To improve future tropical cyclone forecasts, researchers sent a remotely operated saildrone into the extreme winds and towering waves around the eye of a category 4 hurricane.
Caribbean
Early Inhabitants of the Bahamas Radically Altered the Environment
Clues in sediments show that once humans arrived on Great Abaco Island, they hunted large reptiles to extinction and burned the old hardwoods and palms, leading to new pine- and mangrove-dominated lands.
Taíno Stilt Houses May Have Been an Adaptation to Climate Change
A coastal village in the Caribbean flourished during a period of increased hurricanes. Research suggests the Taíno designed their dwellings to persist through the greater storm surges.
Empeora la Crisis Hídrica en el Caribe Oriental
Científicos, políticos y pobladores temen que la actual escasez de agua y los largos períodos de sequía puedan empeorar a medida que cambie el clima y que el Acuerdo de París se haya quedado corto.
By Land or Sea: How Did Mammals Get to the Caribbean Islands?
A multidisciplinary team is jointly investigating mammal evolution and subduction dynamics to unravel how flightless land mammals migrated to the Greater Antilles and other Caribbean islands.
Saint Lucia Works to Release Itself from Sargassum’s Stranglehold
Nearly 10 years ago, Caribbean beaches experienced a sudden onslaught of Sargassum. Today residents continue to explore ways to mitigate the seaweed’s damage to local health and livelihoods.
Scientists Support Local Activities to Rescue the Mesoamerican Reef
The reef’s report card analyzed 286 sites in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. Communities, scientists, and governments are working to improve coral and ecosystem resilience.
Severe Cyclones May Have Played a Role in the Maya Collapse
Sediment cores from the Great Blue Hole reveal that a series of extreme storms hit the region after 900. The storms may have irreparably damaged an already stressed Maya population.
Worsening Water Crisis in the Eastern Caribbean
Scientists, policy makers, and residents are concerned that ongoing water shortages and longer periods of drought may worsen as the climate changes and that the Paris Agreement has fallen short.
How Conflict Influenced Land Use in Colombia
Researchers use new maps and statistical techniques to infer how armed conflict influenced land cover in the understudied Caribbean region of the country.