Satellite and High-Spatio-Temporal Resolution Data Collected by Southern Elephant Seals Allow an Unprecedented 3D View of the Argentine Continental Shelf

Type Article
Date 2023-12
Language English
Author(s) Martinez Melina M.ORCID1, 2, 3, Ruiz-Etcheverry Laura A.ORCID1, 2, 3, Saraceno MartinORCID1, 2, 3, Gros-Martial Anatole4, 5, 6, Campagna Julieta7, Picard BaptisteORCID6, Guinet Christophe6
Affiliation(s) 1 : Departamento de Ciencias de la Atmósfera y los Océanos (DCAO), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
2 : Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmósfera (CIMA), CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
3 : Instituto Franco-Argentino de Estudios sobre el Clima y sus Impactos (IFAECI), IRL 3351, CNRS-CONICET-IRD-UBA, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
4 : ENSTA-Bretagne, UMR6285 Lab-STICC, F-29200 Brest, France
5 : CNRS, Ifremer, IUEM, University Brest, UMR6538 Geo-Ocean, F-29280 Plouzané, France
6 : Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, F-79360 Villiers en Bois, France
7 : Wildlife Conservation Society, Argentina, and Marine Programs, Amenábar 1595, Buenos Aires 1426, Argentina
Source Remote Sensing (2072-4292) (MDPI AG), 2023-12 , Vol. 15 , N. 23 , P. 5604 (22p.)
DOI 10.3390/rs15235604
Note This article belongs to the Special Issue Oceans from Space V)
Keyword(s) elephant seal, Mirounga leonina, Peninsula Valdes (PV), Argentina, seasonal front in the north of PV, water masses
Abstract

High spatial and temporal resolution hydrographic data collected by Southern Elephant Seals (Mirounga leonina, SESs) and satellite remote sensing data allow a detailed oceanographic description of the Argentine Continental Shelf (ACS). In-situ data were obtained from the CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth), accelerometer, and hydrophone sensors attached to five SESs that crossed the ACS between the 17th and 31st of October 2019. The analysis of the temperature (T) and salinity (S) along the trajectories allowed us to identify two different regions: north and south of 42°S. Satellite Sea Surface Temperature (SST) data suggests that north of 42°S, warm waters are coming from the San Matias Gulf (SMG). The high spatio-temporal resolution of the in-situ data shows regions with intense gradients along the T and S sections that were associated with a seasonal front that develops north of Península Valdés in winter due to the entrance of cold and fresh water to the SMG. The speed of the SESs is correlated with tidal currents in the coastal portion of the northern region, which is in good agreement with the macrotidal regime observed. A large number of Prey Catch Attempts (PCA), a measure obtained from the accelerometer sensor, indicates that SESs also feed in this region, contradicting suggestions from previous works. The analysis of wind intensity estimated from acoustic sensors allowed us to rule out the local wind as the cause of fast thermocline breakups observed along the SESs trajectories. Finally, we show that the maximum depth reached by the elephant seals can be used to detect errors in the bathymetry charts.

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Martinez Melina M., Ruiz-Etcheverry Laura A., Saraceno Martin, Gros-Martial Anatole, Campagna Julieta, Picard Baptiste, Guinet Christophe (2023). Satellite and High-Spatio-Temporal Resolution Data Collected by Southern Elephant Seals Allow an Unprecedented 3D View of the Argentine Continental Shelf. Remote Sensing, 15(23), 5604 (22p.). Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15235604 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00865/97646/