HR: 17:30h
AN: OS54A-07    [Abstracts]
TI: Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Phytoplankton and Sea Surface Temperature during CoOP WEST (northern California)
AU: * Vander Woude, A J
EM: andrea@es.ucsc.edu
AF: University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa, CA 95003 United States
AU: Largier, J L
EM: jllargier@ucsd.edu
AF: University of California, Davis Bodega Marine Labs, PO Box 247, Bodega Bay, CA 94923 United States
AU: Kudela, R M
EM: kudela@ucsc.edu
AF: University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa, CA 95003 United States
AB: A dominant physical feature affecting the flux of carbon in coastal regions are zones of high biomass and warm water that represent retention zones for phytoplankton (organic carbon). Retention zones occur in association with capes and bays, and stand out as relatively warm features, with higher chlorophyll content than surrounding waters. Such topographic features exist within the study area of the NSF Coastal Ocean Processes (CoOP) "Wind Events and Shelf Transport" study (WEST) which extends from the Gulf of the Farallones to Point Arena. Through the use of empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of satellite imagery for 2000 to 2003, patterns of variability for chlorophyll and sea surface temperature are identified for this area. Mooring and shipboard data further identify and explain these patterns by providing a three-dimensional view of the apparent retention and longer residence times for phytoplankton over the continental shelf. During spring and summer, this region experiences the strongest wind stress along the US west coast, yet it is still highly productive. There is a lack of understanding of processes that can retain organic particles over the shelf region, perhaps even during strong wind events. While patterns of warm SST and coherent high chlorophyll both north and south of Pt Reyes reflect long residence times, a distinction is made between circulation patterns north and south of the cape - with retentive circulation occurring south of the cape. These areas of longer residence time have a spatial extent of 20-30km, visible in chlorophyll a (SeaWiFS) and sea surface temperature (MODIS) satellite radiometry data during periods of upwelling. In this presentation we explain some of the causes and consequences of these retention zones using satellite EOF analysis, mooring data, and shipboard data.
DE: 4806 Carbon cycling
DE: 4855 Plankton
DE: 4219 Continental shelf processes
DE: 4275 Remote sensing and electromagnetic processes (0689)
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting