SWEL: Surface Wave effects on upwelling and Ecosystems Linkages

SWEL: Surface Waves effects on upwelling and Ecosystem Linkages Rising temperatures and increased carbon in our oceans are creating many challenges for marine life. For example, seawater is becoming more acidic waters and lower in oxygen levels, affecting many sea creatures. These changes can harm fish, and thus the fishing industry, but threatens ocean biodiversity more generally. Additionally, harmful algal blooms, which can be toxic, are occurring more frequently, presenting risks to both sea life and human health. It is important to understand better the physical and chemical processes that are involved in these changes. This project aims to precisely do that by using advanced computer models and real-world data while training young ocean scientists. Contemporary global ocean biogeochemical models have limitations in computational power and are unable to capture small-scale ocean phenomena, such as small scales currents (of size 100m to 1km) and the influence of surface waves. Yet, emerging research indicates that these small-scale processes have a significant impact on ocean chemistry and life. Notably, the role of surface gravity waves appears to modify small-scale motions. Including wave effects could substantially improve simulations of the ocean's chemistry, but direct measurements of these fine-scale ocean characteristics are rare and difficult to obtain. The difficulty makes numerical models an indispensable tool for exploring these small scale features. This project focuses on the California Current System and will resolve some of the very small features and wave dynamics. The results from these simulations will inform future measurement and sampling plans, help to evaluate the impact of waves on marine chemical cycles, and refine how these effects can be represented in broader climate models. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.