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The continuous dynamic motion of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT) can introduce long-term fatigue and structural tensions, reinforcing the importance of structural control. Here, the novel proposed concept of collective structural control of waked floating wind farm by optimally de-loading the FOWTs with more motion, in order to avoid undesired tower-base bending-moment, long-term fatigue or increasing mooring tensions aims to be introduced. The study proposes a collective control strategy for distributing power set-points based on real-time assessment of the FOWT’s structural behavior by mitigating pitch motion and optimizing performance. To evaluate the effectiveness of this approach, a predictive controller is developed and tested on a spar-based wind farm. The results demonstrate that the adoption of a collective structural controller is more suitable for long-term operation of floating wind turbines compared to conventional power-oriented strategies, diminishing 7 times the standard deviation of the mean pitch values of the FOWTs in the array and thus, minimizing axial stress of the most upstream FOWTs. The impact of wave states on the behavior of the floating wind turbines within the array can be observed, influencing the effectiveness of the control strategy.

The continuous dynamic motion of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT) can introduce long-term fatigue and structural tensions, reinforcing the importance of structural control. Here, the novel proposed concept of collective structural control of waked floating wind farm by optimally de-loading the FOWTs with more motion, in order to avoid undesired tower-base bending-moment, long-term fatigue or increasing mooring tensions aims to be introduced. The study proposes a collective control strategy for distributing power set-points based on real-time assessment of the FOWT’s structural behavior by mitigating pitch motion and optimizing performance. To evaluate the effectiveness of this approach, a predictive controller is developed and tested on a spar-based wind farm. The results demonstrate that the adoption of a collective structural controller is more suitable for long-term operation of floating wind turbines compared to conventional power-oriented strategies, diminishing 7 times the standard deviation of the mean pitch values of the FOWTs in the array and thus, minimizing axial stress of the most upstream FOWTs. The impact of wave states on the behavior of the floating wind turbines within the array can be observed, influencing the effectiveness of the control strategy.

Two new species of Torodorinae: Caveana plenalinea Park, sp. nov. and Antiochtha hemitatos Park, sp. nov., are described from Laos. At the same time, three species of the genus Torodora are reported for the first time from Laos.

Two new species of Torodorinae: Caveana plenalinea Park, sp. nov. and Antiochtha hemitatos Park, sp. nov., are described from Laos. At the same time, three species of the genus Torodora are reported for the first time from Laos.

This report contains the main experimental results from the project SeaCH4NGE-PLUS. Briefly, the screening of chemical content of a range of seaweeds collected in Iceland in 2020 and 2021 did not identify a bromoform rich seaweed that had high promise as a methane reducing feed component for cattle. Certain samples of brown macroalgae were high in total phenolic content, indicating a high phlorotannin content that has been associated with a moderate methane reduction. That is consistent with the findings of this research. Samples of Asparagopsis sp. indicated that they may have a short shelf life to preserve the bromoform content. Fermentation may increase slightly the methane reduction potential of seaweed, but extracting phlorotannins did not yield a much higher reduction of methane as hypothesized. This report is closed until 31.12.2023. ___ Þessi skýrsla inniheldur helstu tilraunaniðurstöður úr verkefninu SeaCH4NGE-PLUS. Í stuttu máli sýndi skimun á efnainnihaldi u.þ.b. 20 þörungategunda sem safnað var á Íslandi 2020 og 2021, ekki fram á brómóformríkt þang, en bromoform ríkt þang getur haft metan minnkandi áhrif þegar það er gefið nautgripum. Sýni af brúnþörungum voru gjarnan há í fenólinnihaldi, sem bendir til mikils flórótanníninnihalds sem hefur verið tengt hóflegri metanlækkun. Rannsóknir á Asparagopsis þörungum. gaf til kynna að þau sýni gætu haft stutt geymsluþol, en áhrif voru minni en reiknað var með. Gerjun getur haft lítilleg jákvæð áhrif á metanframleiðslu (þ.e.a.s. dregið aðeins meira úr framleiðslu), en útdráttur af flórótannínum hafði ekki afgerandi áhrif á metanframleiðslu. Þessi skýrsla er lokUð til 31.12.2023. Funding: Loftslagssjóður, Rannís

This report contains the main experimental results from the project SeaCH4NGE-PLUS. Briefly, the screening of chemical content of a range of seaweeds collected in Iceland in 2020 and 2021 did not identify a bromoform rich seaweed that had high promise as a methane reducing feed component for cattle. Certain samples of brown macroalgae were high in total phenolic content, indicating a high phlorotannin content that has been associated with a moderate methane reduction. That is consistent with the findings of this research. Samples of Asparagopsis sp. indicated that they may have a short shelf life to preserve the bromoform content. Fermentation may increase slightly the methane reduction potential of seaweed, but extracting phlorotannins did not yield a much higher reduction of methane as hypothesized. This report is closed until 31.12.2023. ___ Þessi skýrsla inniheldur helstu tilraunaniðurstöður úr verkefninu SeaCH4NGE-PLUS. Í stuttu máli sýndi skimun á efnainnihaldi u.þ.b. 20 þörungategunda sem safnað var á Íslandi 2020 og 2021, ekki fram á brómóformríkt þang, en bromoform ríkt þang getur haft metan minnkandi áhrif þegar það er gefið nautgripum. Sýni af brúnþörungum voru gjarnan há í fenólinnihaldi, sem bendir til mikils flórótanníninnihalds sem hefur verið tengt hóflegri metanlækkun. Rannsóknir á Asparagopsis þörungum. gaf til kynna að þau sýni gætu haft stutt geymsluþol, en áhrif voru minni en reiknað var með. Gerjun getur haft lítilleg jákvæð áhrif á metanframleiðslu (þ.e.a.s. dregið aðeins meira úr framleiðslu), en útdráttur af flórótannínum hafði ekki afgerandi áhrif á metanframleiðslu. Þessi skýrsla er lokUð til 31.12.2023. Funding: Loftslagssjóður, Rannís

AbstractThe tropical forests of the Congo Basin and Gulf of Guinea harbor some of the greatest terrestrial and aquatic biological diversity in the world. However, our knowledge of the rich biological diversity of this region and the evolutionary processes that have shaped it remains limited, as is our understanding of the capacity for species to adapt or otherwise respond to current and projected environmental change. In this regard, research efforts are needed to increase current scientific knowledge of this region's biodiversity, identify the drivers of past diversification, evaluate the potential for species to adapt to environmental change and identify key populations for future conservation. Moreover, when evolutionary research is combined with ongoing environmental monitoring efforts, it can also provide an important set of tools for assessing and mitigating the impacts of development activities. Building on a set of recommendations developed at an international workshop held in Gabon in 2011, we highlight major areas for future evolutionary research that could be directly tied to conservation priorities for the region. These research priorities are centered around five disciplinary themes: (1) documenting and discovering biodiversity; (2) identifying drivers of evolutionary diversification; (3) monitoring environmental change; (4) understanding community and ecosystem level processes; (5) investigating the ecology and epidemiology of disease from an evolutionary perspective (evolutionary epidemiology). Furthermore, we also provide an overview of the needs and priorities for biodiversity education and training in Central Africa.

AbstractThe tropical forests of the Congo Basin and Gulf of Guinea harbor some of the greatest terrestrial and aquatic biological diversity in the world. However, our knowledge of the rich biological diversity of this region and the evolutionary processes that have shaped it remains limited, as is our understanding of the capacity for species to adapt or otherwise respond to current and projected environmental change. In this regard, research efforts are needed to increase current scientific knowledge of this region's biodiversity, identify the drivers of past diversification, evaluate the potential for species to adapt to environmental change and identify key populations for future conservation. Moreover, when evolutionary research is combined with ongoing environmental monitoring efforts, it can also provide an important set of tools for assessing and mitigating the impacts of development activities. Building on a set of recommendations developed at an international workshop held in Gabon in 2011, we highlight major areas for future evolutionary research that could be directly tied to conservation priorities for the region. These research priorities are centered around five disciplinary themes: (1) documenting and discovering biodiversity; (2) identifying drivers of evolutionary diversification; (3) monitoring environmental change; (4) understanding community and ecosystem level processes; (5) investigating the ecology and epidemiology of disease from an evolutionary perspective (evolutionary epidemiology). Furthermore, we also provide an overview of the needs and priorities for biodiversity education and training in Central Africa.