The western Patagonia, in Southern Chile, has a complex topography formed by fjords, islands and bays of glacial origins. It harbors an aquaculture industry that is among the top exporters of salmon and mussels worldwide, but at the same time, it is heavily impacted by anthropogenic (e.g., fisheries) and environmental stressors (e.g., Harmful Algal Blooms). Regardless of the economic and social importance in the region, the variability of the circulation and hydrography has been little explored, especially if compared to similar regions as the Alaska/California Current System. This seminar will present the main oceanographic and atmospheric features of the western Patagonia, with emphasis in their temporal and spatial variability. Recent and ongoing research shows a strong connection between Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and large-scale phenomena such as ENSO and the Baroclinic Annular Mode at the interannual and intraseasonal time-scale respectively. The implications of these forcings on the aquaculture will be discussed. Regional and local circulation is addressed with numerical models that are being implemented for the region, mostly to describe seasonal variability on the inner shelf and residence times within some fjords.

Diego Narváez is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Oceanography, University of Concepción, Chile. He is a former CCPO and ODU graduate student, where he worked with Drs. John Klinck and Eileen Hofmann. Currently, he is part of the COPAS Sur-Austral working on the Chilean Patagonia. His research interests are in understanding and determining the spatial and temporal scales of physical processes that affect aquaculture and the ecosystem in the region. He is currently involved in implementing a network of observational systems along the Chilean coast that could help to have early warning of environmental hazards, such as Harmful Algal Blooms.

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