Off the coasts of Campeche and Yucatán lies an extensive marine region known as the Yucatán Peninsula coastal shelf. This area is characterized by its wide and shallow continental shelf. Because of these conditions, water movement is mainly influenced by winds and by friction between ocean currents and the seafloor. As a result, currents in this region typically have moderate speeds, generally ranging from 0 to 0.5 meters per second.

This coastal shelf is strategically important for Mexico’s economic development. Key activities such as tourism, fisheries, and the energy industry take place in this region. However, scientific studies of its ocean dynamics have mostly been conducted at local scales and have focused on specific processes, limiting a comprehensive understanding of the system.

For this reason, it is essential to promote regional coastal monitoring and strengthen collaboration among academic institutions, government agencies, and productive sectors. Continuous and coordinated data collection would improve our understanding of how ocean conditions vary over time, what physical forces drive these changes, and how environmental parameters evolve.

Establishing a baseline of oceanographic variables is crucial for multiple applications, including climate change studies, climate prediction, ecological research, coastal vulnerability and risk assessment related to extreme events, monitoring of sargassum influxes, detection of harmful algal blooms (red tides), and the protection of underwater cultural heritage, among others.

DATA ACCESS

We would like to thank SECIHTI for the funding provided through the PRONAII-2024-70 and CF-2023-G-336 projects, the Engineering Institute through the GII 3117 project, and the UC ALIANZA MX 4606 project. We also extend our thanks to Dr. José López, M.I. Juan Gómez, and M.IA. Gonzalo Martín for their technical support.