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Int. J. of Marine Science 2012, Vol.2, No.2, 12
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Figure 1 Location of the study area and distribution of the
sampling network in Cienfuegos Bay
Water mass in Cienfuegos bay receive contribution of
fresh water from Caunao, Arimao, Damují, and Salado
rivers, that modify the saline structure of the bay and
input an important amount of organic material and
contaminants (Tur and Becerra, 1991; Novoa, 2004).
Cienfuegos Bay is one of the best described aquatic
systems in Cuba related to its oceanography. Besides
of contributing to this knowledge and taking into
consideration the importance of those markers for
green lipped mussel development, the aim of this
work is to analyze the hydrological condition
variation in Cienfuegos Bay waters in 2011 and its
possible influence on that species development and
distribution.
1 Results
Positive anomalies very well define the rainy period
(May-October) (Figure 2). Precipitation maximum
was observed in September and October and at the
same time, evaporation decreased. Mean monthly
evaporation minimum was in November (Figure 2).
Maximum of positive evaporation anomaly was
shown in spring time, with higher evaporation rate in
May, month with the least precipitations of the rainy
period in 2011. Monthly variations of those climatic
parameters showed more differences in spring time
(March-April-May), with higher positive anomalies of
evaporation in relation to precipitation.
Figure 2 Annual performance of climatic variables for 2011
Water temperature presented the highest values in
May (Table 1), a transition month between spring
and summer. Temperature minimum was registered
in February (dry), a typical winter month. Values of
this marker were between 23.30
℃
(February) and
30.50
℃
(May), with mean values for sampled months
of (26.47±2.29)
℃
. Although spatial temperature
distribution was influenced by daytime cycle, a higher
frequency of minimal values near fluvial systems
was denoted, due largely to water drains. Vertical
distribution was more stratified in November (Table 1),
with mean differences between surface and bottom
of 0.78
℃
.
The highest salinity values were presented in February
(dry) and May (highest annual evaporation), while the
least values were registered in November (Table 1).
This parameter oscillated for sampled month between
27.37 psu (November) and 36.98 psu (May), with
mean value of (35.38±1.64) psu. In spatial distribution,
February as well as May showed fewer gradients
(Figure 3a) and more stability in the water column
(Table 1). Even if November is a typical autumn
month from the beginning of the dry period, it showed
more estuarine characteristics, with marked gradients
that are increased to the south and east. The least
amounts are located to NW and near fluvial sources,
mainly Damuji River (Figure 3b). In May and
November the highest mean salinity in bottom was
observed (Table 1), in relation to the surface, which
indicates the influence of the rainy period in salinity
surface waters.