Learning about Puget Sound: MIXED

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Learning about Puget Sound MIXED

• Kate Edwards
• UW Applied Physics Lab

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MIXED

• Model/measurement integration experiment in
  estuary dynamics

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MIXED

• Who UW, government scientists
• What Fieldwork, modeling
• When Spring bloom 2003
• Why Biophysical coupling in south Sound
• Where Carr Inlet, south Sound
• How Collaboration you?

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Motivation

• Study coupled ecosystem of south Sound
• Biology, chemistry, circulation, runoff, weather
• Role in spring bloom?
• Can we model these processes?
• Test hypotheses
• What affects productivity in an area vulnerable
  to nutrification?

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Water pollution sources
From SPASM web page, http//www.ecy.wa.gov/program
s/eap/spasm/spasm_results.html
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South Sound problems on the horizon
Newton, J.A. 1995. Observations of El Niño
weather conditions reflected in the temperatures
and salinities of Puget Sound monitoring
stations. In Puget Sound Research '95
Proceedings, 2 979-991.
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Population growth
Georgia Basin-Puget Sound Ecosystem Indicators
Report, 2002
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MIXED location Carr Inlet
July 1990 aerial photo mosaic, USGS website
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MIXED components

• BioFloat
• Ship surveys
• Integrated physical model
• Aquatic Biochemistry Cycling Model
• ORCA
• Multiple funding sources, investigators

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BioFloat (Eric DAsaro, Rick Reynolds)

• Temperature, salinity, radiometer
• Oxygen, chlorophyll

BioFloat figures from proposal, personal
communication (DAsaro), and http//opd.apl.washin
gton.edu/dasaro/Oregon/OregonBio.html
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BioFloat data examples
Growth rate vs available light
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Ship surveys (Jan Newton)

• RV Skookum 10 stations along BioFloat track
  (26 vessel)
• Conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD)
• Oxygen, chlorophyll, nutrients (bottles)
• Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP)

Dept of Ecology photo
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Coupled physical model (Mitsuhiro Kawase, Kate
Edwards)

• Stratification, circulation of Puget Sound
• Water Princeton Ocean Model
• Atmospheric forcing Mesoscale Meteorological
  Model 5
• River runoff - Hydromet

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Aquatic Biogeochemical Cycling (ABC) model

• Productivity at a single point
• Model biological processes (grazing, productivity)

Jan Newton PRISM seminar, http//www.prism.washing
ton.edu/lc/PRDOCS/retreat2002/
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What do we already know?

• ORCA profiler (2000-present)
• Model output
• WA Department of Ecology stations, PRISM cruises
• Monthly stations for several years
• ADCP mooring and sections

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Oceanic Remote Chemical-optical Analyzer (ORCA)
Weather observations
Temperature, salinity, oxygen, chlorophyll, light
Hourly profiles
Picture from ORCA website, http//orcabase.ocean.w
ashington.edu/
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2002 spring bloom starts
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Modeling the flow

• Animation of velocity for January
• High mixing due to vertical shear?
• Complicated circulation what are we seeing at
  ORCA?

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MIXED recap

• Learn about spring bloom in an area vulnerable to
  nutrification
• Biological, chemical, physical observations
• Modeling
• Where do you come in?

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Sample projects

• Zooplankton grazing rate in south Sound. Levels
  before/after bloom?
• Species composition of Carr Inlet. Do micro or
  macro algae dominate?
• Nutrient analysis, chemistry of Carr Inlet
• Internal tide analysis
• Dissipation of tidal energy, mixing
• 3D stratification of the Inlet
• Internal wave study using satellite data
• Other ideas!

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How to learn more

• http//www.prism.washington.edu/lc/PRMIXED/
• Email Kate Edwards (edwards_at_apl.washington.edu)
• Al Devol presentation on ORCA today
• Mitsuhiro Kawase presentation 12/11