Sea surface temperature variability in the northern Benguela upwelling system, and implications for fisheries research

Variability of sea surface temperature (SST) in the northern Benguela was studied using a time-series of mean weekly SST images from 1981 to 1990. Mean SST, standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV) maps were generated to investigate general temporal trends; charts of mean spatial SD and CV were constructed to examine general spatial trends; latitude-specific time-series were assembled for tracking the system's behaviour; and levels of cloud cover were assessed. The results give a detailed representation of the region's surface variability during the 1980s and provide new insights into interannual variability. The relevance of satellite image time-series and these results to fisheries research is briefly discussed.