Abundance of fish eggs and larvae in the northern and central Benguela upwelling region during the "Benguela" surveys (1979-1984) [Dataset]

This dataset provides information on distribution, abundance and diversity of ichthyoplankton in the Benguela Current region (southeastern Atlantic). Data came from six cruises carried out in the northen and central Benguela region between 1979 and 1984. Larval diversity was higher in the northern part of the study area due to the intrusions of Angolan waters. The frontal zone between Angola and Benguela waters was a nursery ground for the pelagic species of the region: Trachurus trachurus capensis, Engraulis capensis, and Sardinops ocellatus (currently accepted as Sardinops sagax). The eggs and larval distributions showed that their spatial patterns were related to the upwelling situation, with important transport of larvae of pelagic shelf species to offshore waters due to the surface Ekman transport associated with coastal upwelling