Comparative study of wind shear stress for application in small pelagics recruitment

• Grant number: 07/03967-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2007
• End date: February 29, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography - Physical Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Ilana Elazari Klein Coaracy Wainer
• Grantee: Gimel Roberto Zanin
• Host Institution: Instituto Oceanográfico (IO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

With the expected changes in climate both oceanic and atmospheric circulation will be affected. Climate influences a variety of ecological processes. These effects operate throughlocal weather parameters such as temperature and winds etc, as well as interactions among them. These variations drive temporally and spatially averaged exchanges of heat and momentumthat ultimately determine recruitment patterns. In this study, several observed winds data-sets from different sources will be comparatively analyzed in order to access its effect on the Upwelling zones in which the recruitment of pelagic fishes are favored. Wind stress curl and Ekman transports for each data set, as well variations in the surface sea temperature (SST) will be calculated and compared. Specifically, this study aims to revise and update the work of Bakun & Nelson (1991), whose focus was eastern boundary upwelling zones by including SE of Brazil (western boundary system) Update to Jablonski & Legey (2004), using more recent data is envisioned. The data sets to be analyzed are: I) Re-analyses of the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP/NCAR) ; II) Comprehensive Ocean Atmosphere Data Sets (COADS), III) A blended product of satellite data (QSCAT) with NCEP re-analyses; IV) Sea surface temperature and wind stress data for the tropical Atlantic Ocean (SERVAIN); V) Smith and Reynolds (SR05), a reconstruction of sea surface temperature using several methods, analyzing separately high anomalies and low frequencies. It is expected with this study, to determine if changes between data sets as well as in time within each set detectable, and if they affect the fish recruitment, particularly in the Brazilian coast. If the feedback is positive, forecasts for the fish larvae recruitment the XXI century will be made based on climatic model data.