Interannual Climate Variability in the West Antarctic Peninsula under Austral Summer Conditions

[EN] This study aimed to describe the interannual climate variability in the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) under austral summer conditions. Time series of January sea-surface temperature (SST) at 1 km spatial resolution from satellite-based multi-sensor data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) Terra, MODIS Aqua, and Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) were compiled between 2001 and 2020 at localities near the Gerlache Strait and the Carlini, Palmer, and Rothera research stations. The results revealed a well-marked spatial-temporal variability in SST at the WAP, with a one-year warm episode followed by a five-year cold episode. Warm waters (SST > 0 degrees C) reach the coast during warm episodes but remain far from the shore during cold episodes. This behavior of warm waters may be related to the regional variability of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, particularly when the South Polar Front (carrying warm waters) reaches the WAP coast. The WAP can be divided into two zones representing two distinct ecoregions: the northern zone (including the Carlini and Gerlache stations) corresponds to the South Shetland Islands ecoregion, and the southern zone (including the Palmer and Rothera stations) corresponds to the Antarctic Peninsula ecoregion. The Gerlache Strait is likely situated on the border between the two ecoregions but under a greater influence of the northern zone. Our data showed that the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is the primary driver of SST variability, while the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) plays a secondary role. However, further studies are needed to better understand regional climate variability in the WAP and its relation with SAM and ENSO; such studies should use an index that adequately describes the ENSO in these latitudes and addresses the limitations of the databases used for this purpose. Multi-sensor data are useful in describing the complex climate variability resulting from the combination of local and regional processes that elicit different responses across the WAP. It is also essential to continue improving SST approximations at high latitudes.This work was supported by the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, AmeriGEOSS, and the CONACYT's project number CB-2012-01/179753.Santamaría-Del-Ángel, E.; Cañón-Páez, M.; Sebastiá-Frasquet, M.; González-Silvera, A.; Gutiérrez, A.; Aguilar-Maldonado, JA.; López-Calderón, J.... (2021). Interannual Climate Variability in the West Antarctic Peninsula under Austral Summer Conditions. Remote Sensing. 13(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/rs1306112213

Evaluation of a ballast water change zone in the Magdalena Caribbean Colombian in accordance with guideline D14 of the International Maritime Organization

Maritime traffic is an important factor in the economy of countries and has increased in recent years, causing potentially devastating effects due to the aquatic organisms transported in ballast water from ships that can establish and become invasive organisms. Therefore, it is important to assign ballast water exchange zones in accordance with the rule B-4 of the International Agreement for the Control and Management of Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM), to reduce the risk of marine bioinvasion. This proposal was done in accordance with the Guidelines D14 of the Maritime International Organization (OMI), and suggest orientations for Port State Control (PSC) to identify, evaluate, and design maritime zones where the ships can exchange ballast water as a mechanism of management of ballast water when it is not possible to comply with B-4.1 of the BWM Agreement. The designated zone is a proposal for the Magdalena department, Colombian Caribbean, because this area accomplishes with the oceanographic, physicochemical, biological, environmental, important resources and ballast water operations criteria, considered in the Guidelines D14. Additionally, this area has narrow continental shelves reaching 200 meters deep, that guarantee ideal conditions for ballast water management and easy access in emergency situations compared with other departments of the Caribbean. The results showed that it is possible to designate an area located at less than 50 nautical miles with a depth of more than 200 meters without affecting coastal marine resources