TY - JOUR
T1 - Phytoplankton biomass and production off the Baja California Peninsula
T2 - 1997–2016
AU - De la Cruz-Orozco, Martín E.
AU - Gómez-Ocampo, Eliana
AU - Miranda-Bojórquez, Luis E.
AU - Cepeda-Morales, Jushiro
AU - Durazo, Reginaldo
AU - Lavaniegos, Bertha E.
AU - Espinosa-Carreón, Teresa L.
AU - Sosa-Ávalos, Ramón
AU - Aguirre-Hernández, Elsa
AU - Gaxiola-Castro, Gilberto
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California. All rights reserved.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Between 1997 and 2016, the Investigaciones Mexicanas de la Corriente de California (IMECOCAL, Mexican Investigations of the California Current) program conducted measurements of chlorophyll a and phytoplankton production off Baja California. Here, we summarize the main results obtained during the survey period. Long-term means indicated that high productivity occurred along the coastal zone where upwelling occurs, and in a semi-permanent cyclonic gyre off Punta Eugenia. At the seasonal scale, the variability of integrated primary production showed differences with respect to integrated chlorophyll a variability. Integrated chlorophyll a exhibited maximum values during the coastal upwelling season in spring and summer, while minimum values occurred during the inflow of tropical-subtropical waters south of Punta Eugenia in autumn and winter. In contrast, the highest values of integrated primary production occurred in spring and summer to the north of Punta Eugenia, whereas to the south of this location, the highest values occurred in winter and autumn. This seasonal variability was associated with phytoplankton size and maximum photosynthetic rates. At the interannual scale, low productivity was associated with increased stratification during the subarctic water intrusion events and the “Blob” and El Niño events in 2015–2016. Productivity time-series were in agreement with the seasonal variability of the north Pacific Gyre Oscillation index. Given that phytoplankton is the first level of the marine food web, this study contributes to the understanding of regional variations in higher trophic levels at the seasonal and interannual scales.
AB - Between 1997 and 2016, the Investigaciones Mexicanas de la Corriente de California (IMECOCAL, Mexican Investigations of the California Current) program conducted measurements of chlorophyll a and phytoplankton production off Baja California. Here, we summarize the main results obtained during the survey period. Long-term means indicated that high productivity occurred along the coastal zone where upwelling occurs, and in a semi-permanent cyclonic gyre off Punta Eugenia. At the seasonal scale, the variability of integrated primary production showed differences with respect to integrated chlorophyll a variability. Integrated chlorophyll a exhibited maximum values during the coastal upwelling season in spring and summer, while minimum values occurred during the inflow of tropical-subtropical waters south of Punta Eugenia in autumn and winter. In contrast, the highest values of integrated primary production occurred in spring and summer to the north of Punta Eugenia, whereas to the south of this location, the highest values occurred in winter and autumn. This seasonal variability was associated with phytoplankton size and maximum photosynthetic rates. At the interannual scale, low productivity was associated with increased stratification during the subarctic water intrusion events and the “Blob” and El Niño events in 2015–2016. Productivity time-series were in agreement with the seasonal variability of the north Pacific Gyre Oscillation index. Given that phytoplankton is the first level of the marine food web, this study contributes to the understanding of regional variations in higher trophic levels at the seasonal and interannual scales.
KW - California current
KW - Climatic variations
KW - Integrated chlorophyll a
KW - Integrated primary production
KW - North Pacific Gyre Oscillation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85039051223&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.7773/cm.v43i4.2793
DO - 10.7773/cm.v43i4.2793
M3 - Artículo
SN - 0185-3880
VL - 43
SP - 217
EP - 228
JO - Ciencias Marinas
JF - Ciencias Marinas
IS - 4
ER -