Estimating Environmental Mobility in Urban Areas of Latin America and the Caribbean: Implications and Directions for Policy

OUTCOMES: Generally, we found the highest abundances of Synechococcus spp., picoeukaryotes, and hetrotrophic bacteria with little or no Prochlorococcus spp in the freshest surface plume waters (15-28 ppt). In the transition of surface salinities from 28 ppt to 32 ppt, a population of Prochlorococcus spp. began to form below the surface plume while Synechococcus spp. abundances at the surface remained unchanged and picoeukaryotes, and heterotrophic bacteria abundances decreased. As the surface salinity climbed over 32 ppt, the Prochlorococcus spp. abundance was uniformly high throughout the euphotic zone. On the other hand, Synechococcus spp. abundances at the surface gradually decreased as salinity increased from 32 ppt, while picoeukaryote and hetrotrophic bacterial abundances remained constant.