Aix Marseille Univ., Universite de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, 13288 Marseille, France.
Aix Marseille Univ., Universite de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, 13288 Marseille, France.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2020 Sep;158:111431. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111431. Epub 2020 Jul 15.
Since 2011, huge amounts of Sargassum algae are detected in the equatorial Atlantic, causing large strandings events on the coasts of the West Indies, Brazil and West Africa. The distribution of this stock shows strong annual and interannual variability, whose drivers are not settled yet. Here we use satellite Sargassum observations from MODIS and currents from an ocean reanalysis to simulate the passive transport of algae in 2017. Wind effect was necessary to fit the observed distribution. Simulations reasonably reproduce the satellite monthly distribution for up to seven months, confirming the prominent role of transport in the distribution cycle. Annual cycle appears as a zonal exchange between eastern (EAR) and western accumulation regions (WAR). EAR is well explained by advection alone, with sharp meridional distribution controlled by converging currents below the inter-tropical Convergence Zone. Instead, WAR is not explained by advection alone, suggesting local growth.
自 2011 年以来，大量马尾藻在赤道大西洋被检测到，导致西印度群岛、巴西和西非海岸发生大量搁浅事件。该种群的分布表现出强烈的年际和年际变化，其驱动因素尚未确定。在这里，我们使用 MODIS 的卫星马尾藻观测数据和海洋再分析中的海流来模拟 2017 年藻类的被动运输。需要风的影响来拟合观测到的分布。模拟结果合理地再现了卫星每月的分布长达七个月，证实了运输在分布周期中的重要作用。年周期表现为东部（EAR）和西部积累区（WAR）之间的纬向交换。EAR 仅通过平流就可以很好地解释，其狭窄的经向分布受热带辐合带下方汇聚流的控制。相反，WAR 不能仅通过平流来解释，这表明存在局部生长。
