Occurrence of a subsurface anticyclonic eddy, fronts, and Trichodesmium spp.

Abstract

Eddies and fronts created by geostrophic balance between counter-rotating currents are hydrodynamic processes that concentrate or dilute plankton and suspended material by physical processes of accumulation, retention, or dispersion. Over Campeche Canyon, in the southern Gulf of Mexico, observations revealed an anticyclonic eddy, a cyclonic current off the continental shelf, and an associated thermal front in their common boundary. Along this front there was high Trichodesmium spp. occurrence. Three water masses were found in the upper 120 m layer: Caribbean Tropical Surface Water (CTSW), Caribbean Subtropical Underwater (CSUW), and Gulf Common Water (GCW). The frontal zone between the warm core and cyclonic circulation was observed below the hot summertime mixed layer. The presence of Trichodesmium spp. was associated with the front, indicating its influence on the distribution of this diazotrophic cyanobacterium that enters the Campeche Canyon region via modified CTSW. The associated phytoplankton was dominated by tropical oceanic species of diatoms and dinoflagellates, especially species of Ceratium.