A spatially-explicit South Pacific epipelagic ecosystem characterization to advance conservation policy

Biogeochemical regions (BGCRs) are spatiotemporal zones with relatively uniform characteristics and features, and understanding their extent and location can facilitate effective resource management. Several studies have attempted to classify BGCRs in the South Pacific Ocean, but there is poor agreement, attributable to different data types used in different studies and an overall paucity of observational data. We incorporate several novel environmental variables; including sea level anomalies, eddy kinetic energy, an upwelling index, and nutrient ratios; to create the most complete partitioning to date in this region. We identify eight ecosystems at annual scale, as well as seasonal variations.

Recommended citation: Yañez et al.