I have not seen Jim Gower’s analysis (based on MERIS) perhaps you can post the reference here or send to me please. However, there is always “stuff” floating northward from the northern and east coasts of South America. The image shown (http://optics.marine.usf.edu/subscription/modis/ECARIB/2014/daily/123/A2...) is a good example of the circulation features in this region as seen in the ocean color imagery. There is always higher values along the coast moving north-northwestward into the Caribbean Sea. [...]