/>
Chairs: Marianna Karagiannis
Marine hypoxia is expanding globally, reshaping ocean biogeochemistry and marine ecosystems. Low oxygen waters of the Eastern Pacific include vast areas of permanent oxygen deficient zones, seasonal upwelling-driven hypoxia, and transient eddy-driven events. These systems arise from complex interactions among physical circulation, biological productivity, respiration, and biogeochemical processes. Expanding hypoxia could have detrimental effects to ecosystems and fisheries, transform nutrient and trace metal cycling, and impact carbon preservation. This session invites interdisciplinary contributions examining both the drivers and consequences of marine hypoxia across spatial and temporal scales in the eastern Pacific. We welcome observational, experimental, and modeling approaches that expand our understanding of the formation, variability, and impacts of hypoxia in the Eastern Pacific across biological, chemical, and physical perspectives.
Chair: Ed Dever
Sustained ocean observing systems in the Eastern Pacific have been critical to understanding both short term processes and long-term changes in physical and biogeochemical balances. Insights from observing systems include the characterization and modeling of seasonal and interannual variability in hypoxia and marine carbonate system variables; the timing, severity and impacts of marine heatwaves; and the regional response to ENSO, the PDO and other long-term variability. Long-term ocean observing systems have always had technical and programmatic challenges ranging from quality assessment and data access to technical innovation and replacement of aging equipment. More recently, shifting federal priorities and budget reductions have resulted in degrading and descoping of long-term ocean observing assets. At the same time, emerging classes of sensors (e.g., eDNA, Imaging Flow Cytobot, and shadowgraphic imaging) and platforms (e.g., wave gliders, sail drones, distributed acoustic sensing) make possible new capabilities for sustained ocean observations while AI offers tools that can enhance data quality assessment and access.
In this session, we invite contributions from observational and modeling studies made possible by regional observing system data; contributions that describe challenges and solutions to issues that impact sustained ocean observing; and contributions that envision the future of ocean observing through new types of sustained measurements, innovative use of modern platforms, and advances in data access and quality control.
Chair: Art Miller
Observations, Modeling, and/or Data Assimilation leading to a better understanding of the impact of the changing physical-biogeochemical environment on the ocean ecosystem off the U.S. West Coast
Co-chairs: Henry Ruhl, Clarissa Anderson, Jan Newton
Place-based Management needs on the West Coast are varied, including municipalities, state and regional marine protected areas, energy lease areas, and the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCE LME). Regional and national partners of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) are supporting the integration and processing of data and information, including biogeochemistry, biology and ecosystem variables in support of such needs. Focus areas include, ocean acidification, hypoxia, passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) of ocean sounds from marine life and anthropogenic sources, occurrences of marine life identified from eDNA, plankton imaging (e.g. harmful algal blooms), and animal tagging. Contributions are welcome that highlight developing capabilities to collect, process and / or visualize relevant data holdings for place-based management on the West Coast. This can feature activities that support Condition Reports (CRs) for National Marine Sanctuaries, Integrated Ecosystem Assessments (IEAs) for the CCE LME, and the evolving offshore industry developments for BOEM, as well as state needs that include management of state MPAs and offshore energy lease areas. Elements can include practices for transparency and open science in data stream development. This involves coordination across several initiatives to harmonize best practices, including the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON), the Ocean Biomolecular Observing Network (OBON), the Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) and related acoustic nodes, FathomNet, the National HAB Observing Network (NHABON), the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) the Synchro tech testbed initiative (Synchro), and Ocean Sound Observing Network (OSON).
Host: Jordan Snyder
We need to observe the high-frequency variability in the Eastern Pacific Ocean because of its massive upwelling regime, flourishing ecosystems, and vital economies. Novel technologies are needed to advance our understanding of this coastal and open ocean. This session will highlight advances in technology that aim to observe the physical, ecological, biological, and chemical processes in places that range from the bathos to the abyss and surrounding beaches of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Examples of such advances could be progress in low-altitude remote sensing (drones), novel glider-based datasets, new sensors on moorings, code for underwater autonomous vehicles, etc. Submissions to this session should feature innovative methods and can include software development and IT support for ocean-going platforms. The results from each presentation should highlight the scientific significance of the study and discuss broader impacts.
Co-chairs: Michael Montgomery and Natalie Dornan
Presentations on any topic related to the oceanography and ecology of the Eastern Pacific Ocean or related settings.
Past EPOC programs are available in the EPOC Archive.