García-Moliner Basora, Graciela E.

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    Satellite remote sensing characterization of fish spawning aggregation sites in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands
    (2013) García-Moliner Basora, Graciela E.; Armstrong, Roy A.; College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences; Jorge R. García-Sais, Jorge R.; Appeldoorn, Richard S.; Yoder, James A.; Kubaryk, John M.; Department of Marine Sciences; Valdés Pizzini, Manuel
    This work investigates the seasonality of the satellite-derived chlorophyll signal (Chl-a) at eight (8) established fish spawning aggregation sites in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands and events that might influence this signal. These fish spawning aggregation sites are recurrent, meaning that fish (i.e., red hind Epinephelus guttatus (Linnaeus) and mutton snapper Lutjanus analis (Cuvier)) aggregate at these sites every year, over the same periods of time. This indicates that these areas present a series of characteristics beneficial for the species to spawn. This approach can then be applied to describe fish spawning aggregation sites of other species, specifically to understand the reasons why these sites appear to be used sequentially by other species. Satellite images from NASA sensors SeaWiFS, MODIS Aqua and MODIS Terra, averaged over 8 day periods (weekly level 3 images), were used to derive Chl-a values for 12 sites between January 1999 and December 2008 using ocean color radiometry (OCR). Data and results are presented for eight spawning sites and four control sites between 17 and 20° N and 64 and 68° west. This is the basis for the development of the first 10-year climatology of surface chlorophyll fields at fish spawning aggregation sites in the US Caribbean. The results include temporal differences in the seasonality of surface chlorophyll and spatial differences among the sites over the 10-year time series. This climatology will provide the basis of comparison for any Chl-a anomalies in the water column that might impinge upon the success of the spawning at these sites. The basic question of what are the normal conditions at these sites during spawning months and the rest of the year are addressed as well as what are the possible phenomena responsible for the variability observed. Each site exhibited variability in the Chl-a signal with values ranging from a minimum of 0.01 (control sites) to a maximum of 0.74 mg/m3 (at two aggregations sites: Rene station (Rene, a mutton snapper aggregation site) and Tourmaline Bank (Tour, a red hind aggregation site)). Each site exhibited variability among years, for example the highest values of these two aggregations sites occurring in 2002 (Tour) and 2003 (Rene) and during different months (at Rene’s during November and at Tour during August). The Chl-a variability observed was discussed relative to other environmental and oceanographic parameters such as rain events and South America river intrusions. In situ data were examined to corroborate the satellitederived values. The satellite-derived Chl-a values obtained from the 10-year time series are all within the discrete in situ chlorophyll data available. This 10 year chlorophyll time series is the first available over such an extended period of time to describe a biogeochemical property of the water column at the eight (8) fish spawning aggregation sites. The information presented here adds one more parameter to the complexities of environmental cues for the success of fish spawning aggregations.