California Current Ecosystem (CCE)
Long Term Ecological Research site
Mark D. Ohman
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
U.S. LTER Network
26 sites
Low frequency forcing in the CCS
Secular trend
Temperature
anomaly ( oC)
SIO Pier Temp.
2
1
0
-1
-2
Pacific Decadal
Oscillation
PDO Index
1950
1960
1980
1960
1970
1980
Year
El Niño
1990
2000
PDO Index (N. Mantua)
3
2
1
0
-1
-2
-3
1950
1970
1990
2000
Multidecadal Forcing and Ecosystem Responses
from CalCOFI
plankton samples
Ohman and Venrick 2003
Lavaniegos and Ohman 2003
Brinton and Townsend 2003
CCE LTER Program Elements
• Experimental Process Studies
Biological rate measurements focusing on key
processes in the planktonic ecosystem
• Time Series
Augmented CalCOFI (4x y-1)
MODIS remote sensing
Nearshore stations, moorings (SCCOOS)
• Modeling
Coupled bio-physical models
Nonlinear time series hindcast models
Control volume property fluxes
• Information and Data Management
• Education and Outreach
“K through grey” communities
Temporal variations in nitracline depth
Nitracline Depth (m)
80
Nitracline Depth vs. Time
60
40
CalCOFI data
20
(Goericke, unpub.)
0
1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004
Year
El Niño
Exploiting spatial differences as an analogue of
temporal change
Stratified, deep nitracline
Deep mixed layer
Low vertical velocities
Picoplankton dominated
Microbial food web
Well mixed, shallow nitracline
Shallow mixed layer
Strong upwelling
(coastal or wind stress curl)
Microplankton dominated
Metazoan food web
CCE LTER Station Plan
35.5
Santa Barbara
Los Angeles
33.5
San Diego
31.5
-125
-123
-121
LTER Control Volume Stas.
CalCOFI Station (N=66)
NDBC Buoy
SBC Kelp LTER Mooring
Ocean Institute
-119 Pier
-117
Scripps
http://ccelter.sio.ucsd.edu
Scripps Institution of Oceanography/U.C.S.D.
29.5
Coupled bio-physical models
Forecasting and Hindcasting Ocean Productivity
Ecosystem Model
SeaWIFS
[M N/m3]
[M N/m3]
E2
CalCOFI in situ
E2
Chl-a
Chl-a
E3
E3
E1
Independent
verification
E3
E1
Chl-a
Di Lorenzo, E., A. J. Miller, D. J. Neilson, B. D. Cornuelle, and J. R. Moisan, 2003:
Modeling observed California Current mesoscale eddies and the ecosystem response.
International Journal of Remote Sensing
“Control Volume” to constrain property fluxes
 
0
lf
500
li
Cv g dldz 
Geostrophic +
Convergence

lf
li
Cz 0 TEk  nˆdl  Q
Ekman
Divergence
= Net flux
CCE Data/Information Management:
design process has begun
• Ocean Informatics Environment
-Open source centered
-New server installed: iOcean
-SIO infrastructure partnering initiated:
CalCOFI, PaCOOS, SCOOS, Palmer LTER
• Web site under construction:
-local: http://ccelter.sio.ucsd.edu
-virtual: http://cce.lternet.edu (planned)
• PreLaunch discussions/activites:
-data policy, metadata (EML)
-survey, collaborative tools
• Human Social Dynamics NSF project:
-natural/human/information interfaces
Karen Baker
CCE LTER Program Participants
Name
Mark Ohman
Lihini Aluwihare
Karen Baker
Katherine Barbeau
David Checkley
Peter Franks
Ralf Goericke
Michael Landry
Art Miller
Greg Mitchell
George Sugihara
Farooq Azam
Steven Bograd
Ron Burton
Dan Cayan
Teresa Chereskin
Emanuel DiLorenzo
David Hyrenbach
Cheryl Peach &
Sharon Franks
Brian Palenik
Dan Rudnick
Christian Reiss
Ken Smith
Bill Sydeman
Elizabeth Venrick
Role
Lead PI
Co-PI
Co-PI
Co-PI
Co-PI
Co-PI
Co-PI
Co-PI
Co-PI
Co-PI
Co-PI
Associate
Associate
Associate
Associate
Associate
Associate
Associate
Associate
Associate
Associate
Associate
Associate
Associate
Associate
Associate
Institution
SIO
SIO
SIO
SIO
SIO
SIO
SIO
SIO
SIO
SIO
SIO
SIO
PFEL
SIO
SIO
SIO
Georgia Tech.
Duke/PRBO
BAS &
CA COSEE
SIO
SIO
SWFSC
SIO
PRBO
SIO
Interests
Mesozooplankton Ecology
Dissolved Organic Matter
Information Management
Iron Geochemistry
Mesozooplankton & Ichthyoplankton
Biophysical Modeling
Phytoplankton Ecology
Food-Web Structure and Function
Physical Oceanography; Modeling
Remote Sensing and Bio-optics
Nonlinear Modeling
Bacteria/Microbial Food Webs
Physical Oceanography
Molecular Probes for Protists
Atmospheric Physics
ADCP Currents
Biophysical Modeling
Seabird Ecology
Education and Outreach planning
Education and Outreach planning
Microbial Diversity
Mesoscale Ocean Physics
Planktivorous Fishes
Deep-sea Benthic Ecology
Seabird Ecology; Marine Mammals
Phytoplankton Floristics
SIO= Scripps Institution of Oceanography
PFEL=Pacific Fisheries Environmental Laboratory, Georgia T=Georgia Institute of Technology, Duke = Duke University, PRBO = Pt. Reyes Bird Observatory,
BAS = Birch Aquarium at Scripps, CA COSEE= California Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence,
SWFSC=Southwest Fisheries Science Center/U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service
CCE LTER
1 Sept 2004  . . .