CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS P[t'flsc Ilott': YJlosc abslracts appcar/n% in t~[uc corrcspolld to oral ]~rcscntatious Ahsan, Quamrul Alfonso, Edwin A Particle-Tracking Model for Predicting Entrainment of Response of the Nonlinear-Nonstationary Internal Tide to the Spring- Ichthyoplankton at a Power Plant Intake on the East River, N.Y. Neap Cycle of the Barotropic Tide Quamrul Ahsan' Alan E BlumbergI, Dennis Dunning',~ Honghai Li ~, Imali Edwin Alfonso ~and Zachariah R. Hallock-~ D. Kaluarachchi~, Doug Heimbuch and Dennis Logan Data from bottom-moored ADCP's and thermistors chains deployed in A random-walk particle-tracking model was developed for the East River, data from the Mid-Atlantic Bight near 39.3~' N, 72.7~' W, offshore of the New the New York Harbor, the Long Island Sound and the New York Bight to Jersey Coast, are analyzedused to reveal the dependence of the predict the distribution of ichthyoplankton and their probability of semidiurnal baroclinic energy in shelf waters on changes in the barotropic entrainment through the cooling water system of the Charles Poletti forcing. The semidiurnal band iswas defined between 1.76 -2.48 CPD. Power Plant. The model was configured into a three-dimensional Baroclinic semidiurnal current speeds are mostly below 5 cm s", but they hydrodynamic model, ECOMSED, which uses neutrally buoyant passive can reach 10-18 cm s' during spring and neap tides. Coherence between particles as surrogates for ichthyoplankton. In ECOMSED, particles are the M2 barotropic and baroclinic tide at the shelf location (ADCP-3, at 80 transported by multidimensional advection and dispersion processes. The m) was weak (- 0.15) but above the 95 significance level. The total energy model was driven by time-dependent water levels, temperature and of the semidiurnal internal tide usually represents less than 20% of the salinity along open boundaries, meteorological forcing and freshwater total baroclinic energy present in the ADCP record at this locationour shelf inflows from 28 rivers, 97 water pollution control plants and 306 combined station (ADCP3, 80 m). This percentage can increase from 40~7~ up to 80~ sewer overflows. It was calibrated and validated using observed surface for periods of 1-2 days. Maximum in PE energy and KE arewere 0.5 and 24 and bottom salinity and temperature, water surface elevations and 3.5 J m , respectively. Both values arewere observed at the pycnocline (- 30 surface, mid-depth and bottom currents at locations across the New York m) during neap barotropic tides. Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) harbor and the East River during 1994 and 1995. Results indicate that and Hilbert Huang Transform (HHT) analysis arewas applied to the data. estuarine circulation greatly determined the distribution of particles in the This approach is effectiveadequate for the analysis of nonstationary5 East River. The probability that particles would be entrained into the nonlinear internal tides. The technique revealed Kf; values above 22 J m Poletti intake structure was highly dependent on the location and time of near the bottom (60-20 m) during spring tides in contrast with our their release. previous estimates. ~" HydroQual, Inc., 1 Lethbridge Plaza, Mahwah, NJ USA '[email protected], NRL Code 7332, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 USA :" New York Power Authority, 123 Main Street, White Plains, New York USA ~NRL Code 7332, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 USA " PBS&J, 12101 Indian Creek Court, Beltsville, MD USA Allard, R. Ahsan, Quamrul Development of a Wave Model Evaluation System Using Altimeter Data An Operational Forecast Modelling System for the Mississippi R. Allard', M. Brooking-~, T. Mettlach', R. Linzell' and T. Strahan ~ Sound/Bight A wave model evaluation system has been developed to provide a quality Quamrul Ahsan', Alan E Blumberg~, Honghai Li ~and John Blaha 4 assurance tool for the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO), which runs regional wave models for many areas around the globe. A regional scale forecast modelling system of the Mississippi Sound/Bight Significant wave height from the WAM wave model is compared against and adjoining estuaries and bays has been developed. The system, based available altimeter-derived significant wave height from the GFO, JASON- on the model, called ECOMSED, provides a reliable means of predicting 1 and ERS-2 altimeters. Monthly statistics, graphical products and the the littoral circulation and the salinity and temperature structure of the most recent 35 days of model/altimeter comparisons are available. The region. The modelling framework adopts a high-resolution orthogonal wave model evaluation system is a component of the Rapid Ocean curvilinear grid, which resolves the relevant bathymetric and coastline Analysis Modelling Evaluation Relocation (ROAMER) system at features, especially in the vicinity of the barrier islands and ship channels. NAVOCEANO. In order to ensure that the model is capable of predicting the oceanography of the Mississippi Sound/Bight, a thorough calibration and [email protected], Naval Research Laboratory, Stennis Space Center, validation effort has been conducted against field observations during MS USA September 2000. The calibration and validation efforts have been supplemented by rigorous analyses to understand the sensitivity of the [email protected],Naval Oceanographic Office, Stennis Space model predictions to various forcing functions. Estimates of the variances Center, MS USA in model prediction have been made using a First Order Variance Analysis (FOVA) method. Percent contribution of bathymetry, temperature and :[email protected], Neptune Sciences Inc., Slidell, LA USA salinity boundary conditions, meteorological conditions and freshwater inflows to variances in model prediction has been determined. The [email protected],Neptune Sciences Inc., Slidell, LA USA ECOMSED model is currently in operational mode in the Major Shared Resource Center (MRSC) of NAVOCEANO at Stennis Space Center, MS. [email protected], Jacobs Sverdrup Technology, Stennis Space The operational MS Sound/Bight forecast model produces two 12-hour Center, MS USA hindcast and two 48-hour forecasts every day, at 0000 and 1200 hours. The model results are made available on the NGLI website (www.navo.navy.mil/NGLI) for public use. ~" HydroQual, Inc., 1 Lethbridge Plaza, Mahwah, NJ 07430 USA Naval Oceanographic Office, Bldg. 1002, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 USA Oceanography • VoL 16 • No. 2/2003 Altalo, Mary G. Ammons, A.W. Regional Market and Policy Imperatives as Drivers for tbe U.S. Coastal A.W. Ammons ~and G.T. Rowe: Global Ocean Observing System Design: Investigation Findings for the Deepwater Anemones (Actinaria) of the Northern Gulf of Mexico: North East and Great Lakes Economic Regions Regional and Bathymetric Distribution in Relation to Natural and Anthropogenic Habitats Mary G. Altalu and Munica S. Hale Trawl records from recent surveys are used to construct the most complete This paper describes an investigation based on the methodical assessment distribution maps to date of deepwater anemones for the northern Gulf of t~f the optimal contiguration for coastal observing svstems to meet the Mexico. Although a relatively minor component of deep-sea faunas, ~ocial, ecunomic and policy needs of the U.S. atthe regional level. anemones' remarkable ability to colonize any and all hard substrata is well Currently, the observation system design plan involves identifying the documented. The surprising quantity of "deep sea trash" encountered existing deployed coastal ocean observing %:stems, linking them together, during the 2000-2002 DGoMB surveys was frequently colonized by supplementing them with '~ensors to make them uniform and adding anemones. This begs the question: is manmade trash contributing to ~ensors to "fill in the gaps". The "gaps" are usually defined as those places increased recruitment and range dispersal in the deep sea? where more intormation is needed to improve the basic understanding ot the coastal proces~,es or coastal zone natural resource management. ,2 [email protected], [email protected], Texas A&M towever, the work described by thi~ paper is directed to the economic and University, College Station, TX USA policy applications of the information. Thi~ assessment will help to inform the design of observing s,vstem~ to meet the needs of regional economies. Ammons, A.W. It is an issues-driven design based on the established economic, policy, and 25 governance geographical areas and de,qgns an end to end system to Deepwater Starfish (Asteroidea) of the Gulf of Mexico: Distribution of provide improved environmental informatlon for operations and action Dominant Species, with Ecological Considerations planning, such as emergency management, power buying, water allocation, etc. needed bv society. The investigation focuses on assessing A.W. Ammons' and G.T. Rowe: the needs and requirements Of key ,-ector~ of the economy: energy, Starfishes make up a prominent component of deepwater fauna within the recreation and t~urism, financial services sector, construction, and Gulf of Mexico. With a dizzying variety of forms, sizes, and behaviors, this transport, for weather, climate and ocean products frum observational echinoderm group accounts for much of the large-animal (megafauna) ~vstems '~uch as (]('~OS. biodiversity found in the deep sea. The distributions of the more common Corporate Vice President, SAIC: [email protected] species are presented, along with observations/hypotheses