Rita Nolasco

University of Aveiro | UA · Division of Physics

Numerical biophysical models are a standard methodology used to provide estimates of larval dispersal and population connectivity for marine species with a bi-phasic life cycle. However, confidence on biophysical models, tested by confronting model estimates with empirical evidence, is seldomly assessed. We compared time-series estimates of larval...

Timescales in the ocean can range from the transient turbulence to the long-term climate scales. Quantifying its changes involves establishing meaningful background states, but that can be challenging if an extensive array of wave phenomena is masking the ocean's variability. Internal Waves (IWs) are a fundamental part of these wave phenomena, whic...

High-resolution satellite data and numerical model solutions are used to document the inner shelf circulation structure during a short upwelling event off NW Portugal in September 2019. A rare sequence of cloud free images of sea surface temperature (SST) and ocean colour show an upwelling cell separated from the coast during the intense wind phase...

Understanding large-scale spatial and temporal patterns of marine populations is a central goal in ecology, which has received renewed attention under climate change. However, few studies explore the large-scale dynamics of populations using standardized protocols and during the same time frames. We studied the phenology and intensity of reproducti...

In January 2020, a stakeholder workshop was organized as a knowledge sharing strategy among European stalked barnacle fisheries. Management of this fishery differs greatly among regions and ranges from less organized and governed at large scales (>100 km, coasts of SW Portugal and Brittany in France) to highly participatory systems which are co-man...

Estuarine exchange flow plays an important role in the biogeochemical properties exchange between the coastal ocean and the estuaries. Circulation patterns inside the Rias Baixas (NW Iberian Peninsula) have been widely studied, while the Ría de Pontevedra has received less attention. A high-resolution ROMS-AGRIF system configuration with three onli...

The hydrography and circulation of the Northwestern Iberian Margin (NWIM) was studied over an annual cycle from November 2008 to December 2009. The study was focused on the Cape Silleiro border region that separates the rugged northern coastline of the Rías Baixas embayments and the smoother southern coastline, a source of major fresh water outflow...

The PERCEBES project aspires to answer questions regarding the effects of harvesting on the intertidal community and recovery potential of stalked barnacle populations after harvesting, for which a Human Exclusion Experiment has been deployed over 2 years in 4 regions: coast of Alentejo (Portugal), Atlantic Islands (Galicia, Spain), Western Asturia...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197627.].

The hydrography and dynamics of NW Iberian margin were explored for July 2009, based on a set of in situ and remote sensing observations. Zonal sections of standard CTD casts, towed CTD (SeaSoar), Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) and Lagrangian surveys were made to characterize cycles of upwelling and relaxation in this region. Two periods...

Complementary data used to reach the conclusions drawn in the manuscript. Includes the relevant observations from the CAIBEX project and the wind data from the WRF simulation. (ZIP)

Marine larval dispersal is a complex biophysical process that depends on the effects of species biology and oceanography, leading to logistical difficulties in estimating connectivity among populations of marine animals with biphasic life cycles. To address this challenge, the application of multiple methodological approaches has been advocated, in...

For decapod crustaceans, the larval phase is the main responsible for dispersal, given the direct emission from adult habitats into the water column. Circulation patterns and behavioural mechanisms control the dispersal distance and connectivity between different areas. Information on larval distribution and abundance is required to predict the siz...

The present work aims at evaluating the impacts of a climate change scenario on the hydrography and dynamics of the Iberian Upwelling System. Using regional ocean model configurations, the study domain is forced with three different sets of surface fields: a climatological dataset to provide the control run; a dataset obtained from averaging severa...

Knowledge of connectivity pathways in the marine environment is crucial for understanding the spatial structure of populations and for developing appropriate monitoring and management strategies. Here, we used the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis as a model species to investigate connectivity patterns within the Berlengas and Arrábida Marine Protec...

Dinophysis acuminata and Dinophysis acuta are recurrent species off NW Iberia but their outbreaks occur under different conditions. A decade (2004–2013) of weekly data for each species at two sentinel stations located at the entrance of Rias de Aveiro-AV (NW Portugal, 40°38.6′ N) and Pontevedra-PO (Galicia, Spain, 42°21.5′ N), were used to investig...

Coastal upwelling filaments off the Western Iberian Margin, detected in AVHRR satellite imagery and in a realistic ROMS simulation of sea surface temperature, were studied in the upwelling seasons (May–October) of 2001–2010. Sea surface temperature data were retrieved from AVHRR satellite imagery and from a realistic ROMS numerical simulation. The...

A modeling study of the seasonal and interannual variability of chlorophyll-a has been carried out for the period 2001–2010 along the Iberian shelf and adjacent ocean. A high resolution regional configuration of the three-dimensional Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) has been used, coupled to a N2PZD2-type biogeochemical model. Chlorophyll-a co...

This work evaluates the performance of several global climate models (GCMs) as forcing of a regional ocean model configuration centered in the Iberian Basin. The study is divided in two parts. First, the output of nine GCMs is analyzed based on the fields needed to force the ocean model (Regional Ocean Modelling System—ROMS). GCMs differ greatly be...

The mean seasonal hydrography and circulation of the Western Iberian Margin (WIM) are studied by means of a high-resolution configuration of the Regional Oceanic Modeling System. A comparison of 5-year model averages for January and July with climatological datasets shows a general good agreement in the reproduction of the mean water mass propertie...

Predicting the spatial and temporal patterns of marine larval dispersal and supply is a challenging task, requiring the use of novel approaches capable of capturing the inherent variability in the mechanisms involved. Biophysical models are emerging as important tools used to understand dispersal and recruitment of marine larvae on several scales,...

An extreme event in September 2007, presenting a strong upwelling core detaching from the Galician NW coast and extending towards west-northwest from the Cape Finisterre - Cape Ortegal zone, with the formation of several filaments and a consequent strong response in chlorophyll concentration values is analyzed. To do so, a NPZD biogeochemical modul...

As in most eastern boundary systems, on the Western Iberian Margin there is coastal upwelling during summer due to the alongshore northerly winds and the consequent offshore displacement of surface waters. This work addresses the origin of these upwelled waters. Using a regional ocean model, a climatological configuration and a lagrangian particle...

The Western Iberian Margin is the northern limit of the Canary Upwelling System, a region of strong mesoscale activity, seasonal variability and thus very likely to be sensitive to climate change. Using a regional ocean model and data from several coupled global climate models (CGCM), climatological simulations were set up for present and for a fut...

There is a growing interest on physical and biogeochemical oceanic hindcasts and forecasts from a wide range of users and businesses. In this contribution we present an operational biogeochemical forecast system for the Portuguese and Galician oceanographic regions, where atmospheric, hydrodynamic and biogeochemical variables are integrated. The oc...

Predicting the spatial and temporal patterns of marine larval dispersal and supply is a challenging task due to the small size of the larvae and the variability of oceanographic processes. Addressing this problem requires the use of novel approaches capable of capturing the inherent variability in the mechanisms involved. In this study we test whet...

Time evolution of larval trajectories for the complete larval series (first zoea to megalopa) for the Invasion experiment with normal growth rate without mortality in 2006. Left panel: trajectories of the larvae that never recruited to the Ria de Aveiro, right panel: trajectories of the larvae that recruited to the Ria de Aveiro. Arrows close to es...

Time evolution of larval trajectories for the complete larval series (first zoea to megalopa) for the Invasion experiment with normal growth rate without mortality in 2007. Left panel: trajectories of the larvae that never recruited to the Ria de Aveiro, right panel: trajectories of the larvae that recruited to the Ria de Aveiro. Arrows close to es...

There is a growing interest on physical and biogeochemical oceanic hindcasts and forecasts from a wide range of users and businesses. In this contribution we present an operational biogeochemical forecast system for the Portuguese and Galician oceanographic regions, where atmospheric, hydrodynamic and biogeochemical variables are integrated. The oc...

Trying to find a set of parameters to properly reproduce the biogeochemical dynamics of the region of study is a major concern in biogeochemical ocean modelling. Model parameters are constant values introduced in the equations that calculate the time and space evolution of the state variables of the biogeochemical model. A good set of parameters al...

Hydrobia ulvae displays an endogenous rhythm of crawling behaviour of circatidal periodicity, with higher levels of activity during high water. In the present study we address the effect of repeated cycles of immersion and emersion at tidal periodicity on the level and synchronism of the behaviour, by contrasting these with the effects of continuou...

Coastal and regional ocean forecasts can be currently performed on a daily basis due to the advances in numerical techniques and in computational resources. Maintenance of routine forecasts is a demanding task from the point of view of software engineering since it involves a number of new additional tasks difficult to code efficiently in the compi...

Electromagnetic fluctuations in the ocean have external sources like ionospheric-magnetospheric current systems, and purely internal oceanic sources associated with interaction between water velocity fields and the geomagnetic field. The oscillations of the telluric field originated by tides were first predicted by Faraday in 1832. The physical phe...

We measured variability in daily supply levels of shore crab megalopae in an estuary on the northwest Portuguese coast, Ria de Aveiro, located in the eastern Atlantic upwelling system. The 5 yr study covered the shore crab larval season (generally February to July) in 2002 and from 2006 to 2009. We addressed the possible effects of wind-and tide-dr...

... The circatidal rhythm of the estuarine gastropod Hydrobia ulvae ( Gastropoda : Hydrobiidae), Meld een fout in dit record. Volledige referentie: Auteurs. ... The circatidal rhythm of the estuarine gastropod Hydrobia ulvae ( Gastropoda : Hydrobiidae) Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 100(2): 439-450. ...

Intertidal animals display a suite of cyclic behaviours that evolved as adaptations to the predictable cycle of inundation and exposure. In estuarine habitats, mud snails from the genus Hydrobia are among the most abundant grazers, and have received considerable attention with respect to the behavioural mechanisms mediating locomotion, dispersal, a...

Realistic simulations of the circulation off the Western Iberian Peninsula, for the period 2001-2009 are compared against satellite observations of sea surface temperature (SST), for the summer upwelling season. This was done by means of comparisons of climatological means of monthly sst, standard deviation, and monthly anomalies obtained from sate...

The study of the connectivity between populations is one of the 'hot' applications of numerical models of the ocean circulation. An IBM (Individual Based model) was developed, using Carcinus manenas larvae crab as a model. A set of particles was used as a representation of larvae, in order to study their larval life cycle, including the larval grow...

Onshore measurements of telluric field oscillations have been used to estimate the water transport associated to tidal flow in the western Portuguese coast. The onshore E-W dipoles located at São Jacinto and Sines were calibrated by comparing the ocean modelled N-S shelf water transport originated by the main lunar tidal frequency and the correspon...

This work aims at a better understanding of the variability of the Iberian Upwelling Ecosystem, not only in the present regime, but also in a future climate change scenario. The purpose of the present study is to assess whether downscaling is an appropriate methodology for the region and its physical processes. Numerical simulations with the Region...

In order to better understand the variability of the Iberian Upwelling Ecosystem, numerical simulations with the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) were setup. These configurations allow to study the long term and large scale ocean circulation features, and also the mesoscale features associated to the coastal transition zone. It is also intend...

Satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll ([Chl]) concentration maps are used together with numerical models to study the advection patterns observed during a summer upwelling event off central Portugal, a region characterized by a complex coastline and bathymetry. It is shown that the model solutions realistically reproduce t...

On-shore measurements of telluric field oscillations have been used together with electric field acquired in a submarine cable crossing a channel (in Aveiro area) to estimate the water transport through the channel. The on-shore N–S dipole was calibrated by correlating the lunar tidal water transport and the corresponding on-shore motionally tidal...

In Ria de Aveiro, tides are distorted as they progress from the mouth toward the end of the channels. The general characteristics of the tidal wave are those of a damped progressive wave, presenting a decrease of the tidal amplitude and an increase of the phase lag due to bottom friction. According to the results obtained, Mohid-2D was successfully...

Electromagnetic fluctuations in the ocean have external sources like ionospheric–magnetospheric current systems, and purely internal oceanic sources associated with interaction between water velocity fields and the geomagnetic field, that is, the motionally induced voltage (MIV). During the last decade techniques based on MIV have proven to provide...

Resumo Apresentam-se os fundamentos teóricos do uso dos cabos submarinos em oceanografia e em geofísica interna discutindo-se alguns exemplos de aplicação. A monitoramento das correntes oceânicas de longo período (mais exatamente do transporte de massa que lhes está associado), é importante para a compreensão da dinâmica dos oceanos e portanto para...

Voltage measurements made in the CAM-1 submarine cable located between Sesimbra (Lisbon) and Madeira Island have been used in combination with magnetic observations carried out in the geomagnetic observatory of Guimar (Canary Islands), to estimate the deep geoelectrical structure beneath the ocean. Apparent resistivities and phases were calculated...

Techniques based on motional induced voltage (MIV), which is induced by the water flow across Earth's magnetic field has motivated and increase of interest of oceanographers, regarding studies of large scale ocean flows. The major part of these experiences has been applied to large-scale ocean studies. This technique has been demonstrated during la...

EM34 and SP surveys were used to delineate shallow structures associated with the mineral water springs in the Vilarelho da Raia area located NE Portugal. This spring is part of a set of CO2-rich mineral (hot and cold) waters connected to the main Hercynian NNE-SSW fault systems. The EM34 survey was interpreted using a quasi-three-dimensional inver...

Data of electrical voltage measured between the ends of the CAM-1 cable, during fifteen months, have been analysed in order to determine the electrical stability of the cable and to obtain some preliminary information related to water transport. The monthly average of the potential measured during days with low geomagnetic activity suggests a perio...

Data of electrical voltage measured between the ends of the CAM-1 cable, during fifteen months, have been analysed in order to determine the electrical stability of the cable and to obtain some preliminary information related to water transport. The monthly average of the potential measured during days with low geomagnetic activity suggests a perio...

Forty-one magnetotelluric soundings were carried out along a 200 km-long profile (approximately NNE-SSW) across the three major geotectonic units in SW Iberia. A model obtained from two-dimensional inversion of the magnetotelluric data set reveals high conductivity zones in the middle-lower crust (10-30 km). Two of these zones correspond to the tra...

In April-June 1989, seafloor magnetotelluric data across and along the leading edge of the Tahiti hotspot were obtained. The magnetotelluric response functions were found to be strongly influenced by bathymetric and island effects, and a new procedure for modeling and removing this distortion using a thin sheet approach combined with the measured w...

Data of electrical voltage measured between the ends of the CAM-1 cable have been analysed in order to determine the electrical stability of the cable and to obtain some preliminary information related to water transport. The monthly average of the po- tential measured during days with low geomagnetic activity suggests a periodicity of 120 days tha...

RESUMO Este trabalho apresenta duas novas tecnologias distintas para monitorização de sistemas marinhos e a sua aplicação à Ria de Aveiro: uma tecnologia óptica para medição da temperatura da água e uma tecnologia electromagnética para o cálculo de caudais. A comparação de resultados obtidos através do recurso à tecnologia óptica com resultados de...