HR: 11:35h
AN: OS52A-06    [Abstracts]
TI: Connectivity in the Northern Gulf of California From Particle Tracking in a Three-Dimensional Numerical Model
AU: * Marinone, S G
EM: marinone@cicese.mx
AF: Department of Physical Oceanography, CICESE, km 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, Ensenada, B.C 22800, Mexico
AU: Ulloa, M J
EM: sidescansonar2003@yahoo.com.mx
AF: Department of Physics, University of Guadalajara, Av Revolucion 1500 Sector Reforma, Guadalajara, Jal 44420, Mexico
AU: Pares-Sierra, A
EM: apares@cicese.mx
AF: Department of Physical Oceanography, CICESE, km 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, Ensenada, B.C 22800, Mexico
AU: Lavin, M F
EM: lavin@cicese.mx
AF: Department of Physical Oceanography, CICESE, km 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, Ensenada, B.C 22800, Mexico
AU: Cudney-Bueno`, R
EM: cudneyrtis@msn.com
AF: Department of Natural Resources, University of Arizona, Biological Sciences East Room 325, Tucson, Az 85721, United States
AB: The northern Gulf of California, Mexico, is one of the most productive and diverse marine ecosystems in the world. It currently harbors three marine protected areas, including two biosphere reserves. Despite its significance as a conservation site and its importance for Mexico's fisheries, proper knowledge of population connectivity and larvae dispersal from spawning sites is largely lacking. Our study focuses on connectivity in the northern gulf resulting from advection by currents and turbulent diffusion during summer, the main spawning period of various key commercial species. We calculated connectivity matrices in the northern Gulf from currents produced by the output of a three-dimensional baroclinic numerical model and a random walk process to simulate turbulent motions. We released 2000 hypothetical passive particles in each of 21 areas along the coast (between 0-60 m deep) during the summer and followed their trajectories for periods of 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks. For the case of full time transport, the effects of tidal currents are minimal in the overall dispersal of passive particles on the time scales studied. However, this can be substantially altered if the particles are allowed to avoid being transported for periods of time. We found that regional hydrodynamics explain a cyclonic downstream connectivity along the coast, from the mainland to the Baja California coast. Our results provide the basis for a full connectivity study where larvae behavior and settlement habitat will be included
DE: 4500 OCEANOGRAPHY: PHYSICAL
DE: 4532 General circulation (1218, 1222)
DE: 4536 Hydrography and tracers
DE: 4546 Nearshore processes
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly