PREDICTABLE UPWELLING AND THE SHOREWARD TRANSPORT OF PLANKTONIC LARVAE BY INTERNAL TIDAL BORES

Internal tidal bores have a crucial role in the transport of drifting larvae to marine nearshore populations, a key factor in structuring benthic communities. Shoreward transport of larvae and abrupt surface temperature drops lasting days can be explained by invoking the advection of subsurface cold water to the shore by internal tidal bores. This process is predictable within the lunar cycle and brings deep water to the surface (upwelling) in a direction perpendicular to the coastline.