Assemblage structure of ichthyoplankton in the NE Atlantic in spring under contrasting hydrographic conditions

The ichthyoplankton assemblage in the Atlantic region off the NW Iberian peninsula (AR) and in the southern Bay of Biscay (SBB) and the response of the larval fish species distribution to the relatively rapidly changing hydrographic conditions in spring 2010 were studied using two ichthyoplankton cruises. The SBB showed a more abundant and diverse ichthyoplankton assemblage than the AR, although the larval fish assemblage (LFA) was structured into on-shelf and off-shelf assemblages in both regions. Inter-sampling variability related to downwelling/upwelling regimes was observed in the cross-shelf assemblage distribution in the SBB but not in the AR. This suggests that LFA distributions in the area of this study are good indicators of downwelling and weak coastal upwelling regimes but not of relatively strong coastal upwelling or upwelling filaments. Although depth was identified by multivariate analyses as being the most important variable explaining larval fish species distributions, a shelf-breakfront in the SBB and the surface offshore (onshore) flows associated with coastal downwelling (upwelling) in the AR seems to have been key in defining and maintaining assemblage boundaries. Results of this study should also encourage marine research institutions to use routine ichthyoplankton sampling to monitor fish communities and their responses to global warming.

Dissimilarity between living and dead benthic foraminiferal assemblages in the Aveiro Continental Shelf (Portugal)

This study compares living (LA) and dead (DA) benthic foraminiferal assemblages and identifies different factors that possibly cause differences in the distribution of both assemblages in the Aveiro Continental Shelf (Portugal). A total of 44 sediment samples was collected during summers of 1994 and 1995 along transects (east-west direction) and between 10 and 200 m water depth. Complex statistical analyses allow us to compare the abundance and composition of the LAs and DAs in function of depth, grain-size and total organic matter in all studied stations even in those where the numbers of individuals were rare in one or both assemblages. The highest densities and diversities of the LAs are found in the middle continental shelf on gravel deposits (coarse and very coarse sands) mostly due to the substrate stability, reduced deposition of fine sedimentary particles, availability of organic matter with high quality related to oceanic primary productivity likely induced by upwelling events, and oxygenated porewaters conditions. The DAs have, in general, higher densities and diversities than the LAs. In the outer continental shelf, the dissimilarity between both assemblages is higher due to the accumulation of tests, low dilution by sedimentary particles and scarcity of living foraminifera. Based on the comparison of LAs and DAs and considering the characteristics of the study area and the species ecology, it has been possible to understand the cause of temporal deviation between the LAs and DAs of benthic foraminifera. This deviation is much more pronounced in the inner shelf where the energy of the waves and the currents induce very dynamic sedimentary processes preventing the development of large LAs and the preservation of DAs. Some deviation also occurs in the middle shelf due to the seasonal loss of empty tests. The most well-preserved time-averaged DAs were found in the outer continental shelf.

Mesoscale Dynamics and Niche Segregation of Two Dinophysis Species in Galician-Portuguese Coastal Waters

Blooms of Dinophysis acuminata occur every year in Galicia (northwest Spain), between spring and autumn. These blooms contaminate shellfish with lipophilic toxins and cause lengthy harvesting bans. They are often followed by short-lived blooms of Dinophysis acuta, associated with northward longshore transport, at the end of the upwelling season. During the summers of 1989 and 1990, dense blooms of D. acuta developed in situ, initially co-occurring with D. acuminata and later with the paralytic shellfish toxin-producer Gymnodinium catenatum. Unexplored data from three cruises carried out before, during, and following autumn blooms (13⁻14, 27⁻28 September and 11⁻12 October) in 1990 showed D. acuta distribution in shelf waters within the 50 m and 130 m isobaths, delimited by the upwelling front. A joint review of monitoring data from Galicia and Portugal provided a mesoscale view of anomalies in SST and other hydroclimatic factors associated with a northward displacement of the center of gravity of D. acuta populations. At the microscale, re-examination of the vertical segregation of cell maxima in the light of current knowledge, improved our understanding of niche differentiation between the two species of Dinophysis. Results here improve local transport models and forecast of Dinophysis events, the main cause of shellfish harvesting bans in the most important mussel production area in Europe.

Radiocarbon Age Offsets Between Two Surface Dwelling Planktonic Foraminifera Species During Abrupt Climate Events in the SW Iberian Margin

This study identifies temporal biases in the radiocarbon ages of the planktonic foraminifera species Globigerina bulloides and Globigerinoides ruber (white) in a sediment core from the SW Iberian margin (so-called Shackleton site). Leaching of the outer shell and measurement of the radiocarbon content of both the leachate and leached sample enabled us to identify surface contamination of the tests and its impact on their 14C ages. Incorporation of younger radiocarbon on the outer shell affected both species and had a larger impact downcore. Interspecies comparison of the 14C ages of the leached samples reveal systematic offsets with 14C ages for G. ruber being younger than G. bulloides ages during the last deglaciation and part of the Early and mid-Holocene. The greatest offsets (up to 1,030 years) were found during Heinrich Stadial 1, the Younger Dryas, and part of the Holocene. The potential factors differentially affecting these two planktonic species were assessed by complementary 14C, oxygen and carbon isotopes, and species abundance determinations. The coupled effect of bioturbation with changes in the abundance of G. ruber is invoked to account for the large age offsets. Our results highlight that 14C ages of planktonic foraminifera might be largely compromised even in settings characterized by high sediment accumulation rates. Thus, a careful assessment of potential temporal biases must be performed prior to using 14C ages for paleoclimate investigations or radiocarbon calibrations (e.g., marine calibration curve Marine13, Reimer et al., 2013, https://doi.org/10.2458/azu_js_rc.55.16947).

Vertical and Seasonal Patterns Control Bacterioplankton Communities at Two Horizontally Coherent Coastal Upwelling Sites off Galicia (NW Spain)

Analysis of seasonal patterns of marine bacterial community structure along horizontal and vertical spatial scales can help to predict long-term responses to climate change. Several recent studies have shown predictable seasonal reoccurrence of bacterial assemblages. However, only a few have assessed temporal variability over both horizontal and vertical spatial scales. Here, we simultaneously studied the bacterial community structure at two different locations and depths in shelf waters of a coastal upwelling system during an annual cycle. The most noticeable biogeographic patterns observed were seasonality, horizontal homogeneity, and spatial synchrony in bacterial diversity and community structure related with regional upwelling-downwelling dynamics. Water column mixing eventually disrupted bacterial community structure vertical heterogeneity. Our results are consistent with previous temporal studies of marine bacterioplankton in other temperate regions and also suggest a marked influence of regional factors on the bacterial communities inhabiting this coastal upwelling system. Bacterial-mediated carbon fluxes in this productive region appear to be mainly controlled by community structure dynamics in surface waters, and local environmental factors at the base of the euphotic zone.

Subtidal variability of the Tagus river plume in winter 2013

The subtidal variability of surface plume response to local wind and river runoff is studied off central Portugal using a hindcast model for the Tagus Estuary (TE) plume. In addition to the model, the main patterns of variability of the TE plume were extracted in an automated mode using Self Organizing Maps (SOM). Three characteristic spatial patterns are extracted in a 3 × 2 SOM array: in synoptic time scales, northward and southward propagation of the plume and transitional periods. Results suggest that river runoff and wind induce strong variability in the coastal ocean, and that the TE plume has a rapid response to their changes. Under high river runoff there is a southern propagation of the plume, even during downwelling favorable winds, revealing bi-directional patterns due to the combined effect of estuarine outflow, wind direction and coastline in establishment the plume direction. The same is found during transitional periods, revealing that the TE plume has significant influence both north and south of the estuary mouth. SOM was applied for the first time to extract spatial and temporal features of the TE plume and prove to be a reliable tool to study large quantities of data in addition to the model results analysis.

Transient response of the Northwestern Iberian upwelling regime

The hydrography and dynamics of NW Iberian margin were explored for July 2009, based on a set of in situ and remote sensing observations. Zonal sections of standard CTD casts, towed CTD (SeaSoar), Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) and Lagrangian surveys were made to characterize cycles of upwelling and relaxation in this region. Two periods of northerly winds, bounded by relaxation periods, were responsible for the formation of an upwelling front extending to the shelf edge. An equatorward flow was quickly set up on the shelf responding to the northerly wind pulses. South of Cape Silleiro, the development and subsequent relaxation of an upwelling event was intensively surveyed in the shelf, following a Lagrangian drifter transported by the upwelling jet. This region is part of an upwelling center extending from Cape Silleiro to Porto, where the surface temperature was colder than the neighboring regions, under upwelling favorable winds. As these winds relaxed, persistent poleward flow developed, originating south of the upwelling center and consisting in an inner-shelf tongue of warm waters. During an event of strong southerly wind, the poleward flow was observed to extend to the whole continental shelf. Although the cruise was executed during summertime, the presence of river-plumes was observed over the shelf. The interaction of the plumes with the circulation on the shelf was also described in terms of coastal convergence and offshore advection. The sampling of the offshore and slope regions showed the presence of the Iberian poleward current offshore and a persistent equatorward flow over the upper slope.

Phylogeography and Conservation Genetics of the Ibero-Balearic Three-Spined Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Genetic isolation and drift may imperil peripheral populations of wide-ranging species more than central ones. Therefore, information about species genetic variability and population structure is invaluable for conservation managers. The Iberian populations of three-spined stickleback lie at the southwestern periphery of the European distribution of Gasterosteus aculeatus. This teleost is a protected species in Portugal and Spain and local extinctions have been reported in both countries during the last decades. Our objectives were (i) to determine whether the Iberian populations of G. aculeatus are unique or composed of any of the major evolutionary lineages previously identified and (ii) to assess the evolutionary potential of these peripheral populations. We genotyped 478 individuals from 17 sites at 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci to evaluate the genetic variability and differentiation of the Ibero-Balearic populations. We also sequenced 1,165 bp of the mitochondrial genome in 331 of those individuals in order to complement the estimates of genetic diversity in the Ibero-Balearic region. We predicted the evolutionary potential of the different sites analysed based on the contribution of each of them to total allelic/mitochondrial diversity. An intraspecific phylogeny at European level was reconstructed using our data from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (755 bp) and published sequences. The so-called Transatlantic, European and Mediterranean mitochondrial lineages were found to be present in the Ibero-Balearic region. Their phylogeography suggests a history of multiple colonisations. The nuclear results show, however, a strong correlation between population structure and drainage system. The following basins should be prioritised by conservation policies in order to preserve those populations with the highest evolutionary potential: the Portuguese Vouga and Tagus as well as the Spanish Majorca and Limia. Maintenance of their connectivity, control of exotic species and monitoring of habitat properties are strongly recommended in those areas. Genetic variation alone cannot, however, ensure the persistence of these peripheral southern populations of G. aculeatus. On the one hand, the analysis of a historical sample from Eastern Spain (Penyscola) revealed no genetic erosion, which suggests a fairly sudden extinction of that population. On the other hand, the reintroduction program implemented in the Valencian Community has mostly failed despite our finding of similar level of genetic diversity between the wild source and the captive-bred released individuals.

Toward predicting Dinophysis blooms off NW Iberia: A decade of events

Dinophysis acuminata and Dinophysis acuta are recurrent species off NW Iberia but their outbreaks occur under different conditions. A decade (2004-2013) of weekly data for each species at two sentinel stations located at the entrance of Rias de Aveiro-AV (NW Portugal, 40°38.6'N) and Pontevedra-PO (Galicia, Spain, 42°21.5'N), were used to investigate the regional synchronism and mesoscale differences related to species detection, bloom (>200cellsL^-1) initiation and development. Results highlight the high interannual variability of bloom events and summarize the associated meteorological/oceanographic conditions. D. acuta blooms were observed in 2004-2008 and 2013, and the species highest maxima at AV occurred after the highest maxima of its prey Mesodinium, with a time-lag of 2-3 weeks. D. acuminata blooms were observed every year at both stations. The cell concentration time series shows that the blooms generally present a sequence starting in March with D. acuminata in PO and three weeks later in AV, followed by D. acuta that starts at AV and three months later in PO. Exceptionally, D. acuminata blooms occurred earlier at AV than PO, namely in high spring upwelling (2007) or river runoff (2010) years. A four-year gap (2009-2012) of D. acuta blooms occurred after an anomalous 2008 autumn with intense upwelling which is interpreted as the result of an equatorward displacement of the population core. Numerical model solutions are used to analyze monthly alongshore current anomalies and test transport hypotheses for selected events. The results show a strong interannual variability in the poleward/equatorward currents associated with changes in upwelling forcing winds, the advection of D. acuta blooms from AV to PO and the possibility that D. acuminata blooms at AV might result from inocula advected southward from PO. However, the sensitivity of the results to vertical position of the lagrangian tracers call for more studies on species distribution at the various bloom stages.

Climate variability and Dinophysis acuta blooms in an upwelling system

Dinophysis acuta is a frequent seasonal lipophilic toxin producer in European Atlantic coastal waters associated with thermal stratification. In the Galician Rías, populations of D. acuta with their epicentre located off Aveiro (northern Portugal), typically co-occur with and follow those of Dinophysis acuminata during the upwelling transition (early autumn) as a result of longshore transport. During hotter than average summers, D. acuta blooms also occur in August in the Rías, when they replace D. acuminata. Here we examined a 30-year (1985-2014) time series of D. acuta from samples collected by the same method in the Galician Rías. Our main objective was to identify patterns of distribution and their relation with climate variability, and to explain the exceptional summer blooms of D. acuta in 1989-1990. A dome-shaped relationship was found between summer upwelling intensity and D. acuta blooms; cell maxima were associated with conditions where the balance between upwelling intensity and heating, leading to deepened thermoclines, combined with tidal phase (3 days after neap tides) created windows of opportunity for this species. The application of a generalized additive model based on biological (D. acuta inoculum) and environmental predictors (Cumulative June-August upwelling CUI_JJA, average June-August SST_JJA and tidal range) explained more than 70% of the deviance for the exceptional summer blooms of D. acuta, through a combination of moderate (35,000-50,000m³s^-1km^-1) summer upwelling (CUI_JJA), thermal stratification (SST_JJA>17°C) and moderate tidal range (∼2.5m), provided D. acuta cells (inoculum) were present in July. There was no evidence of increasing trends in D. acuta bloom frequency/intensity nor a clear relationship with NAO or other long-term climatic cycles. Instead, the exceptional summer blooms of 1989-1990 appeared linked to extreme hydroclimatic anomalies (high positive anomalies in SST and NAO index), which affected most of the European Atlantic coast.

Water-air CO2 fluxes in the Tagus estuary plume (Portugal) during two distinct winter episodes

BACKGROUND

Estuarine plumes are frequently under strong influence of land-derived inputs of organic matter. These plumes have characteristic physical and chemical conditions, and their morphology and extent in the coastal area depends strongly on physical conditions such as river discharge, tides and wind action. In this work we investigate the physical dynamics of the Tagus estuary plume and the CO₂ system response during two contrasting hydrological winter periods. A hydrodynamic model was used to simulate the circulation regime of the study area, thus providing relevant information on hydrodynamic processes controlling the plume.

RESULTS

Model simulations show that for the studied periods, the major cause of the plume variability (size and shape) was the interaction between Tagus River discharge and wind. The freshwater intrusion on Tagus shelf exerted considerable influence on biochemical dynamics, allowing identification of two regions: a high nutrient region enriched in CO₂ inside the estuarine plume and another warmer region rich in phytoplankton in the outer plume.

CONCLUSIONS

The Tagus estuarine plume behaved as a weak source of CO₂ to the atmosphere, with estimated fluxes of 3.5 ± 3.7 and 27.0 ± 3.8 mmol C m^-2 d^-1 for February 2004 and March 2001, respectively.

Role of upwelling on larval dispersal and productivity of gooseneck barnacle populations in the Cantabrian Sea: management implications

The effect of coastal upwelling on the recruitment and connectivity of coastal marine populations has rarely been characterized to a level of detail to be included into sound fishery management strategies. The gooseneck barnacle (Pollicipes pollicipes) fishery at the Cantabrian Coast (Northern Spain) is located at the fringes of the NW Spanish Upwelling system. This fishery is being co-managed through a fine-scale, interspersed set of protected rocks where each rock receives a distinct level of protection. Such interspersion is potentially beneficial, but the extent to which such spacing is consistent with mean larval dispersal distances is as yet unknown. We have simulated the spread of gooseneck barnacle larvae in the Central Cantabrian Coast using a high-resolution time-series of current profiles measured at a nearshore location. During a year of high upwelling activity (2009), theoretical recruitment success was 94% with peak recruitment predicted 56 km west of the emission point. However, for a year of low upwelling activity (2011) theoretical recruitment success dropped to 15.4% and peak recruitment was expected 13 km east of the emission point. This is consistent with a positive correlation between catch rates and the Integrated Upwelling Index, using a 4-year lag to allow recruits to reach commercial size. Furthermore, a net long-term westward larval transport was estimated by means of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences for five populations in the Cantabrian Sea. Our results call into question the role of long distance dispersal, driven by the mesoscale processes in the area, in gooseneck barnacle populations and point to the prevalent role of small-scale, asymmetric connectivity more consistent with the typical scale of the co-management process in this fishery.

The biology and fisheries of European hake, Merluccius merluccius, in the north-east Atlantic

The aim of this chapter is to review the biology and fishery, including the management, of European hake in the north-east Atlantic. The European hake is widely distributed throughout the north-east Atlantic, from Norway in the north to the Guinea Gulf in the south, and throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea, being more abundant from the British Isles to the south of Spain. In this area, ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) recognises the existence of two stocks: the northern stock and the southern stock. Both stocks have been extensively and intensively harvested and since the beginning of the 90s have been considered to be outside safe biological limits. The northern stock, however, is currently considered to lie within safe biological limits. In any case, recovery plans were implemented for the northern stock in 2004 and for the southern stock in 2006. Despite its commercial importance, knowledge of the biology and ecology of the European hake in the North Atlantic is still quite scarce. For example, recent investigations suggest that European hake grows much faster, by a factor of two, than was considered previously. This faster growth also affects the maturity-at-age pattern of hake and the agreed maturity-at-age ogive used in the assessments. European hake is a top predator in the demersal community in the north-east Atlantic area; mainly preying on blue whiting, horse mackerel and other cupleids. In relation to the reproductive biology, European hake is considered to be a batch spawner species with indeterminate fecundity and spawning activity all year round. All these characteristics could, in turn, be interpreted as European hake adopting a more opportunistic life strategy, which is unusual for a gadoid and demersal species, and raises several questions about hake biology and ecology that require further investigation.

Influence of the oceanographic conditions during spring 2003 on the transport of the Prestige tanker fuel oil to the Galician coast

Hydrographic data collected during the cruise HIDROPRESTIGE were combined with meteorological and dynamic data provided by remote sensors and drifting/moored buoys, to describe the surface circulation of the Northern Iberian basin in March-April 2003. Sea surface winds transported the floating Prestige oil slicks from the sinking area to the continental slope off the Rías Baixas in 1/2 month: the surface current intensity was 2% of the wind intensity and it was rotated clockwise 5 degrees from the wind direction. Mesoscale cyclonic and anticyclonic structures west of 10 degrees W increased the residence time of oil patches in the Northern Iberian basin, as compared with the expected southwards flow of the Iberian current (IC). On the other hand, the Iberian poleward current (IPC) formed a marked surface front with coastal waters, preventing the entry of fuel oil into the rías. PAHs in the surface layer during the cruise were <0.5 microgL(-1), except in the Galicia bank (approximately 1 microg L(-1); where the Prestige tanker was still leaking) and the vicinity of Cape Fisterra (approximately 1.5 microg L(-1); where the convergence front between the IPC and coastal waters vanished).

Oceanographic conditions in North and Northwest Iberia and their influence on the Prestige oil spill

Oceanographic conditions at the time of the Prestige oil spill (November 2002) and following months are analyzed based on a set of hydrographic cruises. The ship sank off one of the flanks of the Galician Bank, an offshore seamount, and a major oil spill drifted to the N and NW Iberian coast mainly driven by dominant winds. Coastal circulation was characterized by freshwater plumes and the poleward slope current, and could have affected the fate of the oil spill and influenced stranding places. Seasonal evolution of oceanographic conditions in this particular year is compared with the long-term average and reveals specific features that need to be taken into account in studies of the impact of the oil spill on populations. Spring conditions commenced earlier than other years in the Southern Bay of Biscay, contrastingly in western Iberia. The lack of subsurface intrusion of subtropical waters suggests a low intense penetration of the poleward current in Spanish Biscay slopes. In western Iberia, the slope poleward current observed in late autumn weakens and is exported off slope during upwelling pulses in the spring, with no strong intrusion of the poleward current on the slope at the time of the spring bloom. A description of current velocities near the wreck on the Galician Bank is obtained after the analysis of a mooring line.

Interactions between behaviour and physical forcing in the control of horizontal transport of decapod crustacean larvae

We summarize what is known of the biophysical interactions that control vertical migration and dispersal of decapod larvae, asking the following main questions: How common is vertical migration in decapod crustacean larvae? What is the vertical extent of the migrations? What are the behavioural mechanisms that control vertical migrations? How does vertical migration interact with the physics of the ocean to control the dispersal of larvae? These questions are analysed by first giving a synopsis of the physical processes that are believed to significantly affect horizontal transport, and then by describing migration patterns according to taxon, to ecological category based on the habitat of adults and larvae, and to stage within the larval series. Some kind of vertical migration has been found in larval stages of virtually all species that have been investigated, irrespective of taxonomic or ecological category. Most vertical migration schedules have a cyclic nature that is related to a major environmental cyclic factor. Tidal (ebb or flood) migration and daily (nocturnal and twilight) migration are the two types of cyclic migration that have been identified. In general, all species show some type of daily migration, with nocturnal migration being the most common, whereas tidal migrations have only been identified in species that use estuaries during part of their life cycle. Moreover, there are several examples indicating that the phasing and extent of migration both change throughout ontogeny. Reported ranges of vertical displacement vary between a few metres in estuaries and several tens of metres (sometimes more than 100 m) in shelf and oceanic waters. Vertical movements are controlled by behavioural responses to the main factors of the marine environment. The most important factors in this respect are light, pressure and gravity, but salinity, temperature, turbulence, current and other factors, also influence behaviour. Many of these factors change cyclically, and the larvae respond with cyclic behaviours. The type of response may be endogenous and regulated by an internal clock, as in the case of some tidally synchronised migrations, but in most cases it is a direct response to a change in an environmental variable, as in diel migration. The reaction of the larvae to exogenous cues depends both on the rate of change of the variable and on the absolute amount of change. A series of dispersal types, involving different spatial and temporal scales, have been identified in decapod larvae: retention of the larval series within estuaries; export from estuarine habitats, dispersal over the shelf, and reinvasion of estuaries by the last stage; hatching in shelf waters and immigration to estuaries by late larvae or postlarvae; complete development on the shelf; and hatching in shelf waters, long-range dispersal in the ocean, and return to the shelf by late stages. In all of these cases, vertical migration behaviour and changes of behaviour during the course of larval development have been related to particular physical processes, resulting in conceptual mechanisms that explain dispersal and recruitment. Most decapod larvae are capable of crossing the vertical temperature differences normally found across thermoclines in natural systems. This ability may have significant consequences for horizontal transport within shelf waters, because amplitude and phase differences of the tidal currents across the thermocline may be reflected in different trajectories of the migrating larvae.