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Demonstration of the onshore transport of larval invertebrates by the shoreward movement of an upwelling front
Author(s) -
Shanks Alan L.,
Largier John,
Brink Laura,
Brubaker John,
Hooff Rian
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.2000.45.1.0230
Subject(s) - upwelling , front (military) , oceanography , geology , polychaete , shrimp , fishery , biology
Upwelling winds off North Carolina set up upwelling fronts. As the wind forcing relaxed following such a coastal upwelling event, we observed the upwelling front move onshore. The low‐density surface water moved shoreward over the upwelled water, forming a convergence zone at the front. This shoreward‐moving front concentrated and transported larvae. Larval sergestid shrimp, spionid polychaete larvae, and the veligers of Odostomia sp. and Bittium sp. were concentrated on the seaward side of the moving convergence. Blue crab megalopae were concentrated at the surface immediately seaward of the front. These data demonstrate that a relaxing upwelling front can transport high concentrations of larvae shoreward over the inner shelf. This may be an important mechanism promoting the shoreward migration of larval invertebrates and fish.