Enhancement of regional variations in salinity and temperature in a coral reef lagoon, New Caledonia

Sylvain Ouillon (1) , P. Douillet (1) , Renaud Fichez (1) , Jean-Yves Panché (1)

1 CAMELIA - Caractérisation et modélisation des échanges dans des lagons soumis aux influences terrigènes et anthropiques

The variability in salinity and temperature in the southwest lagoon of New Caledonia (2,100 km2) under non-storm conditions is analyzed using a 4-year data set (1997-2001). Seasonal and interannual variations in salinity are amplified near shore. Temperature is larger in bays than in the open lagoon during summer, the reverse is true in winter. El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) related nearshore temperature variations parallel those at regional scale, but with seasonal variations amplified. Haline stratification, if any, is enhanced in coastal areas.

Keywords: salinity; temperature; ENSO; El Niño; coral reef lagoon; New Caledonia

Domains: Oceanography

Sylvain Ouillon, P. Douillet, Renaud Fichez, Jean-Yves Panché. Enhancement of regional variations in salinity and temperature in a coral reef lagoon, New Caledonia. Comptes Rendus Géoscience, 2005, 337, pp.1509-0517. ⟨10.1016/j.crte.2005.08.005⟩. ⟨hal-00082891⟩