Linking oceanographic processes and marine resources in the Western Caribbean Laura Carrillo, Ph.D. EL COLEGIO DE LA FRONTERA SUR LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN LARGE MARINE ECOSYSTEMS SYMPOSIUM. “ Towards a regional assessment of LAC LMEs ” Cancún, Quintana Roo, México. September 7-8, 2015 Oceanografía ECOSUR Oceanografía ECOSUR

Main topics  Multiple spatio-temporal scales (variability)  Some oceanographic aspects of the Western Caribbean  Marine resources: Food, habitat, energy  Examples of marine resourses and oceanographic processes in the Western Caribbean  Current studies and monitoring

Scales and variability  There different spatio-temporal scales. From that variability, there are physical processes clearly indentified.  Large scale, mesoscale, submesoscale, small scale  Significant signal, can be identified from observations

CC YC LC FC GC eddies

Drifters trajectories Carrillo et al, submitted to CSR Pathways and hydrography in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System Part 1: Circulation

Biology : life cycle, Early LIFE Dispersion, life cycle of these marine resources linked directly with oceanographic proceses  Life cycle, spawning,dispersi on  Large scale- Pelagic fish: Tuna  Regional scale: Lobster  Subregional: Queen Conch, Reef fish ( Lutjanidae and Groupers)

Pelagic fish: Tuna as a large scale connectivity Tuna in the Atlantic,, Mediterranean and Gulf of mexico as spawning, but also the Caribbean and then studies of the project from NOAA, and now a collaboration by using oceanographic cruises, campaings. Project ECO logía trófica comparativa de LA rvas de a TUN rojo atlántico (Thunnus thynnus) de las áreas de puesta del Medterraneo- NO y el Golfo de México. Laiz et al Bluefin tuna: Thunnus thynnus

Muhling et al Bluefin tuna: Thunnus thynnus

Other pelagics Southern Mexico Thunnus atlanticus Southern Belize Blackfin Tuna Sail fish, Istiophorus platypterus Who laid the egg? Establishing the Identity of Fish Eggs in the Southeast Yucatan Peninsula with DNA Barcodes, (Leyva et al submitted to Journal of Fish Biology )

Lobster as example of regional connectivity  ABUNDANCE AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF PANULIRUS SPP. PHYLLOSOMAS OFF THE COAST OF THE MEXICAN CARIBBEAN (Sosa-Cordero et al. submitted to Bull. Mar. Sci)  Distribución y abundancia de larvas filosomas tardías de langostas Achelata en el Caribe mexicano y su relación con procesos oceánicos (Muñoz de Cote, Master-Thesis UNAM ) Carrillo et al, submitted to CSR

Queen conch (Strombus gigas) Regional and more coastal restricted  Separation between Alacranes reef (GM) from Chinchorro Bank (Caribbean), example  Oceanographic processes can connect or can separate Paris et al 2009 Enriquez et al 2010

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THE LARVAL FISH DISTRIBUTION IN THE LOOP CURRENT IN THE GULF OF MEXICO AFTER THE DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL, Morales et al.

Reef fish; groupers  Reef, timing, reproductive aggregations sites Spawning aggregation sites Sosa-Cordero et al 2009) reported 59 sites at the Mexican Caribbean only

Muhling et al, 2013 Carrillo et al, submitted to CSR

Carrillo et al

Vásquez- Yeomans Carrillo and Vásquez

Monitoring and current studies  Regional scale: Remote sensing,  Biophysical Numerical models  Direct observations (This is key) by: Oceanographic campains (bio-physical aspects) Coastal observations Understanding: variability Links with resources, example the mesoamerican, recruitment and physcal processes experiment Coastal observational programs CAPACITY BUILDING

Capacity building and monitoring in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System

Oceanographic campaings Map: Muhling, B

2015 Oceanographic cruise: USA-MEX-CUBA-SPAIN

Thanks Oceanografía ECOSUR Oceanografía ECOSUR