| SS9.01 Ecosystem Science Practiced in an Urbanized Estuary: South San Francisco Bay |
| Koseff, J, R, Stanford University, Stanford, USA, koseff@stanford.edu |
| Lucas, L, V, United States Geological Survey, Menlo Park, USA, llucas@usgs.gov |
| Cloern, J, E, United States Geological Survey, Menlo Park, USA, jecloern@usgs.gov |
| Monismith, S, G, Stanford University, Stanford, USA, monismith@stanford.edu |
| Thompson, J, K, United States Geological Survey, Menlo Park, USA, jkthompso@usgs.gov |
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| MODELING AND FIELD OBSERVATIONS OF ALGAL BLOOMS IN SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO BAY, 1: PHILOSOPHY AND INITIAL APPROACHES |
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| This talk will explore the philosophy employed by our group in developing a conceptual framework for understanding algal bloom occurrence in shallow turbid estuaries, and in particular South San Francisco Bay. Our approach has been “process-oriented”, by which we identify the key physical and biological processes controlling bloom development, rather than “result-oriented” where the attempt is to duplicate and predict real bloom magnitudes. We employ a “building-block” approach in which we successively add biological, physical, and dimensional complexity. Our first studies utilized one-dimensional (vertical) models of the water column and showed the importance of stratification, benthic grazing, and vertical mixing to bloom occurrence. Because this approach could not explain why blooms did not occur in the summer, or the occasional occurrence of spring blooms without stratification we added dimensional complexity by using a “pseudo-2D” approach in which both the channel and shoal compartments are modeled. This approach shows the critical importance of lateral transport, benthic grazing in the shoal, and light climate in the shoal, but does not explain the impact of episodic wind events or intratidal horizontal transport. |
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