Physical Mechanisms

1
Physical Mechanisms

• Seasonality (phenology) of physical processes
  (upwelling, cross-shelf transport, FW input, )
• Freshwater input coastal currents (GOA, SO, GB,
  CCS)
• Advection shelf water crossovers (GB), LF
  salinity anomalies (GB), ENSO-related anomalies
  (CCS)
• Retention/LossNAO-related shelf-ring
  interactions (NWA) mesoscale features (eddies,
  fronts) ACC variation (SO)
• Land-Sea temperature contrasts Katabatic winds
  (SO), changes in upwelling strength (CCS), SST
  variation
• Vertical Structure local heating effects of
  heating on biological rate processes (all sites)
  stratification effects on upwelling efficiency
  (CCS)

2
Biological Mechanisms

• Direct effects of heating on biological rate
  processes (all sites)
• Range shifts in spp due to temperature (or other)
  variations
• Changes in predator/prey relationships, ecosystem
  structure (incl. range shifts)
• Ecosystem efficiency (conversion of PP to HTL)
  due to changes in food web components (e.g., food
  chain length)
• Are certain target spp mpre resilient/adaptable
  to variability?
• Relative time scales of advective processes to
  life cycle closure times
• Fronts/thin layers are exploitable by
  intelligent organisms
• Biogeochemical variability (e.g., ocean
  acidification) --gt IMBER
• Interaction b/w climate change human activity
  (overfishing) on ecosystem resiliency (e.g.,
  response to regime shift)

3
Temporal/Spatial Scales

• Tidal mixing shelf-slope fronts are hotspots of
  NPP and HTL (NWA)
• Topographically-controlled hot spots (Hecata Bank
  in CCS has long residence times upwelling
  shadows around capes/headlands)
• Topographically-steered UCDW onto shelf (SO)
• Hypoxic events (CCS)
• Long-lived mesoscale eddies (e.g., Haida in GOA)
  can transport coastal material offshore
• Top Predators utilize hot spots (persistent
  features or regions) for various ecological
  functions (foraging, migration, reproduction)
• Riverine inputs (nuts, FW, statification)
• Intraseasonal oscillations (NEP) SSWC-related
  salinity anomalies (GB) storm events (all)
• More (?) relevant ENSO, NAO, SAM (interannual to
  decadal variability)

4
Attributes/Methods

• Low observability and predictability for episodic
  events
• Sample appropriately for the process being
  studied (e.g., intraseasonal resolution to
  capture spring transition)
• Long-term HF moored samplers, satellite-based
  sensors, species-specific sensors (taxonomic
  info), ship-based studies, AUVs, gliders,
  drifters/floats, electronic tags COUPLED to an
  interactive, data-assimilative high-res
  physical-biological model!
• Need to maintain current capabilities in
  satellite sensors (at least)