South Brazil Bight - Environment

Oceanographically, the South Brazil Bight is characterized by isobaths that run almost parallel to the coastline, the occurrence of meso-scale eddies from the Brazil Current (to the east), and two seasonal features that boost primary productivity in the ecosystem, the South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) intrusion and Cabo Frio upwellings. In the inner shelf, major oceanographic interactions occur among warm, saline, oligotrophic surface water (the so-called Tropical Water), low saline, productive Coastal Water highly influenced by river runoff and the seasonal wind-driven penetration of cold, nutrient-rich slope water (SACW) towards the coast. During the winter, the cold, low-salinity water from the La Plata River plume often influences the southern portion of the bight, through waters originating from the Malvinas current/Subtropical Convergence.