PNWTOX-The Columbia River plume and HABs in the Pacific Northwest: bioreactor, barrier or conduit?

该项目的总体目标是通过利用现有数据以及最先进的物理和生物物理模型，提高我们对西北太平洋沿岸沃茨有害藻华发展、消散、输送和混合过程的理解，从而提高对有害藻华事件的可预测性，这些模型首次包括：哥伦比亚河（CR）羽流和俄勒冈州和华盛顿附近的潜在有害藻华来源区域。知识点：该项目将利用两个最近完成的、时间上重叠的5年期、多机构、由NSF和NOAA共同资助的跨学科研究（1。太平洋西北沿岸赤潮的生态学和海洋学;河流对大陆架生态系统的影响），以提高对有害藻，特别是产藻假菱形藻，抵达太平洋西北沿岸的可预测性。这两项研究得出的最重要结论是，不了解克拉里昂-克利珀顿羽流对跨大陆架和沿大陆架迁移和混合的影响，是了解浮游植物、特别是有害生物如何抵达沿海海滩的最大障碍。 在这个项目中，希基，Lessard博士和合作者在NOAA，加州大学圣克鲁斯，加拿大海洋科学研究所将建立在两个早期的研究计划，以研究从北方和南方来源的有害生物的运输和缓解华盛顿海岸的互补信息和增强的知识的财富，并扩展我们的分析，以PN以外的物种。 待检验的假设包括：1.哥伦比亚河羽流是一个生长的生物反应器，但不是毒素生产。在下行风期间，哥伦比亚河羽流抑制了有毒水华向岸边的输送。在上升流风期间，哥伦比亚河羽流增强了表层以下有毒水华的向岸输送。哥伦比亚河羽流增强了有毒水华沿着海岸向北的输送。更广泛的影响：一大批政府和部落机构（例如，华盛顿国务院鱼类和野生动物部对沿海贝类资源感兴趣的Quileute部落）将受益于对可能出现有毒伪菱形藻的更好了解以及预测能力，从而可以最大限度地减少剃刀蛤和Dungeness蟹的捕捞关闭。关于亚历山大藻的新信息可能会使管理人员缩短典型的年度麻痹性贝类中毒海滩关闭时间。该项目将为一名研究生和一名博士后研究员提供跨学科培训。所提出的问题将为新毕业的博士提供一个极好的机会，以扩大他们在跨学科的沿海海洋学的培训。

The overall objective of this project is to improve predictability of harmful algal bloom (HAB) events in Pacific Northwest (PNW) coastal waters by advancing our understanding of HAB development, dissipation, transport and mixing processes using existing data in parallel with state of the art physical and bio-physical models that include, for the first time, both the Columbia River (CR) plume and potential HAB source regions off both Oregon and Washington.Intellectual Merit: This project will make use of results and data from two recently completed, temporally overlapping 5-year, multi-institutional, interdisciplinary studies jointly funded by NSF and NOAA (1. The Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms in the PNW, and 2. River Influences on Shelf Ecosystems), to improve predictability of arrival of HABs, in particular, toxigenic Pseudo-nitzschia (PN), at PNW shores. The overriding conclusion from both studies is that lack of understanding of the effect of the CR plume on cross-shelf and alongshelf transport and mixing is the greatest impediment to understanding how phytoplankton, in particular, HABs, arrive on coastal beaches. In this project, Drs. Hickey, Lessard and collaborators at NOAA, UC Santa Cruz, Canada's Institute of Ocean Sciences will build on the wealth of complementary information and enhanced knowledge generated in the two earlier research programs to study the transport and mitigation of HABs to the Washington coast from both northern and southern sources and extend our analyses to species other than PN. Hypotheses to be tested include:1. The Columbia River plume is a bioreactor for growth but not toxin production.2. During downwelling winds, the Columbia River plume inhibits shoreward transport of toxic blooms.3. During upwelling winds the Columbia River plume enhances shoreward transport of toxic blooms below the surface layer.4. The Columbia River plume enhances northward transport of toxic blooms along the coast. Broader Impacts: A large group of Government and Tribal bodies (e.g., Washington State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, the Dept. of Health, the Quileute tribe) with interests in coastal shellfish resources will benefit from both the improved understanding of the likely occurrence of toxic Pseudo-nitzschia as well as a forecasting ability so that harvest closures for razor clams and Dungeness crabs can be minimized. New information on Alexandrium may allow managers to shorten the typical annual Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning beach closures. This project will provide interdisciplinary training for one graduate student and one Postdoctoral fellow. The questions addressed will provide an excellent opportunity for newly graduated Ph.D.s to broaden their training in interdisciplinary coastal oceanography.