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State of the California Current 2014–15: Impacts of the Warm-Water “Blob” Andrew W

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State of the California Current 2014–15: Impacts of the Warm-Water “Blob” Andrew W STATE OF THE CALIFORNIA CURRENT CalCOFI Rep., Vol. 56, 2015 STAte of the California Current 2014–15: IMPACTS OF THE WARM-WAter “BloB” ANDREW W. LEISING, WILLIAM T. PETERSON, JARROD A. SANTORA, ISAAC D. SCHROEDER, RICHARD D. BRODEUR WILLIAM J. SYDEMAN STEVEN J. BOGRAD Northwest Fisheries Science Center Farallon Institute for Environmental Research Division National Marine Fisheries Service Advanced Ecosystem Research National Marine Fisheries Service Hatfield Marine Science Center 101 H Street 99 Pacific St., Suite 255A Newport, OR 97365 Petaluma, CA 94952 Monterey, CA 93940-7200 CaREN BARCELÓ SHARON R. MELIN JEFFREY ABELL College of Earth, Ocean and National Marine Fisheries Service Department of Oceanography Atmospheric Sciences Alaska Fisheries Science Center Humboldt State University Oregon State University National Marine Mammal Laboratory Corvallis, OR 97330 NOAA REGINALDO DURAZO1, 7600 Sand Point Way N. E. GILBERTO GAXIOLA-CaSTRO2,§ TOBY D. AUTH1,ELIZABETH A. DalY2 Seattle, WA 98115 1UABC-Facultad de Ciencias Marinas 1Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana No. 3917 Hatfield Marine Science Center FRANCISCO P. CHAVEZ Zona Playitas, Ensenada 2030 Marine Science Drive Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Baja California, México Newport, OR 97365 7700 Sandholdt Road 2CICESE 2Cooperative Institute for Moss Landing, CA 95039 Departamento de Oceanografía Biológica Marine Resources Studies Oregon State University RICHARD T. GOLIGHTLY, Carretera Ensenada Tijuana No. 3918 STEPHANIE R. SCHNEIDER Zona Playitas, Ensenada Hatfield Marine Science Center Baja California, México 2030 Marine Science Drive Department of Wildlife § Newport, OR 97365 Humboldt State University Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute 1 Harpst Street Moss Landing, California (Sabbatical) ROBERT M. SURYAN1, Arcata, CA 95521 1 ERIC P. BJORKSTEDT, JOHN FIELD, AMANDA J. GLADICS , JESSICA M. PORQUEZ2 JENNIFER FISHER, KEITH SAKUMA CHERYL MORGAN 1Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and Fisheries Ecology Division Oregon State University National Marine Fisheries Service 2College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences Cooperative Institute for 110 Schaeffer Rd. Marine Resources Studies Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center Hatfield Science Center ROXANNE R. ROBERTSON Newport, OR 97365 Newport, OR 97365 CIMEC, Humboldt State University SAM MCCLATCHIE, EDWARD D. WEBER, RuSSELL BRADLEY, PETER WaRYBOK RALF GOERICKE WILLIAM WaTSON Point Blue Conservation Science Scripps Institute of Oceanography NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center 3820 Cypress Drive, Suite 11 University of California, San Diego Petaluma, CA 94954 La Jolla, CA 92024 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive La Jolla, CA 92037-1508 ABSTRACT Oscillation index (PDO) continued to climb during In 2014, the California Current (~28˚–48˚N) saw 2014, indicative of the increase in warm coastal sur- average, or below average, coastal upwelling and rela- face waters, whereas the North PacificG yre Oscil- tively low productivity in most locations, except from lation index (NPGO) saw a slight rebound to more 38˚–43˚N during June and July. Chlorophyll-a levels neutral values (indicative of average productivity lev- were low throughout spring and summer at most loca- els) during 2014. During spring 2015, the upwelling tions, except in a small region around 39˚N. Catches index was slightly higher than average for locations in of juvenile rockfish (an indicator of upwelling-related the central and northern region, but remained below fish species) remained high throughout the area sur- average at latitudes south of 35˚N. Chlorophyll a lev- veyed (32˚–43˚N). In the fall of 2014, as upwelling els were slightly higher than average in ~0.5˚ latitude ceased, many locations saw an unprecedented increase patches north of 35˚N, whereas productivity and phy- in sea surface temperatures (anomalies as large as 4˚C), toplankton biomass were low south of Pt. Concep- particularly at 45˚N due to the coastal intrusion of tion. Catches of rockfish remained high along most of an extremely anomalous pool of warm water. This the coast, however, market squid remained high only warm surface anomaly had been building offshore in 1Details on sampling protocols are available in previous reports and at the Gulf of Alaska since the fall of 2013, and has been http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/research/divisions/fe/estuarine/oeip/ referred to as the “blob.” Values of the Pacific Decadal ka-hydrography-zoo-ichthyoplankton.cfm. 31 STATE OF THE CALIFORNIA CURRENT CalCOFI Rep., Vol. 56, 2015 within the central coast (36˚–38˚N), and euphausiid into simple figures that may not convey the full com- abundance decreased everywhere, as compared to the plexity of the region. As a consequence, we focus on previous year. Sardine and anchovy were nearly absent the findings of the data and limit our descriptions of from the southern portion of the California Current the methodology to only that which is required for system (CCS), whereas their larvae were found off the interpretation. More complete descriptions of the data coast of Oregon and Washington during winter for the and methodologies can be found through links to the first time in many years.W aters warmed dramatically individual survey programs. The survey designs are dis- in the southern California region due to a change in similar and each has unique limitations restricting a wind patterns similar to that giving rise to the blob in common interpretation within the CCS. Therefore, this the broader northeast Pacific. For most of the coast, report should be considered a first examination for there were intrusions of species never found before or instigating more focused exploration of potential driv- found at much higher abundances than usual, including ers of the ecosystem dynamics. fish, crustaceans, tunicates and other gelatinous zoo- This report focuses on data highlighting the con- plankton, along with other species often indicative of ditions during 2014–summer 2015, with a particular an El Niño. Thus species richness was high in many emphasis on the conditions associated with several off- areas given the close juxtaposition of coastal upwelling- shore regions of anomalously warm water, the north- related species with the offshore warm-water intrusive ernmost commonly referred to as the blob (Bond et al. or El Niño-typical taxa. Thus the California Current 2015). Similar to last year’s report, we have moved some by 2015 appears to have transitioned to a very differ- of the physical supporting data from this document to ent state than previous observations. an online supplement (www.calcofi.org/ccpublications/ state-of-the-california-current-live-supplement.html). INTRODUCTION The goal is to create a “live” State of the California This report reviews the oceanographic and ecosys- Current (SOTCC) web page resource, where informa- tem responses of the California Current system (CCS) tion can be rapidly obtained for the most recent, up-to- between spring 2014 and summer of 2015. Biological date state of the CCS. Thus, several long-term time series and hydrographic data from a number of academic, pri- of physical and biological data that have traditionally vate, and government institutions have been consoli- been found within this document have been replaced dated and described in the context of historical data by a table stating only their current state, along with a (fig. 1).T he various institutions have provided data link to the appropriate web page. As in past reports, we and interpretations of the data in response to an open begin with an analysis of large-scale climate modes and solicitation for contributions; these contributions are upwelling conditions in the California Current. Follow- acknowledged in the author list. These data are sum- ing, the various observational data sampling programs marized and synthesized here, in the spirit of provid- are reviewed to highlight the links between ecosystem ing a broader description of the present condition of structure, processes, and climate. Lastly, a short discussion the CCS. All data are distilled from complex sampling of the most recent conditions within the CCS and the programs covering multiple spatial and temporal scales impacts of the blob are discussed. TABLE 1 List of CCS indices, their current status, and link to live supplement (e.g., S1 = Supplement Figure 1; www.calcofi.org/ccpublications/state-of-the-california-current-live-supplement.html). Index Current State Trend Implication Link PDO Positive Increasing Warming S1 NPGO Negative Decreasing Low Productivity S1 ENSO (MEI) Positive Increasing El Niño S1 Upwelling Anomaly Positive Neutral Moderately Productive in the North Figure 2, S2 Cumulative Upwelling Neutral Neutral Moderately Productive to the North Figure 3, S3 SST Anomaly Positive Increasing Warm Surface Waters Figure 4,7, S4, S5, 40 Wind Anomaly Anti-Cyclonic Increasing Anti-Cyclonic Warm Coastal Surface Waters Figure 4, S4 Temperature-Salinity, CalCOFI Warmer and Saltier at N Coastal, Surface NA Change in Transport S7 Mixed-Layer Salinity, CalCOFI Positive Anomaly Decreasing NA Figure 11 Mixed-Layer NO3, CalCOFI Negative Anomaly Neutral Decreased Productivity Figure 12 Nitricline Depth, CalCOFI Negative Anomaly Decreasing Decreased Productivity Figure 12 Integrated Chlorophyll a, CalCOFI Negative Anomaly Increasing Decreased Productivity Figure 12 Chlorophyll a Profiles, CalCOFI Low in Surface waters NA Decreased Productivity S8 Chlorophyll a Patchy Increasing Low to Mean
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