The spatial distribution of organisms across the ocean is highly dependent on oceanographic conditions that manifest in every marine environment. All marine organisms respond to these conditions, so it is essential to constantly record the changes that occur in oceanographic parameters.

Since 2005, the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park, together with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), began a weekly monitoring of oceanographic parameters in Bahía Academia, Puerto Ayora, and Santa Cruz Island. Such monitoring, flows into databases that are summarized in easily interpretable graphs.

	Measuring with CTD equipment .

CTD instruments are the most important in measuring water characteristics such as salinity, temperature, pressure, depth and density. The initials mean CTD, conductivity-temperature-depth recorder.

This records the oceanographic parameters of salinity, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, pH and chlorophyll at different depths to study the annual changes suffered by these parameters through the water column.

This study also allows us to observe the affects that, incidental changes in oceanographic parameters, have on planktonic life by comparing the results with; studies of phytoplankton and zooplankton; and how oceanographic parameters vary according to climatic changes that appear annually; and what is the behavior of these parameters against specific weather events.

Results.

Using data obtained from oceanographic monitoring, we can understand sea conditions and detect changes in water mass. For example, the data on temperature does not vary vertically when there is one body of water. Similarly, the data on temperature varies vertically and rapidly when there are two bodies of water.

Throughout the year the 3 monitoring stations had only one body of water. With the data analyzed, it was noted that there are rarely two bodies of water. The duration of these masses was less than a week.

The data on chlorophyll and turbidity coincided, and turbidity was due to phytoplankton. Phytoplankton samples were collected at station 1 to determine which organisms were found.

The salinity measured from stations 1 and 2 showed changes due to rain. The rain and water in the lagoon Las Ninfas affected the salinity at station 3, as it now contains estuary water.

The data from weekly monitoring include the sea conditions of Bahía Academia, Santa Cruz, and is the first weekly oceanographic monitoring in the Galapagos Marine Reserve.

Following the monitoring to detect the change of marine environment of Academy Bay in short and long term is recommended .

With the data on temperature, depth and transparency obtained, graphs are developed which are released each week for the fisheries sector and much of the community.

2007 Annual Report Oceanographic Conditions BAHÍA ACADEMIA, SANTA CRUZ (PDF ~ 236 KB)

This program has counted on the support of:

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)