Antonio G. Ramos

Path planning for gliders using Regional Ocean Models: Application of Pinzón path planner with the ESEOAT model and the RU27 trans-Atlantic flight data

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) are commonly used in Oceanography due to their relative low cost and wide range of capabilities. Gliders, being UUVs, are particularly suitable for long-range missions because of their large autonomy. They change their buoyancy to dive and climb describing a vertical saw tooth route, which produces an effective but low horizontal speed. This makes them strongly sensitive to ocean currents, and therefore, they might have to adapt the heading to the current field.

On the Population Ecology of the Zebra Seabream Diplodus cervinus cervinus (Lowe 1838) from the Coasts of the Canarian archipelago, North West Africa

Zebra seabream, Diplodus cervinus cervinus, caught off the Canary Islands is characterized by protogynous hermaphroditism. The male : female ratio is in favour of females (1 : 2.16). The reproductive season extends from spring to summer, with a peak in spawning activity in May–June. Males reach maturity at a larger total length, 327 mm (5 years old) than females 273 mm (4 years old). Recruitment occurs from late October to January in shallow waters of 0.5–8 m depth along the coastal line. The recruits are located over rocky substrates with an important algae vegetation forming schools lower than 2 m2. During the spawning season, schools of adults from 3 to 8 fish are observed. The schools are formed by one large individual and a few moderate size individuals. Mating takes place in small groups formed by one dominant male and a group of several females (polygamy). Moderate size individuals are often observed mixed in large schools (up to 30 individuals) of Diplodus sargus cadenati. Subadults form groups of a few fish (<5 individuals) or more commonly mixed groups (>15 individuals) with individuals of species of similar size. Otoliths age readings indicate that the population consists of 18 age groups, including a very high proportion of individuals between 2 and 4 years old. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters for the whole population are: L∞ = 603 mm, k = 0.149 year−1, and t0 = −0.22 year. The mean rates of total, natural and fishing mortality are 0.551, 0.215 and 0.336 year−1, respectively. The length at first capture is 183 mm. The exploitation rate indicates that the stock is overfished. The direct effects of fishing on the population result in changes in the abundance, with a reduction to 85% of the unexploited equilibrium level. The length at first capture by the commercial fishery is less than the length at maturity. With 58% of the total catch below this length there is a danger of recruitment overfishing.

Aspects of the life history of the salema, Sarpa salpa (Pisces, Sparidae), off the Canarian Archipelago (central-east Atlantic)

Life history of the salema, Sarpa salpa, off the Canarian archipelago was studied from samples collected between January 1998 and December 1999. Fish ranged from 119 to 452 mm in total length and from 24.9 to 1491.7 g in weight. The species was characterized by a protandric hermaphroditism. The overall sex ratio was unbalanced in favour of males (1 : 0.41). The reproductive season extends from September to March, with a peak in spawning activity in December–January. Males reached maturity at a smaller length (226 mm, 2 years old) than females (294 mm, 3 years old). Males, females and all fish showed an isometric growth. The morphometric relationship between length and mass for the whole population was described by the parameters: a = 0.0000134 and b = 3.01. A concentric pattern of opaque and translucent zones was readily distinguishable on the otoliths. Two rings, one opaque and one translucent, were laid down each year on the otoliths; the opaque zone was formed during the summer months, and the translucent zone during the winter months. Individuals aged 0 to 11 years were found. The parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth equation for all individuals were: L∞ = 479 mm, k = 0.212 year−1, and t0 = −1.08 year.

Remote sensing of the El Hierro submarine volcanic eruption plume

Submarine volcanic eruptions took place at the island El Hierro (Canary Islands) between October 2011 and March 2012. The event produced plumes of discoloured waters due to the discharge of volcanic matter, magmatic gases, and hydrothermal fluids. The expelled materials, which behaved like oceanic tracers, were detected from the site of the volcano to the open sea by remote-sensing techniques using different level-2 (L2) products of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor. In order to assess the effect of the anomalous turbidity, three atmospheric correction schemes were evaluated: SeaWiFS Data Analysis System (SeaDAS) standard, near-infrared–shortwave-infrared (NIR-SWIR), and Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models (MUMM). The comparison between them verified that the SeaDAS standard atmospheric correction was the most suitable. The downwelling diffuse attenuation coefficient at 490 nm (Kd(490)) was used as a measure of plume intensity in comparison with other submarine volcanic eruptions. The MODIS-derived Kd(490) values verified that the intensity of the El Hierro plume was moderate. Only in some specific situations did the values barely exceed 0.4 m–1. The remote-sensing reflectance (Rrs) was used for the characterization of the affected waters. The Rrs spectra also allowed a comparison with other volcanic and sulphide events reported in previous studies. Similarities were found, both with submarine volcanic eruptions in the southwestern Pacific and with sulphide events at the Namibian coast, in composition and properties of optically active water constituents. A classification schema based on Kd(490) values and Rrs ratios was developed and used in connection with MODIS red–green–blue (RGB) composites as well as surface current velocities from altimeter missions to investigate the spatio-temporal development of the volcanic plume. The spreading and transport of volcanic material observed at the ocean surface was caused by the predominant surface currents coupled with different mesoscale eddies. Discoloured waters were identified more than 200 km away from the eruption site. Field data from oceanographic surveys verified the high concentration of sulphur compounds in affected waters and confirmed the overestimation by the MODIS default algorithm of chlorophyll-a concentrations in the volcanic plume.

Short-term changes in the northwest African Upwelling System induced by Saharan dust deposition events

During the last 7-year period (2000-2006) atmosphere circulation changes show strong influences on the dust storm deposition dynamics and, as a result, on the primary production dynamics of the northwest African Upwelling System. From 2000 to 2006, the annual mean sea level pressure became higher ranging from 1014 to 1015 mb. Mean annual zonal wind intensity became higher (from 1.1 to 1.8 m s-1), while the mean annual meridional was reduced from 6.2 to 5.3 m s-1 at the north of the Canary Islands. Mean annual satellite-derived AVHRR/NOAA SST recorded in the northwest African Upwelling became warmer in both locations, from 18.3°C to 18.8°C in Cape Ghir and from 19.5°C to 20.3°C north Canary Islands waters. CHL records from the SeaWiFS/OV-2 showed a different pattern trend. Mean annual CHL levels increased at Cape Ghir from 0.65 mg m-3 to 0.9 mg m-3 and significantly reduced from 0.59 mg m-3 to 0.31 mg m-3 at the north of the Canary Islands. Changes observed in the role of CHL during the last 7-years period could be associated to intensive dust deposition and exceptional weather warming observed in this area since 2000. However, this study focused on a 7-year period and conclusions on possible links between dust deposition and marine biochemistry activity cannot be generalized.

Lack of impact of the El Hierro (Canary Islands) submarine volcanic eruption on the local phytoplankton community

The eruption of a submarine volcano south of El Hierro Island (Canary Islands) in October 2011 led to major physical and chemical changes in the local environment. Large amounts of nutrients were found at specific depths in the water column above the volcano associated with suboxic layers resulting from the oxidation of reduced chemical species expelled during the eruptive phase. It has been suggested that the fertilization with these compounds enabled the rapid restoration of the ecosystem in the marine reserve south of the island once the volcanic activity ceased, although no biological evidence for this has been provided yet. To test the biological fertilization hypothesis on the pelagic ecosystem, we studied the evolution and variability in chlorophyll a, from in situ and remote sensing data, combined with information on phytoplankton and bacterial community structure during and after the eruptive episode. Remote sensing and in situ data revealed that no phytoplankton bloom took place neither during nor after the eruptive episode. We hypothesize that the fertilization by the volcano did not have an effect in the phytoplankton community due to the strong dilution of macro- and micronutrients caused by the efficient renewal of ambient waters in the zone.

Trends in Primary Production in the Canary Current Upwelling System—A Regional Perspective Comparing Remote Sensing Models

After Andrew (Bakun, 1990) formulated his hypothesis of upwelling intensification caused by increasing global warming, contradictory results have been published on whether primary productivity is increasing or decreasing in Eastern Boundary Upwelling Ecosystems (EBUE). The present work is focused in comparing three net primary production (NPP) models -the VGPM (Vertically Generalized Production Model), the Eppley-VGPM and the CbPM (Carbon-based Production Model)- in the Canary Current (CanC) EBUE during the 1998-2015 period, making use of both SeaWiFS (Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor) and MODIS (MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) derived data. We looked for the first time for seasonal to interannual trends of NPP under a regional perspective, with the aim of searching for temporal patterns that could support or reject the intensification hypothesis. According to previous studies based on the seasonality of the upwelling regime, the CanC EBUE was divided into three subregions: a seasonal upwelling zone (SUZ; 13-20oN), a permanent upwelling zone (PUZ; 20-26oN) and a weak permanent upwelling zone (WPUZ; 26-33oN). Our analyses do not show significant increasing trends in NPP with any of the productivity models used, challenging Bakun’s hypothesis. Nevertheless, differences in the output of the models are important, both at regional and subregional scales, questioning the accuracy of the models. The comparison made in this work clearly shows the disagreements between some of the best-known NPP models and calls for a validation effort in this region. Contrary to the open-ocean, temperature trends show significant decreases in certain areas over the shelf waters, which might indicate an increase of cool, upwelled waters in those regions. Seasonal to decadal anomalies of NPP and sea-surface temperature (SST) are estimated and analyzed in relation to selected climate indices, yielding only significant correlations between SST and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) indices.

Mesoscale Dynamics in the Canary Islands Area as Observed Through Complementary Remote Sensing Techniques

The combined use of data collected by multi-spectral radiometers, operating in the visible and infrared spectrum, and altimeter radars, operating in the microwave spectrum, allowed the detailed assessment of oceanic mesoscale dynamics in the Canary Islands area. Island-induced eddies are recurrent oceanographic structures of the region and contribute, together with other features originating from the African near-coastal zone, like upwelling filaments, to the variability of the physical and biological field of the Canarian Archipelago. The analysis of satellite-measured parameters with complementary specificities—namely brightness temperature and sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a, as well as sea level anomaly—provided a description of the mesoscale variability around the Islands, covering in detail an entire seasonal cycle in the period 1998–1999. An overview is given of the spatial and temporal characteristics of all mesoscale features observed in the satellite imagery, including their origin, evolution and interaction with each other and their environmental surroundings.

Saharan dust-induced chlorophyll blooms in the northwest African upwelling

During the period 2000-2005, the atmospheric dynamic showed a significant influence on the dust inputs dynamic and, as a result, on the primary production of the northwest African Upwelling System since 2000 to 2005. In this period, the annual mean sea level pressure became higher, ranging from 1014 to 1015 mb. Mean annual zonal wind intensity became higher (from 1.1 to 1.8 m s-1), while the mean annual meridional wind reduced from 6.2 to 5.3 m s-1. Mean annual satellite-derived AVHRR/NOAA Sea Surface Temperature recorded in the northwest African Upwelling becomes warmer with 18.3°C to 18.8°C in Cape Ghir, and from 19.5°C to 20.3°C north Canary Islands waters. Chlorophyll data from SeaWiFS/OV-2 showed a different pattern trend. Mean annual CHL levels increased at eutrophic-like waters of Cape Ghir from 0.65 mg m-3 to 0.9 mg m-. However, data were significantly reduced from 0.59 mg m-3 to 0.31 mg m-3 in oligotrophic-like waters of the Canary Islands. Changes observed in the role of CHL during the last 6-years period could be associated to intensive dust deposition and the exceptional weather warming observed in this area since 2000. However, it is addressed to a single 7 years period and conclusions on possible links between dust deposition and marine biochemistry activity cannot be generalized.

International workshop on remote-sensing applications to fisheries

A workshop on fisheries was held in Noumea on November 21, 2008 to address remote-sensing applications to fisheries adapted to the particular needs and problems of Western and Central Pacific Island countries. During the workshop, presentations and discussions covered various topics related to remote sensing of coastal and open ocean waters and its applications to fisheries. Participants were introduced to remote sensing of ocean colour and its significance vis-à-vis the marine food web. Applications to fisheries included improvements of fisheries operations to increase efficiency of fishing effort, assessment of fish stocks health, growth and recruitment, and ecosystem dynamics. A project on the Societal Applications in Fisheries & Aquaculture using Remote Sensing Imagery (SAFARI) and a global Network for marine ecosystem management (ChloroGIN) were also presented. The particular issues arising in the use of remote sensing for fisheries in the tropical island regimes were reviewed and recommendations on the use of remote sensing in the context of fisheries were presented.