The Role of Meso-Scale Processes in Controlling the Upper Ocean Carbon Cycle in the Coastal Environment - An Integrated Study in Santa Monica Bay, CA

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0404405GruberIntellectual merit The coastal oceans are some of the most productive and biogeochemicallyactive marine environments. Relative to open-ocean cycling, however, comparatively little isknown about the overall role of these areas in the global carbon cycle (e.g. Liu et al. [2000]).One of the major challenges confronting research in the coastal environment is its very highspatio-temporal variability mainly as a result of meso- and submesoscale processes. The integralrole of these processes for the coastal ocean carbon cycle and their impact on the net exchangeof CO2 with the atmosphere are virtually unknown.We propose to address this challenge by conducting an integrated and multi-disciplinaryobservational program in Santa Monica Bay, CA. In particular, we will address the followingthree goals: (i) quantify the upper ocean carbon budget of Santa Monica Bay over seasonal toannual timescales, (ii) determine the integral contribution of meso- and submesoscale processesto this budget and to the air-sea exchange of CO2, and (iii) quantify the relative roles of physicaland biological processes in controlling the carbon balance within mesoscale features as well asover the entire testbed region.We plan to address these goals with three research elements: (i) time-series observationsfrom an interdisciplinary moored platform (see http://www.ioe.ucla.edu/mucla), (ii) bi-weeklyshipboard based water sampling at the mooring site for shorebased analysis of water columncarbon and biogeochemical properties, and (iii) process cruises scheduled on an event basis tostudy the temporal evolution of the 3-D structure of the carbon and physical fields associatedwith a mesoscale or sub-mesoscale phenomenon. Analyses of the results from these efforts will begreatly aided by the availability of very high-resolution ocean carbon cycle hindcast simulationsof the area using the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (independently funded).The proposal's unique contribution consists of the embedding of the process studies into theframework of a multidisciplinary time-series. The proposed work builds upon the strength andexpertise of the PI and his team in the areas of modeling and data analyses, while continuingthe expansion into the observational realm to address an urgent need for critical new carbonobservations. We already have initiated work on all program elements and will be able to leveragethis proposal upon a number of existing grants and synergistic activities of other investigators atUCLA and at partner institutions.Broader impact By working toward the understanding of the net impact of meso- and sub-mesoscale processes on the upper ocean carbon cycle in the coastal environment, our proposedprogram addresses two formidable challenges that the carbon community is facing currently. Theubiquitous presence of mesoscale variability poses serious problems for the design of an observingnetwork that attempts to quantify the coastal ocean sources and sinks of atmospheric CO2, suchas is being planned for the North American Carbon Program. In addition, carbon-cycle modelingstudies that require long integrations, such as those associated with climate change, do not havethe computational resources to resolve all mesoscale and submesoscale processes explicitly andtherefore need to incorporate the net effect of them in a parametric form.Our proposed project will build upon many already existing educational and public outreachactivities. These include the incorporation of data as examples and homework assignments intoseveral undergraduate classes as well as the undertaking of several educational cruises centeredaround the mooring platform. In addition, we will make use of UCLA's long tradition in oceano-graphic teaching at primary and secondary schools. In particular, we will collaborate with theNSF funded Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence at UCLA in order to reach out toK-12 teachers and their students.