The Gulf of Cádiz pelagic ecosystem: A review

Abstract

The Gulf of Cádiz, strategically situated between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, has been the focus of attention of a few oceanographic studies dealing with the deep circulation in order to understand the dynamics of the dense plume of Mediterranean water. Much less attention has been paid to the surface pelagic layer which holds important living resources of commercial and ecological interest. This overview summarizes the recent advances that have been made concerning the regional oceanography of the northern half of this important basin from an interdisciplinary point of view. Probably the most relevant oceanographic feature of the basin is its strong seasonality, which is linked to the meteorologically-induced seasonality of the eastern boundary current system of the North Atlantic. The prominent cape Santa Maria divides the continental shelf off the southern Iberian Peninsula in two shelves of different shape that hold different oceanographic processes, which in turn determine the characteristics of the pelagic ecosystem. Mass and energy inputs from land as well as tidally-driven processes makes the wider eastern shelf be more productive while the narrower western shelf, cut by a sharp submarine canyon, is under the influence of the almost-permanent upwelling spot off cape San Vicente. Under easterlies, the west-going, warm coastal countercurrent that is observed in the eastern shelf may invade the western shelf thus connecting biologically both shelves in an east-to-west direction. Westerlies induce generalised upwelling off the southern Iberia Peninsula, which adds to the almost-permanent one off cape San Vicente and generates an upwelling jet that moves eastwards. Cape Santa Maria may deflect this flow by generating a cold filament that extends southward and diverts water from the western shelf to the open ocean. This pattern of circulation hampers the biological connection between shelves in the west-to-east direction, which is therefore less effective. The eastern shelf is prone to hold a cyclonic circulation cell during summer. This cell seems to be part of the reproductive strategy of fish species like anchovy with significant commercial interest in the region. The coupling between spawning and circulation is particularly beneficial under westerlies, when productivity in the eastern shelf is enhanced and the plankton is confined within the cyclonic cell. Easterlies favour oligotrophy and the westward export of plankton, which has an adverse effect on the recruitment and correlates low anchovy catches with periods of noticeable easterly intensity.