Short-term observations of currents and sub-surface temperatures at the Walters Shoal, May 2014

The Walters Shoal project, part of the broader African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme (ACEP III), conducted an oceanographic and biological survey of the Walters Shoal, a shallow seamount in the southwest Indian Ocean, in order to understand the biodiversity and ecological processes occurring on this unique seamount. The project used a multidisciplinary approach that included the sampling of sponge fauna, fish populations, and oceanographic conditions. Oceanographic data (including moored ADCP data, CTD profiles, as well as underway S-ADCP and TSG data) was collected to understand the circulation patterns and hydrography that could influence the biological communities on the seamount. Here, we present the moored ADCP data that was collected to determine currents and sub-surface temperatures. Two ADCP moorings were deployed, one on the northern part and the other on the southern part of Walters Shoal, at depths of 500m, between May 2014 and August 2015.