| The objective of this study was to examine potential dispersal trajectories of mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis) eggs and early stage larvae during spawning events at La Parguera. Larval fishes were collected during four cruises between March and May 2003 along three transects running perpendicular to the shelf-edge. The Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) velocity profile Vertical velocity structure and temperature variations during the April 17 lunar perigee-zizygy event suggest that an internal wave collided with the shelf, resulting in an influx of deeper colder water, while displacing near-surface waters out to the Caribbean Sea. The mean westward flow of 7.3 km per day favors eggs and planktonic larvae spawned at the shelf-edge being transported offshore. However, the surface flow follows the bathymetry northward, potentially leading to final recruitment destinations along the west coast of the island during spring 2003. |
