Sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a behavior under El Niño and La Niña conditions off the coast of Guerrero, Mexico
Keywords:
El Niño, La Niña, Chlorophyll-a, Sea surface temperature, Guerrero coastAbstract
The effects of La Niña and El Niño events on sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll concentration (Chl-a) off the coast of Guerrero were evaluated. Satellite images obtained from NASA (Ocean Color) were used to obtain historical series of these variables. A historical reconstruction (2003 to 2015) of SST and Chl-a was performed to observe fluctuations over time. From this time series, the years 2011 (La Niña), 2013 (Normal), and 2015 (El Niño) were selected to determine the behavior of SST and Chl-a concentration anomalies. Using the Kriging method, interpolation was performed to spatially determine SST and Chl-a concentration anomalies off the coast of Guerrero. A Spearman correlation analysis was performed to determine if the concentration of Chl-a is related to sea surface temperature (SST) and its anomalies. This analysis showed a sustained increase from 2003 to 2015 along the Guerrero coast. Chl-a fluctuated between years, with higher and lower peaks in response to El Niño and La Niña events. Spatially, it was evident that negative SST anomalies during La Niña were greater in the first months of the year along the northwestern portion of the Guerrero coast, while during El Niño events, positive anomalies greater than 0.5°C were observed along most of the Guerrero coast. Chl-a concentration was higher during La Niña and decreased significantly during El Niño. Spearman correlation analyses showed a negative relationship with SST and anomalies. This study reported, for the first time, the effects of La Niña and El Niño on the primary productivity of the Guerrero coast.
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