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JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH,
VOL. 115,
C00B17,
26 PP., 2010
doi:10.1029/2009JC005452
River Influences on Shelf Ecosystems: Introduction and synthesis
School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
College of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, Newport, Oregon, USA
School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA
Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
Science and Technology Center for Coastal Margin Observation and Prediction, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
College of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
College of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
College of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA
Department of Aviation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
College of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Earth Institute at Columbia University, Palisades, New York, USA
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA
SEOS, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
River Influences on Shelf Ecosystems (RISE) is the first comprehensive interdisciplinary study of the rates and dynamics governing the mixing of river and coastal waters in an eastern boundary current system, as well as the effects of the resultant plume on phytoplankton standing stocks, growth and grazing rates, and community structure. The RISE Special Volume presents results deduced from four field studies and two different numerical model applications, including an ecosystem model, on the buoyant plume originating from the Columbia River. This introductory paper provides background information on variability during RISE field efforts as well as a synthesis of results, with particular attention to the questions and hypotheses that motivated this research. RISE studies have shown that the maximum mixing of Columbia River and ocean water occurs primarily near plume liftoff inside the estuary and in the near field of the plume. Most plume nitrate originates from upwelled shelf water, and plume phytoplankton species are typically the same as those found in the adjacent coastal ocean. River-supplied nitrate can help maintain the ecosystem during periods of delayed upwelling. The plume inhibits iron limitation, but nitrate limitation is observed in aging plumes. The plume also has significant effects on rates of primary productivity and growth (higher in new plume water) and microzooplankton grazing (lower in the plume near field and north of the river mouth); macrozooplankton concentration (enhanced at plume fronts); offshelf chlorophyll export; as well as the development of a chlorophyll “shadow zone” off northern Oregon.
Received 21 April 2009; accepted 26 August 2009; published 3 February 2010.
Citation: (2010), River Influences on Shelf Ecosystems: Introduction and synthesis, J. Geophys. Res., 115, C00B17, doi:10.1029/2009JC005452.
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