Coupled Physical-Biological Processes
SS2.02:
Biological Microscale Patterns and Processes in the Ocean:
Towards a Seascape Topology
Organizers: Laurent Seuront, Station Marine de Wimereux-CNRS
(Laurent.Seuront@univ-lille1.fr)
and James J. Mitchell, The Flinders University of South Australia
(Jim.Mitchell@flinders.edu.au)
Populations of viruses, heterotrophic bacteria and phytoplankton
cells represent fundamental elements in ocean carbon cycling
processes, and a thorough understanding of how marine microplankters
interact with the local environment and other organisms is
subsequently of relevance to marine food web structure, biogeochemical
processes, and ultimately climate change models. Accordingly,
analyses of microplankton abundance, community composition
and productivity have become principle measurements in oceanographic
ecosystem studies. Considering the increasing awareness of
the heterogeneous nature of the distributions of plankton
abundance, diversity and activity from decimeter to millimeter
scales where the most ecologically relevant processes of
viral infection, nutrient uptake, cell division and behavior
occur, the ocean should be regarded as a “seascape,” and
should subsequently be topologically classified by analogy
with landscape ecology. Seascape ecology is nevertheless
still in its infancy. It is in such a framework that this
session seeks papers presenting new insights into the microscale
character of microplankton patterns and processes, in terms
of measurements, data analysis, modeling and simulation techniques,
as well as its relationships with chemical and physical processes.
SS2.03:
Biological Adaptations to Turbulent Flow
Organizers: Paul Moore, Bowling Green State University
(pmoore@bgnet.bgsu.edu)
and John Crimaldi, University of Colorado (john.crimaldi@colorado.edu)
Organisms at all size scales encounter turbulence and have
to solve the ecological problems associated with turbulence.
Some of these problems include nutrient dynamics by phytoplankton,
feeding encounters by copepods, broadcast spawning in benthic
organisms, orientation to flow and chemicals in crustaceans
and swimming in fish. Many of these organisms have evolved
unique behavioral, morphological, and ecological adaptations
to solve the problems that turbulence presents them. It is
our desire to have a session dedicated to a multitude of
scales and biological situations in order to examine common
solutions or adaptations to hydrodynamic problems.
SS2.04:
Effects of Small-Scale Turbulence at the Community and
Ecosystem Levels
Organizers: Francesc Peters, Institut de Ciencies
del Mar, CMIMA (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain (cesc@icm.csic.es)
and Harry Havskum, Marine Biological Laboratory, Helsingør,
Denmark (hhavskum@zi.ku.dk)
Small-scale turbulence has been shown to affect a range of
biological organisms and processes. There are bottom-up effects
that should increase the net production of the system as
well as top-down effects that should move biomass into the
heterotrophic compartments. Small-scale turbulence will also
affect sedimentation to some degree. Dinoflagellates, a group
of planktonic organisms with strong social impact as some
species will produce noxious or harmful algal blooms, have
special responses to small-scale turbulence. All these effects
on biological activities and community structure modify the
quantity and/or quality of particulate matter and therefore
have consequences for biogeochemical fluxes. We invite contributions
that integrate or help to integrate the effects of small-scale
turbulence at the community and ecosystem level. Experimental,
theoretical, and modeling efforts are all welcome.
SS2.05: The Effect of Turbulence on Pelagic and Benthic
Organisms
Organizers: Thomas Kiorboe, Danish Fisheries Institute (tk@dfu.min.dk) and Joe
Ackerman, University of Guelph (ackerman@unbc.ca)
This special session examines the effect of turbulence
on the ecophysiology of pelagic and benthic organisms, which
appears to be non-linear in nature. A number of hypotheses
have been forwarded to explain these patterns in planktonic
predator-prey systems, but a more complete explanation is
lacking in other systems (e.g., phytoplankton growth and
most processes for benthic organisms). This session therefore
encourages papers that examine the effects of turbulence
on the physiology and ecology of aquatic organisms regardless
of the taxon or scale of analysis. Papers that couple the
physical environment with biological outcomes are encouraged.
SS2.06:
Island and Sea Mount Oceanography: Physics, Biogeochemistry
and Fisheries
Organizers: E.D. Barton, University of Wales, Bangor,
UK (e.d.barton@bangor.ac.uk)
and Pierre Flament, University of Hawaii at Manoa (pflament@soest.hawaii.edu)
Specific oceanic processes occur in the vicinity of oceanic
islands and sea mounts: oceanic wakes form downstream of
islands immersed in a strong mean flow; mid-latitude islands
chains reflect planetary waves, inducing boundary currents;
ocean eddies are generated over sea mounts or spun up by
Ekman pumping in the atmospheric wake of mountainous islands,
a process similar to eddy generation by offshore wind jets;
complex interactions with mesoscale flows generated remotely
occur with islands in a coastal transition zone, or within
a constrained basin. Islands and sea mounts make a poorly
quantified but important contribution to mesoscale eddy activity
in the ocean. All these processes have important bio-geochemical
implications, disturbing the depth of the nutricline to enhance
production locally. Because of their persistence and repeatability
these phenomena play a vital role in the life cycle of island
and sea mount fish populations. Spawning and development
strategies take advantage of the flow properties and enhanced
productivity to maximize the retention and survival of island
and sea mount species. In recent years, several major programs
have focused on the Canaries and Hawaiian islands in particular,
while many other islands and sea mounts have been subject
of long term studies.
SS2.07:
PARADIGM: The Partnership for Advancing Interdisciplinary
Global Modeling
Organizer: Lewis M. Rothstein, University of Rhode
Island Graduate School of Oceanography (lrothstein@gso.uri.edu)
PARADIGM is a NOPP-funded, 5-year renewable program comprised
of a group of 16 scientists committed to building and deploying
new, advanced models of ecology and biogeochemistry for understanding
and predicting the future states of the ocean. The group
combines expertise of observers and modelers, ecologists
and physicists, biogeochemists and numerical specialists.
Our overall scientific goal is a rigorous, model- and observation-based
intercomparison of ecosystem/biogeochemical dynamics of the
North Pacific and Atlantic subtropical - subpolar gyres.
Our central objective is creation of new global ocean biogeochemistry
community models, comprising complex ecosystem dynamics based
on functional groups (e.g., Archaea, diatoms, copepods, gelatinous
predators), individual keystone species (e.g., Trichodesmium,
Euphausia superba) and multielement limitation and cycling
(e.g., C, N, P, Si, Fe). The physical model platform is composed
of a hierarchy of mature, general circulation models each
the focus of extensive community model development programs.
PARADIGM models will be capable of emergent behavior testing
the hypothesis that fundamental regime shifts occur in response
to climate change. Community models will be developed by
interdisciplinary teams devoted to five program elements:
(1) data fusion, synthesis and validation; (2) ecosystem
model development; (3) high-resolution basin scale and regional
process studies; (4) focus sites (i.e., regional test-beds)
and (5) numerical method development (including data assimilation).
This special session will highlight the first two years of
research.
SS2.08:
Development of Coupled Models and Biological Sampling
Strategies to Improve Prediction
Organizer: Paul Snelgrove, Memorial University of
Newfoundland (psnelgro@mun.ca)
Ichthyo-/zooplankton sampling and models based primarily
on physical oceanography have been used independently to
explain spatial and temporal variation in recruitment and
population dynamics of marine and freshwater organisms. Both
approaches have advantages and limitations. Models offer
a mechanistic explanation but oversimplify behaviors, whereas
studies based primarily on biological sampling must infer
mechanisms from indirect evidence. In recent years, studies
that couple biological sampling with oceanographic modeling
have greatly improved the utility of models, as well as our
understanding and predictive capacity. Nonetheless, the temporal
and spatial scales of biological sampling that are necessary
to constrain physical transport models remains an active
research question, as does the capacity of models to resolve
circulation on spatial scales that are biologically relevant.
We will explore how sampling and models can be developed
in tandem to improve understanding of plankton community
dynamics in space and time.
SS2.09:
Physical and Biochemical Evolution of the Eastern Mediterranean
in the 90's
Organizer: Paola Malanotte-Rizzoli, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (rizzoli@ocean.mit.edu)
In the period 1985-1998 the Eastern Mediterranean has been
the subject of very intensive research coordinated by the
international collaborative program POEM (Physical Oceanography
of the Eastern Mediterranean) which in 1990 became POEM-BC
including biological and chemical components. The program
involved the collaboration of scientists from all the riparian
countries of the Eastern Mediterranean. The two last observational
surveys of POEM-BC which covered the entire Eastern Mediterranean
were carried out in 1995 and 1998. Modeling effort was intensive
throughout all this period. A special session of JGR-Oceans
is forthcoming with the same title proposed for this Symposium.
This special session comprises 24 interdisciplinary observational
and modeling papers.
SS2.10:
The Role of Bermuda Based Studies in Our Understanding
of Ocean and Atmospheric Processes
Organizer: Anthony Knap, Bermuda Biological Station
for Research (knap@bbsr.edu)
2003 is the 100th year of the Bermuda Biological Station
for Research Inc. This session will focus on the history
and scientific achievements that have been accomplished in
this part of the Atlantic off Bermuda from early discovery
of the deep ocean of Beebe to the achievements of various
time series programs. BBSR is 100, Station S is 50, OFP is
25 years old. In addition, understanding of mode water, Redfield
ratios and even the importance of iron were studied off Bermuda.
SS2.11:
The Newest Generation of Deep Sea Exploration
Organizers: Craig N. McLean, NOAA Office of Ocean
Exploration (craig.mclean@noaa.gov)
and Margot Bohan, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration (margot.bohan@noaa.gov)
The goal of this session is to stimulate an exchange of views
about past, present and future deep sea exploration opportunities,
with an emphasis on coupled physical-biological processes.
The session will include presentations or a panel discussion
addressing recent developments in interdisciplinary exploration
programs (with a concentration on coupled physical-biological
processes) and future exploratory science opportunities;
identify the benefits, drawbacks, & opportunities for
improvement in this field of study, and discuss the role
of deep sea exploration, particularly coupled physical-biological
processes, relative to the broader field of ocean sciences.
Those who participate in this session will present specific
examples and/or participate in a panel discussion about physical-biological
processes- themed exploratory studies and the future direction
of related exploratory study. As time allows, the session
chair will prompt each speaker to identify benefits, drawbacks
and opportunities for improvement in this field and relative
to the broader field of ocean sciences.
SS
2.12: Structure in an Apparently Uniform Environment
George Jackson, Texas A&M University (gjackson@tamu.edu)
and Thomas Kiörboe, Danish Institute for Fisheries Research
(tk@dfu.min.dk)
The 3-D pelagic environment appears to be a featureless region,
with biologically useful signals and regions continually
mixed by turbulence and diffusion. However, plankton organisms
and particles leave ephemeral chemical and hydromechanical
signatures. The resulting spatio-temporal heterogeneity in
the distribution of solutes, particles and organism creates
microenvironments, which organisms can sense and utilize.
This session invites contributions that study organism-organism
and organism-environment interactions at the scale of the
individual and or that examine the larger-scale and population-scale
implications of such interactions.
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