Congratulations to Robert Chant who with partners from the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences and the University of Maine have recently been notified of a research award from the National Science Foundation.
Project summary: Processes that determine the density and structure of coastal buoyancy-driven flows that feed into the larger regional scale circulation are critically impactful to geological, chemical, and biological processes, including nutrient, plankton, sediment and pollutant dispersal. Consequently, river plumes play a vital role in ocean biogeochemistry and the health of marine ecosystems and therefore understanding the dynamics and fate of freshwater on continental shelves is crucial to proper management of these regions. This project will use field observations and modeling of the San Franciso Bay’s plume interaction with Pt. Reyes to advance our understanding of the cross-shelf exchange of terrestrial borne material.
Photocredit: Point Reyes Seashore Association
