The global increase in renewable energy initiatives has been followed by the need to include the social impact of any project as a core element. Significant challenges for renewable energy development include uncertainty in assessing social impacts at local scales, participation and social acceptance. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approaches have been widely used in energy planning to address these challenges. This article reviews how social criteria and participation mechanisms have been incorporated into decision-making processes for renewable energy projects. A total of 184 articles were analyzed. A total of 490 indicators that estimated social impacts were identified and organized into nine criteria: employment, social acceptance, social development, health impact, governance, visual impact, knowledge and awareness, cultural value and social justice. Most research included analytical hierarchy process methodologies, and the articles were geographically concentrated in Asia and Europe. Most articles included a participative component (92.3%), and the majority of them were based on expert consultation (75.4%). Of the articles that exclusively considered experts, almost 40% did not provide any description of the expert elicitation process. Results revealed advances in the use of MCDA but highlighted important challenges—related to improving expert consultation methodologies and broadening the participation of stakeholders—when developing renewable energy initiatives and policies.

Otolith microstructure analysis was used to reveal daily growth patterns of young-of-the year (YOY) of six species of perciform fishes,Bovichtus chilensis(Bovichtidae),Girella laevifronsandGraus nigra(Kyphosidae),Helcogrammoides chilensis(Tripterygiidae) andHypsoblennius sordidusandScartichthys viridis(Blenniidae). YOY collected in intertidal pools from June to December 2008 in Central Chile, ranged from 24 to 76 mm total length and from 25 to 390 days of age. In the six species, sagittal otoliths showed a slightly oval shape, symmetrical and laterally compressed and showed micro-increments distinguishable after a two-side polishing. Increment width of sagittae showed two patterns irrespective of hatch month and species: (i) a parabolic growth with wider increment widths (during the first 150 of YOY life, e.g.B. chilensis,G. nigraandG. laevifrons); and (ii) a more irregular pattern with lower increment widths during most of the seasons inH. chilensisandH. sordidus. Further results were: (i) a unique central primordium enclosed by two checks after which distinctive increments were deposited; (ii) low instantaneous growth rates estimated through the slope of the length-at-age relationship (range 0.1–0.21 mm d⁻¹); and (iii) a linear fish size–otolith size relationship.

Numerosos estudios en ecología marina se han enfocado en evaluar qué determina la estructura espacial y variabilidad temporal de los organismos que habitan la zona costera e intermareal. Nuestros resultados sugieren que individuos de Scartichthys viridis, separados espacialmente por una escala mayor a los 200 km, deberían ser demográficamente independientes, manteniendo actividades reproductivas y dinámicas poblacionales propias. Esta segregación espacial es sugerida a partir del análisis de elementos traza en los otolitos de reclutas, obtenidos simultáneamente de las localidades de Los Molles e Isla Negra, Chile central. Considerando el potencial de dispersión (92-106 días), basado en el conteo de micro incrementos diarios en otolitos, ambas poblaciones podrían estar conectadas. Sin embargo, la distribución vertical selectiva de sus estadios larvales favorecería su retención cerca de las áreas donde eclosionaron. Aunque el presente estudio no determina en particular los mecanismos biofísicos involucrados en la distribución larval, propone alternativas que pueden responder a tal interrogante. Estos resultados sientan un precedente para futuros estudios que permitan determinar explícitamente segregación poblacional a escalas espaciales menores, así como él o los mecanismos biofísicos que determinan el transporte, dispersión larval y conectividad poblacional de peces costeros intermareales.