The effect of upwelling filaments and island-induced eddies on indices of feeding, respiration and growth in copepods

Spatio‐temporal Upwelling Trends along the Canary Upwelling System (1967–2006)

“…The African section of the Eastern North Atlantic Upwelling System has also been analyzed in detail by different authors. In particular during the last decade, special attention has been devoted to the transition between coastal and oceanic dynamics and to the role of islands 14 , 42–47 . In addition, the area has been frequently compared to the other major upwelling areas 48–51 …”

The use of island water dynamics by spawning red cod, Salilota australis (Pisces: Moridae) on the Patagonian Shelf (Southwest Atlantic)

“…It is likely that both eggs and larvae of red cod are retained in two anticyclonic eddies, AW1 with cooler SST (smaller part) and AW2 with warmer SST (larger part). The specific oceanographic conditions of anticyclonic eddies (with waters sinking near their core) favour plankton concentration (Yebra et al, 2004), which may provide a rich food resource for red cod larvae and fry during and immediately after spring (and autumn) plankton blooms. As egg incubation and larval development are temperature dependent (Pauly and Pullin, 1988), it is understandable why red cod choose the warmer eddies for spawning as the eggs will develop quicker and larvae will grow faster there.…”

“…The ecological role of the island-induced hydrographic features has been studied in detail in the Canary Current -Canary Islands system (Aristegui et al, 1994), where quasi-stationary cyclonic eddies induce high primary production in their center due to localised upwelling and anticyclonic eddies concentrate zooplankton because of the sinking of bacterio-and phytoplankton near their cores (Yebra et al, 2004). Together with upwelling filaments, these sites are important areas of enrichment, food concentration and retention of planktonic larvae, being an ecological triad that when combined prove to be optimum conditions for reproductive habitats (Bakun, 1996).…”

Transport pathways of decapod larvae under intense mesoscale activity in the Canary-African coastal transition zone: implications for population connectivity

“…Rodríguez et al (2004) found strong advection of coastal fish larvae through these oceanographic structures and suggested that the larvae could reach the islands and recruit there. UF are characterized by elevated concentrations of phytoplankton (Barton et al 1998, Baltar et al 2009) and mesozooplankton (Rodríguez et al 2004, Hernández-León et al 2002a, Yebra et al 2004) that can enable higher survival rates of decapod larvae during their transport within the filaments (Anger 2001). Recently, intensive monitoring programmes conducted on the island shelf of GC have confirmed the relationship between UF and the presence of African larvae in the planktonic insular community (Bécognée et al 2006).…”

“…Moreover, it is known that the combination of weak stratification, a wide continental shelf and persistent favourable winds can aid the formation of the filament near capes (Marchesiello and Estrade 2009). Filaments contribute to the mesoscale transport of nutrients (Jones et al 1991), organic matter (García-Muñoz et al 2004, Santana-Falcón et al 2016, chlorophyll (Arístegui et al 1997, Basterretxea et al 2002 and mesozooplankton (Hernández-León et al 2002a, Yebra et al 2004) from the African coast to the open ocean. In the case of fish larvae, Rodríguez et al (1999) proposed the filament-eddy combination as a favourable retention mechanism for African neritic species, but it can also produce significant larval advection towards the ocean domain (Rodríguez et al 2004, Bécognée et al 2009).…”