Puget Sound Water Properties and Quality

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Puget Sound Water Properties and Quality

• Chemical and biological characteristics, some of
  which can be affected by anthropogenic actions
• Measuring and modeling
• PRISM salty partners include
• Institutions UW, WA Ecology, King Co DNR
• Projects NOPP modeling, ORCA, JEMS

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Overarching Goal

• Through a strongly interacting combination of
  direct observations and computer models
  representing physical, chemical, and biological
  processes in Puget Sound, provide a record of
  Puget Sound water properties, as well as model
  now-casts and projections. The information will
  be used to develop a mechanistic understanding of
  the Sounds dynamics, how human actions and
  climate influence these (e.g., what-if
  scenarios), and how, in turn, the water
  properties influence marine resources and
  ecosystem health (linkage with other PRISM
  elements).

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Key questions

• Understanding plankton dynamics in a temperate
  fjord
• - What physical dynamics of water mass variation
  most influence stratification, and what is the
  phytoplankton response?
• - How important is nitrate versus ammonium in
  controlling phytoplankton production?
• - What controls light availability for
  phytoplankton in the euphotic zone?
• Assessing ecosystem integrity
• - Do salmon have food they need to survive? Is
  timing ok and what affects that?
• - What food-web shifts (e.g., macrozoops vs.
  gelatinous) affect fish etc survival?
• - How does an invasive species with certain
  growth/grazing characteristics impact food-web?
• Understanding perturbation impacts (e.g.,
  climate, human)
• - How does productivity differ with ENSO and PDO
  stages?
• - How does flushing differ with ENSO and PDO
  stages?
• - Do land-use practices affect water properties
  and phytoplankton?

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Uses and benefits

• The information will be used
• for teaching at various levels
• to promote and aid research
• to help define effective regional planning
• Public benefit includes
• Resource and habitat protection (e.g., clean
  water, fish, shellfish)
• Waste/pollution planning and allocation
• Puget Sound quality maintenance

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PRISM Puget Sound Water Properties prime
suspects

• UW Mark Warner, Al Devol, Steve Emerson, Miles
  Logsdon, Jeff Richey, Kate Edwards, Mitsuhiro
  Kawase
• WA Ecology Jan Newton, Rick Reynolds, Skip
  Albertson
• KC-DNR Randy Shuman, Bruce Nairn

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Partnerships/ Monitoring
Observations
Virtual Puget Sound
Remote sensing
Climate variation impacts
Modeling
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Partnerships/ Monitoring
Observations
Virtual Puget Sound
Remote sensing
Climate variation impacts
Modeling
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Ships Buoys
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Partnerships/ Monitoring
Observations
Virtual Puget Sound
Remote sensing
Climate variation impacts
Modeling
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Marine Water Quality Index
Ships Buoys
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Partnerships/ Monitoring
Observations
Virtual Puget Sound
Remote sensing
Climate variation impacts
Modeling
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Marine Water Quality Index
Ships Buoys
Remote sensing
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Partnerships/ Monitoring
Observations
Virtual Puget Sound
Remote sensing
Climate variation impacts
Modeling
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Marine Water Quality Index
Ships Buoys
El Niño vs La Niña
Remote sensing
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Partnerships/ Monitoring
Observations
Virtual Puget Sound
Remote sensing
Climate variation impacts
Modeling
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Marine Water Quality Index
Ships Buoys
El Niño vs La Niña
Remote sensing
Aquatic biogeochemical cycling model
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Marine Water Quality Index
Ships Buoys
El Niño vs La Niña
Remote sensing
Aquatic biogeochemical cycling model
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Partnerships/ Monitoring
Observations
Virtual Puget Sound
Remote sensing
Climate variation impacts
Modeling
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1. How are we measuring Puget Sound Water
Properties and Quality?

• PRISM-sponsored cruises
• Partnership with WA Ecology and King Co
  monitoring (PSAMP)
• JEMS Joint Effort to Monitor the Strait,
• co-sponsored by MEHP, et al.
• ORCA Ocean Remote Chemical-optical Analyzer,
  initial sponsorship EPA/NASA, also WA SG,
  KC-DNR

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PRISM cruises

• Annual June and Dec. cruises 10 so far
• Greater Puget Sound including Straits
• Synoptic hydrographic, chemical, and biological
  data
• Input for models, student theses, regional
  assessments

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Value of a PRISM cruise?

• Student training and involvement
• UG and G majors and non-majors
• Data collection on synoptic basis
• verification for models
• time-series at solstices
• Involvement of larger community
• media, K-12, other marine programs, local
  governments

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PRISM cruise participation

• UW Undergraduates - 34 persons, 60 trips (41)
• Oceanography - 30
• Other Majors - 4 UW Tacoma , Biochemistry,
  Computer Sci, Fisheries
• UW Grad Students- 21 persons, 23 trips (16)
• Oceanography - 11
• Other Majors - 10 Chem, Geol, Appl Math, Biol,
  Genetics, Sci Ed, Foriegn
• WA State Dept. Ecology - 8 persons, 20 trips
• UW Faculty - 4 persons, 13 trips
• King County DNR - 4 persons, 5 trips
• US Coast Guard Techs - 6 persons
• Congressional Staff - 6 persons
• Media - 4 persons Totals 94 persons, 146
  trips
• UW Staff - 3 persons 57 student labor
• CORE - 2 persons
• NOAA/PMEL - 1 person
• Ocean Inquiry Project - 1 person
• High School Teacher - 1 person

Data after 7 cruises
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PRISM Observations Hood Canal Oxygen and Ammonium
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• Partnership Ecology PSAMP monitoring
• Analysis of monitoring data identified South
  Puget Sound as an area susceptible to
  eutrophication
• Led to focused study on South Sound nutrient
  sensitivity (SPASM)
• Coordination of SPASM and PRISM modeling/observ.

http//www.ecy.wa.gov/
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• Partnership KC-DNRs WWTP siting
• Regions growth is requiring greater capacity to
  treat wastewater. New WWTP proposed.
• KC MOSS study to site marine outfall and assess
  potential impacts
• Coordinated modeling/ observ. effort with PRISM

Marine outfall zones with depth contours
http//www.metrokc.gov/
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JEMS need to know ocean boundary
Compare Sept 2000 with Sept 2001
Temperature
Why is there warmer fresher water in 2001 ??
Salinity
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Cross-Channel Density Gradient
Warmer fresher water drives stronger density
gradient during Sep 2001 than in Sep 2000
North South
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High River Flow
Large Cross- Channel Gradient
Increased Geostrophic Out Flow
Decreased Residence Time
2000 drought had consequences
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1. Re Puget Sound measurements

• Good start and better coordination now
• But, need more comprehensive views in time and
  space
• Develop moorings, gliders, satellite and aircraft
  remote sensing
• IOOS may help, but may not extend to estuaries

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How are we modeling Puget Sound Water Properties
and Quality?

• ABC model Aquatic Biogeochemical
  Cycling
• NOPP partnership
• UW, WA Ecology, KC-DNR, OIP, Navy
• Hub for models, data output, forum
• Includes funds for sediment module, data
  management/assimilation, outreach/educ.

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What is an Aquatic Biogeochemical Cycling Model
and why develop one for PRISM?

• Describes the dynamics of nutrients, plankton,
  and organic material in a water column this has
  defining importance for water quality, food for
  higher trophic levels, and change impact
  projections.
• Models commonly in use (e.g., EPA) take more of a
  curve-fitting approach, are composed of
  antiquated coding, and do not support teaching as
  well.
• The model is an essential tool for exploring the
  fundamentals of biogeochemical cycling in Puget
  Sound, for use in planning or what-if
  scenarios, and for use in teaching and
  communication.

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Aquatic Biogeochemical Cycling Model Features

• Under active development (UW, WDOE, KCDNR)
• Simulates three-dimensional concentrations of
  chemical and biological entities
• Dissolved oxygen and nutrients (NO3, PO4, NH4)
• Phytoplankton biomass (three types)
• Zooplankton biomass (three types)
• Particulate and dissolved organic matter (C, N,
  P)
• Externally forced by hydrodynamics and sunlight
• Designed to interface with a variety of
  circulation models including POM, linkage to MM-5
  and SWIM
• Spatially explicit model based on published
  equations for biological and chemical reactions

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Biogeochemical Systems Model
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Aquatic Biogeochemical Cycling Model
Applications

• Primary applications are to assess
• dynamics of phytoplankton blooms (eutrophicn,
  HABs)
• dynamics of dissolved oxygen and water quality
• sensitivity to changes, both human (e.g., WWTP,
  climate change) and natural (e.g., ENSO, regime
  shift)
• Suitable for both marine and freshwater systems
• Supports linkages will provide output to
• nearshore sediment-biological model
• higher trophic level models (e.g., salmon!)
• Same tool can be used for teaching, basic
  research, applied research, and planning
  decisions.

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Aquatic Biogeochemical Cycling Model Status

• Coded in C by Computer Science Honors UG
• User-friendly web interface (GUI) allows easy
  model runs, storing coefficients
• 1-cell model and web interface used and tested in
  graduate-level class Spring, 2000
• Coupled ABC to POM testing coupled model in Budd
  Inlet against other model output and field data
• Soon to be able to run coupled model from web
• Working on visualization schemes for sections,
  time-series, and animations

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1-cell ABC model output, constant light, no mixing
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(No Transcript)
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Plan view of phytoplankton conc. in Budd Inlet
mmoles phyto C /m3
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Northing (km)
1
1
3
Easting (km)
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Longitudinal section of temperature in Budd Inlet
degrees C
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A Partnership for Modeling the Marine
Environment of Puget Sound, Washington NOPP /
PRISM

• Develop, maintain and operate a system of
  simulation models of Puget Sounds circulation
  and ecosystem, a data management system for
  oceanographic data and model results, and an
  effective delivery interface for the model
  results and observational data for research,
  education and policy formulation.
• Develop fundamental understanding of the Sounds
  working, and address questions raised by the
  regional community concerning management of the
  Sound and its resources.

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2. Re Puget Sound modeling

• Good start and better coordination now
• But, need completion of model integration (with
  POM et al.) and verification (with observational
  data and other models)
• NOPP Modeling grant will help with model
  development, outreach, context

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Our GOALS for 2002-3

• Continue time-series of observations
• JEMS
• PRISM cruises
• ORCA
• PSAMP
• Extract more science from data collected so far
• Database development and documentation
• Further develop ABC Model
• Improve operational status
• Sophisticate ABC model integration with POM model
• Use observational data for model verification
• Continue work on Budd Inlet sub-model
• Conduct coordinated observation/modeling project
  MIXED
• Outreach to schools, science community, and
  public

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Goals for achieving VPS

• Internal to ABC
• Sediment module
• ABC needs directly
• POM (hydrodynamics)
• DSHVM (river input)
• MM-5 (weather forcings)
• ABC can support
• Sediment/toxics transport and fate
• Nearshore processes (NearPRISM)
• Upper trophic levels (e.g., fish management)
• HABs