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Lagrangian characterization of surface transport from the Equatorial Atlantic to the Caribbean Sea using climatological Lagrangian Coherent Structures and Self-Organizing Maps
Summary
Scientists used climate data and computational modeling to map ocean current pathways that carry floating material from the Equatorial Atlantic to the Caribbean Sea. Understanding these transport routes is essential for predicting where marine plastic debris — including microplastics — accumulates in the ocean.
Ma. Eugenia Allende-Arandía1, Rodrigo Duran2,3, Laura Sanvicente-Añorve4, Christian M. Appendini1,*1Laboratorio de Ingeniería y Procesos Costeros, Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto de abrigo s/n, Sisal, Yucatán 97356, México2National Energy Technology Laboratory, United States Department of Energy, Albany OR, United States.3Theiss Research, La Jolla, CA, United States4Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, C.P. 04510.Corresponding author: Christian M. Appendini (cappendinia@iingen.unam.mx )
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