Accession Number:

ADA516283

Title:

A Partnership for Modeling the Marine Environment of Puget Sound, Washington - Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Report

Descriptive Note:

Research rept.

Corporate Author:

SPACE AND NAVAL WARFARE SYSTEMS CENTER BREMERTON WA MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT OFFICE

Personal Author(s):

• Johnston, Robert K.
• Wang, P. F.
• Richter, Kenneth E.

Report Date:

2002-01-01

Pagination or Media Count:

10.0

Abstract:

Estuaries, fjords and sounds are important, major components of marine ecosystems worldwide. Because of this, and their generally poor treatment by man, large estuaries should be the focus of large-scale, multidisciplinary, integrative modeling efforts. We need to both understand how these systems work, and be able to predict how they will respond to changes, whether natural or anthropogenic. Puget Sound, Washington States largest inland sea, is both the largest fjord in the lower forty-eight states and closest to the substantial urban centers of Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Bremerton and surrounding communities. Relative to other coastal systems, Pacific Northwest fjords have seasonally high annual phytoplankton standing stock and primary production, and they support several economically valuable fisheries. Our long-term goals are to develop quantitative understanding of the seasonal and longer time-scale variabilities of the Sounds circulation, roles of water column stratification, nutrients, and light and their interactions on phytoplankton and zooplankton dynamics, and the sensitivity of the physical and the biological system to natural and human perturbations. We will develop models of Puget Sound that can aid agencies with responsibilities for environmental management in making informed decisions and serve as marine science education tools. A special emphasis for this component of the project is to develop an inlet-scale integrated modeling system that will include the hydrodynamic and contaminant transport within the receiving waters of Sinclair and Dyes Inlets, the surrounding watershed, and the boundaries with the Greater Puget Sound System 1.

Descriptors:

• *ESTUARIES
• *MODELS
• *PUGET SOUND
• *COASTAL REGIONS
• *OCEAN ENVIRONMENTS
• TOOLS
• WATER
• NUTRIENTS
• TRANSPORT
• CONTAMINANTS
• ECOSYSTEMS
• PERTURBATIONS
• VALUE
• ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
• FISHERIES
• STRATIFICATION
• CIRCULATION
• HYDRODYNAMICS
• INLETS
• PHYTOPLANKTON
• OCEANOGRAPHY
• ZOOPLANKTON
• FJORDS
• HUMANS
• BIOLOGY
• EDUCATION
• COMMUNITIES
• PRODUCTION
• HYDRODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS

Subject Categories:

• Ecology
• Biological Oceanography
• Physical and Dynamic Oceanography
• Test Facilities, Equipment and Methods
• Water Pollution and Control

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE