File Entry: SECTOR ORIENTAL DEL GOLFO DE CARIACO, VENEZUELA. UNA DESCRIPCIÓN DE SU DINÁMICA HIDROQUÍMICA, PROCESOS, Y DEL ROL DE LA SURGENCIA COSTERA ESTACIONAL

The hydrochemical, physical-chemical, and biological dynamics were studied in the eastern waters of the gulf of
Cariaco, where wind and precipitation patterns govern these processes to a significant degree. Average monthly values for
both surface and bottom waters were respectively as follows: temperature: 25.69 °C each; salinity: 35.41 and 35.75 units;
density anomaly (ó-t): 23.43 and 23.84 kg/m3; oxygen concentration: 184.49 and 178.38 mmol/kg; pH: 7.98 and 7.94;
nitrates: 3.18 and 4.22 μmol/L; nitrites: 0.45 and 0.60 μmol/L; ammonium: 1.25 and 1.39 μmol/L; total nitrogen: 25.28 and
26.31 μmol/L. Phosphate concentrations between surface and bottom waters varied between 0.60 and 0.79 μmol/L, whereas
those of total phosphorus ranged from 2 to 170 μmol/L. Surface and bottom chlorophyll a concentrations ranged from 5.19
to 4.33 mg/m3, respectively. ANOVA (P<0.05) did not reveal any significant variation between the values studied, but it did
show differences between the values for different months. Decomposition of organic matter was detected, as typified by both
oxygen utilization greater than 50 mmol/kg and denitrification (N*), which increased ammonium concentration and reduced
the pH during periods of upwelling relaxation. There was an imbalance between the maxima of chlorophyll a and those of
nutrients, which evidenced that phosphorus could be an inhibitor of phytoplankton production, especially during upwelling
letup, when Readfield ratio increases from N:P = 16:1 up to N:P = 24:1.