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

该项目的总体目标是提高太平洋西北沿海水域有害藻华(HAB)事件的可预测性，方法是利用现有数据和最先进的物理和生物物理模型(首次包括俄勒冈州和华盛顿州附近的哥伦比亚河(CR)羽流和潜在的HAB源区)，促进我们对赤潮的发展、消散、输送和混合过程的理解。由NSF和NOAA共同资助的跨学科研究(1.太平洋西北海区有害藻华的生态学和海洋学，以及2.河流对大陆架生态系统的影响)，以提高赤潮，特别是产毒拟硝化藻(PN)到达太平洋西北海岸的可预测性。这两项研究得出的压倒一切的结论是，缺乏对CR羽流对跨陆架和沿陆架运输和混合的影响的了解，是理解浮游植物，特别是赤潮如何到达沿海海滩的最大障碍。在这个项目中，Hickey博士、Lessard博士及其在NOAA、加州大学圣克鲁斯分校、加拿大海洋科学研究所的合作者将在前两个研究项目中产生的大量补充信息和增强的知识的基础上，研究赤潮从北部和南部来源向华盛顿海岸的运输和缓解，并将我们的分析扩展到Pn以外的物种。需要检验的假设包括：1.哥伦比亚河的羽流是一个生长的生物反应器，但不是产生毒素的生物反应器。在顺风期间，哥伦比亚河的羽流抑制了有毒水华在岸边的运输。在上升风期间，哥伦比亚河羽流加强了表层以下有毒水华的岸上输送。哥伦比亚河的羽流加强了有毒水华沿海岸向北的输送。更广泛的影响：一大批政府和部落机构(例如，华盛顿州部门)鱼类和野生动植物系。对沿海贝类资源感兴趣的人(健康部、奎勒特部落)将受益于对有毒伪菱形藻可能发生的更好的了解以及预测能力，从而可以最大限度地减少对文蛤和邓吉内斯蟹的停产。有关亚历山大港的新信息可能会让管理人员缩短典型的瘫痪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提供跨学科培训。所讨论的问题将为新毕业的博士提供一个极好的机会，以扩大他们在沿海跨学科海洋学方面的培训。

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.