Abstract The Caribbean Sea is rich in mesoscale eddy activity. The eddies are
predominantly anticyclonic, transport Southern Hemisphere waters towards the Gulf of
Mexico, and their properties are thought to strengthen hurricanes. These eddies intensify
significantly after their formation and are advected through the Yucatan Channel, where they
affect the shedding of Loop Current Eddies. Previous studies have indicated that the local
trade winds, which give rise to Ekman-driven upwelling along the South-American coast and …