Renato Castelao (University of Georgia, United States)

Nonlinear mesoscale eddies can have a significant impact on the distribution of organic materials throughout the world’s ocean. In the California Current System (CCS), high particulate organic carbon (POC) concentrations found in near shore waters can be horizontally and vertically advected by eddies. Using satellite measurements of ocean color to estimate surface POC, this study quantifies the influence of eddies in the CCS on the offshore transport of POC. In the CCS, cyclonic eddies generally move westward and are characterized by positive POC anomalies. Offshore of 300 km from the coast, cyclonic eddies generated inshore of 300 km have higher POC concentrations on average than eddies generated offshore, indicating that eddies play an important role in redistributing POC into offshore regions.