PREFACE-PIRATA-CLIVAR Tropical Atlantic Variability Conference, Cape Town (ZAF), 2015/08/25-27
Acoustic tools allow a simultaneous acquisition of quantitative and qualitative data at different spatio-temporal scales, providing information about biotic and abiotic ecosystem components. For the first time in 18 years history, a PIRATA cruise allowed to get such measurements in the Eastern tropical Atlantic, from Cabo-Verde islands to the equator and in the Gulf of Guinea. We present here first data sets acquired during the Pirata-FR25 cruise and some preliminary results. Several potential scientific analyses could be carried out using such data in the general framework of PREFACE, AWA & PIRATA programs. Such data will allow calibrating and validating ecosystem model developed in the Gulf of Guinea, taking into account the mesopelagic
compartment. The organization of the micronekton layers could be described including diel vertical migration taking into account hydrological parameters and currents vertical distributions. Lastly, such data will allow characterizing the micronekton layers according to equatorial zonal currents system as well as inside the Guinea Dome. Along the survey path several other oceanographic structures were susceptible to trigger an effect on micronektonic layers as the contrasted salinity (32 to 36 ?) within the Gulf of Guinea, oceanic fronts and Tropical instability waves.
