On the variability of the flow along the Meso-American Barrier Reef system: a numerical model study of the influence of the Caribbean current and eddies |
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| Authors: | Tal Ezer Deeptha V Thattai Björn Kjerfve William D Heyman |
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| Institution: | (1) Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544-0710, USA;(2) SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Deemed University, Kattankulathur, India;(3) College of Geosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA |
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| Abstract: | A high resolution (3–8 km grid), 3D numerical ocean model of the West Caribbean Sea (WCS) is used to investigate the variability
and the forcing of flows near the Meso-American Barrier Reef System (MBRS) which runs along the coasts of Mexico, Belize,
Guatemala and Honduras. Mesoscale variations in velocity and temperature along the reef were found in seasonal model simulations
and in observations; these variations are associated with meandering of the Caribbean current (CC) and the propagation of
Caribbean eddies. Diagnostic calculations and a simple assimilation technique are combined to infer the dynamically adjusted
flow associated with particular eddies. The results demonstrate that when a cyclonic eddy (negative sea surface height anomaly
(SSHA)) is found near the MBRS the CC shifts offshore, the cyclonic circulation in the Gulf of Honduras (GOH) intensifies,
and a strong southward flow results along the reef. However, when an anticyclonic eddy (positive SSHA) is found near the reef,
the CC moves onshore and the flow is predominantly westward across the reef. The model results help to explain how drifters
are able to propagate in a direction opposite to the mean circulation when eddies cause a reversal of the coastal circulation.
The effect of including the Meso-American Lagoon west of the Belize Reef in the model topography was also investigated, to
show the importance of having accurate coastal topography in determining the variations of transports across the MBRS. The
variations found in transports across the MBRS (on seasonal and mesoscale time scales) may have important consequences for
biological activities along the reef such as spawning aggregations; better understanding the nature of these variations will
help ongoing efforts in coral reef conservation and maintaining the health of the ecosystem in the region. |
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| Keywords: | West Caribbean Sea Caribbean eddies Meso-American Barrier Reef Numerical model |
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