####
Full_Name:  David Mountain
Email: mountain@email.arizona.edu
Title: Labrador Slope Water in the Gulf of Maine region, 1964-2008
Authors: David Mountain and Maureen Taylor
Abstract: The waters in the Gulf of Maine (GoM) which flow around Georges
Bank and into the MAB are a mixture of water from the Scotian Shelf and
Slope Water (SLW) that enters through Northeast Channel (NEC).  There are
two flavors of SLW X Labrador Slope Water (LSW X influenced by the Labrador
Current) and Warm Slope Water (WSW X influenced by the Gulf Stream).  The
presence of LSW has been documented in the GoM in the 1960Xs and in 1998,
and attributed to the extension of LSW westward to NEC associated with low
values of the NAO.  An analysis of hydrographic data from 1964 to 2008 shows
a variable contribution throughout the period of LSW to the deep layer
(150-200m) in the NEC region.  The variable percentage of LSW does inversely
track the NAO with a 2 year delay.  The LSW also contains fewer nutrients
than the WSW and its presence in the GoM has been suggested to result in
lower overall production on Georges Bank.  A comparison of average
chlorophyll values for the 1960Xs, 1980Xs (MARMAP) and 1990Xs (GLOBEC) does
suggest lower values in the 1960Xs when the LSW contribution was highest.

####
Full_Name:  Robert W. Houghton
Email: houghton@ldeo.columbia.edu
Title: Salt flux into coastal river plumes: Dye studies in the Delaware and Hudson River outflow
Authors: R.W. Houghton, R. chant, Ana Rice, and Charles Tilburg
Abstract:   The results of repeated dye tracer experiments conducted in
2003-2006 to study the dispersion of the outflow of the Delaware and Hudson
Rivers are presented. A fluorescent dye tracer was used to track the river
plume and to measure directly the salt flux into the plume. A variety of
flow regimes were encountered. During strong upwelling events, a salt flux
of ~3x10-4 msX1 at the leading edge of the plume implies a vertical
diffusivity of Kv~3x10-4 m2 sX1. Comparable salt flux was measured at the
leading edge of a buoyancy-driven coastal current with Kv~8.6x10-4 m2sX1.
For weaker wind events Kv was ≤ 10-4 m2 sX1. Using a gradient
Richardson number (Ri#), these observations were replicated by a 1-D model
of vertical salt flux to within a factor of 2. A particularly challenging
outlier was a coastal current deflected offshore where flux from a thin
overlying freshwater plume reduced the net salting of the dye patch while
high speed vertical shear produced a low Ri# which when combined with a
persistent, strong stratification yielded the highest calculated salt flux
of 12x10-4 m sX1. Upwelling events are the most efficient mechanism for
dispersing the river plume water over the coastal shelf because of the
plumeXs offshore displacement combined with a horizontal diffusivity
estimated to be ~ 150 x104m2s-1 over a two day period.



####
Full_Name:  Brian Dzwonkowski
Email: briandz@udel.edu
Title: Seasonal Variability in the Near Surface Circulation on the Central Mid-Atlantic Bight Shelf
Authors: Brian Dzwonkowski, Josh T. Kohut, B. L. Lipphardt, Jr., and Xiao-Hai Yan
Abstract:   Observed surface currents (from HF radar), wind stress, and
adjusted sea level from August 2002 to January 2004 were used to study
sub-inertial surface circulation and its relationship to wind forcing on the
central Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) shelf.  A recurring shelf-wide offshore
flow was associated with distinctly different wind stress magnitudes and
directions during mixed and stratified seasons. During the stratified
period, offshore flow was associated with relatively weak winds out of the
southwest (upwelling favorable), while mixed period offshore flows were
associated with relatively strong across-shelf winds from the northwest.
Time series of the spatial mean surface current, wind stress, and coastal
sea level were analyzed using several different correlation methods. 
Seasonal vector correlations between the surface currents and wind stress
showed very high magnitudes but distinctly different phase angles and
transfer coefficients.  Currents during the stratified (mixed) period veered
to the right of the wind by 30-40o (6-8o) and had a higher (lower) transfer
coefficient.  Correlations between across-shelf currents and across-shelf
winds were higher than those for along-shelf winds during the mixed period. 
Correlations between sea level and across-shelf (along-shelf) wind stress
were higher (lower) during the mixed period, when compared with the
stratified season. Conditional sampling of shelf wide events showed
increased correlation between both across-shelf currents and sea level with
across-shelf wind (when compared with along-shelf wind) during weaker
stratified periods. It is speculated that seasonal differences result from
an increase in the surface Ekman layer thickness during the mixed period.

####
Full_Name:  Chris Sherwood
Email: csherwood@usgs.gov
Title: Observations of bottom boundary-layer dynamics at the edge of a sorted grain-size feature on the inner shelf
Authors: Christopher R. Sherwood and Neil K. Ganju
Abstract: Sorted grain-size features (SGFs) are common on sandy inner
shelves, and they may influence circulation through their affect on
topography, ripple distribution, and bottom roughness. We made measurements
from two tripods at the edge of a SGF to better understand the mechanisms
that maintain these features and to examine their affect on ripple geometry
and hydraulic bottom roughness. The measurements were made at 12-m depth on
the inner shelf near the MarthaXs Vineyard Coastal Observatory,
Massachusetts. There, SGFs are characterized by bathymetric undulations with
amplitude of ~0.5 m, with alternating patches of coarse (0.5 mm) sand with
large ripples (heights of 0.10-0.15 cm, wavelengths of 0.6 to 0.8 m) and
fine (0.125 mm) sand with hummocky topography and small ripples (heights of
0.01 m, wavelengths of 0.1 m). The features extend from the shallowest
region surveyed (~6 m) to depths of ~17 m about 3 km offshore, with a
maximum alongshore width of less than 1 km. Our tripods were deployed about
10 m apart along the north-south trending boundary between a coarse patch
(east) and a fine patch (west) for 10 weeks. At this location, tidal
currents and episodic wind-driven flows are predominantly east-west, and
waves approach from the south. Instruments on the northern tripod provided
sonar images of ripple geometry on both sides of the coarse/fine boundary,
and optical measurements of the size and concentration of suspended
sediments. Flow measurements were from the southern tripod with an
upward-looking 1200 KHz acoustic Doppler profiler, three acoustic Doppler
velocimeters, and a downward-looking 1500 KHz pulse-coherent acoustic
Doppler profiler. We determined shear (using the log-profile method),
dissipation rate (using the spectral method), and Reynolds stress (using the
covariance method) at ~0.4 meters above the bottom. To the best of our
knowledge, these are the first bottom boundary-layer measurements that allow
direct comparison between flow properties over coarse sand with large
ripples and fine sand with small ripples using the same instruments.
Surprisingly, there was no discernable difference in bottom drag between
eastward and westward flow when waves were small, and average drag
coefficient C100 was the same (0.0026) in both directions. However, when
waves were larger (near-bottom orbital velocities > 10 cm/s), the drag
coefficient increased significantly (0.005) when flow was westward from the
coarse patch, but remained virtually unchanged (0.003) when flow was
eastward from the fine patch. This supports the hypothesis that flow is more
turbulent over the rough patch, which would tend to remove fine sand. In
addition, these data confirm earlier observations that roughness tends to
decrease at higher flow speeds.

####
Full_Name:  Richard P. Mied
Email: mied@nrl.navy.mil
Title: A Residual Tidal Eddy in the Potomac River, MD/VA
Authors: Richard P. Mied, Wei Chen, Harry V. Wang
Abstract:   Large, organized structures in rivers may be quite persistent,
and be observable over several hours; an example is the secondary flow
associated with river bends.  Other flows, such as tidal rectification
eddies are more difficult to observe, because they are embedded in the
background flow, which is typically much stronger.  We have assembled five
high-resolution multi-spectral satellite image pairs from ASTER and Landsat,
which are separated by ~ 30 minutes, and have overpass times distributed
throughout the tidal cycle. They have been processed to yield surface
velocities using the MCC technique, and we find that at around slack water,
an eddy spanning the entire river width is clearly visible.  Companion
numerical simulations of the same region, using no upstream discharge and
only lunar semidiurnal tidal forcing show that the eddy is always present,
which suggests the it is generated by a tidal rectification mechanism.

####
Full_Name:  John Warner
Email: jcwarner@usgs.gov
Title: Using the COAWST Modeling System to predict coastal storm impacts
Authors: John Warner, Brandy Armstrong, Ruoying He, and Joseph Zambon
Abstract: We are developing a Coupled Ocean X Atmosphere X Wave X Sediment
Transport (COAWST) Modeling System to investigate the impacts of storms on
coastal environments. We use the Model Coupling Toolkit to combine the ocean
model ROMS, the atmospheric model WRF, the wave model SWAN, and use the USGS
Community Sediment Transport developed routines to construct the COAWST
Modeling System. We will describe the modeling system and demonstrate the
current state of the application to predict atmospheric, coastal ocean,
wave, and sediment dynamics response during the landfall of Hurricane Isabel
in September 2003.



####
Full_Name:  Patricia Ramey
Email: ramey@imcs.rutgers.edu
Title: Long-term variability in surfclam recruitment in relation to climate and local physical factors
Authors: Maddie Schroth-Miller, Patricia Ramey, Robert Chant
Abstract:   A multidisciplinary approach was taken to explore the effect of
climate, measured by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), on long-term
trends in recruitment of the Atlantic surfclam, Spissula solidissima, on the
inner continental shelf of the Mid-Atlantic Bight.  Specifically,
year-to-year variability in recruitment is examined in relation to the NAO
and localized changes in sea surface temperature, river discharge, and wind
forcing (strength and direction).  Here, we show that single year phase
reversals in the NAO (e.g., when the NAO index drops to a negative value in
a single year) correspond with high recruitment of the surfclam on the inner
continental shelf off New Jersey.  When the NAO is in a negative phase
transport of the Labrador-Subarctic Slope Water extends to the Mid-Atlantic
Bight, displacing Atlantic Temperate Slope Water further offshore, whereas,
in the positive phase transport of the Labrador-Subarctic Slope Water is
low.  Thus, it is plausible that these phase reversals may have resulted in
a colder and or larger cold pool in the Mid Atlantic Bight.  Subsequently,
in the summer of the following year, when the NAO returns to a positive
state, this cold pool is available for wind-driven forcing from the
southwest which is stronger during the NAO positive phase.  Together, these
factors can produce significant summer upwelling events which are known to
influence larval supply and recruitment of the surfclam.

####
Full_Name:  Peter Gay
Email: peter.gay@uconn.edu
Title: Subtidal Variability of Dissolved Oxygen in Western Long Island Sound
Authors: Peter Gay, James O'Donnell
Abstract: A simple model of the subtidal budget of dissolved oxygen in
estuaries is developed and applied to observations in western Long Island
Sound. The goal is to analyze the causes of hypoxia and develop a predictive
capability for its onset and duration by estimating mixing coefficients and
comparing simple models of their temporal variability. A single-segment
lower-layer box-model for western Long Island Sound is developed. The lower
layer oxygen budget is influenced by a mean advection toward the west,
horizontal dispersion, vertical mixing, and pelagic and benthic respiration.
Inverse methods and eight years of fortnightly ship surveys of salinity,
temperature and dissolved oxygen throughout the water column at seven
stations along the axis of western Long Island Sound are used to estimate
parameters and evaluate the model performance. We find a subsurface
respiration rate of 3.6X0.6 mM/m3/day and a vertical mixing rate of
0.23X0.04 cm2/s. A forward model is used to test whether the estimated
mixing and respiration can be used to predict temporal variation of mean
lower layer DO using DO data at one boundary station and temperature data
elsewhere. This approach can assist efficient monitoring of estuarine DO
levels.

####
Full_Name:  Steve Lentz
Email: slentz@whoi.edu
Title: The mean along-isobath heat and salt balances over the Middle Atlantic Bight continental shelf
Authors: Steve Lentz
Abstract:   The hypothesis that the dominant terms in the large-scale,
steady heat and salt balances over the Middle Atlantic Bight continental
shelf are surface fluxes of heat or freshwater and along-isobath flux
divergence due to the mean, depth-averaged along-isobath flow acting on the
mean, depth-average temperature or salinity gradient is tested using
historical temperature and salinity profiles and reanalysis estimates of
surface fluxes. The hypothesized balance is equivalent in a Lagrangian frame
to a column of water, for example, warming due to surface heating as it
flows southward along-isobath due to the mean flow.  

Mean depth-average temperatures increase from north to south along-isobath
at a rate (2$^\circ$C per 1000 km at mid-shelf) consistent with the
hypothesized balance and mean surface heat flux estimates from the 50 year
NCEP Reanalysis. Smaller mean surface heat flux estimates from the higher
resolution 20 year OAFlux balance about half the along-isobath heat flux
divergence. The cross-shelf heat flux convergence due to the mean,
depth-dependent cross-shelf circulation is small relative to the surface
heat flux and the divergence in the alongshelf heat flux.

Mean depth-average salinities increase from north to south along-isobath at
a rate (1 psu per 1000 km at mid-shelf). Mean precipitation and evaporation
rates balance so that the net freshwater flux is an order of magnitude too
small to account for the observed along-isobath increase in salinity. The
cross-shelf salt flux convergence due to the mean, depth-dependent
cross-shelf circulation is about 20\% of the along-isobath salt flux
convergence. These results imply there is an onshore ``eddy'' salt flux due
to the time-dependent current and salinity variability.

The along-isobath temperature and salinity gradients compensate for each
other so that the mean, depth-average, along-isobath density gradient is
approximately zero. This suggests there may be a feedback between the
along-isobath density gradient and the onshore salt flux that maintains the
density gradient near zero.

####
Full_Name:  Robert Pickart
Email: rpickart@whoi.edu
Title: OBSERVATIONS OF THE EAST GREENLAND CURRENT: THE "HEADWATERS"
              Observations of the East Greenland Current: The "headwaters" of the MAB shelfbreak jet 
Authors: Robert S. Pickart and J. Alexander Brearley
Abstract:   Between 2001 and 2007 four high-resolution hydrographic/velocity
sections were occupied across the shelf and slope near 66N, south of
Denmark Strait. The boundary current system there has three different
components: the surface-intensified East Greenland/Irminger Current
centered at the shelfbreak; the bottom-intensified East Greenland
Spill Jet located on the mid to upper slope; and the Deep Western
Boundary Current at the base of the slope. The Spill Jet is a newly
discovered feature, having gone undetected previously because of its
narrow width (less than 20 km). However, it was present in all four
high-resolution occupations. The equatorward transport of the Spill Jet is
surprisingly large (8.9 Sv in the 2004 section), and the vorticity
structure suggests that it is highly non-linear. It appears to be
formed by dense water cascading over the shelf, resulting in a thin
gravity current. During this process, intense mixing fundamentally
alters the hydrographic structure of the shelfbreak flow, which
ultimately continues southward to the Middle Atlantic Bight.


####
Full_Name:  James J. Bisagni
Email: jbisagni@umassd.edu
Title: Shelf Water Salinity Variability, Eastern Newfoundland to Cape Hatteras, 1950-2003
Authors: J. J. Bisagni and D. G. Mountain
Abstract: Given large Middle Atlantic Bight shelf water salinity and volume
variability from the 1970s to 1990s, an analysis from 1950 to 2003 was
conducted using data from eastern Newfoundland to Cape Hatteras to examine
possible sources. Analysis uses data containing all temperature and salinity
pairs from Bedford InstituteXs XClimateX database, along with Russian data
from a NOAA-funded Xdata-rescueX, providing over 500,000 data pairs.
Partitioning data into ten sub-regions allows examination of regional
seasonal and inter-annual variability (IAV). Results show a seasonal pulse
of surface, low-salinity water entering off eastern Newfoundland during
September, propagating southwest to the Scotian shelf by November. Timing of
this freshwater signal occurs 2-3 months earlier than seaward movement of
the shelf-slope front within the same region. From the Gulf of Maine to Cape
Hatteras shelf, lowest salinities occur nearly simultaneously due to annual
spring freshets. Salinity IAV increases westward, with largest anomalies
located from the eastern Scotian shelf to Cape Hatteras. IAV of salinity in
this western-most region may be due to upstream freshwater sources from both
the eastern Newfoundland shelf and Gulf of St. Lawrence.

####
Full_Name:  Frank Aikman III
Email: frank.aikman@noaa.gov
Title: Operational Forecast Systems for the Coastal and Estuarine Environment in NOAA’s National Ocean Service
Authors: Frank Aikman III, Richard Patchen and Mark Vincent
Abstract: NOAAXs National Ocean Service applies hydrodynamic models for the
development, transition and implementation of operational forecast systems
in U.S. estuaries, ports, lakes and the coastal ocean. These models and
systems have applications in the support of safe and efficient marine
navigation and emergency response as well as marine geospatial and
ecological applications.  There are currently nine water bodies in which
operational forecast systems are functioning (the Chesapeake Bay, the Port
of New York and New Jersey, Galveston Bay, the St. Johns River, and the five
Great Lakes). Operational forecast systems are under development for the
Columbia River, Delaware Bay, Tampa Bay, Cook Inlet, and elsewhere.  Once
tested, fully evaluated, and deemed accurate by National Ocean Service
standards, experimental forecast systems are transitioned into the
operational environment.  The technical components of a real-time estuarine
modeling system are described in terms of a XstandardX Coastal Ocean
Modeling Framework (COMF) which increases the efficiency of research,
development, transition and operations.  The COMF includes the essential
operational management of observations and forecasts of atmospheric, coastal
and riverine inputs, as well as the operational quality control and
dissemination of results.  It also includes protocols and software for the
skill assessment of operational forecast systems.  The COMF abides by
Integrated Ocean Observing System and Earth System Modeling Framework
standards. It is intended to stimulate a community approach to coastal
modeling by providing tools, observational data, and a Model Evaluation
Environment with which to configure, execute, and determine model
uncertainties.  A future strategy of transitioning from individual port or
estuarine models to a regional modeling approach is also being developed to
enhance the efficiency of development and operations.

####
Full_Name: Donglai Gong 
Email: donglai@marine.rutgers.edu
Title: Seasonal Climatology of Wind-Driven Circulation on the NJ Shelf
Authors: Donglai Gong, Josh Kohut, Scott Glenn
Abstract: The mean and subtidal surface circulation in the central region of
MAB are characterized using six years of CODAR Long Range HF Radar data. 
The mean surface flow is 3-7 cm/s downshelf and offshore to the southwest. 
Subtidal variability on the NJ Shelf is on the order of the mean offshore
but several times that of the mean inshore.  The response of the surface
current to wind depends on the stratification and exhibits significant
seasonal patterns.  The flow tends to be either along-shelf or cross-shelf
dominated.  The seasonal climatology of the wind driven circulation for the
NJ Shelf shows that the alongshore wind is correlated with cross-shelf
current in the summer time, the cross-shore wind is correlated with
cross-shelf current in the winter time, and the along-shore wind is
correlated with alongshelf current in the transition seasons of spring and
autumn.  Cross-shore NW wind drives cross-shelf offshore flow in the
unstratified winter season.  Along-shore SW wind drives cross-shelf offshore
flow in the stratified summer season.  NE wind, often associated with storm
events in the spring and fall, drives downshelf alongshelf flow.  The Hudson
Shelf Valley acts as a dynamical boundary between the northern and southern
NJ Shelf with the north consistently showing weaker flow than the south. 
Analysis of virtual Lagrangian surface drifters show that the residence time
of surface material ranges from 1 week to 8 weeks.  The transport pathways
are either cross-shelf or alongshelf dominated.  Interannual variability in
the seasonal wind patterns could affect shelf-slope exchange on the MAB.


####
Full_Name:  Neil K. Ganju
Email: nganju@usgs.gov
Title: Coupled wave-hydrodynamic modeling over sorted grain size features (rippled scour depressions) on the inner shelf
Authors: Neil K. Ganju, Christopher R. Sherwood, Richard P. Signell
Abstract:   Sorted grain-size features, also known as rippled scour
depressions, are persistent cross-shore structures found in many nearshore
environments, characterized by sharp gradients in grain size and gentle
relief in the alongshore direction. The formation of these features is not
completely understood, but self-organization and feedback have been proposed
as explanations for their persistence. Sorted grain-size features near the
MarthaXs Vineyard Coastal Observatory (MVCO), Massachusetts, are
characterized by bathymetric lows with coarse (0.5 mm) sand and large
ripples (heights of 0.10-0.15 cm, wavelengths of 0.6 to 0.8 m) and
bathymetric highs with fine sand (0.125 mm) and small ripples (heights of
0.01 m, wavelengths of 0.1 m). The features extend from the shallowest
region surveyed (6 m) to depths of 17 m, 3 km offshore, with a maximum
alongshore width of less than 1 km.

Wave-current interaction is an important component of the inner shelf and
circulation at MVCO. However, subtle changes in topography and hydrodynamic
roughness associated with these features complicate evaluation of numerical
models, especially because of the spatial and temporal variability in
alongshore flows and wave forcing near MVCO. We have investigated these
features and the inner-shelf circulation using nested and coupled
wave-hydrodynamic models. The models were calibrated using water-level,
current, and wave data from MVCO and several wave buoys. The suite of nested
models applied here began with basin-scale (5-km grid for the eastern
seaboard) wave models that provided spectral wave forcing to a regional wave
model (1-km grid for the southern New England shelf). The regional wave
model and a regional hydrodynamic model at the same scale were then run
uncoupled, to provide boundary conditions for a cascade of nested, coupled,
wave-hydrodynamic models. The final nested model, at an 8-m grid resolution,
resolved the sorted grain-size features. At this level, a sediment-transport
model with time-dependent ripple geometry and various roughness formulations
was applied to investigate the maintenance of these features and their
influence on circulation under realistic conditions. Given an initial bed
sediment distribution, the roughness introduced by these features
significantly alters the quasi-steady-state distribution within the bed, and
highlights the concept of feedback and self-organization.


####
Full_Name: Geoff Cowles
Email: gcowles@umassd.edu
Title: Comparison of  Observed and Model-Computed Low Frequency Circulation and Hydrography on the New England Shelf
Authors: G. Cowles, S.J. Lentz, C. Chen, Q. Xu, R.C. Beardsley
Abstract:   The Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) is configured to
study the inter-annual variability of circulation in the Gulf of Maine (GoM)
and Georges Bank.  The FVCOM-GoM system incorporates realistic
time-dependent surface forcing derived from a high-resolution mesoscale
meteorological model (MM5), and assimilation of observed quantities
including sea surface temperature and salinity and temperature fields on the
open boundary.  An evaluation of FVCOM-GoM model skill on the New England
shelf is made by comparison of computed fields and data collected during the
Coastal Mixing and Optics (CMO) Program (August 1996 - June 1997).  Model
mean currents for the full CMO period compare well in both magnitude and
direction in fall and winter but overpredict the westward flow in spring. 
The direction and ellipticity of the subtidal variability correspond but
computed magnitudes are around 20% below observed, partially due to
under-prediction of the variability by MM5.  Response of subtidal currents
to wind forcing shows the model captures the directional dependence as well
as seasonal variability of the lag.  Hydrographic results show that
FVCOM-GoM resolves the spatial and temporal evolution of the temperature and
salinity fields.  The model-computed surface salinity field compares well
except in May when there is no indication of the fresh surface layer from
the Connecticut River discharge noted in the observations.  Analysis of
model-computed results indicates that the plume was unable to extend to the
mooring location due to the presence of a westward mean model-computed flow
during that time that was stronger than observed.  Overall FVCOM-GoM
captures well the dynamics of the mean and subtidal flow on the New England
shelf.

####
Full_Name:  Zhankun Wang
Email: zwang@umassd.edu
Title: On the relationship of turbulence to thin phytoplankton layers
Authors: Zhankun Wang and Louis Goodman
Abstract: In this presentation we examine the role of turbulence on the
evolution of the spatial structure of a thin phytoplankton layer. The
approach is to use the small Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), T-REMUS
(Turbulence-Remote Environmental Measuring UnitS), which is equipped with
optical and physical micro- and fine- scale sensors. As a part of the
Layered Organization in the Coastal Ocean (LOCO) experiment, T-REMUS was
deployed in a very shallow region of Monterey Bay, CA over an eight hour
period at nighttime in the summer of 2006. A thin layer of chlorophyll a was
observed throughout the entire experimental period. The center of the thin
layer deepened with time, crossed isotherms, and then settled into a strong
turbulence layer. This result is in sharp contrast to previous conclusions
that biological thin layers only occurred in regions of weak turbulence. Our
observations indicated that the turbulence field, itself, was constrained by
the surrounding strong density stratification to be in a thin layer. The
chlorophyll a material, acting as a passive Lagrangian tracer, became
embedded within the turbulent field. With time both the turbulent field and
the embedded chlorophyll a thin layer were observed to collapse vertically.

####
Full_Name:  James O'Donnell
Email: james.odonnell@uconn.edu
Title: Surface currents and bottom dissolved oxygen in Long Island Sound
Authors: JAMES O’DONNELL, ADAM HOUK, FRANK BOHLEN
Abstract: Western Long Island Sound is connected to the New York Harbor and
the Hudson River through the East River, a tidal canal. Though the time
mean, cross-sectional average flow is thought to be westward into the
Harbor, there is near-surface layer which transports fresh water into the
Sound. This has a buoyancy flux has a significant influence on the vertical
stratification. The structure and variability of the shallow near surface
motion has not been resolved with moored current meters. We report the
results of simultaneous observation of the vertical structure of the
hydrography using a moored array of CTDs and dissolved oxygen sensors, and
the circulation using both bottom mounted ADCPs and HF-Radar systems. We
find that the magnitude of the
 long term mean flow is consistent with
previous inferences but that there substantial variation associated with the
direction of the wind. Correlation of the axial wind component, the
magnitude of the surface current and
 the rate of change of bottom dissolved
oxygen concentration suggest that the modulation by wind of the rate of
generation of the vertical stratification has a major influence on the
vertical flux of oxygen to the hypoxic
 zone of Long Island Sound.

Full_Name:  Ralph Jiorle 3rd
Email: rjjiorle@gmail.com
Title: Tidal Currents and Friction over Large Marine Sand Waves in Eastern Long Island Sound
Authors: Ralph Jiorle and Michael Whitney
Abstract: Sand wave fields are unique bathymetric structures.  Marine sand
waves form on sand bottoms that are exposed to strong tidal currents.  Sand
waves in the eastern Long Island Sound study area range from 7 to 17 m in
height and from 77 m to 164 m in wavelength.  This research investigates how
tidal currents, bottom friction, and mixing are modified over this large
marine sand wave field.  Observations were collected with shipboard and
moored Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) and Conductivity
Temperature Depth (CTD) profilers during spring of 2008.  Preliminary
results have revealed several interesting findings.  Near-bottom tidal
currents tend to channel water in the troughs; these currents are skewed to
the surface tidal current direction.  The tidal shear stress is strong over
the sand wave field and the shear reaches the water surface.  This indicates
strong mixing.  The CTD data show there is strong stratification despite the
strong mixing.

####
Full_Name:  Diane Bennett
Email: diane.bennett@uconn.edu
Title: Modeling Tides in Long Island Sound
Authors: Diane Bennett, James O'Donnell, Adam Houk
Abstract:   Analytic modeling often leads to physical insights about the
driving forces behind a system.  With this in mind, we examined two analytic
models for tidal flows in estuaries, one in the vertical dimension and one
oriented horizontally along channel.  These models are compared to data from
Long Island Sound in order to assess their applicability.  The weakly
nonlinear model with time invariant, vertically variable eddy viscosity is
unable to reproduce the primary constituent (M2) tidal velocity amplitude as
a function of depth, and the nonlinear, vertically and laterally averaged
numerical model is able to accurately predict M2 sea surface amplitudes and
velocities, but is unable to give good qualitative results for the
velocities of the overtides.  The importance of the representation of eddy
viscosity in these types of models is discussed.

####
Full_Name:  Michael M. Whitney
Email: Michael.Whitney@uconn.edu
Title: Barotropic Wind-Driven Circulation in Long Island Sound
Authors: Michael M. Whitney
Abstract: Strong wind-events generate subtidal circulation in the Long
Island Sound and modify the pattern of estuary-shelf exchange.  Theory
suggests that the barotropic response to persistent along-estuary winds is
downwind flow near the surface and in the shallow flanks and upwind flow in
deeper waters.  The strength of the opposing jets depends on friction and
the cross-estuary bathymetric variations.  A numerical simulation of the
Long Island Sound has been constructed using the Regional Ocean Modeling
System.  The simulated barotropic response to steady winds is consistent
with theory.  Results show the detailed wind-driven circulation in the
estuary.  Analysis of current observations in the eastern Long Island Sound
reveals the signature of the predicted barotropic wind response.  At this
point, simulation results have been shown to be qualitatively consistent
with observations.

####
Full_Name:  Melissa Dawn Hacker-Gibson
Email: melissa.hacker@uconn.edu
Title: Anoxia in the Thames River: Observations in Norwich Harbor
Authors: Hacker-Gibson, Melissa D. and Whitney, Michael, M.
Abstract: 
Norwich Harbor is located at the head of the Thames River, the third largest
drainage basin to the Long Island Sound.  The Thames River, like many other
deep urbanized estuaries, suffers from seasonal hypoxia.  Anoxic
bottom-water conditions in Norwich Harbor is a phenomenon that has been
documented during previous summers, but the evolution and variability of the
low-oxygen levels have not been effectively shown through observations. 
Developing a further understanding of these conditions may help explain
seasonal ecosystem shifts in the Thames River and Long Island Sound.  An
observational program was initiated in June 2008 to study the stratification
and oxygen levels in Norwich Harbor.  Daily vertical profiles of
temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen paired with monthly tidal cycle
monitoring provide new insight to the pattern of the anoxic and hypoxic
conditions that are present in the harbor during the summer months.  One
observed pattern is the sudden recovery of dissolved oxygen once every month
which may be related to tidal cycle variations.  



####
Full_Name:  Igor Belkin
Email: ibelkin@gso.uri.edu
Title: Chlorophyll and SST Fronts off the U.S. Northeast From Satellite Data  
Authors: Igor Belkin, Jay O'Reilly, Kim Hyde and Teresa Ducas
Abstract: Chlorophyll and SST fronts are mapped and described from satellite
imagery over the NW Atlantic between Cape Hatteras and the Scotian Shelf.
The fronts are detected with a new algorithm developed specifically for Chl,
and also applicable to SST. The Chl fields feature endemic spatial patterns
such as linear chlorophyll enhancements and localized/point-wise chlorophyll
patches/blooms modeled as ridges and peaks respectively. Such patterns are
not encountered in SST fields.  The Chl ridges and peaks are preserved by
the algorithm alongside with common Chl and SST fronts modeled as steps or
ramps. The algorithm is based on a gradient approach. The main novelty is a
contextual median filter that preserves linear Chl enhancements and
point-wise Chl blooms. Satellite data from several color and thermal sensors
(AVHRR, SeaWiFS and MODIS/Terra and Aqua) were processed with the new
algorithm to generate climatology of Chl and SST fronts off the U.S.
Northeast, encompassing the Mid-Atlantic Bight, Georges Bank and Gulf of
Maine. This area has a wide variety of fronts such as the Gulf Stream;
Shelf-Slope Front; tidal mixing fronts of Georges Bank and Nantucket Shoals;
and water mass fronts of the Gulf of Maine. The 10-year (1997-2007)
climatology of Chl and SST fronts reveals their seasonal and interannual
variability and the frontsX strong correlation with bathymetry that steers
most fronts and ensures their robustness.

####
Full_Name:  Richard P Signell
Email: rsignell@usgs.gov
Title: Construction of a 3 arc second bathymetry grid for the Gulf of Maine 
Authors: Richard P. Signell and Erin R. Twomey, U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA
Abstract: We have used topographic data from a variety of sources to create
a new 3-arc-second (90 m) elevation/bathymetry grid for the Gulf of Maine. 
The grid covers the area from longitude 63º to 71.5º W and from latitude
39.5º to 46º N.  The grid improves upon an existing USGS 15 second
bathymetric grid (Rowarth and Signell, 1998;
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/of98-801) by incorporating higher resolution
data and a more sophisticated method to convert bathymetry to a mean sea
level datum.  It also improves upon the 3 arc second NOAA Coastal Relief
Model (http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/coastal/coastal.html) in a number of
ways: (1) Sounding data from US and Canadian government were corrected to
mean sea level using tidal model results from the NOAA VDATUM project before
gridding; (2) The grid includes both US and Canadian waters; (3) Intratidal
zones were not eliminated from the gridding process; (4) Recently acquired
sounding and swath bathymetry datasets were included.  The new grid will be
available in early 2009 as a GeoTIFF, in Arc Binary Grid and CF Compliant
NetCDF formats, and also via the WCS, OpenDAP and NetCDF subset web
services.  Routines for Matlab have been created to allow easy extraction of
data in a specific longitude/latitude range.

####
Full_Name:  James P. Manning
Email: james.manning@noaa.gov
Title: Environmental Monitors on Lobster Traps (eMOLT): building a low-cost
observing system with help from lobstermen 
Authors: J. Manning (NOAA), V. Sheremet (URI/WHOI)
Abstract: Beginning in April 2000, nearly a hundred New England lobstermen
have attached internally-recording temperature probes to their traps In
2001, several of these individuals also deployed Seabird Microcat salinity
sensors. In 2004 and 2005, surface drifters, built by the marine science
students at SMCC, were deployed by lobstermen at several locations along the
coast. These units, equipped with low-cost GPS transmitters, have been used
by several universities since that time and have now collectively logged
over 100 thousand kilometers of ocean. In 2008, a set of low-cost
bottom-current meters, developed by Vitalii Sheremet, have been installed on
several traps. It is now possible, therefore, to examine the variability of
surface and bottom water conditions on hourly to inter-annual time scales at
locations throughout the Gulf of Maine and along the Southern New England
shelf. Time series and drifter tracks are available at www.emolt.org.
Year-to-year bottom temperature variations have been documented at most
sites. Inter-annual differences of several degrees are attributed
to both local climate and remote source water.  While this signal is fairly
coherent throughout the Gulf of Maine, other shorter-time-scale processes
such as  those due to local tide and wind are documented as
well. The primary purpose of eMOLT data is to feed a set of numerical circulation
models currently under development around the region. Given the observations
of temperature, salinity, and  current velocity,  models can be initialized
and validated. Natural processes potentially affecting the growth, survival,
and ultimate fate of lobster larvae can be addressed.

####
Full_Name:  Bradford Butman
Email: bbutman@usgs.gov
Title: Data Report on Long-Term Oceanographic Observations in Massachusetts Bay, 1989–2006
Authors: Bradford Butman, P. Soupy Dalyander, Michael H. Bothner, Jonathan Borden, Michael A. Casso, Benjamin T. Gutierrez, Mary E. Hastings, Frances L. Lightsom, Marinna A. Martini, Ellyn T. Montgomery, Richard R. Rendigs, and William S. Strahle
Abstract: A data report containing long-term oceanographic observations made
at two locations in Massachusetts Bay from 1989-1996 will be available soon. 
The data report presents observations made at LT-A (42X 22.6' N, 70X 47.0'
W; nominal water depth 32 m) from December 1989 through February 2006 and at
LT-B (42X 9.8' N, 70X 38.4' W; nominal water depth 22 m) from October 1997
through February 2004. The observations were collected to understand the
transport and long-term fate of sediments and associated contaminants in
Massachusetts Bay. The observations include time-series measurements of
temperature, salinity, current, light transmission, pressure, oxygen,
fluorescence, and sediment-trapping rate. A total of about 159 separate
mooring or tripod deployments were made on 91 research cruises to collect
these long-term observations.  The report presents a description of the
17-year field program and the instrumentation used to make the measurements,
an overview of the data set, more than 2,500 pages of statistics and plots
for browsing the data set, and the digital data in NetCDF format. This
research was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey under a Joint Funding
Agreement with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and under an
Inter-Service Agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard.

####
Full_Name:  Nickitas Georgas
Email: ngeorgas@stevens.edu
Title: Including 2D atmospheric forcing in the NYHOPS OFS. Lessons learned.
Authors: Nickitas Georgas, Alan Blumberg, Wei Li, Jee Ko, Shashi Bhushan
Abstract: The New York Harbor Observing and Prediction System has been
operational since 2004, creating, disseminating, and quality-controling
daily 48-hr forecasts of 3D hydrodynamic fields in and around the NY/NJ
Harbor estuary. In this talk we will present lessons learned from an ongoing
attempt to include full 2D atmospheric forcing in NYHOPS (surface level
adjustment and heat fluxes). Benefits of and hurdles for using the full 2D
formulation are quantified for NYHOPS, while several issues with regard to
applicability/optimization of atmospheric inputs are raised. Results to-date
of several 120-day NYHOPS runs based on different atmospheric models
highlight issues with resolution and forecast initiation time. The
comparability of hydrodynamic results points to a possible need for oceanic
ensemble forecasts based on end-members forced with similarly-skilled
atmospheric models, if uncertainty around these results is to be quantified.