Oceanographic conditions of the biosphere reserve Seaflower 2014-2016

Abstract

As part of the Seaflower Scientific Expedition, on board of the research vessel “ARC Providencia” of Colomiba’s Maritime Directorate – DIMAR, two oceanographic research cruises were done in 2014 and 2016 in the San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina Archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. During these campaigns, the physical conditions of the water column were measured at 46 stations between the island-cays Roncador, Serrana and Quitasueño, in two different climatic seasons, March-April of 2014, and August of 2016. In this work, a general description of the observed oceanographic conditions during the two cruisers is presented, as well as a comparative assessment of the representative conditions for each season, including the behavior of the Isotermal Depth Layer (IDL), which showed spatial and temporal variability between the two cruisers. Furthermore, the ocean and atmospheric conditions of the 7th of April 2014 are described, as produced by a cold front which entered this day to the Caribbean Sea, and marginally affected the area of study. Differences were found in the water column behavior between the 2014 and 2016 campaigns, due to the season in which the cruise was done, with higher temperature and salinity values in the later, corresponding to the rainy season affected by the Midsummer Draught. The effect of wind and mesoscale eddies in the IDL variability was assessed, but a dominant forcing could not be determined.