Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Nitrogen Cycling In The Lower Chesapeake Bay And Mid- And South Atlantic Bight, Yifan Zhu

OES Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen (N) is central to marine primary production; its availability often limits the capacity and rates of primary productivity in most of the world’s oceans. Contrastingly, estuaries frequently receive anthropogenic N loading, oftentimes resulting in eutrophication, harmful algal blooms (HABs), and substantially degraded water quality. Nutrient variability in both estuaries and oceanic regimes results from meteorological forcing and physical processes, including wind-induced, tidal, and mesoscale mixing and upwelling. In this dissertation, a comprehensive investigation of N variability and cycling and its links to physical-biogeochemical processes was conducted using time-series monitoring approaches, flux estimations, satellite imaging, biogeochemical measurements, and molecular analyses. …

Tidal Flooding In The Mid-Atlantic Region Of The Us: Water Quality Effects In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Alfonso Macias Tapia

OES Theses and Dissertations

Many coastal areas around the globe suffer from nutrient pollution and its environmental, social, and economic consequences. Nutrient inputs can come from point (e.g., the end of a pipe) and nonpoint sources, from which the former are better constrained as sampling need only be conducted at a discharge point. Given the temporal and spatially extensive nature of tidal flooding events, they can represent another type of nonpoint source of nutrients to adjacent water bodies heretofore, unexamined and quantified. Most studies examining impacts of tidal flooding have focused on threats to resources on land, such as urban infrastructure and human health …

Dataset: Baywide Distribution Of Benthic Ecological Functions In The Past Decades In The Chesapeake Bay, Philip Ignatoff, Xun Cai, Kara Gadeken

Data

We undertook the collection and analysis of long-term benthos data from the Chesapeake Bay Benthic Monitoring Plan. Multiple ecological function traits related to feeding and disturbance were assigned to each observed benthic species based on a thorough literature review. The spatial distributions of the ecological function groups will be utilized in a 3D hydrodynamic biogeochemistry model simulation. This approach aids in estimating the contributions of benthos to estuarine hypoxia and nutrient dynamics. Furthermore, it fosters a connection between ecologists and modelers, promoting collaborative efforts in understanding and modeling the ecosystem.

Biophysical Interactions Control The Progression Of Harmful Algal Blooms In Chesapeake Bay: A Novel Lagrangian Particle Tracking Model With Mixotrophic Growth And Vertical Migration, Jilian Xiong, Jian Shen, Qubin Qin, Michelle C. Tomlinson, Yinglong J. Zhang, Xun Cai, Fei Yi, Linlin Cui, Margaret R. Mulholland

OES Faculty Publications

Climate change and nutrient pollution contribute to the expanding global footprint of harmful algal blooms. To better predict their spatial distributions and disentangle biophysical controls, a novel Lagrangian particle tracking and biological (LPT-Bio) model was developed with a high-resolution numerical model and remote sensing. The LPT-Bio model integrates the advantages of Lagrangian and Eulerian approaches by explicitly simulating algal bloom dynamics, algal biomass change, and diel vertical migrations along predicted trajectories. The model successfully captured the intensity and extent of the 2020 Margalefidinium polykrikoides bloom in the lower Chesapeake Bay and resolved fine-scale structures of bloom patchiness, demonstrating a reliable …

Sediment Characteristics Of The Chesapeake Bay And Its Tributaries, Virginia Province: Data Files, Gary F. Anderson

Data

During the 1990’s, Dr. Maynard Nichols and colleagues at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science compiled digital databases of sediment observations in the Chesapeake Bay and other coastal bays and rivers. These projects were performed under several cooperative agreements with NOAA, EPA and USGS. This particular dataset covers the Chesapeake Bay for bulk properties and contaminants. Additional references are provided below. The original files and filenames are provided without edit. See the readme.txt file for overall explanation of the datasets and individual .DOC files for the data dictionary and further data processing information for each waterbody.

2022 Hampton Roads Station Tide Prediction Calendars, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Miscellaneous

No abstract provided.

2022 Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Station Tide Prediction Calendars, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Miscellaneous

No abstract provided.

Marine Heatwaves In The Chesapeake Bay, Piero L. F. Mazzini, Cassia Pianca

VIMS Articles

Prolonged events of anomalously warm sea water temperature, or marine heatwaves (MHWs), have major detrimental effects to marine ecosystems and the world's economy. While frequency, duration and intensity of MHWs have been observed to increase in the global oceans, little is known about their potential occurrence and variability in estuarine systems due to limited data in these environments. In the present study we analyzed a novel data set with over three decades of continuous in situ temperature records to investigate MHWs in the largest and most productive estuary in the US: the Chesapeake Bay. MHWs occurred on average twice per …

Codar's Surface Flow At The Mouth Of The Chesapeake Bay: Relation To Bay's And Atlantic's Forcing, Shelby Kathryn Henderson

OES Theses and Dissertations

Surface currents in the lower Chesapeake Bay (CB) observed with land-based high-frequency radar antennas, or Coastal Ocean Dynamics Application Radar (CODAR), produce hourly 2D maps of current velocities used for search and rescue, pollution tracking, and fishing operations. This study analyzes the correlations between a 9-year record of surface currents measured by CODAR to coastal sea level, local wind forcing, river discharge into CB, and water transport through the Florida Straits, representing the Gulf Stream’s control on sea level along the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast. The goal of this study is to find ways to use CODAR data to detect and …

Mechanisms Driving Decadal Changes In The Carbonate System Of A Coastal Plain Estuary: Associated Dataset, Fei Da, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Pierre St-Laurent

Data

This dataset includes model outputs presented in the associated publication (Da et al. 2021, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans). This study used a three-dimensional ecosystem model to quantify the relative impacts of multiple anthropogenic drivers on the Chesapeake Bay carbonate system over the past three decades. Model simulations highlight that increased atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and decreased terrestrial nutrient inputs are two primary drivers causing nearly equal reductions in pH in surface waters of the Bay.

Vims Ferry Pier Ambient Water Monitoring Data, Salinity And Temperature, Daily Summary 1947-2003, Gary F. Anderson

Data

Bulk water parameters of Temperature and Salinity were measured at the VIMS Ferry Pier from 1947 to 2003. Initial methods were undocumented but likely automated with an instrument and chart recorder since the data consists of a daily high and low measurement from which a mean value was derived.

Beginning in 1971 an automated instrument recorded continuously from which 2-hour measurements were made and daily minimum and maxima were derived. Beginning in 1986 an Inter-Ocean CTD instrument placed at mid-depth was interfaced to a digital data logger (Campbell Scientific CRJ) that recorded data every six minutes, resulting in 240 measurements …

Impacts Of Multiple Environmental Changes On Long‐Term Nitrogen Loading From The Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Shufen Pan, Zihao Bian, Hanqin Tian, Yuanzhi Yao, Raymond G. Najjar, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Eileen E. Hofmann, Rongting Xu, Bowen Zhang

CCPO Publications

Excessive nutrient inputs from land, particularly nitrogen (N), have been found to increase the occurrence of hypoxia and harmful algal blooms in coastal ecosystems. To identify the main contributors of increased N loading and evaluate the efficacy of water pollution control policies, it is essential to quantify and attribute the long‐term changes in riverine N export. Here, we use a state‐of‐the‐art terrestrial–aquatic interface model to examine how multiple environmental factors may have affected N export from the Chesapeake Bay watershed since 1900. These factors include changes in climate, carbon dioxide, land use, and N inputs (i.e., atmospheric N deposition, animal …

2021 Hampton Roads Station Tide Prediction Calendars, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Miscellaneous

No abstract provided.

Vims Hydrofile: Ambient Water Monitoring And Meteorological Data For Chesapeake Bay And Near Coastal Shelf Waters, 1942-1982, Gary F. Anderson

Data

Historical ambient water quality and meteorologic conditions from cruises conducted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Chesapeake Bay and nearshore coastal shelf waters over a 40-year period through 1982.

Bulk water parameters were routinely measured during cruises conducted in Chesapeake Bay and nearshore coastal waters conducted by VIMS over four decades. Data were punched on 80-character cards known as ‘Form 1’ format by the VIMS central Computer Center. These were later converted to digital files. For this publication the Form 1 files were unpacked into yearly flat files containing two record types:

Station records - Contain surface observations …

Nitrogen Reductions Have Decreased Hypoxia In The Chesapeake Bay: Evidence From Empirical And Numerical Modeling : Data Repository, Luke T. Frankel, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs

Data

This data repository is a permanent archive of the results presented in the associated publication: Frankel et al., 2022, Nitrogen reductions have decreased hypoxia in the Chesapeake Bay: Evidence from empirical and numerical modeling, Science of the Total Environment, accepted for publication in December 2021.

A Data Repository For Extent And Causes Of Chesapeake Bay Warming, Kyle E. Hinson, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Pierre St-Laurent

Data

This data repository is a permanent archive of the results presented in the associated publication (Hinson et al. 2021, Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12916

Migration Of The Tidal Marsh Range Under Sea Level Rise For Coastal Virginia, With Land Cover Data, Julie Herman, Molly Mitchell

Data

The layers in this geodatabase were intended to represent the land that is encompassed by the average tidal range as sea level rises in the Virginia coastal region, including Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, the Atlantic Ocean side of the Eastern Shore, and Virginia Beach. The data layers in this geodatabase represent each two foot range of elevation incremented by 0.5 ft (e.g. 0-2 ft, 0.5-2.5 ft, 1-3 ft, etc.) with the current land cover that exists in that range.

ArcGIS metadata is included in the geodatabase.

Further details are provided in the Geodatabase Information file located from the download tab.

Estuarine Forecasts At Daily Weather To Subseasonal Time Scales, Andrew C. Ross, Charles A. Stock, Keith W. Dixon, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Et Al

VIMS Articles

Most present forecast systems for estuaries predict conditions for only a few days into the future. However, there are many reasons to expect that skillful estuarine forecasts are possible for longer time periods, including increasingly skillful extended atmospheric forecasts, the potential for lasting impacts of atmospheric forcing on estuarine conditions, and the predictability of tidal cycles. In this study, we test whether skillful estuarine forecasts are possible for up to 35 days into the future by combining an estuarine model of Chesapeake Bay with 35-day atmospheric forecasts from an operational weather model. When compared with both a hindcast simulation from …

Associated Dataset: Relative Impacts Of Global Changes And Regional Watershed Changes On The Inorganic Carbon Balance Of The Chesapeake Bay, Pierre St-Laurent, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs

Data

The dataset is a permanent archive of the results presented in the associated publication (St-Laurent et al. 2020, Biogeosciences).

This study used a biogeochemical module embedded in the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) to examine the relative impacts of global changes and regional watershed changes on the inorganic carbon balance of the Chesapeake Bay over the past century. The numerical experiments contrast the periods 1900-1914 and 2000-2014 and the results are fully described in the associated publication.

2020 Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Station Tide Prediction Calendars, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Miscellaneous

No abstract provided.

A Model Archive For A Coupled Hydrodynamic-Sediment Transport-Biogeochemistry Model For The Chesapeake Bay, Usa, Julia Moriarty, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Courtney K. Harris

Data

No abstract provided.

Sediment Resuspension In A Microtidal Estuary: Causative Forces And Links With Algal Blooms, Samantha C. Mcgill

OES Theses and Dissertations

After years of efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay, bacterial levels are down and species diversity has increased, however, algal blooms (primarily dinoflagellates) persist, occurring nearly every summer. Dinoflagellates produce resting cysts that accumulate in the bottom sediments and are thought to provide seed populations for future algal blooms when they are resuspended. When estuarine sediments are advected from a bed, other materials, such as pollutants, nutrients, and organic matter are also released into the water column. Thus, resuspended sediments can contribute to the degradation of water quality, habitat, and aquatic life, and impart negative impacts on local ecosystems and …

Living Shorelines: Barriers And Promotion: Accomack County, Va, Amy Belcher, Rhiannon Bezore, Michelle Covi, Wie Yusuf

Presentations, Lectures, Posters, Reports

Living shorelines can offer shoreline protection for low energy shorelines as well as providing ecoservices such as purifying water, buffering against floods, and attracting wildlife. This report highlights key benefits, possible barriers and solutions, and ideas for their promotion. Recommendations for implementing living shorelines are included for Accomack County, Virginia to aid in increasing awareness and utilization of living shorelines.

Nutrient Controls Over Cyanobacterial Synthesis Of The Neurotoxin Β-N-Methylamino-L-Alanine (Bmaa) And Its Potential Accumulation In The Blue Crab (Callinectes Sapidus), Madeline M. Hummel

OES Theses and Dissertations

Cyanobacteria are known to produce a variety of toxins that negatively impact both aquatic and terrestrial organisms. One putative neurotoxic compound is the non-protein amino acid β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), which has epidemiological linkages to the development of several human neurological diseases. Three cyanobacterial species thought to produce BMAA —Microcystis aeruginosa, Synechococcus bacillaris, and Nostoc sp. —were grown in nutrient replete cultures to examine its synthesis and cellular distribution over a growth cycle. Production of BMAA was also examined in nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) deplete cultures of Microcystis aeruginosa. In addition, natural assemblages of phytoplankton dominated by …

Estuarine Dissolved Organic Carbon Flux From Space: With Application To Chesapeake And Delaware Bays, Sergio R. Signorini, Antonio Mannino, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Pierre St-Laurent, John Wilkin, Aboozar Tabatabai, Raymond G. Najjar, Eileen E. Hofmann, Fei Da, Hanqin Tian, Yuanzhi Yao

CCPO Publications

This study uses a neural network model trained with in situ data, combined with satellite data and hydrodynamic model products, to compute the daily estuarine export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at the mouths of Chesapeake Bay (CB) and Delaware Bay (DB) from 2007 to 2011. Both bays show large flux variability with highest fluxes in spring and lowest in fall as well as interannual flux variability (0.18 and 0.27 Tg C/year in 2008 and 2010 for CB; 0.04 and 0.09 Tg C/year in 2008 and 2011 for DB). Based on previous estimates of total organic carbon (TOCexp) exported by …

Factors Contributing To The Success Of Restored Oyster Reefs In The Choptank River Of The Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, Tara L. Bardar

HCNSO Student Capstones

Populations of Crassostrea virginica, the Eastern oyster, have been declining since the late 1800s. While overharvesting is the primary cause of decline, the Eastern oyster is also facing the threat of disease and habitat loss. As oyster populations decline, habitat suitable for oyster spats declines as well, as these prefer to settle on the shells of other oysters that have formed reefs. Knowing this, oyster restoration projects have been focused around testing methods that will increase recruitment of spat and allow oyster reefs to form. A current and ongoing restoration project in the Choptank River of the Chesapeake Bay, …

2019 Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Station Tide Prediction Calendars, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Miscellaneous

No abstract provided.

Developing Ocean Color Algorithm Using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (Modis) Sensor For Shallow Coastal Water Bodies, Mohd Manzar Abbas

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study analyses the spatial and temporal variability of chlorophyll-a in Chesapeake Bay; assesses the performance of Ocean Color 3M (OC3M) algorithm; and develops a novel algorithm to estimate chlorophyll-a for coastal shallow water. The OC3M algorithm yields an accurate estimate of chlorophyll-a concentration for deep ocean water (RMSE=0.016), but it failed to perform well in the coastal water system (RMSE=23.17) of Chesapeake Bay. A novel algorithm was developed which utilizes green and red bands of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor. The novel algorithm derived the chlorophyll-a concentration more accurately in Chesapeake Bay (RMSE=4.20) than the OC3M algorithm. …

Associated Dataset: Impacts Of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition And Coastal Nitrogen Fluxes On Oxygen Concentrations In Chesapeake Bay, Fei Da, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Pierre St-Laurent

Data

The dataset includes model outputs used in publication Da et al. (2018), which used the Estuarine-Carbon-Biogeochemistry model embedded in the Regional-Ocean-Modeling-System (ChesROMS-ECB) to examine the relative impact of direct atmospheric dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) deposition and DIN from the continental shelf on the Chesapeake Bay dissolved oxygen. Model simulations highlight that DIN from the atmosphere has roughly the same impact on hypoxia as the same gram-for-gram change in riverine DIN loading. DIN concentrations on the continental shelf has a similar overall impact on hypoxia as DIN from the atmosphere.

Scientific And Technical Advisory Committee Review Of The Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership’S Climate Change Assessment Framework And Programmatic Integration And Response Efforts, Maria Hermann, Scott Doney, Tal Ezer, Keryn Gedan, Philip Morefield, Barbara Muhling, Douglas Pirhalla, Stephen Shaw

CCPO Publications

[From the Executive Summary] The following report presents a synthesis of reviewer responses from the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee’s (STAC) panel on the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership’s Climate Change Assessment Framework (CCAF) and Programmatic Integration and Response Efforts. The enclosed findings and recommendations are in response to the 16 questions delivered to the panel (Appendix A).

In summary, given the current state of knowledge, the combination of using climate model projections and downscaling provides an acceptable baseline for estimating changing climate conditions for the Chesapeake Bay, and the panel finds the CCAF approach to be fundamentally sound. However, the …