Oceanographic and biological features in the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem.

• Other Authors: Valdés, Luis, Déniz‐González, Itahisa
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: UNESCO-IOC 2015
• Subjects: Biological features; Marine ecosystem; Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1834/42094

The Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) is one of the 4 major upwelling systems in the world. 54 marine scientists from 25 institutions have worked in a collaborative manner to make a complete characterization of the CCLME. The result is a detailed description of: (i) the ocean geomorphology and geological materials; (ii) the hydrographic structure and the ocean circulation; (iii) the biogeochemical characteristics of the marine ecosystem; (iv) the life in the sea; (v) and the interannual, interdecadal and long‐term variability. Here we present a summary of the oceanographic and biological features of the CCLME, based in reviews of the scientific knowledge built over decades of research in the area, combined with new data shared by the authors of each of the articles. The main conclusions of this global analysis are presented below, followed by the challenges for scientific research and management goals in the CCLME, which can be used to guide new scientific projects in the region. Ocean Geomorphology and Geological Materials  The CCLME shelf is the typical, in width and composition, of the passive continental margins. In general, the continental shelf has a mean width between 40–50 km, with exceptions like Bank D ́Arguin (widest) or Dakar (narrowest).  Geomorphological variations are the result of the sedimentary contributions associated to river basins. This river basins influence the genesis and the presence of the canyons in the platform and slope. These canyons are the main geomorphological features in the region. The sedimentary rocks have a maximum age of 200 Ma. It is important to remark the presence of a coral reef with more than 400 km of length in the shallowest Mauritania slope.  Although tectonic processes occur throughout the entire CCLME, they do not have a great influence.  The Canary Islands and the Cape Verde Islands Volcanic Provinces, placed within the CCLME, show sets of volcanic islands and seamounts related to magma‐driven processes over tens of millions of years at the ...