Spatial dynamics of kelp forest communities |
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Physical and biological measurements are important to establishing the background level of variability found in coastal systems. These datasets are necessary to understand the response of the system to stressors such as ocean acidification, increased seawater temperature, and hypoxia, as well as to produce new monitoring tools for coastal systems. Monitoring data are also used to develop predictions of future change.
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Monitoring coastal ecosystems |
Expectations for Marine Protected Area performancePhoto: A.S. Guerra
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The area from the shoreline to a few kilometers offshore is arguably the most important region to coastal populations, yet we still have much to learn about how the physics of this region drives biological processes. We study very-nearshore transport and mixing focusing on the coastal boundary layer, a region of attenuated flow adjacent to the coastline. This work combines physical observations, numerical dispersal models, and empirical measurements of larval distributions.
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The coastal boundary layer |