. Brazil Current The Brazil Current LME runs from the Recife area in Brazil southwards to the mouth of the Rio de la Plata, thereby taking in the southern half of the Brazilian coastline and the Atlantic coast of Uruguay. The northern part of this LME has a very narrow steeply sloping shelf, from 15-75 km wide; in the southern part this becomes wider and gentler, reaching out to 150 km or so. The dominant oceanographic feature is the southward flowing Brazil Current, which starts at around 10°S and is strongest from the Abrolhos Archipelago south to the Tropic of Capricorn, after which it beco
. Brazil Current The Brazil Current LME runs from the Recife area in Brazil southwards to the mouth of the Rio de la Plata, thereby taking in the southern half of the Brazilian coastline and the Atlantic coast of Uruguay. The northern part of this LME has a very narrow steeply sloping shelf, from 15-75 km wide; in the southern part this becomes wider and gentler, reaching out to 150 km or so. The dominant oceanographic feature is the southward flowing Brazil Current, which starts at around 10°S and is strongest from the Abrolhos Archipelago south to the Tropic of Capricorn, after which it becomes progressively weaker. The northern part of this current is relatively oligotrophic but to the south it becomes increasingly productive. Patagonian Shelf The Patagonian Shelf LME extends along the southern Atlantic coast of South America from the Rio de la Plata south to southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. The continental shelf here is one of the widest in the world, encompassing the Falklands/Malvinas Islands some 760 km east of the mainland. Oceanographically, the area is dominated by the cold Falklands/Malvinas Current which flows northward along the coast from the extreme south. It is generally slow flowing, but fastest (around 2 km/hour) at the outer edge of the continental shelf. Prevailing westerly winds produce upwellings of cold Antarctic waters here, which lower the surface temperature. The northern limit of the current varies: it usually extends as far north as Buenos Aires in Argentina, but sometimes exerts its influence as far north as Rio de Janeiro. In the Rio de la Plata region there is extensive mixing of this current with the southward flowing warm Brazil Current resulting in a highly productive confluence zone. Hydrographically this region is very complex, having additional influence from upwellings and low salinity coastal waters (principally outflow of the Rio de la Plata). The region of mixed waters typically extends between 25°S and 45°S. North
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