Marine Ecological Time Series “Estación Permanente de Estudios Ambientales (EPEA)”– Southwestern Atlantic

LUTZ, VIVIAN; ALLEGA, LUCRECIA; BERGHOFF, CARLA; CARIGNAN, MARIO; CEPEDA, GEORGINA; COZZOLINO, EZEQUIEL; DEL VALLE, DANIELA; DÍAZ, MARINA; DIMAURO, ROSANA; DO SOUTO, MARINA; EPHERRA, LUCÍA; FERNÁNDEZ, JORGE; GIORGINI, MICAELA; HOZBOR, MARÍA C.; LEONARDUZZI, EZEQUIEL; LUZ CLARA, MOIRA; MAENZA, REINALDO A.; MONTOYA, NORA; PERESSUTTI, SILVIA R.; RUIZ, GUILLERMINA; SEGURA, VALERIA; SILVA, RICARDO; NEGRI, RUBÉN

Plymouth

Simposio; TREVOR PLATT SCIENCE FOUNDATION Inaugural Science Symposium; 2023

TREVOR PLATT SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Marine ecological time series (METS), involving environmental and biological sampling from a ship, offer crucial information to attempt discerning natural variations from those influenced by global change. The program “Dynamics of Marine Plankton and Climate Change” from INIDEP carry out studies at different METS in the southwestern Atlantic: the coastal stations EPEA and Veril, and three sections COSTAL (coast to the shelf-break). EPEA (38º28'S - 57º41'W) has been systematically sampled, ideally monthly, from February 2000. An ensemble of variables (physical, bio-optical and biogeochemical), all components of the plankton (bacterio-, phyto-, zoo-, and ichtyo-plankton), as well as some processes (primary production, nutritional status of larvae) are studied. New relevant estimations were incorporated along the way, e.g., carbonate system components and micro-plastic contamination. Besides performing complex measurements, METS also facilitate the collection of basic in situ data to validate satellite information and input to models. EPEA is still young (24 years) to elucidate climate change effects; nevertheless, accumulated data allowed a basic understanding of the behavior of the system and its variability. The seasonal dynamic of main variables at EPEA present some conspicuous features; e.g., the highest chlorophyll-a (Chla) concentrations are registered towards the end of winter. Throughout the series some trends of change were detected; Chla has increased, especially in the fraction belonging to small-size phytoplankton.In this presentation we will show the work being develop at the ecological time series EPEA (e.g., variables sampled, vessels used, people involved, thesis and publications produced). The continuation in time of observations at EPEA, integrated to others obtained at different METS in the region and global ocean, would contribute knowledge required to interpret variations at a climatic scale.