César González-Pola

• Researcher at Instituto Español de Oceanografia

The need to establish a sustained Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) has long been recognized by the international ocean science community. Established in 1991 and led by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (IOC-UNESCO), GOOS develops guidelines and coordinates re...

Oceanic stratification plays a key role in climate by modulating the ocean’s resistance to be mixed vertically. It has been traditionally assumed that, beyond the deepest reach of winter mixing, stratification is relatively invariant on the time scales of contemporary climate evolution. Here, we test this view by performing a global investigation o...

CES Report on Ocean Climate (IROC) combines decades of ocean observations across the North Atlantic ICES regions to describe the current status of sea temperature, salinity, and atmospheric conditions, as well as observed trends and recent variability. Regional analyses are prepared by the local experts who are directly involved in the monitoring p...

The “Symposium on Decadal Variability of the North Atlantic and its Marine Ecosystems: 2010–2019” took place in Bergen, Norway, from 20 to 22 May 2022. This event, hosted by the Institute of Marine Research, was jointly sponsored by ICES and NAFO and constitutes the fourth in a series of these symposia that started in 1991. The first symposium’s ai...

The deep‐sea environment remains one of the least explored and understood ecosystems on our planet. In this work, we present an underwater multiparametric observing platform, or lander, with a time‐lapse camera designed to study the dynamics and behaviour of deep‐sea species and its interactions with the environment variables over long time periods...

Gorgonians play a fundamental role in the deep sea (below 200 m depth), composing three-dimensional habitats that are characterized by a high associated biodiversity and playing an important part in biogeochemical cycles. Here we describe the use of a benthic lander to monitoring polyps activity, used as a proxy of gorgonian feeding activity of thr...

The ICES Report on Ocean Climate (IROC) combines decades of ocean observations across the North Atlantic ICES regions to describe the current status of sea temperature, salinity, and atmospheric conditions, as well as observed trends and recent variability. The IROC production focuses the main efforts from ICES Working Group on Oceanic Hydrograph

A set of lander deployments in a deep marine protected area (MPA; El Cachucho) combining environmental sensors and a baited camera provided insight on the relationship between faunal behavior and oceanographic dynamics. Landers were deployed at different depths, ranging from 500 to 960 m for a period of 24–26 h. A total of 10,989 photographs were d...

Chapter 1.1: Purpose and scope The purpose of this Document is to guide Member States in the review and update of the assessment of their marine waters in respect of each marine region or subregion, according to Article 17(2)(a) in conjunction with Articles 8(1) and 9(1) MSFD, which is due for reporting by 15 October 2024 and in subsequent reportin...

Ship-based time-series observations provide crucial data for understanding marine ecosystems, improving decision making in ocean and coastal management. However, only a few time series survive for more than a decade. RADIALES is one of the longest multidisciplinary programs in operation in the northern and northwestern coast of Spain. In the last 3...

Major deep‐convection activity in the northwestern Mediterranean during winter 2005 triggered the formation of a complex anomalous deep‐water structure that substantially modified the properties of the Western Mediterranean deep layers. Since then, evolution of this thermohaline structure, the so‐called Western Mediterranean Transition (WMT), has b...

ICES Report on Ocean Climate (IROC) provides summary information on climatic conditions in the North Atlantic. The full-text of IROC is available at http://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.7537.

θ-S diagram evolution between July 2005 and February 2017 (800–2420 dbar); observational record (red line), smoothed fortnightly time series (grey line). See section 3.1. for further information.

a) θ profile evolution between July 2005 and February 2017 (800–2420 dbar); observed (blue line), simulated without assimilation (red line) and simulated with assimilation (black line) profiles. b) Same as a) but for S. c) Same as a) and b) but for σθ. d) Kθ (brown line) and KS (dark blue line) profiles from the simulation with assimilation. e) Tur...

The SATS including the AGL buoy data and its oceanographic station have provided-for more than 12 years now- repeated high-frequency observations of interlinked meteorological, oceanographic and biogeochemical variables that enable to obtain a comprehensive description of ocean processes from the seafloor to the atmosphere at a site representative...

A large production of anomalous dense water in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea during winter 2005 led to a widespread abrupt shift in Western Mediterranean deep waters characteristics. This new configuration, the so‐called Western Mediterranean Transition (WMT), involved a complex thermohaline structure that was tracked over time through a deep...

ICES Report on Ocean Climate (IROC) provides summary information on climatic conditions in the North Atlantic. The full-text of IROC is available at https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.5461.

From the beginning of the IEOOS, linked to local oceanographic studies, the IEO has promoted initiatives in order to make them accessible for the wide researcher community and any other users. In 1968 the IEO had designed as National Oceanographic Data Center for safeguarding of marine data and its activities are aimed to favour the quality control...

The ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) Working Group on Oceanic Hydrography (WGOH) was established in the late 1970's with the aim of gathering experts in physical oceanography to provide regular science-based assessments of the North Atlantic hydrographical condition (basically termohaline fields). From the beginning, the...

ICES Report on Ocean Climate (IROC) provides summary information on climatic conditions in the North Atlantic. The full-text of IROC is available at http://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.4625.

The pathways and transformations of dense water overflows, which depend on small-scale interactions between flow dynamics and erosional-depositional processes, are a central piece in the ocean's large-scale circulation. A novel, high-resolution current and hydrographic data set highlights the intricate pathway travelled by the saline Mediterranean...

The bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus, is a relatively common, wide-spread and deepwater shark that occurs along outer continental shelves and upper slopes. However, very little information exists about its distribution patterns, migrations and behavior. Data on occurrence and behavior of sixgill sharks inhabiting waters north of Spain (Ga...

Supporting Information S1

Ocean surface warming is commonly associated with a more stratified, less productive, and less oxygenated ocean. Such assertion is mainly based on consistent projections of increased near-surface stratification and shallower mixed layers under global warming scenarios. However, while the observed sea surface temperature (SST) is rising at mid-latit...

The ocean response to atmospheric forcing is critical to many oceanographic processes. Data on air temperature, heat and buoyancy losses, and water temperature from winter 2005 allowed detecting the formation of dense water in the NW Mediterranean Sea, both on the continental shelf and offshore, which led to cascading and open sea convection, respe...

The present work aims at understanding the synchronous response of oceanographic processes in the Cantabrian Sea (southern Bay of Biscay) and the Gulf of Lion (NW Mediterranean Sea) as a consequence of atmospheric forcing.

We present a detailed multibeam bathymetry mapping of the Avilés submarine canyon system carried out in the frame of the Spanish DOS MARES research project, jointly with a year-round (March 2012 to April 2013) monitoring of environmental variables and particle fluxes. Remote sensing images and meteorological and hydrographical data are also incorpo...

Temporal evolution of the Western Mediterranean Transition (WMT) was analysed using θ-S data from two deep stations seasonally sampled in the NE of Minorca and off Cape Palos since 2003 and 2007 respectively. Increasing trends in S and θ of the order of 10-3 year-1 and 5·10-3 ºC year-1 were shown, higher than values previously reported for the 1900...

A total of nine leafscale gulper sharks Centrophorus squamosus (Bonnaterre, 1788), were tagged with pop-up, satellite, archival, transmitting tags (PSAT) in the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of El Cachucho (Le Danois Bank) located in waters to the north of Spain, (NE Atlantic). Tags provided data on time, pressure and temperature that were used to ex...

Supporting Information S1

Open access version http://www.ocean-sci.net/12/345/2016/ Since its foundation, 100 years ago, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) has been observing and measuring the ocean characteristics. Here is a summary of the initiatives of the IEO in the field of the operational oceanography (OO). Some systems like the tide gauges network has been...

The Avilés Canyon in the central Cantabrian margin is one of the largest submarine canyons in Europe, extending from the shelf edge at 130 m depth to 4765 m depth in the Biscay abyssal plain. In this paper we present the results of a year-round (from March 2012 to April 2013) study of particle fluxes in this canyon and the adjacent continental slop...

Prior to the 2000s, the North Atlantic was the basin showing the greatest warming. However, since the mid-2000s during the so-called global warming hiatus, large amounts of heat were transferred in this basin from upper to deeper levels while the dominance in terms of atmospheric heat capture moved into the Indo-Pacific. Here, we show that a large...

Our understanding of bottom-currents and associated oceanographic processes (e.g., overflows, barotropic tidal currents) including intermittent processes (e.g., vertical eddies, deep sea storms, horizontal vortices, internal waves and tsunamis) is rapidly evolving. Many deep-water processes remain poorly understood due to limited direct observation...

Since its foundation, 100 years ago, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) has been observing and measuring the ocean characteristics. Here is a summary of the initiatives of the IEO in the field of the operational oceanography (OO). Some systems like the tide gauges network has been working for more than 70 years. The IEO standard sections b...

La región en donde se encuentra el Sistema de cañones de Avilés (SCA) se localiza en el margen continental del norte de la península Ibérica, frente a la costa occidental de Asturias. Hablando en términos geológicos, es una zona estructuralmente muy compleja en donde la plataforma continental del mar Cantábrico se encuentra profundamente modificada...

Our understanding of the role of bottom currents and associated oceanographic processes (e.g, overflows, barotropic tidal currents) including intermittent processes (e.g, vertical eddies, deep sea storms, horizontal vortices, internal waves and tsunamis) is rapidly evolving. Many deep-water processes remain poorly understood due to limited direct o...

The oceanic hydrography of the north-easternmost region of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre has been monitored since 2003 by three sections extending between 100 and 200 nautical miles from the Spanish NW and N coast into the Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay. The sections were occupied twice a year from 2003 to 2010, annually after that, and measu...

The use of non-invasive methods is becoming more and more crucial, particularly in the study of singular habitats or vulnerable species such as deep water elasmobranchs. The use of baited cameras and environmental variables measurements using landers (benthic oceanographic platforms) is an important tool for the study of Marine Protected Areas (MPA...

Surveys conducted at the complex Avilés Canyon System (southern Bay of Biscay) in order to identify vulnerable habitats and biological communities revealed the presence of noteworthy deep-water coral reefs in one of the tributaries of the system (La Gaviera Canyon). The aim of the present study is to determine why this deep-sea canyon provides suit...

,The Avilés Canyon System (ACS) is a complex, structurally-controlled canyon and valley system constituted by three main canyons of different morphostructural character. They are, from east to west: La Gaviera Canyon, El Corbiro Canyon and Avilés Canyon. In addition to this ACS, a new canyon has been surveyed: Navia Canyon. We present for the first...

A key challenge in oceanography is to capture and quantify processes that happen on short time scales, seasonal changes and inter-annual variations. To address this problem the P&O European Ferries Ltd. Ship MV Pride of Bilbao was fitted with a FerryBox from 2002 to 2010 and data returned to NOC in real time providing near continuous measurements b...

The Galicia Bank (NE Atlantic, 42°67′N–11°74′W) is an isolated seamount, near NW Spain, a complex geomorphological and sedimentary structure that receives influences from contrasting water masses of both northern and southern origins. Within the project INDEMARES, three cruises were performed on the bank in 2009 (Ecomarg0709), 2010 (BanGal0810) and...

DOSMARES (Deep-water submarine canyons and slopes in the Mediterranean and Cantabrian seas: from synchrony of external forcings to living resources) is a project aimed at improving knowledge on the benthic and pelagic habitats of submarine canyons and deep slopes in the seas around the Iberian Peninsula, with strong emphasis in the almost unknown A...

El Banco de Galicia es un monte submarino profundo localizado al noroeste de la península ibérica, a 180 kilómetros de la costa gallega. Su cima se encuentra entre los 650 y los 1.500 metros de profundidad. Sus laderas, de elevadas pendientes, caen desde esta cima hasta las llanuras abisales situadas a 4.000 metros de profundidad. Esta montaña subm...

En primavera y otoño del año 2012 se realizaron dos campañas oceanográficas con los nuevos buques regionales del Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO) en la zona del sistema de cañones de Avilés en donde se utilizó el ROV Liropus 2000. En estas dos campañas se incluyeron actividades contempladas en el proyecto INDEMARES, cuya coordinación corresp...

The Avilés Canyon System (ACS) is a complex, structurally-controlled canyon and valley system constituted by three main canyons of different morphostructural character. They are, from east to west: La Gaviera Canyon, El Corbiro Canyon and Avilés Canyon. In addition to this ACS, a new canyon has been surveyed: Navia Canyon. We present for the first...

Six summer surveys conducted from 2001 to 2005 and in 2012 by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) reveal that the hydrographic early summer scenarios around the Balearic Islands are related to the winter atmospheric forcing in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. The Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean Sea) lie at the transition between...

Open access version http://www.ocean-sci.net/9/411/2013/ Seasonality of hydrographical properties at depth in the western Iberian margin (eastern North Atlantic) is analysed from a 2003–2010 time series of a semiannual oceanographic section extending ∼200 nm off Cape Finisterre (43° N). All water masses down to the permanent thermocline (2000 dbar)...

Biogeochemical variations of surface water in the Northeast Atlantic (Bay of Biscay) were examined using high-frequency underway measurements combined with monthly sampling of carbon-related variables. The mechanisms controlling seasonal CO2 variability were investigated by distinguishing the contributions of biological and physical processes to th...

Temperature- and salinity-balance equations together with a one-dimensional model are used in this work to investigate the governing processes of the surface temperature and salinity variability at low and high frequencies in the southern Bay of Biscay. We found that the temporal evolution of mixed layer temperature is dominated by its seasonal cyc...

Seasonality of hydrographical properties at depth in the western Iberian margin (Eastern North Atlantic) is analysed from a 2003–2010 timeseries of a semi-annual oceanographic section extending ~ 200 nm off Cape Finisterre (43° N). All waters masses down to the whole extent of the permanent thermocline (2000 dbar) show a consistent seasonal signatu...

En este capítulo se caracteriza la variabilidad climática de la atmósfera en la región noroccidental de la Península Ibérica (Galicia y mar Cantábrico) a partir de series temporales de patrones de teleconexión y observaciones meteorológicas (temperatura, precipitación y vientos) en distintos puntos de la costa entre 1950 y 2010. Se ha prestado espe...

A partir de los programas de monitorización sistemática del Instituto Español de Oceanografía en la región Galicia-Cantábrico, y apoyándose en otras fuentes de datos disponibles, se describe la hidrografía y dinámica regional discutiendo su variabilidad interanual en las últimas décadas. En general se observa una tendencia robusta al calentamiento,...

In this chapter, the temporal variability in nutrient concentrations (nitrate, silicate and phosphate)at different depths along the northwestern (Galicia) and northern (mar Cantábrico) Spanish mid-shelf (75-130 m isobath) was analyzed. To this aim, we have considered the time-series of monthly observations in Galicia (Vigo and A Coruña) and in the...

Le Danois Bank is a seamount-like topographical feature located at the continental shelf in the central Cantabrian Sea (Bay of Biscay), recently declared Marine Protected Area. The bank is partially connected to the shelf by a saddle, topographically bounding an inner valley. Hydrographical cruises and direct current measurements from current meter...

Mixed layer depth (MLD) variability from seasonal to decadal time scales in the Bay of Biscay is studied in this work. A hydrographic time series running since 1991 in the study area, a climatology of the upper layer vertical structure based on the topology of this temperature profile time series and a one-dimensional water column model have been u...

During summer, wind driven coastal upwelling dominates in the Central Cantabrian Sea (southern Bay of Biscay). Nevertheless, atmospheric forcing is highly variable and wind pulses may cause noticeable and fast hydrographic responses in the shelf region. In this paper, the composition and vertical distribution of the summer ichthyoplankton assemblag...

We investigate the effect of strong meteorological perturbations in early spring on the success of mackerel (Scomber scombrus) recruitment in the N/NW Iberian area (southern Bay of Biscay) for the period 1999–2008. In 2000, the year of the most pronounced recruitment failure on record, two consecutive multidisciplinary surveys sampled hydrographic...

From the last 1980s different initiatives have been carried out by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) at its Oceanographic Centre of Santander to progressively increase its ocean observing system capabilities. From 1991, shelf and slope waters of the Southern Bay of Biscay are regularly sampled in a monthly hydrographic line north of Santa...

ICES/NAFO Decadal Symposium 2011 There is evidence of changes in the population behaviour of the Northeast Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus). During the last decade appears that the stock has been undergone to an increase in the recruitment variability, changes in the distribution and migration and even variation in spawning time. Southern...

El Cañón de Avilés es una de las 10 zonas estudiadas por el proyecto INDEMARES. El principal objetivo de este proyecto es el estudio de ecosistemas marinos potencialmente valiosos como para ser integrados en la Red natura 2000. El estudio de cada zona asignada al Instituto Español de Oceanografía conlleva un análisis multidisciplinar del ecosistema...

Variability in time series of oceanographic (temperature, salinity), chemical (nutrients) and plankton variables (species abundance, chlorophyll, primary production) was analysed along an upwelling gradient in the northern Spanish shelf (Galicia and Mar Cantábrico) and related to climate between 1990 and 2006. The series were decomposed in linear t...

The first edition of the report “Climate Change in the Spanish Mediterranean” acknowledged the necessity of monitoring environmental conditions within the Mediterranean Sea and it stated that initiatives aimed at preserving and achieving a sustainable development of its resources should be based on a rigorous and scientific knowledge. The first edi...

El proyecto “Inventario y designación de la Red Natura 2000 en áreas marinas del Estado español” (INDEMARES: www.indemares.es) tiene como objetivo principal contribuir a la protección y uso sostenible de la biodiversidad en los mares españoles mediante la identificación de espacios de valor para la Red Natura 2000. Diez son las zonas objeto de estu...

El proyecto “Inventario y designación de la Red Natura 2000 en áreas marinas del Estado español” (INDEMARES: www.indemares.es) tiene como objetivo principal contribuir a la protección y uso sostenible de la biodiversidad en los mares españoles mediante la identificación de espacios de valor para la Red Natura 2000. Diez son las zonas objeto de estu...

Within the framework of the TUNIBAL project that focused on Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) larval ecology, ichthyoplankton surveys were conducted from 2001 to 2005 off the Balearic archipelago, which is recognized as one of the main spawning areas of the eastern Atlantic stock of this species. In each survey, a regular sampling grid of abo...