Étude du crabe rouge profond Geryon quinquedens en Côte d'Ivoire. 1 - Prospection le long du talus continental: résultats des pêches

From Aug 1975 to Jan 1976 a fishing survey for deep-sea red crab Geryon quinquedens was executed along the Ivorian coast between 3{degree} and 7{degree}30'W. Three regions could be distinguished: a central one with poor catches (1.6 kg/trap/20h); an east region with the best catches (5 kg/trap/20h); and a west region, also with good catches (4.5 kg/trap/20h). For the whole survey, catches only took place between 300 and 700m, the best at 400 m. A distinct sexual segregation was observed according to bathymetry with the percentage of males increasing with depth. Nearly the same abundance was observed in Côte d'Ivoire, in Congo and North Angola, while in South Angola catches are somewhat higher.

Le courant de Lomonosov dans le fond du Golfe de Guinée en mai 1973

A cruise of the R. V. Capricorne in May 1973, in inner part of the gulf of Guinea, allowed the authors to identify the main part of the Atlantic circulation at the longitude of 5 degrees E, between 4 degrees N and 4 degrees S. It gave new data on the termination of the equatorial undercurrent. At the equator, under the westward south equatorial current flows the Atlantic equatorial undercurrent with a maximum eastward velocity of 90 cm/sec at 30 m depth linked to a salinity maximum higher than 36.20 ppt. Below the equatorial undercurrent, about 80-100 m depth, flows a westward current with a velocity as high as 30 cm/sec. At 4 degrees S, the south equatorial countercurrent is well delineated by a high salinity core (more than 36.10 ppt) at 30 m depth with an eastward velocity core of 40 cm/sec. On the contrary, near 3 degrees 30N, a high salinity core (36.10 ppt) flows westwards with a speed of 40 cm/sec at 40 m depth: it is the "return flow" of the undercurrent (Hisard and Moliere 1974). At 4 degrees N the Guinea current carries eastwards surface salinities of 34.50 ppt at 40 cm/sec. Off Cape Lopez (0 degrees 35'S-8 degrees 42'E) the high salinity core of the undercurrent becomes wider near the shore. It is 25m wide offshore, and 70 m wide near the cape. A part of undercurrent water extends northwards, then flows westwards with the subsurface westward circulation in the inner part of the Gulf of Guinea. Another part flows south-southwestwards in a high salinity tongue along the African coast to 4 degrees S. South-west of Cape Lopez, the trades divergence contributes to an upwelling of cold and high salinity water; this water increases at the Cape Lopez front.

Biomasses du phytoplancton et du zooplancton dans l'Atlantique tropical le long du méridien 1O' W (Résultats de la campagne Capricorne 7314)

The standing stock of chlorophyll, the quantities of copepods collected with a 30 liter Niskin bottle and the standing stock of zooplankton collected with a 'Bongo' net were measured from 0 to 200 m depth during a cruise along 10' W from 1' N to 12' S. These parameters are correlated to hydrological conditions measured simultaneously. 6 zonal areas have been delimited and described; the north equatorial convergence, the northern flow of the south equatorial counter-current, the trade winds drift, the south equatorial counter-current and the Benguela's drift.