TY - JOUR
T1 - Three-dimensional distribution of larval fish habitats in the shallow oxygen minimum zone in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean off Mexico
AU - Davies, S. M.
AU - Sánchez-Velasco, L.
AU - Beier, E.
AU - Godínez, Victor M.
AU - Barton, Eric D.
AU - Tamayo, A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd.
PY - 2015/7/1
Y1 - 2015/7/1
N2 - Three-dimensional distribution of larval fish habitats was analyzed, from the upper limit of the shallow oxygen minimum zone (~0.2. mL/L) to the sea surface, in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean off Mexico in February 2010. The upper limit rises from ~250. m depth in the entrance of the Gulf of California to ~80. m depth off Cabo Corrientes. Three larval fish habitats were defined statistically: (i) a Gulf of California habitat dominated by Anchoa spp. larvae (epipelagic species), constrained to the oxygenated surface layer (>3.5. mL/L) in and above the thermocline (~60. m depth), and separated by a salinity front from the Tropical Pacific habitat; (ii) a Tropical Pacific habitat, dominated by Vinciguerria lucetia larvae (mesopelagic species), located throughout the sampled water column, but with the highest abundance in the oxygenated upper layer above the thermocline; (iii) an Oxygen Minimum habitat defined mostly below the thermocline in hypoxic (<1. mL/L; ~70. m depth) and anoxic (<0.2. mL/L; ~80. m depth) water off Cabo Corrientes. This subsurface hypoxic habitat had the highest species richness and larval abundance, with dominance of Bregmaceros bathymaster, an endemic neritic pelagic species; which was an unexpected result. This may be associated with the shoaling of the upper limit of the shallow oxygen minimum zone near the coast, a result of the strong costal upwelling detected by the Bakun Index. In this region of strong and semi-continuous coastal upwelling in the eastern tropical Pacific off Mexico, the shallow hypoxic water does not have dramatic effects on the total larval fish abundance but appears to affect species composition.
AB - Three-dimensional distribution of larval fish habitats was analyzed, from the upper limit of the shallow oxygen minimum zone (~0.2. mL/L) to the sea surface, in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean off Mexico in February 2010. The upper limit rises from ~250. m depth in the entrance of the Gulf of California to ~80. m depth off Cabo Corrientes. Three larval fish habitats were defined statistically: (i) a Gulf of California habitat dominated by Anchoa spp. larvae (epipelagic species), constrained to the oxygenated surface layer (>3.5. mL/L) in and above the thermocline (~60. m depth), and separated by a salinity front from the Tropical Pacific habitat; (ii) a Tropical Pacific habitat, dominated by Vinciguerria lucetia larvae (mesopelagic species), located throughout the sampled water column, but with the highest abundance in the oxygenated upper layer above the thermocline; (iii) an Oxygen Minimum habitat defined mostly below the thermocline in hypoxic (<1. mL/L; ~70. m depth) and anoxic (<0.2. mL/L; ~80. m depth) water off Cabo Corrientes. This subsurface hypoxic habitat had the highest species richness and larval abundance, with dominance of Bregmaceros bathymaster, an endemic neritic pelagic species; which was an unexpected result. This may be associated with the shoaling of the upper limit of the shallow oxygen minimum zone near the coast, a result of the strong costal upwelling detected by the Bakun Index. In this region of strong and semi-continuous coastal upwelling in the eastern tropical Pacific off Mexico, the shallow hypoxic water does not have dramatic effects on the total larval fish abundance but appears to affect species composition.
KW - Bregmaceros bathymaster
KW - Eastern tropical Pacific Ocean off Mexico
KW - Larval fish habitats
KW - Shallow oxygen minimum zone
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84952065087&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.dsr.2015.04.003
DO - 10.1016/j.dsr.2015.04.003
M3 - Artículo
SN - 0967-0637
VL - 101
SP - 118
EP - 129
JO - Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers
JF - Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers
ER -