organisms in the region. The strongest is the Equatorial
Current, which transports waters from the eastern to the
western side of the Pacific Ocean; north and south of this
current are the Counter Currents, with the North Equatorial Counter Current (NECC) being the most important
(Fiedler and Talley, 2006; Kessler, 2006; Lizano, 2008).
The NECC is primarily responsible for the presence of
Western Pacific coral species in the ETP (Cortés, 1986;
Glynn and Ault, 2000).
The ETP is bounded by the California Current to the
north and the Humboldt Current (aka Perú–Chile Current)
to the south. Important currents within the region are the
Costa Rica Current which flows along Central America
from southern Costa Rica north to Mexico, bridging the
Central American gap, between El Salvador and Mexico
(Badan-Dangon, 1998; Kessler, 2006). The other current
is the one flowing from the Panama Bight to the
Galápagos Island (Rodríguez-Rubio et al., 2003; Kessler,
2006).
Environmental conditions of the central ETP are structured by the Eastern Pacific Warm Pool, a water mass
characterized by high temperatures of around 27–28
C
year round (Fiedler and Talley, 2006). Seasonal upwellings occur in the region, primarily at three areas where the
Mesoamerican Isthmus has a low profile (Tehuantepec,
México; Gulf of Papagayo, Costa Rica–Nicaragua; and
Gulf of Panama, Panamá), and the Trade Winds blow across
from the Intra-Americas Seas (Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean) (Alfaro and Lizano, 2001; Amador et al., 2006; Willet
et al., 2006). Eddies, 150–500 km in diameter, are formed
where the strong wind jets flow across the low altitude
sections of Mesoamerica (Amador et al., 2006; Willet
et al., 2006).
The ETP has a shallow and well-defined thermocline
that ranges from 30 to 50 m depending on the region.
There is also a thick oxygen-minimum layer between
300 and 700 m depth, especially around the continental
shelf, where oxygen concentrations can range from near
Eastern Tropical Pacific Coral Reefs, Figure 1 Eastern Tropical Pacific coral reefs region.
352
EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC CORAL REEFS
Current, which transports waters from the eastern to the
western side of the Pacific Ocean; north and south of this
current are the Counter Currents, with the North Equatorial Counter Current (NECC) being the most important
(Fiedler and Talley, 2006; Kessler, 2006; Lizano, 2008).
The NECC is primarily responsible for the presence of
Western Pacific coral species in the ETP (Cortés, 1986;
Glynn and Ault, 2000).
The ETP is bounded by the California Current to the
north and the Humboldt Current (aka Perú–Chile Current)
to the south. Important currents within the region are the
Costa Rica Current which flows along Central America
from southern Costa Rica north to Mexico, bridging the
Central American gap, between El Salvador and Mexico
(Badan-Dangon, 1998; Kessler, 2006). The other current
is the one flowing from the Panama Bight to the
Galápagos Island (Rodríguez-Rubio et al., 2003; Kessler,
2006).
Environmental conditions of the central ETP are structured by the Eastern Pacific Warm Pool, a water mass
characterized by high temperatures of around 27–28
C
year round (Fiedler and Talley, 2006). Seasonal upwellings occur in the region, primarily at three areas where the
Mesoamerican Isthmus has a low profile (Tehuantepec,
México; Gulf of Papagayo, Costa Rica–Nicaragua; and
Gulf of Panama, Panamá), and the Trade Winds blow across
from the Intra-Americas Seas (Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean) (Alfaro and Lizano, 2001; Amador et al., 2006; Willet
et al., 2006). Eddies, 150–500 km in diameter, are formed
where the strong wind jets flow across the low altitude
sections of Mesoamerica (Amador et al., 2006; Willet
et al., 2006).
The ETP has a shallow and well-defined thermocline
that ranges from 30 to 50 m depending on the region.
There is also a thick oxygen-minimum layer between
300 and 700 m depth, especially around the continental
shelf, where oxygen concentrations can range from near
Eastern Tropical Pacific Coral Reefs, Figure 1 Eastern Tropical Pacific coral reefs region.
352
EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC CORAL REEFS