Oceanography Commons^™

Observed Versus Gcm-Generated Local Tropical Cyclone Frequency: Comparisons Using A Spatial Lattice, Sarah Strazzo, Daniel J. Halperin, James Elsner, Tim Larow, Ming Zhao

Publications

Of broad scientific and public interest is the reliability of global climate models (GCMs) to simulate future regional and local tropical cyclone (TC) occurrences. Atmospheric GCMs are now able to generate vortices resembling actual TCs, but questions remain about their fidelity to observed TCs. Here the authors demonstrate a spatial lattice approach for comparing actual with simulated TC occurrences regionally using observed TCs from the International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) dataset and GCM-generated TCs from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) High Resolution Atmospheric Model (HiRAM) and Florida State University (FSU) Center for Ocean–Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS) …

Nineteenth Century North American And Pacific Tidal Data: Lost Or Just Forgotten?, Stefan A. Talke, David A. Jay

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Tide data are the oldest and longest oceanographic records and comprise one of the few tools for understanding, quantifying, and separating century-scale human and climate impacts on the coastal zone. Our archival research indicates that continuous measurements of tides began in 1844 in the western Atlantic, 1853 in the Eastern Pacific, and 1858 in the Western Pacific. At least 50 multiyear tide series existed by the year 1900. With few exceptions, however, these 19th and early 20th century measurements have not been analyzed in more than a century and have been forgotten and neglected by the scientific community. This article …

Moving Forward: Next Steps For Confronting Increased Flood Risks, Molly Mitchell

October 2, 2013: Quantifying Risks and Moving Forward

No abstract provided.

Sea Level Rise, Spatially Uneven And Temporally Unsteady: Why The U.S. East Coast, The Global Tide Gauge Record, And The Global Altimeter Data Show Different Trends, Tal Ezer

CCPO Publications

Impacts of ocean dynamics on spatial and temporal variations in sea level rise (SLR) along the U.S. East Coast are characterized by empirical mode decomposition analysis and compared with global SLR. The findings show a striking latitudinal SLR pattern. Sea level acceleration consistent with a weakening Gulf Stream is maximum just north of Cape Hatteras and decreasing northward, while SLR driven by multidecadal variations, possibly from climatic variations in subpolar regions, is maximum in the north and decreasing southward. The combined impact of sea level acceleration and multidecadal variations explains why the global mean SLR obtained from similar to 20 …

Phosphorus Cycling In Tropical Carbonate Sediment-Seagrass Systems, Zachary Howerton

OES Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents two studies focusing on phosphorus cycling in calcium carbonate sediments inhabited by seagrasses. Phosphorus is a major limiting nutrient for primary productivity in these sediments as well as in the overlying waters. In large part this is due to removal of phosphate from solution by adsorption and precipitation reactions.

In chapter II, the relationship between the size of the sedimentary phosphorus pool and the abundance of seagrass on the Great Bahama Bank, as well as the relationship between phosphorus content and grain size in the sediments, were examined to better understand the biogeochemistry of carbonate sediments and …

Technical Appendix: Economic Impact Of Commercial Fisheries On Local County Economies From Catch In California National Marine Sanctuaries 2010, 2011 And 2012, Vernon R. Leeworthy, Desiree Jerome, Kelsey Schueler

Working Papers

This report documents the data and methods of estimation used in estimating the economic impact of commercial fishing catch from all four National Marine Sanctuaries in California on local county economies in terms of harvest revenue received by fishermen and the associated economic impacts, including multiplier impacts, on total output, value added, income and the number of full- and part-time jobs.

This report is part of a series of reports meeting the priorities in the “Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) West Coast Region Socioeconomic Plan FY 2013 – FY 2014” and “national program priorities” on establishing the connection between …

The General Qapp For Long Island Sound Volunteer Coastal Monitoring (With Adoption Form), Jamie M.P. Vaudrey, Kimberly Gallagher

Department of Marine Sciences

The General QAPP for Long Island Sound Volunteer Coastal Monitoring is designed to streamline the process of writing a QAPP for Monitoring Programs in the Long Island Sound area. This document does not replace guidance on developing a program and is not sufficient as a stand-alone document to guide the initial development and sample design process for a monitoring program.

Evaluation Of Current Community-Based Monitoring Efforts And Recommendations For Developing A Cohesive Network Of Support For Monitoring Long Island Sound Embayments., Jamie M.P. Vaudrey, Jamie Alonzo, Adrienne Esposito, Curt Johnson, Maureen Dolan Murphy, Charles Yarish

Department of Marine Sciences

This project focuses on Long Island Sound embayments and represents an exploration of the potential for coordination among community-based water quality monitoring groups, and coordination between community-based groups and data end users, including scientists and managers. Community-based monitoring groups represent a potential valuable source of water quality information. The development of standardized protocols, training methods and reporting procedures will serve to provide end users with the confidence necessary to utilize the data collected as part of community-based monitoring programs. Both groups of stakeholders stand to benefit from this type of coordination with the ultimate benefit being a healthier, better understood …

Scavenging, Cycling And Removal Fluxes Of 210Po And 210Pb At The Bermuda Time-Series Study Site, G. H. Hong, M. Baskaran, T. M. Church, M. Conte

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Quantifying relative affinities of Po and Pb in different populations of marine particulate matter is of great importance in utilizing ²¹⁰Po as a tracer for carbon cycling. We collected and analyzed water samples for the concentrations of dissolved and total ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb from the upper 600 m of the water column at Bermuda Time-series Study site (September 1999 to September 2000) to investigate their seasonality of concentrations and their ac-tivity ratio (²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb activity ratio, AR). Sinking particles collected in sediment traps at depths of 500 m, 1500 m, and 3200 m from …

Integrated Carbon Budget Models For The Everglades Terrestrial-Coastal-Oceanic Gradient: Current Status And Needs For Inter-Site Comparisons, Tiffany G. Troxler, Evelyn Gaiser, Jordan Barr, Jose D. Fuentes, Rudolf Jaffe, Daniel L. Childers, Ligia Collado-Vides, Victor H. Rivera-Monroy, Edward Castaneda-Moya, William Anderson, Randy Chambers, Meilian Chen, Carlos Coronado-Molina, Stephen E. Davis, Victor Engel, Carl Fitz, James Fourqurean, Tom Frankovich, John Kominoski, Chris Madden, Sparkle L. Malone, Steve F. Oberbauer, Paulo Olivas, Jennifer Richards, Colin Saunders, Jessica L. Schedlbauer, Leonard J. Scinto, Fred Sklar, Tom Smith, Joseph M. Smoak, Gregory Starr, Robert R. Twilley, Kevin Whelan

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Safety Analysis Of Ice Navigation In Huanghua Waters, Hongtu Qiu

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Sensitivity Of Limiting Hurricane Intensity To Sst In The Atlantic From Observations And Gcms, James Elsner, Sarah Strazzo, Thomas H. Jagger, Timothy Larow, Ming Zhao

Publications

No abstract provided.

Geochemical Tracers Linking Submarine Groundwater Discharge To Hypoxia Formation In Long Bay, South Carolina, Usa, Sarah Lynn Chappell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Long Bay, South Carolina has experienced hypoxic conditions (<2mg/L dissolved oxygen) in the nearshore environment, not fully attributed to traditional formation mechanisms. Past research suggested physical, biological, and/or anthropogenic influences on low dissolved oxygen levels. This project aimed to determine the contribution of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to hypoxia formation. We measured activities of 222Rnxs, 224Raxs, 223Ra, 228Ra, and 226Ra (3.8d, 3.6d, 11.5d, 5.8yr, 1600yr half-lives, respectively) in nearshore bottom waters from April 2012 through April 2013. Radium activities observed during a hypoxic event on 16-Aug-2012 were up to an order of magnitude higher than those seen during oxic conditions and the highest ever observed in the open ocean, to our knowledge. We determined that a hypoxic water mass, comprised heavily of offshore anoxic SGD, migrated inshore due to physical conditions constraining mixing over a two week time period. High groundwater content suggests that observed hypoxic conditions in nearshore Long Bay may be independent of biological influence once offshore SGD occurs.

Frequency, Intensity, And Sensitivity To Sea Surface Temperature Of North Atlantic Tropical Cyclones In Best-Track And Simulated Data, Sarah Strazzo, James B. Elsner, Jill C. Trepanier, Kerry A. Emanuel

Publications

Synthetic hurricane track data generated from a downscaling approach are compared to best-track (observed) data to analyze differences in regional frequency, intensity, and sensitivity of limiting intensity to sea surface temperature (SST). Overall, the spatial distributions of observed and simulated hurricane counts match well, although there are relatively fewer synthetic storms in the eastern quarter of the basin. Additionally, regions of intense synthetic hurricanes tend to coincide with regions of intense observed hurricanes. The sensitivity of limiting hurricane intensity to SST computed from synthetic data is slightly lower than sensitivity computed from observed data (5.561.31 m s21 (standard error, SE) …

Social-Ecological Dynamics Of Coral Reef Resource Use And Management, Sarah J. Freed

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation investigates social and ecological factors that facilitate effective management of coral reefs as social-ecological systems. Meta-analytical and field-based methods were employed to examine current management challenges and identify strategies that improve management effectiveness and coral reef health. A meta-analysis was used to evaluate biological indicators of reef health in relation to the types of fishing regulations in place (no-take areas, gear restriction areas, and periodic closures) and the actor groups (community-based, co-management, state, private) involved in management efforts for coral reef fisheries throughout the world. Other than enhancement of fish biomass within no-take areas that was significantly greater …

A Prototype Decision Support Tool For Ballast Water Risk Management Using A Combination Of Hydrodynamic Models And Agent-Based Modelling, Fleming T. Hansen, Jesper H. Andersen, Michael Potthof, Thomas Uhrenholdt, Hong D. Vo, Olof Lindén

NSBWO

We report the development of a prototype Decision Support Tool (DST) for modelling the risks of spreading of non-indegenous invasive species via ballast water. The DST constitutes of two types of models: A 3D hydrodynamical model calculates the currents in the North Sea and Danish Straits, and an agent-based model estimates the dispersal of selected model organisms with the prevailing currents calculated by the 3D hydrodynamical model. The analysis is concluded by a post processing activity, where scenarios of dispersal are combined into an interim estimate of connectivity within the study area. The latter can be used as a tool …

The Connection Between Local Sea Level Rise, Climate Change And Ocean Circulation, Tal Ezer, Larry P. Atkinson

CCPO Publications

In recent years, Norfolk has become a symbol for a city that is already battling the impact of sea level rise (SLR). Street flooding during high tides (Fig. 1, left) is much more common now than in the past, and storm surges (Fig. 1, right) are more severe and last longer. Therefore, as part of Old Dominion University’s Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Initiative (CCSLRI), CCPO scientists focus on studies that enhance our understanding of the causes of local SLR and improve our ability to predict future SLR. This information can help policy makers, insurers, city planners and other …

Fish Species Distribution In Seagrass Habitats Of Chesapeake Bay Are Structured By Abiotic And Biotic Factors, Jason J. Schaffler, Jacques Van Montfrans, Cynthia M. Jones, Robert J. Orth

OES Faculty Publications

Seagrass habitats have long been known to serve as nursery habitats for juvenile fish by providing refuges from predation and areas of high forage abundance. However, comparatively less is known about other factors structuring fish communities that make extensive use of seagrass as nursery habitat. We examined both physical and biological factors that may structure the juvenile seagrass-associated fish communities across a synoptic-scale multiyear study in lower Chesapeake Bay. Across 3years of sampling, we collected 21,153 fish from 31 species. Silver Perch Bairdiella chrysoura made up over 86% of all individuals collected. Nine additional species made up at least 1% …

Integrating Science & Policy, Abigail A. Carson

Honors Theses

Millions already owe their lives to scientists for their research and implementation of early warning devices such as a tornado warning. These warning systems are the beginning for what is to come if science continues to receive backing. Think of what could be accomplished in the next century if science and policy were to unite in the interest of protecting humans and the environment. It is imperative that environmental policies be based on sound science; to achieve this, political and scientific sectors must be integrated to produce effective and practical policies.

Interpretation Of Biological Activity Using An Acoustic Backscatter Sensor (Abs), Courtney Elliton

Honors Theses

Acoustics aid in the description of complex processes, such as the suspension of sand particles exposed to local hydrodynamic forces above a rippled bed (Cacchione, et al., 2008). Acoustic data can be applied to several aspects of the marine environment such as marine chemistry, biology, geology, and ecology. The acoustic data collected in this study was part of a larger, grant-funded project that focused on sediment transport and settlement preference on two offshore hardbottoms following beach renourishment along the heavily developed coast in northeastern South Carolina. Acoustic data collection was used in the larger project to describe changes in sediment …