2008 Ocean Sciences MeetingMarch 2-7, 2008 · Orlando, Florida · www.aslo.org/orlando2008

From the Watershed to the Global Ocean

Meeting AbstractsCo-sponsored by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, the American Geophysical Union, The Oceanography Society, and the Estuarine Research Federation

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Meeting Abstracts ASLO/AGU/TOS/ERF

Aakerman, H. J., Lund University, LUND, Sweden, jonas.akerman@nateko.lu.seCOSTAL PROCESSES AND THEIR INFLUENCE UPON DISCHARGE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STROKDAMMANE PLAIN, WEST SPITSBERGEN, SVALBARDChanges in the sea-ice conditions long the west coast of Svalbard has during the last de-cades changed and affected conditions ashore. The effect upon the discharge characteris-tics of small drainage basins close to the seashore are discussed. The area studied is situ-ated on the coastal plain, south of Kapp Linne’ (78o 04’ N, 13 o 38’ E,) with special focus on the anomalous discharge pattern of the Fyrsjöen Lake catchment area. The drainage of the lake is with increased frequency blocked by ice-cemented storm ridges delaying the spring and snowmelt peak flow. Vast areas are flooded, affecting vegetation and breeding birds of the area. The Lake is then, dramatically tapped during one or two days with heavy flow, after which the discharge pattern returns to normal. This process, is not unique here but rather common along the west coast of Spitsbergen. These special conditions have a clear influence on the active layer, the permafrost and, the vegetation and the bird colonies of the area.

Aarnos, H., University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, hanna.aarnos@helsinki.fi;Ylostalo, P., Finnish Institute of Marine Research, Helsinki, Finland, pasi.ylostalo@fimr.fi;Vahatalo, A. V., University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, anssi.vahatalo@helsinki.fiPHOTOCHEMISTRY MINERALIZES DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER (DOM) AND INCREASES DOM BIOAVAILABILITY IN THE BALTIC SEADirect photomineralization of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON) as well as the stimulation of bacterial growth by photoproduction of labile organic substrates were investigated by simulated solar irradiation experiments using waters from a fresh-water–marine gradient in the Baltic Sea. We calculated the annual photomineralization rates of DOC and DON and the annual photoproduction rate of labile organic substrates which supported bacterial growth according to the solar irradiance in the Baltic Sea and the experimentally determined apparent quantum yields for the photochemical reactions. The calculated photomineralization rate of DON was lowest in the regions with terrestrial dominated DON while the photomineralization rate of DOC decreased along the fresh-water–marine gradient. The calculated photomineralization of DOC and DON over the whole Baltic Sea corresponded to 10% and 6% of annual river loadings in the Baltic Sea, respectively. The bacterial carbon-biomass supported by photoproduced labile substrates corresponded to 6–27% of the direct photomineralization of DOC. Thus, solar-radiation-induced photochemical reactions provide an important source of labile organic carbon and ammonium to the food webs of the Baltic Sea.

Abbott, M. R., Oregon State University/College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Corvallis, USA, mark@coas.oregonstate.edu

U.S. FUNDING FOR OCEAN RESEARCH: MATCHING RESOURCES AND REQUIREMENTSThere has been a significant shift in U.S. funding for the ocean sciences over the last twenty years, with an increasing dependence on the National Science Foundation as the primary funding agency. With increased competition for funding as well as increasing costs for oceanographic research facilities (including ships), there are some serious fund-ing challenges ahead. I will discuss how these financial issues combine with fundamental changes in the research and development enterprise to create new stresses as well as new opportunities. Increased emphasis on interdisciplinary research and innovation (in its broadest sense) will require us to rethink how academic research organizations are struc-tured and how individual scientists are rewarded. Development of non-federal funding will help accelerate this process.

Abdelzaher, A., University of Miami Oceans and Human Health Center, Key Biscayne, FL, USA, aabdelzaher@gmail.com;

Wright, M., University of Miami Oceans and Human Health Center, Key Biscayne, FL, USA, mary@movingstrength.com;

Scott, T., University of Miami Oceans and Human Health Center, Key Biscayne, FL, USA, tscott@gator.net;

Lucasik, G., BCS Laboratories, Gainesville, FL, USA, tscott@gator.net;Solo-Gabriele, H., University of Miami Oceans and Human Health Center, Key Biscayne,

FL, USA, hmsolo@miami.edu;Bonilla, A., University of Miami Oceans and Human Health Center, Key Biscayne, FL,

USA, bonillaf@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu;Bonilla, T., University of Miami Oceans and Human Health Center, Key Biscayne, FL,

USA, bonillaT@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu;Palmer, C., University of Miami Oceans and Human Health Center, Key Biscayne, FL,

USA, carpalmer@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu;Miller, B., Florida Department of Health, Miami;Elmir, S., University of Miami Center for Oceans and Human Health;Shih, P., Florida Department of Health, Miami;Newman, X., Florida Department of Health, Miami;Quaye, E., Florida Department of Health, Miami;Sinigalliano, C., University of Miami Center for Oceans and Human Health;Gidley, M., University of Miami Center for Oceans and Human Health;Wanless, D., University of Miami Center for Oceans and Human Health;Scott, T., University of Miami Center for Oceans and Human Health;Lucasik, G., BCS Laboratories, Gainesville, FL;

Harwood, V., University of South Florida, Tampa, FL;McQuaig, S., University of South Florida, Tampa, FL;Bonilla, F., University of Miami Center for Oceans and Human Health;Bonilla, T., University of Miami Center for Oceans and Human Health;Palmer, C., University of Miami Center for Oceans and Human Health;Plano, L., University of Miami Center for Oceans and Human Health;Scorzetti, G., University of Miami Center for Oceans and Human Health;Fell, J., University of Miami Center for Oceans and Human HealthDUAL LAYER FILTRATION SYSTEM FOR CONCENTRATING FECAL INDICATORS AND PATHOGENS FROM MARINE WATERSThe ability to rapidly and effectively concentrate diverse microbes is an essential compo-nent for monitoring water quality at recreational beaches. The purpose of this study was to develop a 90 mm diameter 0.45µm pore size dual membrane system, which can simul-taneously concentrate both viruses and either bacteria and/or protozoa. The top PVDF membrane was used to filter bacteria/protozoa by physical straining while the bottom HA membrane retained viruses through adsorption. Results indicated that 73+50% of the test bacteria (E. faecalis) and 82+8% of the test virus (MS2 coliphage) were recovered. Recoveries of Cryptosporidium and Giardia varied between 40 and 70%. The highest recoveries of poliovirus (Polio 1 CHAT) were obtained with a guanidinium hydrochloride elution solution followed by secondary concentration using a commercially available column. Future experiments should focus on measurements utilizing additional bacteria and viruses as well as water with different physical and chemical parameters.

ABDELZAHER, A. M., SITY OF MIAMI OHH CENTER, MIAMI, USA, AABDELZAHER@GMAIL.COM;

WRIGHT, M., SITY OF MIAMI OHH CENTER, MIAMI, USA;SOLO-GABRIELE, H. M., SITY OF MIAMI OHH CENTER, MIAMI, USAPATHOGEN AND INDICATOR MICROBE LEVELS AT A RECREATIONAL MARINE BEACHSwimming in contaminated ocean waters continues to be a rising health concern, espe-cially in beaches where the source of pollution is not known. The purpose of this study was to determine the microbial water quality of a subtropical beach in Miami-Dade in order to gain insight on the health risk to bathers. Water and sand samples were concen-trated and analyzed for fecal indicator microbes (fecal coliform, E. coli, enterococci, C. perfringens, coliphage, Bacteriodes, polyomavirus) and for pathogens (Vibrio vulnificus, S. aureus, enterovirus, norovirus, hepatitis A virus, Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia). Indicator bacteria results were generally below the health standard while patho-gens testing positive included Vibrio vulnificus in the sand and water as well as norovirus in two water samples. Giardia lamblia was detected in two water samples at 11 and 51 cysts per liter while Cryptosporidium parvum was detected in two sand samples at 12 and 5 oocysts per 100 grams. Risk associated with the pathogens and the efficiency of using indicator microbes to determine the safety of recreational waters should be evaluated given these findings.

Abdul, N. A., Savannah State University, Savannah, USA, naabdul@hotmail.com;Pride, C. J., Savannah State University, Savannah, USA, pridec@savstate.eduGLACIAL-INTERGLACIAL VARIABILITY OF THE BENGUELA CURRENT SYSTEM, SW AFRICA (ODP LEG 175, SITE 1084) USING MULTIPLE PALEOCEANOGRAPHIC PROXIESThirty-two core samples (modern to MIS 8) were used to reconstruct productivity and upwelling intensity at ODP Leg 175, Site 1084. Globigerina bulloides, Globoratalia inflata, and Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (dextral and sinistral), were used as paleoceanograph-ic proxies. Preliminary results show maximum productivity and/or enhanced preservation corresponding to MIS 2, 4, 6, and 8. The age of our interglacial stage 1 sample suggests that productivity was also high or preservation enhanced during the Younger Dryas cool-ing phenomenon. An overall decrease occurred in all foraminiferal indicator species during MIS 6 which has been identified in the literature as a massive dissolution event oc-curring between 186 & 170 kya. The more robust G. inflate persisted down-core through the dissolution event, although it too exhibited reduced numbers overall. Because the carbonate record is influenced by both preservation and productivity, upwelling intensity and nutrient utilization during recent glacial-interglacial cycles are being explored inde-pendently using oxygen, silicon, and nitrogen isotopes.

Abdulla, H. A., Department of Ocean, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences , Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA, habdulla@odu.edu;

Minor, E. C., Large Lakes Observatory and Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Duluth, USA, eminor@d.umn.edu;

Dias, R. F., Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA, rfdias@odu.edu

STABLE ISOTOPIC AND FTIR INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE INTERACTION BETWEEN ORGANIC MODEL COMPOUNDS AND DOM IN A SUB-ESTUARY.Increased industrialization impacts aquatic ecosystems through the injection of organic pollutants into natural waters. Differences in the chemical characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) can affect the solubility of contaminants in natural waters. In this work we demonstrate that changes in model compound solubility can be used to quanti-tatively investigate the chemical characteristics of DOM. We present a new technique to measure the solubility enhancement of select model organic pollutants (styrene, dodecanol

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ASLO/AGU/TOS/ERF �008 Ocean Sciences Meeting

and pyrene) in natural waters from five sites along the Elizabeth River, Chesapeake Bay and near-shore Atlantic Ocean. Utilizing isotopic mass balance (13C) and the novel interfac-ing of a standard dissolved organic carbon analyzer with a stable isotope ratio monitoring system, results show that Dismal Swamp DOM enhanced the solubility of styrene from 20-100%, relative to de-ionized water. The ratio of styrene to DOM varies from about 0.04 to 0.35 uM styrene/uM DOM as a function of location, season and molecular size. We will correlate the molecular characteristics of DOM by FTIR with changes in model compound solubility for each sampling site over multiple seasons.

Abramson, L., School of Atmospheric and Marine Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, lynn.abramson@yahoo.com;

Lee, C., School of Atmospheric and Marine Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, cindy.lee@notes.cc.sunysb.edu;

Aller, R. C., School of Atmospheric and Marine Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, raller@notes.cc.sunysb.edu

SINKING FECAL PELLETS AND AGGREGATES: DIFFERENCES IN EXCHANGE WITH SURROUNDING MATERIALThe extent to which sinking particles disaggregate and exchange with surrounding mate-rial affects the efficiency of POC export to the deep sea. In 2003 and 2005, as part of the MedFlux project, we compared the pigment and amino acid compositions of sediment trap and in situ pump samples to assess exchange between sinking and suspended particles. Sinking particles were enriched in fecal pellet indicators and suspended particles in chlo-rophyll and bacterial degradation products. These compositions remained consistent with depth, suggesting that exchange was limited. Similar results were obtained in 2006 when particles with settling velocities and > 5 m d-1 were incubated in rotating tanks. Individual phytoplankton and aggregates collected at 20 m by plankton tow underwent extensive exchange, as evidenced by repeated mass transfers and homogeneity in composition. Fecal pellets collected at 200 m by NetTrap underwent little exchange, with some transfer of material into the sinking phase, but no subsequent disaggregation. Unlike phytoplankton aggregates, fecal pellets appear to undergo little exchange with surrounding material during transit through the water column, resulting in highly efficient POC export.

Achilles, K. M., University of Hawaii / C-MORE, Honolulu, USA, kate.achilles@soest.hawaii.edu;

Weersing, K. A., University of Hawaii / C-MORE, Honolulu, USA, weersing@hawaii.edu;Grabowski, M. N., University of Hawaii / C-MORE, Honolulu, USA, mworkman@hawaii.edu;Bruno, B. C., University of Hawaii / C-MORE, Honolulu, USA, barb@hawaii.eduPROMOTING EDUCATION AND OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES IN MICROBIAL OCEANOGRAPHYThe Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE) is a recently established NSF-funded Science and Technology Center, comprised of six partner institu-tions and headquartered at the University of Hawaii. C-MORE’s goals include educating and training a diverse population of teachers and students in microbial oceanography, providing professional development and training opportunities for scientists and educa-tors, and improving public awareness of microbial oceanography. During its inaugural year, C-MORE emphasized K-12 teacher-training, which included shipboard experiences for science teachers and mini-grants to incorporate microbial oceanography into their curriculum. C-MORE is also developing partnerships with schools to help teachers create place-based curriculum that teaches students about cutting edge research, application of real-time data, and the global importance of marine microbes. During summer 2008, C-MORE will be co-sponsoring a nationwide Teacher Workshop on microbial oceanography with two of its partner institutions: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and Oregon State University (OSU).

Acker, J. G., NASA GES DISC/RSIS Inc., Greenbelt, MD, USA, jim.acker@nasa.gov;Herring, D., NASA GSFC, Earth Sciences Division, Code 610.3, Greenbelt MD, USA,

dherring@climate.gsfc.nasa.gov;Leptoukh, G., NASA GES DISC Code 610.2, Greenbelt MD, USA, Gregory.Leptoukh@

nasa.gov;Shen, S., NASA GES DISC/George Mason University, Greenbelt MD, USA, sushen@

pop600.gsfc.nasa.gov;Kempler, S., NASA GES DISC Code 610.2, Greenbelt MD, USA, Steven.J.Kempler@nasa.govTHE GIOVANNI-NEO OCEANOGRAPHIC EDUCATION COOKBOOKA collaboration between the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) and the GSFC Earth Sciences Division is developing a prototype educational “cookbook”, facilitating the use of remote-sensing data products to enhance oceanographic knowledge. This resource will utilize the GES DISC Interactive Online Visualization ANd aNalysis Infrastructure (“Giovanni”) system and the NASA Earth Observations (NEO) image generation and analysis tool developed as part of the ESD edu-cation and outreach activities. Giovanni and NEO provide complementary functionality that allows in-depth examination of imagery and data utilizing Web browsers, with mini-mal additional software requirements. The prototype cookbook will be focused on re-mote-sensing products with particular relevance to coastal zone and estuarine processes. The goal of the cookbook is to provide basic recipes for data visualizations and laboratory investigations that can be easily integrated into oceanographic instructional curricula. The cookbook is also intended for the science-minded public, providing basic instructions for investigation of ocean and climate system processes using NASA remote-sensing data.

Ackerman , J. D., University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada, ackerman@uoguelph.ca;Ragaz, P., University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada, pragaz@uoguelph.ca;Nishihara, G. N., University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada, gnishihara@gmail.comTHE PHYSICAL ECOLOGY OF FENESTRATED MACROPHYTESMacrophytes have specialized leaf morphologies including elongate, thin and highly dissected shapes. This is especially true for the fenestrated Madagascar lace plant (Aponogeton madagascarenis), which occurs in freshwater. The hypothesis that these morphologies increase the mass transfer of nutrients to aquatic plants (through increas-ing surface area to volume ratios) was examined using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) methods. Specifically, PIV based measurements indicated that flow was restricted through the fenestrations at low velocities when mass transfer limitation would be important to plant productivity. The Leakiness Ratio (measured flow/total hypothetical flow) ranged from 15 ± 5 % at 0.3 cm/s to 93 ± 1 % at 8.4 cm/s, which would indicate that the leaves act dynamically as paddles at low speeds vs. rakes at high speed (i.e., viscous to inertial transition). Measurements of the O2 distribution around the leaves using microelectrodes support the conclusion that the plants respond physiologically to the flow. Rather than promoting gas exchange at low velocities the fenestrations in the lace plant serve to reduce the hydrodynamic drag experienced on the leaves (e.g., 2.7 ± 0.4 x 10-2 N fenestrated models vs. 4.5 ± 0.7 x 10-2 N in solid models).

Adams, P. N., University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA, adamsp@ufl.edu;Inman, D. L., Scripps Institution of Oceanography - UCSD, San Diego, CA, USA, dli@

coast.ucsd.eduVARIABILITY IN DIVERGENCE OF LONGSHORE DRIFT AS A FUNCTION OF ENSO-DRIVEN DEEP WATER WAVE DIRECTION IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAEl Niño winter storms produce deep-water waves that are larger, longer-period, and more westerly-oriented than average, resulting in dramatic losses of beach sand and rapid sea cliff retreat. We use NCEP-NCAR wave hindcasts as input conditions for SWAN simula-tions to model nearshore waves and calculate longshore sediment transport rates along the Santa Barbara coast, Southern California. Initial results indicate that locations of hot-spots of coastal erosion (areas of negative divergence of littoral drift) are relatively stable, whereas magnitudes of potential beach volume loss vary strongly with deep-water wave direction. We model the spatial pattern of potential nearshore sediment volume change over the course of two, separate 7-day wave

Adolf, J. E., UMBI-Center of Marine Biotechnology, Balto, USA, adolf@umbi.umd.edu;Bowers, H. A., UMBI-Center of Marine Biotechnology, Balto, USA, bowers@umbi.umd.edu;Place, A. R., UMBI-Center of Marine Biotechnology, Balto, USA, place@umbi.umd.eduCRYPTOPHYTES, KARLOTOXINS, AND BLOOM FORMATION BY THE ICHTHYOTOXIC DINOFLAGELLATE, KARLODINIUM VENEFICUMK. veneficum is a common member of the phytoplankton in coastal aquatic ecosystems, usually present at relatively low cell abundance, but capable of forming dense blooms that have been associated with fish kills worldwide. Typically these dense, ichthyotoxic blooms occur in highly eutrophic environments but a ‘triggering factor’ has yet to be identified. Cryptophytes can represent a significant portion of phytoplankton biomass in eutrophic environments, and K. veneficum is well known to gain significant growth advantages through mixotrophic nutrition in culture, wherein cryptophyte algae are ingested result-ing in 2-3 fold increases in growth rate. We hypothesize that prey abundance in eutrophic environments, particularly abundance of nano-planktonic cryptophytes, is a key ‘trigger-ing factor’ for blooms by K. veneficum. Karlodinium veneficum produces an allelochemi-cal, karlotoxin (KmTX), that allows it to effectively compete for cryptophytes, even in the presence of another heterotrophic predator, Oxyrrhis marina. Karlotoxin also inhibits feeding of O. marina on K. veneficum . We suggest a scenario wherein rapidly growing cryptophytes respond first to new nutrient inputs and are then consumed preferentially by toxic K. veneficum resulting in a bloom.

de Boer, A. M., University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom, a.deboer@uea.ac.uk;Gnanadesikan, A., Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, NOAA, Princeton, USA,

Anand.Gnanadesikan@noaa.govMERIDIONAL DENSITY GRADIENTS DO NOT DRIVE OVERTURNING.The idea that the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is driven by its North-South density gradient is widely accepted in the climate and extended oceano-graphic community, and exploited in a multitude of simplified ocean models. We first point out the weak basis for the theoretical scaling analysis that underpins the density-driven overturning hypothesis. Second, we argue that the linear correlation between the meridional density gradient and the AMOC that is found in many numerical modeling studies does not proof the causal relation that is usually deduced from it. Using an Ocean General Circulation Model coupled to an Energy Moisture Balance Model that is uniquely set up to separate the dynamic and passive tracer properties of density (i.e., the model density is not calculated from the seawater equation of state in the usual way), we show that the AMOC is directly proportional to the tracer density while scaling inversely with the dynamic density. This indicates that the correlation found in previous studies is likely to be mostly a passive response of the temperature and salinity to the meridional over-turning and has only indirect dynamical significance.

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Meeting Abstracts ASLO/AGU/TOS/ERF

Agboola, J. I., Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan, juliusia@ees.hokudai.ac.jp;Kudo, I., Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan, ikudo@fish.hokudai.ac.jpSPATIO-TEMPORAL ANALYSES OF NUTRIENTS AND PHYTOPLANKTON BIOMASS IN SUB-ARTIC COASTAL ENVIRONMENT OF JAPAN.The patterns of nutrients and phytoplankton biomass (Chl a) are reported and related to the oceanographic conditions in spring, summer and winter, and in-plume and out-plume regions on the Ishikari Bay, Japan. Nutrients distribution in surface waters was character-ized by the general tendency to decrease from spring to winter, and plume to out-plume region. In spring, when the in-sea diffusion of nutrients was highest, total Chl a biomass was at par in plume (2.30 mg m-3) and out-plume (2.39 mg m-3) region. Marked seasonal differences in size fractions were also observed. When the water column was strongly stratified and nutrient concentrations were low at surface in summer, average total Chl a values were 0.80 mg m-3 and 0.38 mg m-3 respectively in plume and out-plume regions. In winter, the intrusion of nutrients into the plume region by intense vertical mixing and river-ine inputs produced an increase of the total autotrophic biomass (7.36 mg m-3). This study illustrates how changes in environmental gradients of the coastal system in time and space are affected by seawater dilution, vertical mixing, biological activities and light attenuation.

Agrawal, Y. C., Sequoia Scientific, Inc., Bellevue, USA, yogi.agrawal@sequoiasci.comLIGHT SCATTERING BY PARTICLES – NEW OBSERVATIONS AND DIRECTIONSNew instruments permit a fresh look at old problems – the volume scattering function and attenuation properties of particles. We have reported extensive variability in the small-angle forward scattering (0.1-20 deg.) in nature using the LISST-100. It’s small acceptance angle for optical transmission measurement, permitted by use of lasers, suggests that measure-ments with lamps and filters may have underestimated beam attenuation. VSF, spanning angles 0.016 to 20 degrees – a region that includes scattering by thermal microstructure - was reported by scientists synthesizing VSF from two models of LISST-100. New data quantify how random shaped sediment grains scatter light at small forward angles, as distinct from spheres. This affects our past view of marine sediments as ‘equivalent spheres’. Other scientists have reported measurements of plankton. Our continuing extension of measurement of VSF in side angles (20-170 deg.) and then in backscatter (177-180deg.) has stimulated still newer instruments that are coming on line. In the presentation, I shall cover the methods, remarkable results, and future directions of our research.

Aguilar, C., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Great Lakes WATER Institute, Milwaukee WI 53204, USA, aguilar@uwm.edu;

Cuhel, R. L., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Great Lakes WATER Institute, Milwaukee WI 53204, USA, rcuhel@alum.mit.edu

DEEP CHLOROPHYLL MAXIMA DOMINATED BY PICOPLANKTONIC CYANOBACTERIA AT THE MID-LAKE REEF COMPLEX (MLRC) IN LAKE MICHIGAN.Phytoplankton species composition and size distribution are key factors in their use as ecological indicators. Communities in Lake Michigan shifted from diatom and big cell-dominated to small cell picocyanobacteria-dominated phytoplankton. Picoplankton typically thrive under lower light conditions than diatoms, have a higher surface-to-volume ratio for effective nutrient scavenging, do not utilize dissolved silicate, and are smaller than the preferred range for particles ingested by filter-feeding mussel populations (5-100 µm). In Lake Michigan, deep water columns and winter were refuges for large phytoplankton until Quagga Mussel invasion. After only three years with QM, dampened seasonal cycling of silicate indicated a basin-wide reduction of diatom production, and unicellular cyanobacteria became dominant in deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) zones. Benthification is an important component in southern Lake Michigan, with accompany-ing systematic changes in nutrient cycling activities. In the DCM, Synechococcus like cells reached populations of at least 210,000 cells/ml. The picoplankton layer at the MLRC can be as wide as 10m or as thin as 1m. DCM chlorophyll a remained similar (3-4µg/l) but late summer species composition changed dramatically to mostly 5 L *mg C-1 *m-1), an optical measurement that is an indicator of aromatic carbon content. Different rivers, therefore, deliver DOM with different reactivities and optical properties to estuaries and coastal regions, thereby influencing the analyses of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in these environments. The processes that control DOM in a given watershed are not well under-stood, and it is presently difficult to predict the influences of climate change and resource management practices on DOM export to coastal regions. In this paper, insights gained from studies of the factors that control the nature and reactivity of terrestrially derived DOM from diverse freshwater environments will be presented.

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ASLO/AGU/TOS/ERF �008 Ocean Sciences Meeting

Aiki, H., Univ. of Hawaii / JAMSTEC, Honolulu, USA, haiki@hawaii.edu;Takahashi, K., JAMSTEC, Yokohama, Japan;Yamagata, T., Univ. of Tokyo / JAMSTEC, Tokyo, JapanTHE RED SEA OUTFLOW REGULATED BY THE INDIAN MONSOONTo investigate why the Red Sea water overflows less in summer and more in winter, we have developed a locally highresolution global OGCM with transposed poles in the Arabian peninsula and India. Based on a series of sensitivity experiments with different sets of idealized atmospheric forcing, the present study shows that the summer cessation of the strait outflow is remotely induced by the monsoonal wind over the Indian Ocean, in particular that over the western Arabian Sea. During the southwest monsoon (May–September), thermocline in the Gulf of Aden shoals as a result of coastal Ekman upwelling induced by the predominantly northeastward wind in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. Because this shoaling is maximum during the southwest summer monsoon, the Red Sea water is blocked at the Bab el Mandeb Strait by upwelling of the intermediate water of the Gulf of Aden in late summer. The simulation also shows the three-dimensional evolu-tion of the Red Sea water tongue at the mid-depths in the Gulf of Aden. While the tongue meanders, the discharged Red Sea outflow water (RSOW) (incoming Indian Ocean intermediate water (IOIW)) is always characterized by anticyclonic (cyclonic) vorticity, as suggested from the potential vorticity difference.

Aikman, F., NOAA, National Ocean Service, Silver Spring, USA, frank.aikman@noaa.gov;Vincent, M., NOAA, National Ocean Service, Silver Spring, USA, mark.vincent@noaa.gov;Patchen, R., NOAA, National Ocean Service, Silver Spring, USA, rich.patchen@noaa.govDEVELOPMENT AND EVOLUTION OF OPERATIONAL FORECAST SYSTEMS FOR THE COASTAL AND ESTUARINE ENVIRONMENT IN NOAA’S NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICENOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS) applies hydrodynamic models for the development, transition and implementation of operational forecast systems (OFS) in U.S. estuaries, ports, lakes and the coastal ocean. These systems have applications in the support of marine navi-gation, emergency response, as well as marine ecological applications. There are currently nine water bodies in which OFS’s are functioning (the Chesapeake Bay, the Port of NY/NJ, Galveston Bay, the St Johns River, and the five Great Lakes). OFS’s are under development for the Columbia River, Delaware and Tampa Bays, as well as for Cook Inlet, AK and elsewhere. Once evaluated and deemed accurate by NOS standards, the OFS’s are transitioned into the operational environment. The components of a OFS are discussed in terms of a

Ainley, D. G., Harvey & Associates, Los Gatos, Calif, USA, dainley@penguinscience.com;Dugger, K. D., Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA;Tynan, C. T., Associated Scientists of Woods Hole, West Falmouth, Mass, USA;Broduer, R., NMFS, Newport, Oregon, USA;Reese, D., Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA;Barth, J., Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA;Pierce, S., Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA;Ford, R. G., RGFord Consulting, Portland, Oregon, USA;Spear, L. B., Harvey & Associates, Los Gatos, Calif, USABIO-PHYSICS OF SEABIRD OCCURRENCE IN THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CURRENTUsing data from Northeast Pacific GLOBEC 2000 and 2002 process cruises, we modeled the biological and physical factors that explain seabird occurrence during the upwelling season off Oregon. Seabird densities were derived from strip censuses conducted while underway during daylight. Covariates were derived from SeaSoar and HTI (acoustic) arrays, as well as fish trawls conducted along cruise tracks. In the past (Ainley et al. 2005, DSR II), we explored relationships only for the 2000 cruise and only with SeaSoar and uncorrected acoustic data. Herein adding estimates of prey biomass, we used statistical modeling, as well as GIS mapping, to explain occurrence patterns for the most abundant species. We present examples for Common Murre and Sooty Shearwater, the two most abundant and biomass-dominating seabirds in the California Current, coincident with the occurrence patterns of Humpback Whales and adult salmon. Results show an increasing association of predators with prey over time, as prey biomass decreases. The question arises whether these predators, along with frontal features, are affecting the spatial occur-rence patterns of their prey.

Aita, M. N., Frontier Research Center for Global Change (FRCGC), JAMSTEC; CREST, JST , Yokohama, Japan, macky@jamstec.go.jp;

Smith, S. L., Frontier Research Center for Global Change (FRCGC), JAMSTEC, Yokohama, Japan, lanimal@jamstec.go.jp;

Ishida, A., Frontier Research Center for Global Change (FRCGC), JAMSTEC; CREST, JST, Yokohama, Japan, ishidaa@jamstec.go.jp;

Kishi, M. J., Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University; FRCGC, JAMSTEC, Sapporo, Japan, kishi@salmon.fish.hokudai.ac.jp;

Yamanaka, Y., FRCGC, JAMSTEC; Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido Univ.; CREST, JST, Yokohama, Japan, galapen@ees.hokudai.ac.jp

EFFECTS OF IRON ON SPACIAL AND TEMPORAL PHYTOPLANKTON DISTRIBUTION USING AN ECOSYSTEM MODEL (NEMURO) EMBEDDED IN A 3-D GLOBAL MODELInterannual to interdecadal scale oscillations in atmosphere-ocean systems affect the environment for marine ecosystems by altering nutrient supply across the thermocline

and horizontal advection. Trace metals such as iron, supplied by atmospheric dust and other sources, are important for limiting primary production. To investigate effects of iron on marine ecosystem, we used NEMURO (North pacific Ecosystem Model for Understanding Regional Oceanography; developed by MODEL Task Team of PICES (North Pacific Marine Science Organization)) embedded into a global three-dimensional physical-biogeochemical coupled model ‘3D-NEMURO’. We simulated changes in the lower trophic level ecosystems caused by climate variability, using a monthly climatologi-cal average of the NCEP 6-hourly dataset as a surface forcing to drive the coupled model. The dust flux data used in the model is from the daily output of a global aerosol transport-radiation model, SPRINTARS (Spectral Radiation-Transport Model for Aerosol Species). We compare the standard version of NEMURO to our newly developed version including on iron cycle, focusing on the effect of iron on primary production and distribution of phytoplankton.

Aksnes, D. L., University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway, dag.aksnes@bio.uib.no;Ohman, M. D., California Current Ecosystem LTER site, Scripps Institution of

Oceanography, 92093-0218 , San Diego, USA, mohman@ucsd.eduLONG-TERM NITRACLINE SHOALING AND DECREASED WATER COLUMN TRANSPARENCY IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF THE CALIFORNIA CURRENT SYSTEMWe document a reduction in Secchi depth of 0.11 ± 0.01 m per year in the southern California Current System (LTER and CalCOFI region) over the period 1949 – 2004, reflecting a long term decrease in water clarity. This change has been accompanied by a nitracline shoaling of 0.44 ± 0.10 m per year since 1969 and a parallel increase in mixed layer chlorophyll a concentration since 1984. These changes have occurred despite a secu-lar increase in density stratification in the CCS. Increased stratification has been linked by others to decreased nutrient fluxes, reduced primary production, and reduced water transparency, contrary to our findings. We consider several hypotheses to account for the observed changes in the CCS: (1) variations in nutrient concentrations in the California Undercurrent, which can be important source waters for upwelling in this region, (2) other variations related to the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO – DiLorenzo et al., in review), (3) long-term changes in grazing pressure, and (4) variations in nutrients of anthropogenic origins.

AL AZRI, A. R., SULTAN QABOOS UNIVERSITY, MUSCAT, Oman, adnazri@squ.edu.om;GOES, J., BIGELOW LABORATORY, MAINE, USA, jgoes@bigelow.com;GOMES, H., BIGELOW LABORATORY, MAINE, hgomes@bigelow.com;AL-HASHMI, K., SULTAN QABOOS UNIVERSITY, MUSCAT, Oman, khalid99@squ.

edu.omBUILDING A FRAMEWORK FOR THE ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF MARINE LIVING RESOURCES OF THE SULTANATE OF OMAN.The extensive coastline of the Sultanate of Oman has shaped its culture, economy, history and its people for millennia. Today, the coastal marine resources are still of great economic importance and continue to influence the lifestyle of the people of Oman. Marine living resources along the coast of Oman are an endowment of biodiversity, provide food and energy resources and opportunities for tourism and recreation. Unfortunately, the con-tinuous pressure of development threatens this marine environment primarily via over-fishing, global climate change, habitat modification, and coastal zone pollution. A con-tinuous monitoring program and research are key steps that will allow us to differentiate between anthropogenic and natural variability. We have been collecting data from three monitoring sites, two in the Gulf of Oman and one in the Arabian Sea from 2004 onwards. Data collected includes phytoplankton diversity, and hydrographic parameters such as temperature, salinity, nutrients and oxygen that will not only provide us with baseline data necessary for future studies on anthropogenic impacts on this ecosystem but also a better understanding of the seasonal and interannual changes associated with monsoonal forc-ing. In this paper we address the seasonal monsoonal cycle and its impact on the biology of the coastal waters and use our findings to arrive at conclusions about how variability in phytoplankton and its environment could impact the food chain of this ecosystem

Alam, M. R., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA, alam@mit.edu;Yuming, L., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA, yuming@mit.edu;Yue, D. K. P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA, yue@mit.eduBROADBAND WAVES OVER MUDDY SEAFLOORThe loss of energy as a water wave propagates over cohesive and/or non-cohesive sedi-ments is teated by existing models such as two layer fluid with viscous and viscoelastic lower layer, non-stiff bottom with porous or poroelastic properties, shear instability driven mud flow and turbulent mud-flow interactions. However, observations of a very strong attenuation of ocean waves in the muddy parts of Gulf of Mexico and Indian Ocean have raised new questions about the underlying mechanism of energy dissipation. In this study, evolution of a broadband wave spectrum over a muddy bottom, modeled as a linear mass-spring-damper system, is considered numerically and results are compared with available field measurements. A mass-spring-damper bottom model admits up to four eigen-solu-tions and offers an explanation for the newly observed phenomenon of greater energy dissipation in higher wave frequencies. An efficient numerical scheme based on a higher-order spectral method is extended to include dispersion/dissipations terms and complex boundary conditions. A broadband incident wave is then subjected to the bottom model, and large-scale broadband interactions are studied.

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Meeting Abstracts ASLO/AGU/TOS/ERF

Alanko, J., University of Alaska/Institute of Marine Science, Fairbanks, USA, jimalanko@msn.com;

Belanger, C., Prince William Sound Science Center , Cordova, Alaska, Canada, cbelanger_oslo@yahoo.no;

Weingartner, T., University of Alaska/Institute of Marine Science, Fairbanks, USA, wein-gart@ims.uaf.edu;

Chao, Y., NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, ychao@jpl.nasa.govPRINCE WILLIAM SOUND SURFACE CIRCULATION INFERRED FROM A HIGH-FREQUENCY SURFACE-CURRENT MAPPING RADAR AND DRIFTERSPrince William Sound (PWS) is a semi-enclosed sea linked to the Gulf of Alaska along the south-central coast of Alaska. From June - September 2004, surface currents in the central sound (50 km x 50 km) were observed using both high-frequency radar (HFR) and satel-lite-tracked drifters. The M2 and the MM species are the dominant tidal constituents with typical speeds of ~5 - 30 cm/s. After de-tiding the data the HF radar and drifter data sets confirm a strong summer-mean cyclonic circulation in the central sound consistent with inferences from hydrography and models. Mean velocities were ~10 - 20 cm s-1in the central sound and a maximum of ~50 cm s-1 in Hinchinbrook Entrance. HFR-measured flow variations were large, but poorly correlated with observed winds from the central sound. This variability is most likely due to wind-forced fluctuations in the Alaska Coastal Current over the adjacent shelf. A comparison between drifter trajectories and HFR-de-rived virtual drifter trajectories show

Alber, M., University of Georgia, Athens, USA, malber@uga.edu;Schaefer, S. C., University of Georgia, Athens, USA, sylvia@uga.edu;Pomeroy, L. R., University of Georgia, Athens, USA, lpomeroy@uga.edu;Sheldon, J. E., University of Georgia, Athens, USA, jsheldon@uga.edu;Joye, S. B., University of Georgia, Athens, USA, mjoye@uga.eduNITROGEN INPUTS TO THE ALTAMAHA RIVER ESTUARY (GEORGIA, USA): A HISTORIC ANALYSIS.The watershed of the Altamaha River, Georgia, is one of the largest in the southeastern U.S., draining 36,718 km2. Between the 1950s and the 2000s the average concentration of NO3 + NO2 in the estuary quadrupled while chlorophyll a more than tripled. We present nitrogen budgets for 1954 to 2002 that show a 32% increase in inputs to the watershed over the period. All of the increase occurred between 1954 and 1982, and there was actu-ally a net decrease between 1982 and 2002. In keeping with this, the nitrogen load to the estuary has not increased significantly since the 1970s, when standardized water quality sampling began. These results suggests that, even with a fast transit time (generally < 1 week), increased nutrient loading from the watershed between 1954 and 2002 translated into an increase in estuarine phytoplankton concentration in this system. Our analysis also suggests that estuarine nitrogen concentration is now more responsive to low inflows than in the past. These observations show the value of considering earlier baseline records when evaluating changes in loading.

Albright, R., University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, Miami, USA, ralbright@rsmas.miami.edu;

Mason, B., University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, Miami, USA, bmason@rsmas.miami.edu;

Langdon, C., University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, Miami, USA, clangdon@rsmas.miami.edu

EFFECT OF DEPRESSED SATURATION STATE ON SETTLEMENT, POST-SETTLEMENT SURVIVORSHIP, AND GROWTH OF PORITES ASTREOIDES AND MONTASTREA FAVEOLATA LARVAEIn conjunction with the projected increases in pCO2 of the coming century, coral growth and calcification are expected to decrease significantly. No published studies have inves-tigated the effect of elevated pCO2 on early life history stages of corals. As coral recruit-ment, post-settlement survivorship, and growth are critical to reef persistence and resil-ience, it is of timely importance to better understand the repercussions of climate change on such processes. Larvae of Porites astreoides and Montastrea faveolata were collected from reefs in Key Largo, FL and subsequently settled and reared in controlled saturation state seawater. Three treatment levels were obtained (1M HCl additions) based on pres-ent (380 ppm) and projected pCO2 scenarios for the years 2065 (560 ppm) and 2100 (720 ppm). The effect of treatment water on settlement and post-settlement growth is being examined. Larvae were introduced to their respective treatments and allotted 96 hours to settle onto pre-conditioned limestone tiles. Settlement was confirmed by examination under a dissecting microscope. Settled larvae were placed in flow-through treatment tanks (25°C) and are currently being monitored for differences in survivorship and growth.

Aleman-Diaz, A., Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA, aixamari@eden.rutgers.eduCOMMERCE, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION: CONTRIBUTIONS AND CHALLENGES OF MARINE EXTENSION WORK IN NOAA SEA GRANT PROGRAM-PUERTO RICO, MICHIGAN AND NATIONAL OFFICEThe National Sea Grant program represents NOAA’s nationwide university-based pro-gram in support of coastal resource use and conservation. This study focuses on a histori-cal and multi-sited ethnography that analyzes two local Sea Grant Programs and their connection to the overarching NOAA national goals from 1980-2000.The project aims to offer insight on how the extension agent position facilitates the resolution of coastal and marine management and tourism issues. The extension agents are staff who have an ex-

tensive knowledge of coastal resources, have the role of translating scientific information to coastal stakeholders, and assess the needs of coastal communities to report back to the program. Two local extension programs were examined with 36 in-depth interviews to understand how local programs respond to cultural and regional processes. Preliminary findings suggests that current challenges for Sea Grant agents include maintenance of non-advocacy and mediation roles among stakeholders, their positioning relative to re-search especially conducting and delivering of science to public, and development of their multi-faceted skills sets essential to extension. This program suggests comprehensive ways for integrated resource management using bottom up approaches.

Aleszczyk, M. L., University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, USA, maleszczyk@gso.uri.edu;

Ullman, D. S., University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, USA, d.ullman@gso.uri.edu;

Kohut, J. T., Rutgers University, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, New Brunswick, USA, kohut@marine.rutgers.edu;

Kincaid, C. R., University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, USA, kincaid@gso.uri.edu

CROSS-FRONTAL SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND VELOCITY STRUCTURE IN THE NEW JERSEY MID-SHELF FRONTAL ZONEThe cross-frontal structure of a density front, which occurs during the winter months along the 50m isobath, is examined using remote sensing observations of the New Jersey midshelf region. Shipboard observations show that cooler, fresher, less dense water is located inshore side of the front; however, little is known of the velocity structure in the frontal zone. Surface current fields from HF radar (CODAR) are analyzed along with surface thermal front observations to describe the spatial variability of surface flow with regard to the front. Cloud-cleared, Level 2 MODIS Thermal IR sea-surface temperature data from AQUA and TERRA from 2005 through 2007 are processed using an edge-de-tection algorithm to determine the location and structure of the front. The front coordi-nates are overlaid onto the long-range CODAR velocity field at the time of each respective satellite pass to extract the velocity at the front and in the far-field. The seasonal progres-sion of the temperature and velocity fields are analyzed, and a statistical comparison of along-front velocities versus those in the far-field is performed to determine the presence or absence of a frontal jet.

Alexander, C. R., Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, Savannah, USA, clark.alexander@skio.usg.edu;

Walsh, J. P., East Carolina University, Greenville, USA, walshj@ecu.edu;Orpin, A. R., National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New

Zealand, a.orpin@niwa.co.nz;Sumner, B. W., East Carolina University, Greenville, USA, BWS0107@ecu.eduINTEGRATING SEASONAL AND CENTENNIAL RATES OF SEDIMENTARY PROCESSES ON THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF AND SLOPE SEAWARD OF THE WAIPAOA RIVER, NEW ZEALANDThe continental margin seaward of the Waipaoa River was examined to determine the rates and products of sedimentary processes in an oceanographically dynamic and geo-logically active margin. Initial results, from short and long-lived radionuclides (Be-7 and Pb-210), showed that material was reaching and accumulating within the outer shelf and slope. Radionuclide data from recent summertime and winter cruises provide insight into these processes. Surface Be-7 activities and excess Th-234 seabed inventories suggest that fluvial sediment rapidly reaches the shelf break annually but enhanced delivery of fluvial material occurs during the winter. Sediment is accumulating along the outermost shelf at rates of 0.5-1 cm/y, and transported off-shelf to accumulate in upper submarine canyons and slope gullies at rates up to 3 cm/y, and decreases to 0.1 cm/y in canyon and inter-canyon sites below 1200 m water depth. Hemipelagic sediment delivery is the dominant process along most of the margin. In contrast, sedimentology of cores from the Poverty submarine canyon demonstrates that sediment initially deposited in the canyon head moves down-canyon episodically as discrete mass flows.

Alexander, M. A., NOAA/Earth System Research Lab, Boulder, USA, Michael.Alexander@noaa.gov;

Vimont, D. J., University of Wisconsin/Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Madison, USA, dvimont@wisc.edu;

Chang, P., Texas A&M University/Department of Oceanography, College Station, USA, ping@ocean.tamu.edu;

Scott, J. D., University of Colorado/CIRES, Boulder, USA, James.D.Scott@noaa.govEXTRATROPICAL INFLUENCES ON ENSO: THE SEASONAL FOOTPRINT MECHANISMFluctuations in internal atmospheric modes over the North Pacific in winter, especially the North Pacific Oscillation (NPO), impart an SST

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ASLO/AGU/TOS/ERF �008 Ocean Sciences Meeting

Alford, M. E., Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA, malfor1@lsu.edu;Sutor, M. M., Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA, msutor1@lsu.edu;Benfield, M. C., Louisiana State Univeristy, Baton Rouge, USA, mbenfie@lsu.eduIN-SITU CHARACTERIZATION OF FINESCALE ZOOPLANKTON DISTRIBUTIONS USING A NEW DIGITAL IMAGING SYSTEMFinescale data on the distribution, density, taxonomic composition, and in-situ orienta-tion of zooplankton, are necessary to determine the relative role of physical and biological processes controlling their distributions. Typically such information can only be provided by an imaging system, The primary objective of this project was to use a new imaging sys-tem, the Self-contained Zooplankton Visualization System (ZOOVIS-SC) and evaluate its ability to resolve the finescale distribution, taxonomic composition, and in-situ orientation of plankton in the waters of Monterey Bay. Our results to date show that ZOOVIS-SC has the ability to resolve finescale plankton distributions including steep gradients in plankton densities and the in-situ orientation of individual planktors. In addition, the system im-aged delicate, yet ecologically important, organisms that are often destroyed by conven-tional sampling samplers such as nets. The image data provided by ZOOVIS-SC will be compared to coincident direct samples collected with a pump to compare the information provided by the two systems.

Alford, M. H., APL/UW, Seattle, USA, malford@apl.washington.edu;Klymak, J., University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada, jklymak@uvic.ca;Zhao, Z., APL/UW, Seattle, USA, zzhao@apl.washington.edu;MacKinnon, J., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, USA, jmackinn@ucsd.edu;Pinkel, R., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, USA, rpinkel@ucsd.edu;Gregg, M. C., APL/UW, Seattle, USA, gregg@apl.washington.edu;Winters, K., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, USA, kraig@coast.ucsd.eduSHIPBOARD AND MOORED OBSERVATIONS OF THE SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF NEAR-INERTIAL WAVESConcomitant observations are presented of the horizontal/vertical structure and temporal content of near-inertial waves, with the ultimate aim of understanding their long-range propagation and potential for mixing the deep ocean. Spatial transects of current shear measured from low-frequency shipboard Doppler sonars (reaching depths of 700-1200 m) on three cruises in the North Pacific show sloping features of O(100 m) vertical scales that are laterally coherent over hundreds of kilometers. Using simultaneous and co-located moored timeseries, the features are unambiguously identifiable as near-inertial waves. North of 29 degrees, they slope predominantly downwards toward the equator, consistent with surface (wind) generation at a higher latitude and subsequent propagation toward the equator (where the local inertial frequency is lower). South of 29 degrees, they still propagate equatorward but can have either slope, consistent with additional generation at mid-depth by parametric subharmonic instability. The observations are presented and implications discussed.

Alkire, M. B., Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA, malkire@coas.oregonstate.edu;Falkner, K. K., Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA, kfalkner@coas.oregonstate.edu;Collier, R. W., Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA, rcollier@coas.oregonstate.edu;Morison, J., Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, USA, mori-

son@apl.washington.edu;Andersen, R., Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, USA,

roger@apl.washington.edu;Desiderio, R. A., Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA, desi@coas.oregonstate.eduTHE USE OF CONTINUOUS PROFILES OF OXYGEN AND NITRATE TO ASSESS THE SOURCES OF HALOCLINE WATERS IN THE CENTRAL ARCTIC OCEANThe first continuous, vertical profiles of nitrate have been obtained from the Arctic Ocean during the 2007 field season of the North Pole Environmental Observatory. Casts were collected from eleven stations using a Satlantic ISUS (in-situ ultraviolet spectrophotom-eter) internally recording package. Profiles of dissolved oxygen were also obtained via the simultaneous deployment of a Seabird SBE19 plus CTD equipped with a Seabird SBE 43 O2 sensor. This data allows the first high-resolution observations of two chemical trac-ers used to distinguish water-type contributions in this environment. Such resolution is necessary because typical bottle casts through the ice cannot fully capture the various water types ventilating the Arctic halocline. The nitrate and oxygen data are combined to calculate the NO parameter, where NO = 9 x NO3 + O2. The NO parameter has been used previously to differentiate among source waters contributing to the halocline of the Arctic Ocean. The vertical profiles of NO3, O2, and NO are analyzed to investigate the ventilation of the halocline in the central Arctic. Additional chemical tracers measured from bottle samples collected at target depths of 20, 60, 80, 100, and 120 meters are used to support this analysis. Such analysis should reveal more information regarding the circulation of halocline waters in the far northern reaches.

Allan, K. M.McGowan, J. A., University of California, San Diego, San Diego, USA, jmcgowan@ucsd.eduPELAGIC ECOSYSTEM CHANGES IN THE NORTH PACIFICAn important aspect of ecosystem communities is the order of numerical dominance structure of their species and/or functional groups. If these structures show pattern in space or time we may infer regulation. Pattern changes may, therefore, indicate a change in the dynamics of regulation of these complex systems. In the past half century the North Pacific has experienced substantial physical change. How has this affected community

structure and function? Here, we compare aspects of physical structure and plankton functional group structure over 35 years of sample separation within and between two very different ecosystems; the oligotrophic Central Gyre and the productive California Current. We find that in spite of significant and persistent physical change , community dominance structure is largely resilient in both systems, But there were shifts in absolute abundance and in a few rank orders of abundance in both systems. The two systems ap-pear to be becoming more alike in structure and its range of variability ,chiefly because the California Current community is now more spatially homogeneous.

Allard, R., Naval Research Lab, Stennis Space Center, USA, Richard.Allard@nrlssc.navy.mil;Riedlinger, S., Naval Research Lab, Stennis Space Center, USA, Shelley.Riedlinger@nrlssc.

navy.mil;Cook, J., Naval Research Lab, Morterey, CA, USA, John.Cook@nrlmry.navy.mil;Geiszler, D., SAIC, Inc., San Diego, CA , USAPROVIDING METEOROLOGICAL AND OCEANOGRAPHIC SUPPORT DURING AUVFEST 2007The Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS®) and the Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM) provided meteorological and oceanographic support during AUVFEST 2007 near Panama City, FL for the period June 5-18, 2007. NCOM was forced with winds and surface forcing from COAMPS and included monthly river discharge, Oregon State University tides and data assimilation. Both models were run in nested mode with telescoping grids of 15, 5 and 1.67 km. The inner-nest of NCOM was used to provide environmental support for mission planning software used in conjunction with a solar-powered autonomous underwater vehicle. Comparisons of NCOM currents in the upper 5 meters of the water column show good agreement in magnitude and direc-tion with an ADCP deployed by the Naval Oceanographic Office near 30.06°N 85.65°W. Future work will examine the impact of two-way coupling at the air-sea boundary using the Earth System Modeling Framework. ®COAMPS is a registered trademark of the Naval Research Laboratory

Allen, A. A., U.S. Coast Guard, Office of Search and Rescue, Groton, CT, USA, Arthur.A.Allen@uscg.mil;

Howlett, E. M., ASA, Narragansett, RI, USA, ehowlett@asascience.comU.S. COAST GUARD’S SEARCH AND RESCUE OPTIMAL PLANNING SYSTEM (SAROPS) OPERATIONAL USE OF SURFACE CURRENT PRODUCTS AND THE DETERMINATION OF THEIR UNCERTAINTIESThe U.S. Coast Guard has been using SAROPS since January 2007 at all fifty of its opera-tional centers to plan search and rescue missions. SAROPS relies on an Environmental Data Server (EDS) that integrates global and national ocean and meteorological observa-tion and forecast data. The server manages spatial and temporal aggregation of hindcast, nowcast, and forecast data so the SAROPS controller has the best available data for search planning. The EDS provides data from: the Navy’s Global NCOM model, the 5 NOAA NOS Great Lakes models; and the NOAA NCEP North Atlantic HYCOM model, in addi-tion to the surface winds from the NOAA NCEP NAM and GFS models. Also residing on the EDS are the west and east coast ADCIRC models of the tidal currents and the histori-cal ship-drift currents seasonal averaged by Mariano. Data from regional coastal areas has also been integrated. The surface current products were compared with the USCG deployed CODE drifters at hourly intervals to provide estimates of uncertainty following the technique first developed by Ullman, O’Donnell, Kohut, Fake and Allen (2006).

Allen, J. I., Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, United Kingdom, jia@pml.ac.ukSKILL ASSESSMENT OF MARINE BIOLOGICAL MODELS: A SHORT TUTORIALMarine systems models are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated, and are increasingly used to support high stakes decisions. For such applications it is imperative that the model capabilities are understood, however far too little attention is been paid to model errors and the extent to which model outputs actually relate to ecosystem pro-cesses. This requires quantitative rather than qualitative approach. The level of model skill assessment and choice of metrics is context specific; we cannot rely on a single metric to define model skill. The routine application of model skill assessment is required if we are to understand the limitations of our models and improve model forecast skill. By way of introduction a number of approaches from simple univariate statistics through to Taylor diagrams, binary discrimination and multivariate analysis will be presented illustrated using examples from 3D coupled hydrodynamic ecosystem models applied to both the North Sea and the Global Ocean

Allen, L., Savannah State University, Savannah, USA, latrisha_allen@hotmail.comTHE EFFECTS OF PBDE-47 ON THE BENTHIC AMPHIPOD, LEPTOCHEIRUS PLUMULOSUS, AND POLYCHAETE, STREBLOSPIO BENEDICTI: A BREIF OVERVIEWPolybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) are used to reduce the flammability of con-sumer products. PBDEs enter the environment from decomposing materials such as domestic/industrial waste, the incineration of waste, industrial production of PBDEs, and electric equipment use. PBDEs accumulate in marine sediments and pose a threat to wetland ecosystems because they are resistant to degradation and are lipophilic. PBDEs can bioaccumulate into infaunal benthic invertebrates and fishes; at high levels PBDEs cause endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, and carcinogenic activity. Of the 209 congeners of PBDEs, PBDE-47 is one of the most prominent in studies from around the

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Meeting Abstracts ASLO/AGU/TOS/ERF

world. The proposed research will investigate 1) the toxicity of PBDE-47 on the survival and reproduction of two benthic invertebrates and 2) the prevalence of PBDEs in natural sediments. In vitro sediment bioassays will be used to assess the LC50, NOEC, and LOEC of the benthic amphipod (L. plumulosus) and polychaete (S. benedicti). GC/MS will be performed on local sediments to determine concentrations and to assess the level of threat in coastal Georgia.

Allen, S. E., University of British Columbia, Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Vancouver, Canada, sallen@eos.ubc.ca;

Collins, A. K., Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, Canada;Jang, K., University of British Columbia, Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences,

Vancouver, Canada;Wolfe, M., University of British Columbia, Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences,

Vancouver, CanadaPHYSICAL CONTROLS ON THE TIMING OF THE SPRING BLOOM IN THE STRAIT OF GEORGIAThe Strait of Georgia is a semi-enclosed coastal sea with a strong estuarine circulation. The growing season starts with a classic spring bloom followed by strong summer pro-ductivity. We have coupled a one-dimensional vertical-mixing model that uses a K-Profile parameterization of the boundary layer to a NPZD-class of biological model with 2 to 12 compartments. Two-dimensional physical processes, such as the estuarine circulation, are parameterized. The model is forced with hourly meteorological data and daily river data. The coupled biophysical model has been successfully used to determine the physical factors that control the arrival time of the spring bloom. The one-dimensional model was used to produce an empirical relationship between wind, cloud-fraction and the timing of the spring bloom. This relationship has been successfully used to predict the bloom in 2006 and 2007. Using historical data, the timing of the spring bloom over the last 30 years has been modelled. We will discuss the interannual variations we see and importance of the climate warming of the Strait to the bloom timing.

Allen, S. S., Australian IMOS Office, Sandy Bay, Australia, simon.allen@csiro.au;Meyers, G., Australian IMOS Office, Sandy Bay, Australia, gary.meyers@imos.org.auTHE AUSTRALIAN INTEGRATED MARINE OBSERVING SYSTEM - FIRST STEPSIn May 2007 the Australian Government funded the first phase of an Integrated Marine Observing System. The IMOS, is a nation-wide collaborative program designed to ob-serve the oceans around Australia. IMOS partners comprise of the majority of Australian universities and agencies with capability in ocean and marine research to implement and operate 11 facilities for the collection and distribution of ocean observing data. The facili-ties are:1. Argo Australia 2. Enhanced Measurements from Ships of Opportuniity (SOOP)3. Southern Ocean Automated (in-situ) Time Series Observations (SOTS)4. Australian National Facility for Ocean Gliders (ANFOG)5. Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Facility (AUV) 6. Australian National Mooring Network<7. Australian Coastal Ocean Radar Network (ACORN) 8. Australian Acoustic Tagging and Monitoring System (AATAMS)9. Facility for Automated Intelligent Monitoring of Marine Systems (FAIMMS)10. eMarine Information Infrastructure (eMII) 11. Satellite Remote Sensing (SRS)This paper describes each of the facilities and the challenges associated with observing system capability building in Australia. The unique characteristics of an Australian IMOS are highlighted and discussed.

Allende-Arandía, M. E., UNAM, Mexico, City, Mexico, maru.allalt@gmail.com;Zavala-Hidalgo, J., UNAM, Mexico, City, Mexico, jzavala@atmosfera.unam.mx;Mateos-Jasso, A., UNAM, Mexico, City, Mexico, adriana_0423@yahoo.com.mxA NUMERICAL STUDY OF TEMPERATURE VARIABILITY IN THE VERACRUZ CORAL REEF SYSTEMThe Gulf of Mexico is a marine ecosystem which can observe a blend of ecology charac-teristics of tropical and template environments. The Veracruz Coral Reef System (VCRS) is a natural protected zone that covers an area of 400 square kilometers in the vicinity of Veracruz Port, and the locality of Boca del Río and Antón Lizardo. The VCRS is composed of a group of 11 reefs that are localized in front of Boca del Río and Veracruz City and another group of 12 reefs, of mayor structure than the last one before located in front of the community of Antón Lizardo. With the global warming tendency, it was observed in coral reefs substantial impacts in the structure of the community during warm periods. In this work 10 years of an ocean model data forced with realistic wind stress and heat fluxes fields are analyzed to determine the vulnerability of coral reefs to temperature extreme events. We found that during summer the upwelling conditions in the zone reduces the extreme warming except for the upper thin layer. On the other hand during the spring season, which is characterized by calms, the temperature may raise into warning levels. In addition, the low significant wave height observed during calms reduces the mixing and circulation in the reefs lagoon increasing the temperature rise.

Aller, R. C., School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, USA, raller@notes.cc.sunysb.edu

THE UNSTEADY BENTHIC PUMP: SUCKING, SPITTING, AND PULSING.The uptake or release of metals and nutrients at the seabed are highly unsteady over a wide-range of spatial and temporal scales. Elemental carrier phases including Fe,Mn-oxides, silicates, sulfides, and biomass are formed, destroyed, and reformed within a spec-trum of physical and biogenic transport conditions. In bioturbated sediments, oscillating redox and acid-base reactions are coupled to feeding, burrowing, and irrigation, produc-ing heterogeneous flux patterns on the scales of individuals and reflecting species-specific adaptations. These flux patterns can be quantified using novel optical sensors. Periodic or intermittent loading of the seabed with plankton bloom debris results in rapid excursions of reactions and pulsed exchange of metals. Episodic physical reworking of deposits, par-ticularly along continental margins, entrains reactive debris, drives unsteady redox cycles, mobilizes Fe and Mn, and redistributes a variety of metals and metalloids. Mobile muds extending ~100-1000 km scales, for example, are found in metal-oxide rich tropical deltas (Amazon-Guianas; Gulf of Papua dispersal systems). Conditional time-series sampling of seabed fluxes and application of integrative tracers of exchange (U/Th series) are required to resolve the dynamics and mean behavior of the benthic pump.

Allison, L. C., University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom, l.c.allison@reading.ac.uk;Johnson, H. L., University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, Helen.Johnson@earth.

ox.ac.uk;Marshall, D. P., University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, marshall@atm.ox.ac.ukADJUSTMENT IN THE ANTARCTIC CIRCUMPOLAR CURRENT AND THE GLOBAL PYCNOCLINEIn this study we consider an idealized, reduced gravity ocean model, in which the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is spun-up from rest. The surface pycnocline is initially flat and shallow. Southern Ocean winds and diapycnal mixing are applied, causing the global pycnocline to deepen and the ACC to spin up. This deepening is arrested by eddy-induced transports and surface buoyancy loss in the Southern Ocean. This method allows us to identify the basic processes which control the adjustment and equilibrium state of the ACC, and the mechanisms by which the changes are communicated from and to the rest of the global ocean. A surprising conclusion is that if diapycnal mixing is important for establishing the global pycnocline (and strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation) then it is also an important driver of the ACC. A predictive theory for the adjustment timescale, equilibrium pycnocline depth and ACC transport is presented for single- and multiple-basin domains. The analytical theory is compared with results from the numerical simulations.

Allison, M. A., University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, Austin, USA, mallison@mail.utexas.edu;

Duncan, D. A., University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, Austin, USA, dduncan@ig.utexas.edu;

Sheremet, A., University of Florida Civil and Coastal Engineering, Gainesville, USA, alex@coastal.ufl.edu;

Jaramillo, S., University of Florida Civil and Coastal Engineering, Gainesville, USA, sjaram1@ufl.edu

FLOC BEHAVIOR IN HIGH TURBIDITY WINTER STORM EVENTS ON THE ATCHAFALAYA DELTA INNER SHELF, LOUISIANAField deployment of bottom tripods (Feb-Apr 2006 and 2007) for the ONR MURI pro-gram collected 2 Hz measurements of boundary layer dynamics during cold-front high wave-current events. One pod was deployed with a Sequoia LISST 100C at z = 1.25 m, which measures suspended particulates of 2.5-500 µm size. Size distribution was gener-ally bimodal over all frontal energy periods: a discrete particle mode at 46 µm, and a floc mode at 239 µm. Frequencies were also increasing (3rd mode) at the largest ring angle (mean size 460 µm), indicating larger flocs are present. During the increasing phase of strong currents or swell, and, significantly, even at strong and constant wave-current conditions, floc breakage occurred steadily over periods up to 24h. The latter suggests relatively long periods are necessary for floc size distributions to reach equilibrium with ambient energy. Optical transmission decreased during these periods as a function of both 1) resuspension and 2) breakage of flocs increasing particle numbers and optical scattering. During the strongest pre-frontal phases, turbidities rose at intervals to levels (>1.3 g/l) below the 15% transmission for reliable size data, even with an 80% path reduc-tion on the LISST. During the 6h post-frontal declining phase, larger flocs (>186 µm) re-formed to become the dominant component in low wave and current stress conditions, and less dominantly, in high swell and low currents.

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ASLO/AGU/TOS/ERF �008 Ocean Sciences Meeting

Al-Mansouri, H. A., Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait, Kuwait, hhadei@mfd.kisr.edu.kw;

Al-Yamani, F. Y., Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait, Kuwait, fyamani@mfd.kisr.edu.kw

TEMPORAL VARIABILITY IN TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLID CONCENTRATION IN THE NW ARABIAN GULF IN RELEVANCE TO SHATT AL-ARAB RIVER DISCHARGE.Kuwait is situated in the northwestern side of the Arabian Gulf. Kuwait’s northern waters are affected by Shatt al-Arab river discharge. A one-year (January 2006 – January 2007) study was conducted to determine the concentration of total suspended solids (TSS) in Kuwait’s waters. Seven stations were selected covering Kuwait’s waters from north to south. Water samples were collected by Niskin bottle, filtered by Whatman GF/F filter (47 µm in diameter), precombusted in a muffle furnace, and weighed on an electronic bal-ance (accuracy of +/- 0.01 mg ). Results indicated higher concentrations of TSS close to river discharge, which significantly decreased moving southward from the river influence. There was a difference between TSS values for the period of marsh drainage (ended in 2003) and the period of marsh rehabilitation which started in 2004.

Al-Rifaie, K. S., Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research , Kuwait, Kuwait, krifaie@mfd.kisr.edu.kw;

Al-Yamani , F. Y., Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research , Kuwait, Kuwait, fyamani@mfd.kisr.edu.kw

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FRESHWATER INPUT FROM SHATT AL ARAB RIVER ON KUWAIT’S BACTERIOPLANKTON ABUNDANCEBacteria carry out a number of significant biological functions in the marine environment and are especially evident in the anaerobic zone of sediment. Some of the bacterial activi-ties in the oceanic waters include converting and translocation of minerals. Elements such as nitrogen, carbon and phosphors, which become incorporated in organic components of plant and animal tissues, have a cyclical flow through food chains. Moreover, bacte-rioplankton are food for microzooplankton. As a result bacterioplankton are major com-ponents of the marine food web. Microbial community in the Arabian Gulf has not been extensively studied. This study focuses on the bacterioplankton community in the north-ern waters of Kuwait, which are influenced by Shatt Al-Arab River discharge. The results indicate that bacterioplankton community in the northwestern Arabian Gulf have rela-tively high biomass (average 3.18 x109 bacteria/l) in comparison with bacterial abundance in ocean surface waters, which is generally less than 1 x 10^9 bacteria/liter. They have high carbon demand (average ratio 1.4) relative to the local primary production (average 152.89 gC/l/day). The study addresses the subject of temporal and spatial distribution of bacterio-plankton in the NW waters of the Arabian Gulf.

ALSAID, T. T., UNIVERISTY OF SOUTHAMPTON, SOUTHAMPTON, United Kingdom, tfa@noc.soton.ac.uk;

Schroeder , D., MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION , PLYMOUTH, United Kingdom, dsch@mba.ac.uk;

TAYLOR, A., The University of North Carolina, Wilmington, Wilmington , USA, tay-lora@uncw.edu;

ACHTERBERG, E., UNIVERISTY OF SOUTHAMPTON, SOUTHAMPTON, United Kingdom, eric@noc.soton.ac.uk

THE ROLE OF EMILIANIA HUXLEYI SPECIFIC VIRUSES ON COPPER CYCLINGPhytoplankton influence the cycling and distribution of Cu in oceanic and coastal waters. Viruses are known to infect a range of phytoplankton species and thus may influence copper speciation in these waters. The objective of our work was to examine the effects of Emiliania huxleyi growth, senescence and decay on Cu speciation. Total dissolved Cu were near constant in the control and virus infected cultures. However, labile Cu decreased with incubation time in both cultures. Particulate Cu in the control cultures increased with time, and was therefore related with algal biomass. Similarly, in the virus infected cultures the particulate Cu increased with time, until the cells crashed due to viral infection. Cu per cell decreased during algal growth in virus free cultures. Viral lyses of Emiliania huxleyi caused a sharp increase in Cu per cell. Ligand production in the control culture decreased the free aqueous Cu concentration [Cu2+] with time. The lowest [Cu2+] in the control culture was between 6.73-5.1510-13 M, coinciding with the highest organic ligand concentrations. Also in the virus infected culture, [Cu2+] decreased when enhanced organic ligand concentrations were observed. In the virus infected culture, there was no increase in the dissolved Cu fraction in response to the decrease in the particulate Cu. It was hence hypothesized that the virus particles play a direct role in the Cu cycling.

Alsdorf, D., Ohio State, Byrd Polar Research Center, Columbus, USA, alsdorf.1@osu.edu;Andreadis, K., U. Washington, Civil Engineering, Seattle, USA, kostas@hydro.washington.edu;Lettenmaier, D., U. Washington, Civil Engineering, Seattle, USA, dennisl@u.washington.edu;Moller, D., Cal Tech, JPL, Pasadena, USA, delwyn.moller@jpl.nasa.gov;Rodriguez, E., Cal Tech, JPL, Pasadena, USA, ernesto.rodriguez@jpl.nasa.gov;Bates, P., U. Bristol, Geographical Sciences, Bristol, United Kingdom, paul.bates@bristol.uk;Mognard, N., CNES, Toulouse, France, nelly.mognard@cnes.fr;WATER HM Participants, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA, alsdorf.1@osu.eduVIRTUAL MISSION FIRST RESULTS SUPPORTING THE WATER HM SATELLITE CONCEPTFirst results demonstrate that: (1) Ensemble Kalman filtering of VM simulations recover water depth and discharge, reducing the discharge RMSE from 23.2% to 10.0% over an 84-

day simulation period, relative to a simulation without assimilation. The filter also shows that an 8-day overpass frequency produces discharge relative errors of 10.0%, while 16-day and 32-day frequencies result in errors of 12.1% and 16.9%, respectively. (2) SRTM mea-surements of water surfaces along the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Amazon rivers, as well as smaller tributaries, show height standard deviations of 5 meters or greater (SRTM is the heritage for WATER HM). These large errors require several hundred kilometer reach lengths to estimate slope and hence discharge in the empirical Manning’s method. Nevertheless, discharge estimates are reasonable and can be within 10% of gauged values. (3) River channel widths are key for determining the capability of WATER HM to resolve flow hydraulics. Automated measurements of channels, as classified in NLCD92 (a 30m product from the USGS Land Cover Institute), show detailed coverage throughout the Ohio River Basin, including channels with annual discharge of 150 cms, draining 12,500 sqkm. (4) Conventional profiling altimetry misses 75% of all lakes in the world because there are hundreds of kilometers between orbital tracks.

Altabet, M. A., U Mass Dartmouth/ School for Marine Science and Technology, New Bedford, USA, maltabet@umassd.edu;

Chai, F., U Maine/School of Marine Sciences, Orono, USA, fchai@umaine.edu;Gangopadhyay, A., U Mass Dartmouth/ School for Marine Science and Technology, New

Bedford, USA, avijit@umassd.eduHIGH-RESOLUTION MODEL SIMULATION OF THE SUBOXIC ZONES OF THE EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFICSuboxic intermediate waters of the world’s oceans dominate globally important redox-sen-sitive processes. However, the relative roles of physical and biogeochemical forcing of their extent and intensity as well as response to climate-change phenomena remain unclear. In particular, suboxic zones may be sensitive to future global warming. We are using a high-resolution, coupled physical-biogeochemical numerical model, evaluated with available observational data, to explore the contributions of processes critical to the development of suboxic intermediate-water regions in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP). In order to resolve critical details of the equatorial and tropical circulation, we employ a Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS) with 50 km resolution for the Pacific Ocean. The biogeo-chemical component is based on the Carbon, Si(OH)4, Nitrogen Ecosystem (CoSINE) model. Initial results are promising in showing good agreement between modeled oxygen and the observed annual mean oxygen concentration based on NODC climatology. In particular for the ETP, the model captures the suboxic conditions below 100m, the differ-ence in vertical extent between the northern and southern suboxic zones, as well as their geographic distribution.

Altieri, K. E., Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA, altieri@marine.rutgers.edu;Perri, M. J., Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA;Turpin, B. J., Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA;Seitzinger, S. P., Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USAIN-CLOUD PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF WATER SOLUBLE ORGANIC GASES AND ITS RELEVANCE TO ATMOSPHERIC DOC/DON DEPOSITIONIn this work aqueous phase reactions of methylglyoxal, a ubiquitous atmospheric carbonyl compound formed from biogenic and anthropogenic VOCs (Kawamura and Yasui, 2005), and hydroxyl radical with and without nitric acid were conducted to simulate in-cloud reactions. A major contribution of this work is the measurement of reaction products, including organic acids and oligomers by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry techniques. We will discuss the proposed aqueous phase reaction mechanism, the effect of nitric acid on product formation, and the potential importance of cloud processing to deposition of DOC and DON. The source of DON in atmospheric waters is yet unknown and this work provides insight into the potential contribution of cloud photochemistry to atmospheric DON formation. DON in atmospheric waters contributes 20-80% to the total nitrogen deposition to the ocean (Cornell et al., 2003). Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and nitrogen fixation are the only sources of non-recycled nitrogen to the open ocean and there is evidence that a significant fraction of DON in wet deposition is bioavailable (Seitzinger and Sanders, 1999) making it a potentially important control on marine productivity.

Alupay, J. S., University of California, Davis, Davis, USA, jsalupay@ucdavis.edu;Pitman, R. L., Southwest Fisheries Science Center- NOAA, La Jolla, USA, robert.pitman@

noaa.gov;Ballance, L. T., UCSD- Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Southwest Fisheries

Science Center- NOAA, La Jolla, USA, lisa.ballance@noaa.govINTERANNUAL VARIATION IN FORK LENGTH OF FLYINGFISH FROM THE EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFICThe El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an ocean-atmosphere coupling event that consists of warm El Niño and cool La Niña phases. The ENSO affects many systems including oceanic tropical regions like the eastern tropical Pacific (ETP). An important ETP community affected by ENSO variation is the tuna-dolphin assemblage. Past studies have concentrated on influences of ENSO variation on apex predators, such as dolphins. This study focuses on mid trophic-level organisms, specifically flyingfish collected be-tween August and November during ten years (1986 – 2004). The goal is to examine fork lengths of 21 species of flyingfish to determine the influence of interannual variation in growth rates. Histograms of fork length provide a means to compare monthly and yearly patterns. Preliminary results indicate interannual variation in flyingfish growth rates and clear seasonal patterns that vary on an annual basis. This is important to ecosystems stud-

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Meeting Abstracts ASLO/AGU/TOS/ERF

ies, specifically for the tuna-dolphin assemblage because flyingfish are key dolphin prey. Observed variations in flyingfish can provide a possible explanation for the lack of dolphin recovery in tuna-dolphin assemblages of the ETP.

Alvarado Bustos, R., Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory, Liverpool, United Kingdom, ruevar@pol.ac.uk;

Huthnance, J., Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory, Liverpool, United Kingdom, jmh@pol.ac.uk;

Krahmann, G., IfM-Geomar, Kiel, Germany, gkrahmann@ifm-geomar.de;Hobbs, R., University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom, r.w.hobbs@durham.ac.ukMIXING IN THE GULF OF CADIZ USING XBT DATAImages from acoustic reflections in the water column were obtained during the EU-funded GO experiment in the Gulf of Cadiz, and oceanographic data at the same place and time were also collected. The experiment(www.dur.ac.uk/eu.go/) focused on a section across the Mediterranean Water flow against and down the continental slope. The present analysis concerns the data on the continental slope at one end of the seismic section. XBT, XCTD and CTD sections were taken on the slope to analyze the properties of the water column. The XBT provide fine resolution in space and time, and are analyzed to estimate diffusivity and mixing parameters. This is also related with the local circulation and in-ternal wave contributions using data from ADCPs and moored temperature loggers. The finer resolution of the XBT and seismic data gives a new view on the mixing. Different ways to compare seismic and oceanographic data will be discussed.

Alvarez, F., Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, USA, federico.alvarez3@gmail.com;

DiMarco, S. F., Texas A&M University, College Station, USA, sdimarco@tamu.edu;Kurtz, J. C., Environmental Protection Agency-Gulf Ecology Division, Gulf Breeze, USA,

kurtz.jan@epa.gov;Quigg, A. S., Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, USA, quigga@tamug.eduSHIPBOARD PHOSPHORUS, NITROGEN AND SILICA NUTRIENT LIMITATION ASSAYS USING IN-VIVO PHYTOPAM FLUORESCENCE IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO.Our objective was to investigate the importance of nutrient limitation of phytoplankton production in coastal waters of the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Resource limitation assays were performed on 8 cruises from the summer of 2005 to the summer of 2007 during NOAA funded Mechanisms Controlling Hypoxia program and EPA’s Gulf Hypoxia Modeling Framework program. Twenty-four to forty-eight hour ship board experiments were conducted in which surface water was supplemented with additions of NO3, PO4, SiO4, NO3+PO4, NO3+PO4+SiO4 and with no added nutrients (control) at 50% irradi-ance. Changes in phytoplankton biomass and photosynthetic activity were calculated from in-vivo fluorescence measured with a PhytoPAM (Pulse Amplitude Modulated) fluorome-ter. Additional samples were taken to measure chlorophyll concentration using traditional methods. Our findings reveal that phytoplankton could be N-limited, P-limited and occa-sionally N and P co-limited, but never Si limited in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. The type of nutrient limitation was dependent on water quality (‘brown’, ‘green’ versus ‘blue’ waters) and season. The Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River plumes greatly influence water quality on a seasonal basis, and so, potentially phytoplankton production.

Alverson, K., IOC of UNESCO, Paris, France, k.alverson@unesco.orgAN INTEGRATED, OPERATIONAL GLOBAL OCEAN OBSERVING SYSTEMThe Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) has been in existence for over a decade. During this first decade, GOOS has been primarily engaged in planning observational strategies and developing the international governance structures required to facilitate multi-national ownership and development of the system. The most important challenge now facing GOOS is to complete and sustain an integrated, global system with clear user benefits. Substantial progress has been made, with more than half of the in-situ open ocean observing system for climate already in the water, including buoys, moorings, floats, tide gauges and repeat hydrographic lines. Operational warnings for coastal hazards based on this GOOS observational backbone are widely available providing clear societal benefits. However challenges remain. The research community is neither ensuring their observations fully contribute to, nor that their research fully benefits from, the system. New modalities for increasing research community participation and governmental com-mitments will be presented. The talk will begin with a brief overview of the status of the global ocean observing system, then highlight milestones achieved and conclude with key future challenges.

Al-Yamani, F., Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait, Kuwait, fyamani@kisr.edu.kw;Al-Rifaie, K., Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait, Kuwait, krifaie@mfd.kisr.

edu.kw;Ismail, W., Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait, Kuwait, wismail@mfd.kisr.edu.kw;Al-Mansouri, H., Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait, Kuwait, hhadei@mfd.

kisr.edu.kw;Al-Enezi, M., Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait, Kuwait, malanaze@gmail.comTHE EFFECTS OF RIVER DIVERSION, MESOPOTAMIAN MARSH MANIPULATIONS, AND RIVER DAMMING ON THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT OF THE ARABIAN GULFA study was conducted during the period of 1996-2005 to assess the impact of river di-version, marsh drainage, and marsh restoration on Kuwait’s marine environment. The

results indicated lower salinity, higher nitrate concentration, higher chlorophyll-a, and higher sedimentation in the northern waters of Kuwait influenced by the discharge of the man-made Third River and marsh drainage. Five estuarine copepod species, which occur only in the northern waters of Kuwait due to their proximity to the mouth of the river, are reported here for the first time. Lower turbidity levels were observed in the northern waters of Kuwait during 2004 and 2005 possibly influenced by the marsh restoration process. The above results indicate the close interrelationship between the upstream river environment and the northern Arabian Gulf. River-related activities in the Tigris-Euphrates Basin have transboundary impacts downstream. Assumptions on the potential effects of the upstream damming of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers on Kuwait’s marine environment are included. It is expected that recent and planned river basin modifications in Turkey, Iran and Iraq will significantly reduce river discharge, permanently remove seasonal flooding, and impact the northern Gulf ’s marine environment, with serious implications for fisheries.

Amaral-Zettler, L. A., Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, USA, amaral@mbl.edu;Sogin, M. L., Marine Biologi