Lagrangian Current Measurements in the Northeastern Caribbean Sea

Lagrangian drift measurements were made off the south coast of Puerto Rico during seven cruises between March and September of 1982. On an eighth cruise an additional seven buoy drifts were followed near Grappler Seamount in November of 1982. Two buoys were launched nearly simultaneously during each of the initial 7 cruises from the same location, 57\´N 54\´W, two miles south of Punta Tuna Puerto Rico. The buoys were drogued at 50m, 100m or 200m and equipped with a radio beacon and anchor light to facilitate tracking. The paired drifts showed little similarity between cruises. Westward drift was the most common. Mean and eddy kinetic energies were calculated for all drift observations. Westward drifts were more energetic.