Alimentos de las profundidades

This fact sheet describes the oceanographic mechanisms of upwelling in the Patagonian shelf of the Southwestern Atlantic. It explains how deep ocean currents, rather than wind, drive the ascent of nutrient-rich waters to the surface, supporting significant biological productivity, large-scale fisheries, and carbon sequestration.

• Coastal upwelling regions, while covering only 1% of the total ocean surface, support up to 50% of global fishing and a significant portion of total ocean production.
• Unlike many other global upwelling systems (such as those off the coasts of California or Oregon) which are wind-driven and last only days or weeks, the upwelling in the Patagonian shelf is caused by deep ocean currents and remains active continuously throughout the year.
• The upwelling mechanism in Patagonia is driven by the 'intrusion' of the Malvinas Current over the shelf, forced by ocean floor topography. The current flows north along the continental slope, creating a pressure gradient that diverts currents toward the coast, which is compensated by a flow from the bottom to the surface.
• The nutrient-rich waters brought to the surface support a complete trophic chain including phytoplankton, anchovies, hake, sablefish, and squid, as well as bottom-dwelling organisms like scallops. This productivity attracts elephant seals from the Argentine coasts to the Malvinas region for feeding, crossing approximately 400 km of the Patagonian shelf.
• The influence of the Patagonian slope upwelling and the Malvinas Current extends north of 39ºS, contributing nutrient-rich shelf waters that, combined with water from the Río de la Plata, create a productive ecosystem off the coasts of Uruguay and southern Brazil.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2010). Alimentos de las profundidades. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/06/snapshot5_food_from_the_deep_SP.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Alimentos de las profundidades. 2010. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/06/snapshot5_food_from_the_deep_SP.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Alimentos de las profundidades |date=2010 |url=https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/06/snapshot5_food_from_the_deep_SP.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2010alimentos, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Alimentos de las profundidades}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2010}, url = {https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/uploads/2014/06/snapshot5_food_from_the_deep_SP.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }