Using Spatial Planning Tools to Identify Potential Areas for the Harnessing of Ocean Currents in the Mexican Caribbean
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The manuscript represents an analysis of economical activities in a particular coastal region of Mexican Caribbean Sea. Especial attention is paid to renewable energy harvesting. The authors scrutinize all the economical and geographical factors affecting the considered area. They classify potential impacts of activities onto environment, analyze their compatibility and calculate overlaps of areas with different activities. In my opinion, it is an interesting and well done work that could be considered as an excellent illustration of spatial marine planning. Definitely, results of the paper have to be considered by Mexican authorities.
However, description of the numerical calculations is poor and should be extended. It should facilitate generalization of the analysis onto other coastal regions. I recommend publication after minor revision.
Author Response
Thank you for the comments, which greatly contributed to improving the manuscript. We hope that this new version can be considered suitable for publication.
We have improved the explanation of the numerical calculation in section 2.2.2., explaining the three matrices used: compatibility between objectives, spatial intersection and objectives compatibility special intersection.
We have also added a figure (new Fig 4) to explain better the numerical calculation, showing the degree of compatibility between the characteristics/activities objectives by color: green for compatible, orange for poorly compatible and red for incompatible objectives. The figure also explains the number calculation compatibility for the spatial intersections between the same types of characteristic/activities.
Reviewer 2 Report
- Besides the degree of compatibility between objectives of the characteristics/activities in the Mexican Caribben, it is suggested to have energy potential analysis for ocean current in the studied area, and classify the location areas with high, median or low ocean current energy potential.
- English writing may be improved.
Author Response
Thank you for the comments, which greatly contributed to improving the manuscript. We hope that this new version can be considered suitable for publication.
We have added a new map from Silva et al. where suitable locations for higher current speeds are shown, as well as other sources: thermal gradients (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, OTEC), winds (Nearshore Wind Power Converters, NSWPC), waves (Wave Energy Converters, WEC), and salinity gradient (Pressure Retarded Osmosis, PRO).
Reviewer 3 Report
The reviewer wants to thank the author for the paper presenting a detailed literature review of the effect of biofouling on cylindrical studies, which is added by an analysis of existing experimental data. S/he has some suggestions and questions:
*1) Line (L) 38: the comma before the literature reference is not needed. Please check for similar occasions.
*2) L45: The reviewer would suggest to expand this sentence: However, some fundamental questions are not answers, which include the development of standards [https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9090971], economic aspects as well as environmental consequences of a mass deployment of such an energy generation.
*3) Figure 1: The large white space would allow to add another scale of the map to better locate the project area. Thank you very much.
*4) L130: It would be good to provide a map where those higher current speed occurs and also mention the specific depth of this measurement/simulations (??).
*5) L204: this table is numbered with 1 and the second one on L207 too. Please check this very carefully and correct it.
*6) Table 5 on page 14 has a significant problem with the formatting.
*7) There is a 3.2 section on line 473 and again on L528
Please correct the errors and the reviewer is looking forward reading the paper again.
Author Response
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Reviewer 3 |
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Line (L) 38: the comma before the literature reference is not needed. Please check for similar occasions. |
We have corrected several mistakes regarding commas. Thank you for noticing this. |
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L45: The reviewer would suggest to expand this sentence: However, some fundamental questions are not answers, which include the development of standards [https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9090971], economic aspects as well as environmental consequences of a mass deployment of such an energy generation. |
Done, we have added the suggestion and new reference |
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Figure 1: The large white space would allow to add another scale of the map to better locate the project area. Thank you very much. |
Done, we have expanded the scale of the map to better locate the area |
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L130: It would be good to provide a map where those higher current speed occurs and also mention the specific depth of this measurement/simulations (??). |
Done, we have added a new map from Silva et al. where suitable locations for higher current speeds are shown, as well as other sources: thermal gradients (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, OTEC), winds (Nearshore Wind Power Converters, NSWPC), waves (Wave Energy Converters, WEC), and salinity gradient (Pressure Retarded Osmosis, PRO). The specific depths for marine current harvesting was calculated from 2 to 7 km from the coastline, at 50m depth. |
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L204: this table is numbered with 1 and the second one on L207 too. Please check this very carefully and correct it. |
Thank you, we have corrected the numbering of the tables. |
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Table 5 on page 14 has a significant problem with the formatting. |
Thank you, we have corrected the formatting |
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*7) There is a 3.2 section on line 473 and again on L528 |
Thank you, we have corrected the numbering |
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
After revision, this manuscript is suitable for the publication in this journal.
Author Response
We attached a new version of the ms.
Reviewer 3 Report
The reviewer thanks the authors for their corrections and answers. The quality of the paper could be further improved, and all questions were answered. Nevertheless, an additional larger map could still be added to figure 1 to use the white space and help the reader to find the specific location more easily. But this is only a suggestion. Thank you.
Author Response
We attached a new version of the MS.
