IMPORTANCE OF REMOTE SENSING FOR THE STUDY OF SPATIAL DYNAMICS OF ESTUARINE NEUSTON FROM SOUTHERN CHILE

Abstract. Zooplankton aggregation, hydrographic and remote sensing data were employed to relate the spatial dynamics of neustonic communities with chlorophyll a (Chl a) and suspended organic matter (SOM) at a spatial mesoscale (10 to 1000 km) in the southern Chilean fjords system along Magellan Strait, Chile (CIMAR 16: October/November 2010 and CIMAR 25; September/October 2019) in order to identify oceanographic process producing aggregation of neuston. Preliminary evidence of CIMAR 25 shows significant concentrations of Chl a and SOM around Dawson Island (DI), Magellan Strait. During CIMAR 16 important aggregation of specific neustonic taxa (copepodites of Microsetella rosea, larvae of the polychaete Polygordius sp and cyphonautes of the bryozoan Membranipora isabelleana) was observed around DI, Magellan Strait. Satelital images in the area of CIMAR 16 provide evidence of important aggregation of chlorophyll a/SOM around DI. CIMAR Cimar 25 showed that the Chl a and SOM aggregation around DI is recurrent and could to explain the high concentration of neuston around this island to spite of mesotrophic conditions. Remote sensing in this study area provides a tool to understanding oceanographic and topographic factors that potentially regulate the abundance and spatial distribution of surface zooplankton to spatial meso-scale along Magellan Strait.