficients based on data from Brander et al. (2024). Twenty-two key ESs were identified and associated with mangroves, inland wetlands, and the hydrological system. A total of 277 hectares of natural ecosystems were lost, leading to a reduction in the total value flow of ecosystem services (ES), which was estimated at 10,411,098 Int$/year over the study period. The loss of inland wetlands is particularly alarming due to their critical role in filtering agrochemicals and organic matter from the watershed. Increasing pressures from human activities, including urbanization and tourism, significantly contribute to the degradation of these ecosystems. This highlights the urgent need for responsible environmental management and the implementation of conservation strategies to protect their functionality and the invaluable ecosystem services they provide to local communities.