‘Je voelt de wind, je ruikt de geur van Bonaire: je bent terug!’ vertelt een leerling terwijl hij wijst naar een afbeelding van de luchthaven Flamingo. Deze uitspraak werd gedaan tijdens ons onderzoek naar een betekenisvol geschiedeniscurriculum met burgerschapsdoelen in het voortgezet onderwijs op Bonaire. Een jaar later, in 2024, keerden we naar het eiland terug en deden er onderzoek naar Bonairiaans burgerschapsonderwijs dat daar op vier basisscholen wordt ontwikkeld.
The Caribbean Netherlands are dealing with a situation where imported vegetables and fruits are mostly imported and hardly affordable. This leads to consuming unhealthy food and high obesities rates as a consequence. A lack of good agricultural practices with regard to water-smart and nature inclusive agriculture, as well as limited coping capacities to deal with hazards and climate change, results in very limited local production and interest. Initiatives that focused only on agrotechnological solutions for food resilient futures turned out to be ineffective due to a lack of local ownership, which jeopardizes sustainability. Moreover, the 'green' and 'blue' domains are not seen as attractive career perspectives among youth, hampering a bright future for those domains.
LINK
This study focuses on the feasibility of electric aircraft operations between the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. It explores the technical characteristics of two different future electric aircraft types (i.e., Alice and ES-19) and compares their operational requirements with those of three conventional types currently in operation in the region. Flight operations are investigated from the standpoint of battery performance, capacity, and consumption, while their operational viability is verified. In addition, the CO2 emissions of electric operations are calculated based on the present energy mix, revealing moderate improvements. The payload and capacity are also studied, revealing a feasible transition to the new types. The impact of the local climate is discussed for several critical components, while the required legislation for safe operations is explored. Moreover, the maintenance requirements and costs of electric aircraft are explored per component, while charging infrastructure in the hub airport of Aruba is proposed and discussed. Overall, this study offers a thorough overview of the opportunities and challenges that electric aircraft operations can offer within the context of this specific islandic topology.
MULTIFILE
Worldwide, coral reefs are rapidly declining due to increased sea water temperatures and other environmental stresses (Figure 1). To counter the extinction of major coral reef building species on the island of Bonaire, the non-profit organization Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire is restoring degraded reef sites using corals that are grown in local nurseries. In these nurseries, corals are propagated on artificial trees using fragmentation. After 6-8 months of growth in the nursery, the corals are transplanted to degraded reef sites around the island. Over the years more than 21.000 corals have been outplanted to reef restoration sites in this way. These corals show high survivorship under natural reef conditions but remain under threat by environmental disturbances, such as increased water temperatures, diseases, and competition with macroalgae. A promising intervention to increase reef persistence and resilience is to manipulate the coral-associated microbiome. At present, the composition of the microbiome in nursery-reared and outplanted corals on Bonaire is unknown. The aim of the current project is to identify and isolate naturally occurring beneficial bacteria that may stimulate the resilience of these corals. Our key objectives are: 1) to assess the presence of functionally beneficial bacteria in corals in nursery and restoration sites on Bonaire using metagenomic screening. 2) to design culture strategies to isolate these functionally beneficial bacteria. In the future, a selection of these beneficial bacteria can be applied to the corals to increase their resilience against environmental disturbances.
Since the 1970s, Caribbean reefs have transitioned from coral-dominated to algal-dominated ecosystems. The prevalence of algae reduces coral recruitment, rendering the reefs unable to recover from additional disturbances and jeopardizing crucial ecosystem services, including coastal protection, fisheries, and tourism. One of the main factors to the proliferation of algae is the scarcity of grazers, which is a result of overfishing and disease outbreaks. While fishing supports livelihoods, enhances local food security, and is an integral part of the Caribbean communities' culture, it remains a significant threat to coral reefs. Consequently, the Nature and Environmental Policy Plan (NEPP) 2020-2030, outlining conservation and restoration priorities in the Caribbean Netherlands, underscores the necessity of an integrated approach to tackle the complex challenges of coral reef restoration and fisheries development. The Saba government, and nature management organizations of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba are implementing the NEPP. Together with University of Applied Sciences Van Hall Larenstein, Wageningen University and WWF, they aim to identify novel species of native invertebrate grazers with the dual purpose of reef restoration and fisheries diversification. The Caribbean king crab (Maguimithrax spinosissimus), the West Indian sea egg (Tripneustes ventricosus), and the West Indian top shell (Cittarium pica) have been identified as potential candidates. Despite their preference to graze on macroalgae, their current densities are inadequate. Population enhancement of these species holds promise for reducing algae, promoting biodiversity, and simultaneously supporting small-scale fisheries. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the ecological effects and socio-economic potential of these grazers. The ReefGrazers project aims to assess the current densities of these herbivores around the BES islands, analyze their impacts on the reef, and evaluate their retention post-restocking. Socio-economic research will quantify current small-scale fishing practices, while market analysis will help assess the potential for the development of these novel resources as sustainable fisheries.
