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SISSTEM is an acronym for "Sustainable Island Solutions through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)". The goal of the program is to educate, research and develop sustainable solutions for small island state through STEM. Indeed, sustainable development is on the global agenda, but especially small island states are vulnerable due to their small size and the many (largely external) challenges they face. Academic research needs to play a pivotal role in the implementation of sustainable development policies and the corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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Publication Dataset from Chauveau et al. "Unravelling the spatial variability of fossil coral reef morphology on Aruba and the implications for paleo sea level estimates"(Zenodo, 2025-02-20) Chauveau, Denovan; Boyden, Patrick; Desfromont, Florent; Scardino, Giovanni; Scicchitano, Giovanni; Mijts, Eric; Bejerano, Sonio; Dean, Silas; Cerrone, Ciro; Rovere, AlessioDataset shared on Zenodo, containing all the stratigraphic forward models (workflow and data used in the DionisosFlow® software) as well as the GNSS data used in the article: Chauveau et al. (submitted). "Unravelling the spatial variability of fossil coral reef morphology on Aruba and the implications for paleo sea level estimates". The article is submitted in the journal "Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface".Publication Turning the Tide Documentary Interviews on Nos Mainta(Nos Mainta, 2025-01-29) Berg, Edeline; Lopez, Tyson; Floudiotis, Andrea; Henken, Rene; Osinga, Ronald; van der Wal, Sietske; Danser, Nichole; de Scisciolo, Tobia; Everon, Xiomara; Kelie, Ivan; de Scisciolo, TobiaThe section on Nos Mainta about the Turning the Tide Documentary starts at 26 minutes: Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/live/vlaqhR-38Ss?feature=shared&t=1558 Interview with Edeline Berg and Tyson Lopez (Aruba Conservation Foundation) (Papiamento): https://www.youtube.com/live/vlaqhR-38Ss?feature=shared&t=1716 Interview with Andrea Floudiotis (RESEMBID) (English) https://www.youtube.com/live/vlaqhR-38Ss?feature=shared&t=2893 Interview with Rene Henken and Ronald Osinga (Wageningen University) (Nederlands) https://www.youtube.com/live/vlaqhR-38Ss?feature=shared&t=4088 Interview with Sietske van der Wal (Aruba Conservation Foundation) (English) https://www.youtube.com/live/vlaqhR-38Ss?feature=shared&t=5356 Interview with Nichole Danser (ScubbleBubbles) & Tobia de Scisciolo (University of Aruba) (English): https://www.youtube.com/live/vlaqhR-38Ss?feature=shared&t=6394Publication Life cycle assessment of imported seafood in Aruba(KU Leuven, 2022-06) de Vlieghere, AlicePublication Life cycle analysis of chicken in the Aruban food basket(KU Leuven, 2022-08) Lelièvre-Damit, JonasPublication Consumer preferences and carbon footprint trade-offs for salmon: Insights from Aruba(2023-06) Van Opstal, LorePublication Carbon ‘Foodprint’ of Aruba’s Food Imports(KU Leuven, 2021-05-10) Bleukx, Kobe; Janssens, Dries; Vandenbergh, Jasper; Vankrunkelsven, EmmaPublication Groep 3: Milieu-impact van Curaçao’s voedselconsumptie 1 Bepalen van de milieu-impact van Curaçao’s import van voedsel en dranken(KU Leuven, 16 May 2022) Couwet, Emma; Tombeur, Julie; van Hoof, Seppe; Vanhee, YarnoPublication Characteristics of research on human food and beverage supply and consumption in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao: a scoping review protocol(OSF Registries, 2025) van Veghel, Amber; Perez, Veronica; Sultan, Salys; Pin, RenskePublication Population structure and connectivity of reef-building corals in the Southern Dutch Caribbean(2020) Mijts, Eric; Melville D.; F. Volkaert; Mijts, EricAvailable from: https://dcnanature.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/BioNews37-Structure.pdfPublication Application of carbon nanotubes for removal of emerging contaminants of concern in engineered water and wastewater treatment systems(Springer Nature, 19-Apr) Kurwadkar, Sudarshan; Hoang, Timothy V.; Malwade, Kailas; Kanel, Sushil R.; Struckhoff, Garrett; Malwade, KailasPharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) have been detected in wastewater effluents and surface water bodies at concentrations ranging from parts per trillion levels (ng L−1) to parts per billion (µg L−1) levels. Currently, engineered wastewater treatment plants are unable to remove PPCPs and EDCs completely, resulting in the treatment plants becoming a source of secondary pollution. Research on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has shown that the tubular cylinders of carbon atoms due to their large specific surface area and developed pore structure are capable of adsorbing and remediating PPCPs and EDCs. They also possess excellent photocatalytic activity and high mechanical strength. When combined with membrane filtration, CNTs demonstrate excellent removal of PPCPs and EDCs with removal up to ~ 95% in optimum experimental conditions. Nanocomposite membranes containing CNTs have shown promising results in the removal of triclosan, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen. In addition to its proven potential in adsorption and membrane filtration, CNTs can also be used in photocatalytic degradation of a variety of organic compounds including PPCPs and EDCs. When CNT is used as a photocatalyst, it generates reactive oxygen species that can oxidize contaminants to CO2, and H2O. This study provides a comprehensive literature review of the application of CNTs for removal of the emerging contaminant of concern from water and wastewater. Their application, particularly in the areas of adsorption, filtration and photocatalytic degradation of PPCPs and EDCs, is discussed in detail. Also, the feasibility of a full-scale implementation of CNTs in existing water and wastewater treatment plants is discussed.Publication Sustainable Island Solutions through STEM: the SISSTEM programs at the University of Aruba(9/17/2024) Mijts, Eric; Mijts, EricHow can we find sustainability solutions at the crossroads of global technological development and the specificity of island contexts and island communities, and how can we build academic programs that build upon the opportunities of islandness? Over the past decade, a team at the University of Aruba has taken on the challenge to develop the Sustainable Solutions through Science programs, a cluster of innovative STEM programs. Dr. Eric Mijts will dive deep into the conceptual underpinnings of the SISSTEM program including social sciences and humanities, the contextual setting, the complexities of the implementation of the programs as well as the impacts the programs have at institutional and national level as well as on the development of the field of island studies. Dr. Eric Mijts is a researcher, educator and manager at the University of Aruba with a keen interest in program design for sustainable development in small island states. He is director of the University of Aruba Research center, co-founder and coordinator of the Sustainable Island Solutions through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (SISSTEM) project cluster and he is co-founder of the Academic Foundation Year. He facilitates several international students research exchange programs. As a researcher Eric is also affiliated to the University of Antwerp and is an active partner in the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network and in the Metabolism of Islands think tank. His research and publications focus on multilingualism, language policy and planning, education for sustainable development and inclusion/exclusion processes. Driven by his passion for the balance between humanity and the environment, Eric supports several international research and education projects on marine and terrestrial ecosystems health, governance and restoration. Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qhLC4pcwgcPublication Sustainable Island Solutions through STEM - Opening lecture Islands Lecture Series(Institute of Island Studies - University of Prince Edward Island, 9/17/2024) Mijts, EricHow can we find sustainability solutions at the crossroads of global technological development and the specificity of island contexts and island communities, and how can we build academic programs that build upon the opportunities of islandness? Over the past decade, a team at the University of Aruba has taken on the challenge to develop the Sustainable Solutions through Science programs, a cluster of innovative STEM programs. Dr. Eric Mijts will dive deep into the conceptual underpinnings of the SISSTEM program including social sciences and humanities, the contextual setting, the complexities of the implementation of the programs as well as the impacts the programs have at institutional and national level as well as on the development of the field of island studies.Publication Sustainable Island Solutions through STEM (SISSTEM) Lessons learnt, and the pathway forward(11/27/2024) Acevedo, Diego; John, Nigel; López-Márquez, Violeta; Mertens, Anouk; Mijts, Eric; Sultan, Salys; López Márquez, Violeta; Acevedo, Diego; Mijts, Eric; Mertens, Anouk; Sultan, SalysIn 2019 the EDF-11 funded SISSTEM project started at the University of Aruba, an ambitious project in collaboration with the KU Leuven and with the support of UNDP to develop the facilities and programs for STEM education and research. In July 2024 the project implementation phase of the European funded part of SISSTEM was completed. In this contribution we will share the original intentions and the outcomes of the project, as well as an analysis of the critical success factors that contributed to the implementation of the project. The outcomes include two academic programs (BSc and MSc), a series of ongoing research projects, and a series of conferences and publications that contribute to the development of a critical mass of island researchers that support both local and global sustainability efforts and agendas. Throughout the implementation of the project a series of obstacles were identified, such as the complexities of international project management for small island development (including logistic and technical challenges), intercultural awareness management, expectation management, marketing/image management and the complexities of recruitment of students and academic staff to participate in pioneering programs.Publication Coastal boulders emplaced by extreme wave events impacting the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao; Leeward Antilles, Caribbean)(2025-02-01) Scardino, Giovanni; Rovere, Alessio; Chiara, Barile; Nandasena, N.A.K.; Chauveau, Denovan; Dahm, Malena; Boyden, Patrick; Bejarano, Sonia; Casella, Elisa; Kelly, Harold; Mijts, Eric; Scicchitano, GiovanniLarge coastal boulders are ubiquitous geomorphological features that are emplaced along coasts by extreme marine events such as storms, hurricanes, and tsunamis. Many large coastal boulders have been identified on emergent fossil coral reefs on the windward sides of the Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao (ABC) islands in the Leeward Antilles of the Caribbean. Here, structure-from-motion/multi-view stereo techniques were used to map boulder sizes at several coastal sites in the ABC Islands as well as construct digital terrain models of the surrounding areas. Chronological constraints on boulder transport were established through the radiocarbon dating of the vermetids and coral colonies that comprised boulders located along a ridge on Aruba Island. A suite of hydrodynamic models was used to empirically derive the required flow thresholds for boulder displacement to determine whether tsunamis or hurricanes were responsible for detaching and transporting these boulders. Our results suggest that multiple tsunamis, most likely triggered by the El Pilar fault, located near the Venezuelan coast, were the cause of boulder detachment and transport in this region during the Holocene, between 4000 and 500 years BP.Publication Mapping for Sustainable Development: Comparing different mapping techniques for monitoring mangroves to reach SDG 15 and 6(2024-09-09) Ricker, Britta; Eppinga, Maarten; Jurgens, Sharona; Mijts, EricMapping the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) is necessary to identify where to place localized interventions to meet these goals. The UN Statistics Agency is responsible for establishing and curating SDG indicator data to measure how close or far each country is to achieving the goals. Each UN member state may voluntarily share their SDG indicator data as a form of data sovereignty. While the value of mapping the SDGs is clear, governments are not urged to collect or share spatial data for mapping the SDGs. Many countries with the most missing SDG data are islands, some of the most vulnerable countries (Gosling-Goldsmith et al., 2020). SDG indicators related to the environment can be challenging to collect and require localized data collection strategies, otherwise valuable and vulnerable ecosystems may risk being missed from data collection efforts (Hák et al., 2016; Kulonen et al., 2019).Publication Island Innovation Policy Brief: Exploring amplified Food Security vulnerabilities in Curacao, Aruba and Sint Maarten amidst the COVID-19 pandemic(Island Innovation, 2024) de Kort, Rendell; de Jong, Rosemarijn; Hoogstad, Eugène; Carmona Báez, Antonio; Echteld, Elisabeth; Mijts, EricThis research examines the vulnerabilities in food systems of island communities, heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Partnering with the World Food Programme in the Caribbean, it leverages data for comparative analysis across the region. Utilizing data from this collaboration and the ZonMw research project, the study explores the complex interplay of economic, environmental, and other factors contributing to these vulnerabilities.Publication The carbon footprint of vegetable imports into Aruba: A closer look at sea and air transport(Elsevier, 2024) van Veghel, Amber; van Veghel, Amber; Sultan, Salys; Geeraerd Ameryckx, AnnemieThis study aimed to give insights into low-carbon vegetable import strategies for Aruba, a Dutch Caribbean island. Our selected products were potatoes, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and green beans. The products originated from 13 different countries, and 25 product-country combinations were identified. The system boundaries were from the farm until arrival at the supermarket. We identified actual maritime transport routes, and calculated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of passenger aircrafts flying from Amsterdam to Aruba. Vegetables imported by air had significantly higher GHG emissions (4.2–8.3 kg CO2eq per kg) than products imported by sea (0.4–2.3 kg CO2eq per kg). GHG emissions of road transport generally contributed more than those of other life cycle stages, except when products showed a high contribution of agriculture. Although sea transport was calculated with much detail, it usually did not contribute much to the GHG emissions. We recommend Life Cycle Practitioners to consider aircraft characteristics when calculating GHG emissions of air transport, and to include the weight of the 80 kg AKE container, used for cooled airfreight, when allocating impacts between passengers and freight. For this case study, GHG emissions of specific passenger aircrafts always resulted in lower GHG emissions compared to generic calculations.Publication SISSTEM 2023(University of Aruba, 2023) SISSTEMPublication Offshore Wind Generator Possibilities in Small Island States(University of Aruba and University College Utrecht, 2024) Ruiz, Isabelle; Mijts, Eric; Ballantyne, Jocelyn; Rodriguez, CarlosPublication Unveiling Hotspots in Hydroponic Lettuce Production(2024) Falcon, Alexandra; Mijts, Eric; Ballantyne, Jocelyn; Rodriguez, Carlos