Enrichment in Mesoscale Eddies of the Great Atlantic Belt.

Pelagic has increased dramatically in the past decade, primarily in the annually recurrent Great Atlantic Belt (GASB) that extends from the coast of West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico. Using satellite observations of density and mesoscale eddies from 2011 to 2023, we investigate whether more can be found in mesoscale eddies. Cyclonic eddies were found to contain 6%-47% more (relative to eddy-free waters) across all selected regions within the GASB, with the highest density in their inner cores (<0.5 eddy radius). Impacts of anticyclonic eddies were weaker and varied between regions. In addition, enrichment tended to be higher in eddies with greater size or amplitude, such as the North Brazil Current rings and those in the Caribbean Sea. These findings may inform mitigation strategies, for example, through physical removal in targeted locations.