Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Submarine Groundwater Discharge At A Mega-Tidal Beach, Raymond D. Craddock, Aaron A. Mohammed, Joseph J. Tamborski, Barret L. Kurylyk

OES Faculty Publications

Tidally influenced groundwater systems in coastal environments represent important mixing zones of fresh groundwater and circulating seawater, manifesting as submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). Water circulation induced by tidal pumping enhances the exchange of chemicals between aquifers and coastal waters and thereby influences the biogeochemistry of coastal zones. Here, we report the results of an SGD field study conducted at a steep, mega-tidal sand and gravel beach along the Canadian coast of the Bay of Fundy, a region with the world's highest tides (semi-diurnal tidal ranges exceeding 10 m). Several physical and geochemical measurement techniques were employed to document the spatiotemporal …

Contrasting Nitrogen Dynamics Across The Mid-Atlantic Bight Shelfbreak Front: Insights From Nitrate Dual Isotopes And Nitrifier Gene Abundance, Yifan Zhu, Margaret R. Mulholland, Corday R. Selden, Dennis J. Mcgillicuddy Jr., Josie Mottram, P. Dreux Chappell, Weifang Gordon Zhang, Julie Granger, Katherine E. Crider, Meredith G. Meyer, Peter W. Bernhardt, Hilde Oliver, Sophie Clayton

OES Faculty Publications

Observations and model studies suggest that front dynamics can enhance phytoplankton productivity. This study tested whether frontal systems also increase the abundance of nitrifying microbes and nitrogen recycling during repeat sampling transects across the Mid‐Atlantic Bight shelfbreak in July 2019. We measured ammonium concentrations, nitrate dual isotopes (δ¹⁵N, δ¹⁸O), and ammonia monooxygenase subunit A (amoA) genes of ammonia‐oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB). In subsurface shelf waters, ammonium concentrations exceeded 2 μmol L⁻¹, due to a temporary imbalance in regeneration from sinking particles and subsequent nitrification. The inverse correlation between nitrate δ^{15 …}

Marine Emissions Of Methanethiol Increase Aerosol Cooling In The Southern Ocean, Charel Wohl, Julián Villamayor, Martí Galí, Anoop S. Mahajan, Rafael P. Fernández, Carlos A. Cuevas, Adriana Bossolasco, Qinyi Li, Anthony J. Kettle, Tara Williams, Roland Sarda-Esteve, Valérie Gros, Rafel Simó, Alfonso Saiz-Lopez

OES Faculty Publications

Ocean-emitted dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is a major source of climate-cooling aerosols. However, most of the marine biogenic sulfur cycling is not routed to DMS but to methanethiol (MeSH), another volatile whose reactivity has hitherto hampered measurements. Therefore, the global emissions and climate impact of MeSH remain unexplored. We compiled a database of seawater MeSH concentrations, identified their statistical predictors, and produced monthly fields of global marine MeSH emissions adding to DMS emissions. Implemented into a global chemistry-climate model, MeSH emissions increase the sulfate aerosol burden by 30 to 70% over the Southern Ocean and enhance the aerosol cooling effect while …

Mapping Seagrass Distribution And Abundance: Comparing Areal Cover And Biomass Estimates Between Space-Based And Airborne Imagery, Victoria J. Hill, Richard C. Zimmerman, Dorothy A. Byron, Kenneth L. Heck Jr.

OES Faculty Publications

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Planet satellite imagery in mapping seagrass coverage in Santa Rosa Sound, Florida. We compared very-high-resolution aerial imagery (0.3 m) collected in September 2022 with high-resolution Planet imagery (~3 m) captured during the same period. Using supervised classification techniques, we accurately identified expansive, continuous seagrass meadows in the satellite images, successfully classifying 95.5% of the 11.18 km² of seagrass area delineated manually from the aerial imagery. Our analysis utilized an occurrence frequency (OF) product, which was generated by processing ten clear-sky images collected between 8 and 25 September 2022 to determine the frequency with which …

Widespread Crab Burrows Enhance Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Coastal Blue Carbon Ecosystems, Kai Xiao, Yuchen Wu, Feng Pan, Yingrong Huang, Hebo Peng, Meiqing Lu, Yan Zhang, Hailong Li, Yan Zheng, Chunmiao Zheng, Yan Liu, Nengwan Chen, Leilei Xiao, Guangxuan Han, Yasong Li, Pei Xin, Ruili Li, Bochao Xu, Faming Wang, Joseph J. Tamborski, Alicia M. Wilson, Daniel M. Alongi, Isaac R. Santos

OES Faculty Publications

Fiddler crabs, as coastal ecosystem engineers, play a crucial role in enhancing biodiversity and accelerating the flow of material and energy. Here we show how widespread crab burrows modify the carbon sequestration capacity of different habitats across a large climatic gradient. The process of crab burrowing results in the reallocation of sediment organic carbon and humus. Crab burrows can increase more greenhouse gases emissions compared to the sediment matrix (CO2: by 17-30%; CH4: by 49-141%). Straightforward calculations indicate that these increased emissions could offset 35-134% of sediment carbon burial in these two ecosystems. This research highlights the complex interactions between …

Heterogeneity Of Nitrogen Fixation In The Mesopelagic Zone Of The South China Sea, Siqi Wu, Xianhui Sean Wan, Moge Du, Xirong Chen, Corday R. Selden, Mar Benavides, Sophie Bonnet, Carolin R. Löscher, M. Robert Hamersley, Margaret R. Mulholland, Xiuli Yan, Shuh-Ji Kao

OES Faculty Publications

Biological dinitrogen (N₂) fixation, the energetically expensive conversion of N₂ gas to ammonia, plays an essential role in balancing the nitrogen budget in the ocean. Accumulating studies show detectable N₂ fixation rates below the euphotic zone in various marine systems, revealing new insights of marine N₂ fixation. However, the reported rates are highly variable and frequently fall close to detection limits, raising the question of the ubiquity and significance of N₂ fixation in the global dark ocean. Using highly sensitive isotopic labeling incubation including a set of control incubations, we confirm the occurrence of mesopelagic N₂ fixation in the South …

Submarine Groundwater Discharge As A Major Nutrient Source In River-Fed Vs. Tidally Dominated Estuaries, Stephanie J. Wilson, Joseph J. Tamborski, Bongkeun Song, Peter Bernhardt, Margaret R. Mulholland

OES Faculty Publications

The tidal tributaries of the lower Chesapeake Bay experience seasonally recurring harmful algal blooms and the significance of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) as a nutrient vector is largely unknown. Here, we determined seasonal SGD nutrient loads in two tributaries with contrasting hydrodynamic conditions, river-fed (York River) vs. tidally dominated (Lafayette River). Radon surveys were performed in each river to quantify SGD at the embayment-scale during spring and fall 2021. Total SGD was determined from a ²²²Rn mass balance and Monte Carlo simulations. Submarine groundwater discharge rates differed by a factor of two during spring (Lafayette = 11 ± 17 cm …

Examining Bigheaded Carp Ichthyoplankton Drift In Tributary And Mainstem River Systems Of Two Midwestern Rivers, Adam Landry

Masters Theses

The bigheaded carp invasion in North America continues to negatively impact ecosystems making it essential to understand their reproductive dynamics at various spatial scales. Previous studies have highlighted the suitability of tributaries of large rivers for bigheaded carp reproduction, and the importance of tributaries for ichthyoplankton drift to mainstem rivers. This study investigated patterns in tributary-mainstem ichthyoplankton drift dynamics in two invaded river systems of the Midwestern United States, with distinct hydrology, the Illinois and Wabash Rivers. From May-September 2021, I sampled ichthyoplankton from three tributaries and three mainstem sites in each river basin. I analyzed bigheaded carp egg and …

Impact Of Solar Radiation On Perchlorate Formation In The Atmosphere: Evidence From Ice Core Measurements, Bishnu Kunwar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perchlorate, which derives from both anthropogenic and natural sources in the current environment, poses a substantial health hazard to humans as it competes with iodine uptake in the thyroid gland. Consequently, there has been considerable concern about minimizing human exposure to environmental perchlorate by restricting its release from man-made sources. However, the absence of a clear understanding regarding the respective contributions of man-made and natural sources has hindered widespread regulation efforts. A 300-year (1700–2007) Summit, Greenland ice core record from a previous study showed relatively stable perchlorate concentrations in Greenland snow prior to 1980, with some elevated perchlorate levels associated …

The Effects Of Temperature, Flooding, And Goose Feces Addition On Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Ammonification In Four High-Latitude Soils From Western Alaska, Jenna M. Ross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The large carbon (C) stock of wetlands is vulnerable to climate change, especially in high latitudes that are warming at a disproportional rate. Likewise, low-elevation Arctic coastal areas will flood more frequently under climate change and sea-level rise, which may alter goose herbivory and fecal deposition patterns if geese move inland. While temperature, flooding, and feces impact soil C emissions, their interactive effects have been rarely studied. Here, I explore the impact of these interactions on CO2 and CH4 emissions and nitrogen (N) mineralization (ammonification) in soils collected from four plant communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta, a high latitude …

Carbon Neutral By 2030 - Katanning Research Station, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Climate Science Published Reports

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's (DPIRD) Katanning Research Station (KRS) is developing practical techniques and methods for mitigating carbon emissions from the livestock industry.

This research will help the livestock industry in Western Australia (WA) access anticipated future markets for carbon neutral food and fibre products.

Supply And Consumption Of Dissolved Organic Phosphorus Across The Subtropical Indian Ocean, Corinne Richard

Honors Theses and Capstones

The Indian Ocean is an understudied region for marine phosphorus (P) biogeochemistry. Emerging evidence indicates marine phytoplankton can adapt to decreasing supplies of inorganic P, a required nutrient for growth, by alternatively utilizing organic forms of P. Here we investigate the dissolved organic phosphorus concentration ([DOP]) distribution across the southern Indian Ocean using observations collected on the I05 US GO-SHIP Cruise (2023) across ~33ºS latitude. We quantify the longitudinal variability of [DOP] in the upper 350 m of the Indian Ocean and infer its rate of biological consumption from surface waters, contributing as an organic nutrient to sustain marine autotrophs …

Effects Of El Nino And Sunspot Cycles On Global And Reginal Climate, August Nathan Tolzman

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Sunspots and El Nino affect the interannual variability of temperature on earth. Separately there is a positive relationship between higher sunspots and warmer temperatures or more intense El Nino and warmer temperatures globally and in Missoula. This is with the bias of climate change removed. Putting these two processes together it is expected that when intense El Ninos and high sunspots happen in the same year there will be warmer temperatures. This was not the case, there was no data to support that putting these to processes together makes them more or less intense.

Improving Accessibility And Understanding: Studying The Impact Of Human Activities And Dam Removals On Anadromous Fish Species In The Pacific Northwest, Adia F. Bennett

Scripps Senior Theses

Human activities in North American watersheds have significantly impacted anadromous fish, causing some species of salmon and steelhead to become threatened and endangered. These fish hold ecological, cultural, and economic importance, yet factors such as habitat destruction, overfishing, pollution, climate change, and hydroelectric dams continue to degrade populations. Dams are particularly harmful to anadromous fish, sparking a recent movement advocating for dam removals. This study uses NOAA’s 2022 Biological Viability Assessment to examine the response of anadromous fish to recent dam removals in the Pacific Northwest. Four populations were selected to analyze due to their interaction with sites that had …

The Role Of Atmospheric And Oceanic Feedbacks In Orbital And Millennial Timescale Variability Of The Coupled Climate-Carbon System, Fangze Zhu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

An intriguing mechanism of the Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles is the phase locking of internal climate oscillations to external forcings, suggesting the leading role of the natural climate variability in the past climate changes on orbital timescales. Similarly, the millennial-scale variability over the last glacial period may be attributed to unforced climate dynamics. One of the central themes of the climate sciences is to acquire a fundamental understanding of climate feedbacks over a broad range of timescales. The main objective of this thesis is to identify the characteristic natural variability in a fully coupled climate-carbon model from orbital to millennial timescales, …

Burning Fear, Amy Dorie

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Climate change is leading to more intense and devastating wildfires that lead to tragic loss of life and property (Cal Fire, 2018; Sinco et al., 2023) and disturbing environmental impacts (OECD, 2023). The purpose of this textile design was to create an activist design that communicates the fear and anxiety felt by those impacted by wildfires. First-hand accounts of those experiencing wildfires were researched as inspiration for the textile design. Based on the accounts, a selection of wildfire-related images were cropped in irregular shapes, placed around the canvas, and blended evoking a sense of chaos and devastation. An image of …

Observations Of Lateral Salinity Variability At A Deltaic-Bay Transition Zone, Mobile Bay, Alabama, Clara Oxford, Brian Dzwonkowski, Josh Goff

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

Community Science Informs Movement And Reproductive Ecology Of Sand Tigers Carcharias Taurus Off North Carolina, United States Of America, Carol Seals Price, Ara Lupton Mcclanahan, Erin J. Burge, Tanya Houppermans, Jason Holmberg

Marine Science

Sand tigers are frequently observed at shipwrecks and other artificial reef habitats off North Carolina (USA), but data about occupancy, movement ecology, and site fidelity are lacking. Spot A Shark USA researchers used Wildbook^© photoidentification software to spot map sand tigers in images provided by recreational SCUBA divers, or collected from remotely operated vehicles, and an offshore live-streaming camera. We uniquely identified 1837 sand tigers, 101 of which were resighted on more than one date between 2005–2021. Sand tigers of both sexes and various ages were found year-round along the northern, central and southern coast. We identified shipwrecks or …

Permafrost Carbon: Progress On Understanding Stocks And Fluxes Across Northern Terrestrial Ecosystems, Claire C. Treat, Anna-Maria Virkkala, Eleanor Burke, Lori Bruhwiler, Abhishek Chatterjee, Joshua B. Fisher, Josh Hashemi, Frans-Jan W. Parmentier, Brendan M. Rogers, Sebastian Westermann, Jennifer D. Watts, Elena Blanc-Betes, Matthias Fuchs, Stefan Kruse, Avni Malhotra, Kimberley Miner, Jens Strauss, Amanda Armstrong, Howard E. Epstein, Bradley Gay, Mathias Goeckede, Aram Kalhori, Dan Kou, Charles E. Miller, Susan M. Natali, Youmi Oh, Sarah Shakil, Oliver Sonnentag, Ruth K. Varner, Scott Zolkos, Edward A.G. Schuur, Gustaf Hugelius

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Significant progress in permafrost carbon science made over the past decades include the identification of vast permafrost carbon stocks, the development of new pan-Arctic permafrost maps, an increase in terrestrial measurement sites for CO₂ and methane fluxes, and important factors affecting carbon cycling, including vegetation changes, periods of soil freezing and thawing, wildfire, and other disturbance events. Process-based modeling studies now include key elements of permafrost carbon cycling and advances in statistical modeling and inverse modeling enhance understanding of permafrost region C budgets. By combining existing data syntheses and model outputs, the permafrost region is likely a wetland methane …

Communicating Climate Change: Adaptive Silviculture In Central Appalachian Kentucky, Logan Baker

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Climate change communication is an emerging field that requires a multidisciplinary understanding of both climate and social science. Communicating with underrepresented woodland owners about climate change, specifically climate change adaptation in forestry applications, necessitates appropriately adjusted approaches. In Central Appalachian Kentucky, outreach with underrepresented woodland owners on forest adaptation topics has not been examined in depth. The recent establishment of an Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change research site in the University of Kentucky’s Robinson Forest has created an opportunity to generate regionally specific climate adaptation information for Appalachian Kentucky forests. It is imperative to investigate how best to approach communicating …

Delayed Coastal Inundations Caused By Ocean Dynamics Post-Hurricane Matthew, Kyungmin Park, Emanuele Di Lorenzo, Yinglong J. Zhang, Tal Ezer, Fei Yi

CCPO Publications

Post Hurricane Abnormal Water Level (PHAWL) poses a persistent inundation threat to coastal communities, yet unresolved knowledge gaps exist regarding its spatiotemporal impacts and causal mechanisms. Using a high-resolution coastal model with a set of observations, we find that the PHAWLs are up to 50 cm higher than the normal water levels for several weeks and cause delayed inundations around residential areas of the U.S. Southeast Coast (USSC). Numerical experiments reveal that while atmospheric forcing modulates the coastal PHAWLs, ocean dynamics primarily driven by the Gulf Stream control the mean component and duration of the shelf-scale PHAWLs. Because of the …

On The Links Between Sea Level And Temperature Variations In The Chesapeake Bay And The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc), Tal Ezer, Teresa Updyke

CCPO Publications

Recent studies found that on long time scales there are often unexplained opposite trends in sea level variability between the upper and lower Chesapeake Bay (CB). Therefore, daily sea level and temperature records were analyzed in two locations, Norfolk in the southern CB and Baltimore in the northern CB; surface currents from Coastal Ocean Dynamics Application Radar (CODAR) near the mouth of CB were also analyzed to examine connections between the CB and the Atlantic Ocean. The observations in the bay were compared with daily Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) observations during 2005–2021. Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) analysis was used …

Evidence For Large-Scale Climate Forcing Of Dense Shelf Water Variability In The Ross Sea, Zhaoru Zhang, Chuan Xie, Pasquale Castagno, Matthew H. England, Xiaoqiao Wang, Michael S. Dinniman, Alessandro Silvano, Chuning Wang, Lei Zhou, Xichen Li, Meng Zhou, Giorgio Budillon

CCPO Publications

Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), which supplies the lower limb of the thermohaline circulation, originates from dense shelf water (DSW) forming in Antarctic polynyas. Here, combining a long mooring record of DSW measurements with numerical simulations and satellite data, we show that significant correlation exists between interannual variability of DSW production in the Ross Sea polynyas, where DSW contributes between 20-40% of the global AABW production, and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). The correlation is largest when the Amundsen Sea Low (ASL) is weakened and shifted east of the Ross Sea. During positive SAM phases, enhanced offshore winds and lower air …

Western Boundary Current-Subtropical Continental Shelf Interactions, William B. Savidge, Dana K. Savidge, Frederico Brandini, Adam T. Greer, Eileen E. Hofmann, Moninya Roughan, Iison De Silvera, Iain M. Suthers

CCPO Publications

Western boundary currents (WBCs) adjacent to subtropical continental shelves (STCSs; between ~25° and 35° latitude; Figure 1) transport heat, nutrients, and biota poleward along the western margins of major ocean basins, interacting with the continental margins and influencing their physics and biology. Eddies and meanders along the shelf edge upwell deep, nutrient-laden water that can be advected onto the adjacent shelves with a corresponding export of particle-rich shelf water (e.g., Lee et al., 1991; Kimura et al., 1997; Campos et al., 2000; Roughan and Middleton, 2002, 2004; Lutjeharms, 2006; Savidge and Savidge, 2014). Despite their similarities, the various STCS regions …

Building A Coordinated Framework For Research And Monitoring In Large-Scale International Marine Protected Areas: The Ross Sea Region As A Model System, Cassandra Brooks, Sharon Stammerjohn, Grant Ballard, Alice K. Duvivier, Eileen Hofmann, Michelle Larue, Cara Nissen, Alexander J. Orona, B. Jack Pan, Annie E. Schmidt, Nathan Walker, George M. Watters, John Weller

CCPO Publications

To fulfill their conservation potential and provide safeguards for biodiversity, marine protected areas (MPAs) need coordinated research and monitoring for informed management through effective evaluation of ecosystem dynamics. However, coordination is challenging, often due to knowledge gaps caused by inadequate access to data and resources, compounded by insufficient communication between scientists and managers. We propose to use the world's largest MPA in the Ross Sea, Antarctica as a model system to create a comprehensive framework for an interdisciplinary network supporting research and monitoring that could be implemented in other remote large-scale international MPAs. Our proposed framework has three key components: …

Pices At 32: An External Review, Eileen E. Hofmann, David Checkley, Fangli Qiao, Jörn Schmidt, Sinjae Yoo

CCPO Publications

[Introduction] The North Pacific Marine Science Organization (Pacific ICES, PICES) has been an effective voice and proponent for North Pacific marine science for more than 30 years. During this time, PICES has provided a safe and active venue for the open exchange of science, developed an international science network that includes participants from academic and government institutions, and non- and inter-governmental organizations, and has taken on leadership roles in studying North Pacific ecosystems.

Divergent Responses Of Nitrogen-Species Loadings To Future Climate Change In The Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Zihao Bian, Shufen Pan, Raymond G. Najjar, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Eileen E. Hofmann, Maria Herrmann, Kyle E. Hinson, Pierre St.-Laurent, Hanqin Tian

CCPO Publications

Study region: Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Study focus: Climate plays a critical role in regulating N loading from terrestrial ecosystems to coastal waters and further affecting the health and functioning of coastal ecosystems. However, the sensitivities of riverine exports of different N species to climate change have rarely been investigated. This study examines the response of riverine exports of ammonia (NH₄⁺), nitrate (NO₃^-), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and particulate organic nitrogen (PON) to future changes in precipitation and temperature. A suite of climate forcings was used to drive a processbased terrestrial-aquatic model, DLEM (Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model), …

Circular Economy: The 4rs Reduce-Reuse-Recycle-Recover, Kevin Hom

Publications and Research

This article summarizes the lecture presented at the Net Built 2024 conference. The lecture addresses the unsustainability of the current linear economy, characterized by the "take, make, dispose" model, in light of environmental challenges. The inefficiencies of this system lead to increased energy consumption, elevated CO2 emissions, and the exacerbation of climate change. It examines the current state of design and construction with respect to climate change and sustainable resource management. Additionally, the lecture introduces a methodology that integrates technologies and design philosophies capable of driving significant positive change. By advocating for a transformative approach to the expected lifetime of …

A Strategic Framework For Estimating International Container Flows: An Empirical Study, Dung-Ying Lin, Hsin-Chun Huang, Steven Travis Waller, Xiang Zhang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Maritime transportation is a highly complex transportation system that plays a pivotal role in international trade. Its low-cost and high-volume advantages have enabled it to cover most of the world’s cargo transportation. However, with the trend of global trade volume increasing almost every year and the recent congestion of ports due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the chaos in global supply chains not only increases operating costs for shippers but also makes it difficult for countries that rely heavily on port trade to plan for their ports’ future. To develop a strategic analytic tool to estimate container flow in liner shipping, …

Season Influences Interspecific Responses Of Canopy-Forming Kelps To Future Warming And Acidification At High Latitude, Lauren E. Bell, Lily Westphal, Evan O' Brien, Jason A. Toy, Haleigh Damron, Kristy J. Kroeker

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Variability in primary producers' responses to environmental change may buffer higher trophic levels against shifts in basal resource composition. Then again, in instances where there is a lack of functional redundancy because consumers rely on a few species to meet their energetic requirements at specific times of the year, altered community production dynamics may significantly impact food web resilience. In high-latitude kelp forests, a complementary annual phenology of seaweed production supports coastal marine consumers' metabolic needs across large seasonal variations in their environment. Yet, marine consumers in these systems may face significant metabolic stress under the pronounced low pH conditions …