2 Data and Methods
Our study uses daily sea-surface velocity data from a 25-year
climatology (1994-2018) based on the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model
(HYCOM) reanalysis, encompassing from the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean to
the coast of North Carolina, USA, including the Gulf of Mexico, as
delimited by coordinates -100oW to
-20oW and -7oS to
35oN (Figure 1 and Figure S1 in Supplementary
Information). To gain a deeper understanding of the primary current
pathways and transport barriers, we computed climatological Lagrangian
Coherent Structures (cLCS) and identified the main current patterns
using Self-Organized Maps (SOMs). The cLCS provided insights into the
transport barriers and primary current pathways, while the SOMs allowed
us to efficiently characterize the system by synthesizing spatial and
temporal variability into limited current patterns. To further identify
transport routes, the effect of wind, and the probability of particle
arrival in the CS region, we conducted Lagrangian experiments under
three different scenarios: (i) currents without additional wind, (ii)
currents with an additional 1% of wind, and (iii) currents with an
additional 2% of wind. For each scenario, we integrated trajectories
using time-dependent velocities from a HYCOM climatology, wind
climatology, and SOMs patterns. We further illustrate the implications
of our findings by analyzing a case study for the YP. Our approach
allowed us to understand the region’s ocean currents system,
characteristics, and response to varying wind conditions in Lagrangian
terms. Following is a description of the data and methods employed in
the study.