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Traditional atmospheric surface layer theory assumes homogeneous surface conditions. Regardless, nearly all surface layer parameterization schemes employed within numerical weather prediction models utilize the same techniques within highly heterogeneous coastal regimes as for homogeneous environments. We compare predicted surface weather and fluxes of momentum, heat, and moisture—focusing mainly on momentum—from regional simulations using the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) atmospheric model to observations collected from offshore buoys, inland flux towers, and radiosonde profiles during the Coastal Land-Air-Sea Interaction (CLASI) project throughout the summer of 2021 around Monterey Bay, California. Results reveal that modeled cross-coastal surface flux gradients are spuriously discontinuous, leading to systematically overestimated fluxes and weak winds inland of the coastline during onshore flow periods. Additionally, contrary to observations, modeled surface exchange coefficients are insensitive to wind direction on both sides of the coast, which degrades predictive skill downstream from the coastline. Over the central bay, prediction degrades when near-surface wind directions deviate from the prevailing flow direction as the parameterized stress–wind relationship fails during these cases. Predictive skill over the bay is therefore linked to variations in wind direction. Offshore of the geographically complex peninsula, systematic biases are less clear; however, bifurcations in drag coefficients based on wind direction were measured here as well. Last, increasing the horizontal grid spacing from 333 m to 3 km does not significantly affect surface layer prediction. This work highlights the need to reevaluate surface layer parameterization methods for modeling within coastal regions. Significance Statement Understanding surface layer weather is critical for many purposes, such as infrastructure design and weather forecasting. Within the context of numerical modeling and weather prediction, skillful forecasts of surface winds and temperature rely on accurate portrayal of the surface layer. By comparing observations collected during the Coastal Land-Air-Sea Interaction field program to numerical model solutions, we show that prediction of the surface layer fluxes of momentum, heat, and moisture break down near the coastline, which leads to biases in the predicted surface layer weather both inland and over the water. As surface layer parameterization methods across nearly all numerical models are rooted in the same practices, our results call into question the use of traditional methods near the coastline.

The Coastal Land–Air–Sea Interaction (CLASI) project aims to develop new “coast-aware” atmospheric boundary and surface layer parameterizations that represent the complex land–sea transition region through innovative observational and numerical modeling studies. The CLASI field effort involves an extensive array of more than 40 land- and ocean-based moorings and towers deployed within varying coastal domains, including sandy, rocky, urban, and mountainous shorelines. Eight Air–Sea Interaction Spar (ASIS) buoys are positioned within the coastal and nearshore zone, the largest and most concentrated deployment of this unique, established measurement platform. Additionally, an array of novel nearshore buoys and a network of land-based surface flux towers are complemented by spatial sampling from aircraft, shore-based radars, drones, and satellites. CLASI also incorporates unique electromagnetic wave (EM) propagation measurements using a coherent array, drone receiver, and a marine radar to understand evaporation duct variability in the coastal zone. The goal of CLASI is to provide a rich dataset for validation of coupled, data assimilating large-eddy simulations (LES) and the Navy’s Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS). CLASI observes four distinct coastal regimes within Monterey Bay, California (MB). By coordinating observations with COAMPS and LES simulations, the CLASI efforts will result in enhanced understanding of coastal physical processes and their representation in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models tailored to the coastal transition region. CLASI will also render a rich dataset for model evaluation and testing in support of future improvements to operational forecast models.

17 USC 105 interim-entered record; under review. The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0281.1 The inner shelf, the transition zone between the surfzone and the midshelf, is a dynamically complex region with the evolution of circulation and stratification driven by multiple physical processes. Cross-shelf exchange through the inner shelf has important implications for coastal water quality, ecological connectivity, and lateral movement of sediment and heat. The Inner-Shelf Dynamics Experiment (ISDE) was an intensive, coordinated, multi-institution field experiment from September–October 2017, conducted from the midshelf, through the inner shelf, and into the surfzone near Point Sal, California. Satellite, airborne, shore- and ship-based remote sensing, in-water moorings and ship-based sampling, and numerical ocean circulation models forced by winds, waves, and tides were used to investigate the dynamics governing the circulation and transport in the inner shelf and the role of coastline variability on regional circulation dynamics. Here, the following physical processes are highlighted: internal wave dynamics from the midshelf to the inner shelf; flow separation and eddy shedding off Point Sal; offshore ejection of surfzone waters from rip currents; and wind-driven subtidal circulation dynamics. The extensive dataset from ISDE allows for unprecedented investigations into the role of physical processes in creating spatial heterogeneity, and nonlinear interactions between various inner-shelf physical processes. Overall, the highly spatially and temporally resolved oceanographic measurements and numerical simulations of ISDE provide a central framework for studies exploring this complex and fascinating region of the ocean. U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) ONR Departmental Research Initiative (DRI) Inner-Shelf Dynamics Experiment (ISDE)

Cross-shore heat flux (CHF) spatiotemporal variability in the subtidal (ST), diurnal (DU), and semidiurnal (SD) bands is described for 35 days (summer 2015) from collocated vertical measures of temperature and currents obtained by moorings deployed from 50- to 7-m water depths near Pt. Sal, California. The CHF is largest in the ST and SD bands, with nearly zero contribution in the DU band. The sum of CHF and surface heat flux (SHF) account for 31% and 17% of the total change in heat storage on the midshelf and inner shelf, respectively. The ST CHF for the midshelf and inner shelf is mostly negative and is correlated with upwelling-favorable winds. A mostly positive SD CHF on the midshelf and inner shelf decreases linearly in the shoreward direction, is correlated with wind relaxations, and is attributed to warm-water internal tidal bores (WITBs) that are observed to propagate to the edge of the surf zone. A negative SD CHF is correlated with upwelling-favorable winds on the midshelf at 15–25-h time lags, and is believed to be associated with cold-water internal tidal bores. The WITBs have characteristics of progressive waves on the midshelf and transition to partially standing waves on the inner shelf potentially reducing the SD CHF contribution on the inner shelf. Heat accumulation over the midshelf and inner shelf is primarily driven by WITBs and SHF, which is largely balanced by cumulative cooling by ST processes over the midshelf and cumulative cooling by alongshore heat flux (AHF) over the inner shelf.

Estimates of animal abundance are widely used to support conservation and resource management. For populations in open systems, abundance estimates from tagging data can be highly uncertain or biased. Here, we develop a novel approach to estimate abundance of an open population by pairing two models, each utilizing distinct tagging data. Using data from telemetry tags, we infer movement rates to and from the study site with a Markovian model allowing for an environmental effect. Then, using data from conventional passive tags, we apply a Lincoln–Petersen abundance estimator modified to account for mortality and movement. After developing the model within a Bayesian framework, we demonstrate its application to data on gray triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) tagged in the Atlantic Ocean off North Carolina, USA. For this open population, we estimate site abundance to be ∼1000 fish (∼2000 fish·km–2) and additionally find evidence for an effect of hurricanes on movement. The general approach may be useful for fisheries, wildlife, and other ecological studies utilizing multiple tag types, particularly for estimating abundance of an open population.

We present observations of shoaling nonlinear internal bores off the coast of central California. The dataset includes 15 moorings deployed during September–October 2017 and cross-shore shipboard surveys. We describe the cross-shore structure and evolution of large-amplitude internal bores as they transit from 9 km (100-m depth) to 1 km offshore (10 m). We observe that two bores arrive each semidiurnal period, both propagating from the southwest; of the total, 72% are tracked to the 10-m isobath. The bore speeds are subtidally modulated, but there is additional bore-to-bore speed variability that is unexplained by the upstream stratification. We quantify temporal and cross-shore variability of the waveguide (the background conditions through which bores propagate) by calculating the linear longwave nonrotating phase speed co and using the nonlinearity coefficient of the Korteweg–de Vries equation α as a metric for stratification. Bore fronts are generally steeper when α is positive and are more rarefied when α is negative, and we observe the bore’s leading edge to rarefy from a steep front when α is positive offshore and negative inshore. High-frequency α fluctuations, such as those nearshore driven by wind relaxations, contribute to bore-to-bore variability of the cross-shore evolution during similar subtidal waveguide conditions. We compare observed bore speeds with co and the rotating group velocities cg, concluding that observed speeds are always faster than cg and are slower than co at depths greater than 32 m and faster than co at depths of less than 32 m. The bores maintain a steady speed while transiting into shallower water, contrary to linear estimates that predict bores to slow.

Differential kinematic flow properties (DKP), such as vertical vorticity, have been estimated from surface drifters. However, previous DKP error estimates were a posteriori and did not include correlated errors across drifters. To accurately estimate submesoscale (≤1 km) DKPs from drifters, errors must be better understood. Here, the a priori vorticity standard error is derived that depends upon the number of drifters in the cluster, the drifter cluster major and minor axes lengths, the instrument velocity error, and the cross-drifter error correlation. Two stationary GPS experiments, with zero vorticity, were performed at separations of O(101–103) m to understand vorticity error and test the derivation using 1 Hz position differences and Doppler shift velocities. Vorticity errors of ±5f (where f is the local Coriolis parameter)were found for ≈40 m separations. The frequency-dependent velocity variances and GPS-to-GPS correlations are quantified. Vorticity estimated with a “blended” velocity has reduced error. The stationary vorticity error can be well predicted given velocity error, correlation, and minor axis length. Vorticity error analysis is applied to submesoscale-sampling in situ GPS drifters near Point Sal, California. The derivation predicts when large high-frequency vorticity fluctuations (indicating noise) occur. Previously, cluster area or ellipticity were used as criteria to distinguish error. We show that the drifter cluster minor axis (narrowness) is a key time-dependent factor affecting vorticity error, and even for velocity errors −1, the vorticity error exceeds ±5f when cluster minor axis

The article of record as published may be found at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-37527-1 Extreme weather events strongly influence marine, freshwater, and estuarine ecosystems in myriad ways. We quantified movements of a demersal oceanic fish species (gray triggerfish Balistes capriscus; N = 30) before, during, and after two hurricanes in 2017 using fine-scale acoustic telemetry at a 37-m deep study site in North Carolina, USA. During storms, gray triggerfish movement and emigration rates were 100% and 2550% higher, respectively, than on days with no storms. We found that increased movement rates were much more strongly correlated with wave orbital velocity (i.e., wave-generated oscillatory flow at the seabed) than either barometric pressure or bottom water temperature, two covariates that have been demonstrated to be important for organisms in shallower water. Higher movement rates during storms were due to increased mobility at night, and emigrations typically occurred at night in the direction of deeper water. Overall, we found significant storm effects on the movement behavior of a demersal fish species in the open ocean, despite our study occurring in deeper water than previous studies that have examined storm effects on animal movement. We conclude that tropical storms are a driving force behind the structure of marine ecosystems, in part by influencing movements of mobile animals. Funding was provided by the Marine Fisheries Initiative program of the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service. Funding was provided by the Marine Fisheries Initiative program of the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service.

Off the central California coast near Pt. Sal, a large-amplitude internal bore was observed for 20 h over 10 km cross shore, or 100–10-m water depth (D), and 30 km along coast by remote sensing, 39 in situ moorings, ship surveys, and drifters. The bore is associated with steep isotherm displacements representing a significant fraction of D. Observations were used to estimate bore arrival time tB, thickness h, and bore and nonbore (ambient) temperature difference ΔT, leading to reduced gravity g′. Bore speeds c, estimated from mapped tB, varied from 0.25 to 0.1 m s−1 from D = 50 to 10 m. The h varied from 5 to 35 m, generally decreased with D, and varied regionally along isobath. The bore ΔT varied from 0.75° to 2.15°C. Bore evolution was interpreted from the perspective of a two-layer gravity current. Gravity current speeds U, estimated from the local bore h and g′, compared well to observed bore speeds throughout its cross-shore propagation. Linear internal wave speeds based on various stratification estimates result in larger errors. On average bore thickness h = D/2, with regional variation, suggesting energy saturation. From 50- to 10-m depths, observed bore speeds compared well to saturated gravity current speeds and energetics that depend only on water depth and shelf-wide mean g′. This suggests that this internal bore is the internal wave analog to a saturated surfzone surface gravity bore. Along-coast variations in prebore stratification explain variations in bore properties. Near Pt. Sal, bore Doppler shifting by barotropic currents is observed.

Temperature and velocity measurements from 42 moorings were used to investigate the alongshore variability of nonlinear internal bores as they propagated across the central California inner shelf. Moorings were deployed September–October 2017 offshore of the Point Sal headland. Regional coverage was ~30 km alongshore and ~15 km across shore, spanning 9–100-m water depths. In addition to subtidal processes modulating regional stratification, internal bores generated complex spatiotemporal patterns of stratification variability. Internal bores were alongshore continuous on the order of tens of kilometers at the 50-m isobath, but the length scales of frontal continuity decreased to O(1 km) at the 25-m isobath. The depth-averaged, bandpass-filtered (from 3 min to 16 h) internal bore kinetic energy was found to be nonuniform along a bore front, even in the case of an alongshore-continuous bore. The pattern of along-bore variability varied for each bore, but a 2-week average indicated that was generally strongest around Point Sal. The stratification ahead of a bore influenced both the bore’s amplitude and cross-shore evolution. The data suggest that alongshore stratification gradients can cause a bore to evolve differently at various alongshore locations. Three potential bore fates were observed: 1) bores transiting intact to the 9-m isobath, 2) bores being overrun by faster, subsequent bores, leading to bore-merging events, and 3) bores disappearing when the upstream pycnocline was near or below middepth. Maps of hourly stratification at each mooring and the estimated position of sequential bores demonstrated that an individual internal bore can significantly impact the waveguide of the subsequent bore.

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2018JC014109 Video measurements of runup were collected at low tide along several profiles covering an alongshore distance of 500 m. The morphology displayed a complex shape with a shoreline sandwave in the lower beach face of about 250 m long mirrored in the inner sandbar. Wave conditions were stationary and moderate (offshore height of 2 m and peak period of nearly 13 s) but yet dissipative. Runup energy was dominated by infragravity frequencies. Alongshore variations in runup (by a factor up to 3) observed both in the incident and infragravity bands were much higher than reported previously (e.g., Guedes et al., 2012, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2012.08.022; Ruggiero et al., 2004, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003JC002160) while the alongshore variations in other environmental parameters (e.g., foreshore beach slope) appear to be much lower. Our data suggest that the beach morphology in the inner surf zone plays a crucial role by inducing rapid and significant modification in the incident wave pattern and the alongshore coherence length scales were consistent with the typical alongshore length scale of the morphology. French DGA (ECORS project)

Measurements of small-scale [O (mm)] geometric roughness length ( $$ k_{\text{f}} $$ ) associated with surface foam generated by depth-limited breaking waves were obtained within the surf zone on a sandy beach. The parameter $$ k_{\text{f}} $$ is described using the vertical standard deviation of the sea surface elevation for a foamy area as estimated from stereo imagery. A waterproof two-camera system with self-logging and internal power was developed for collecting stereo images using commercial off-the-shelf components and commercial software for operations 1 m above the sea surface within the middle of the surf zone. The surf-zone foam had a mean $$ k_{\text{f}} $$ value of 3.2 mm, ranging from 1.7 to 6.3 mm. Using an empirical land-based relationship results in a mean aerodynamic roughness length for surf-zone foam of 0.82 mm, with a range from 0.4 to 1.6 mm, which provides a reasonable estimate of the surf-zone drag coefficient compared with field measurements.

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2018.05.002 The Deepwater Horizon oil spill damaged some beaches along the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGoMex) coast more than others, possibly related to the presence of natural protection mechanisms. In order to optimize future mitigation efforts to protect the coast, these mechanisms should be understood. The NGoMex coast is characterized by relatively long stretches of sandy beach interrupted by tidal inlets creating ebb-tidal river plumes featuring frontal zones that may act as transport barriers. This research investigates to what extent these plumes are capable of protecting the adjacent coast. This is done by means of a combination of a 3D Eulerian flow model and a Lagrangian particle model to track oil pathways and visualize Lagrangian Coherent Structures located at the plume front. The models are verified with measurements from a field experiment adjacent to Destin Inlet, Florida. The effects of wind, tidal range and river discharge on the oil fate are discussed. It was found that wind is the dominant parameter. Offshore wind prevents oil from beaching. During onshore winds, oil is pushed to shore, but near the inlet the plume is effective in reducing the amount of oil washing ashore during the ebbing tide. In general, the plume redistributes the oil but is not capable of preventing oil from beaching. For strong winds, the influence of the plume is reduced. The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative

© The authors 2017. Larvae of intertidal invertebrates need to cross the surf zone to settle in their adult habitat. Onshore transport of invertebrate larvae and detritus at a steep beach was simulated with a biophysical larval tracking model. Hydrodynamic model calculations were performed for 24 h after a 24 h spin-up stage with bathymetry and averaged wave data obtained during the summer of 2011 at Carmel River State Beach, California, and with and without onshore wind. The physical model output was then transferred to a Lagrangian larval tracking model using several types of particles representing larvae. A southward alongshore current controlled particle distribution in the middle and north of the domain. At the southern shore, negatively buoyant particles were trapped by eddies generated between the alongshore current and shore, while positively buoyant particles were carried onshore by wind-driven surface currents. The concentration of modeled detritus in the surf zone was positively correlated with that of negatively buoyant larvae. Additionally, the concentrations of detritus and competent larvae within the surf zone were negatively correlated with wave height, consistent with the observations of the accompanying field study. Some eddies contributed to forming high particle concentration patches by trapping them in the surf zone. More small eddies were generated closer to the shore with smaller waves, leading to high larval and detrital concentration in the surf zone. As waves increased in size, fewer and larger eddies formed, predominantly outside the surf zone, and consequently fewer larvae and detritus particles entered or stayed in the surf zone.

Benbow, C.A.; MacMahan, J.H., and Thornton, E.B., 2017. Analysis of surface foam holes associated with depth-limited breaking. The behavior of surf zone foam holes, as observed at the surface and associated with depth-limited breaking, was investigated. Aerial imagery of the surf zone was obtained with a small, unmanned quadcopter that supported an integrated, high-resolution camera. The quadcopter is an ideal platform for acquiring images directly above the surf zone, a requirement to obtain the requisite resolution. The images were georectified so that size, shape, orientation, and evolution of the wave-generated foam patterns could be quantified. Three hypotheses are proposed for foam-hole generation: obliquely descending eddies (ODEs), self-organization because of bubble rise, and bottom-generated turbulent boils. The fringe region was the most seaward foam region and was marked with circular foam rings that increased in area and were more distinct with time. The fringe region data were consi...

Surf zone hydrodynamics vary along shorelines potentially affecting the delivery of larvae and zooplankton subsidies to intertidal communities, and, hence, the intensity of postsettlement interactions, growth and reproduction of filter-feeding foundation species and planktivorous fishes. We investigated the ability of zooplankton assemblages to enter the wide surf zone of the rip-channeled, more dissipative beach at Sand City, California, and the narrow surf zone of the steep reflective beach at nearby Carmel River State Beach. Every day for a month, we surveyed zooplankton inside and outside the surf zone and concomitant larval settlement of the dominant invertebrate onshore at each site in this upwelling regime. At the more dissipative surf zone, all zooplankters were far more concentrated inside than outside the surf zone. Many taxa increased in the surf zone and the predominant invertebrate on beaches, Emerita analoga, settled abundantly when prevailing northwesterly winds relaxed and waves were small. At the reflective surf zone, concentrations of zooplankters of most taxa were far greater outside than inside the surf zone, and many taxa increased in the surf zone when waves were small. Twice as many taxa were positively correlated inside and outside the surf zone at the dissipative than the reflective surf zone, indicating that zooplankters were more freely exchanged although behavior also played a role. Thus, spatial and temporal variation in surf zone hydrodynamics may regulate subsidies of zooplankton food and larval recruits to nearshore communities with potential cascading effects on community dynamics and structure.

Numerical models of ocean circulation often depend on parameters that must be tuned to match either results from laboratory experiments or field observations. This study demonstrates that an initial, suboptimal estimate of a parameter in a model of a small bay can be improved by assimilating observations of trajectories of passive drifters. The parameter of interest is the Manning's n coefficient of friction in a small inlet of the bay, which had been tuned to match velocity observations from 2011. In 2013, the geometry of the inlet had changed, and the friction parameter was no longer optimal. Results from synthetic experiments demonstrate that assimilation of drifter trajectories improves the estimate of n, both when the drifters are located in the same region as the parameter of interest and when the drifters are located in a different region of the bay. Real drifter trajectories from field experiments in 2013 also are assimilated, and results are compared with velocity observations. When the real drifters are located away from the region of interest, the results depend on the time interval (with respect to the full available trajectories) over which assimilation is performed. When the drifters are in the same region as the parameter of interest, the value of n estimated with assimilation yields improved estimates of velocity throughout the bay. This work was supported by: Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) [grant N000141110087], administered by the Office of Naval Research; the National Science Foundation (NSF); the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); NOAA's Climate Program Office; the Department of Energy's Office for Science (BER); and the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Research & Development).

Motivated by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Surfzone and Coastal Oil Pathways Experiment obtained Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) Eulerian and GPS-drifter based Lagrangian “surface” (

In recent years, the application of large-scale beach nourishments has been discussed, with the Sand Motor in the Netherlands as the first real-world example. Such protruding beach nourishments have an impact on tidal currents, potentially leading to tidal flow separation and the generation of tidal eddies of length scales larger than the nourishment itself. The present study examines the characteristics of the tidal flow field around protruding beach nourishments under varying nourishment geometry and tidal conditions, based on extensive field observations and numerical flow simulations. Observations of the flow field around the Sand Motor, obtained with a ship-mounted current profiler and a set of fixed current profilers, show that a tidal eddy develops along the northern edge of the mega-nourishment every flood period. The eddy is generated around peak tidal flow and gradually gains size and strength, growing much larger than the cross-shore dimension of the coastline perturbation. Based on a 3 week measurement period, it is shown that the intensity of the eddy modulates with the spring-neap tidal cycle. Depth-averaged tidal currents around coastline perturbations are simulated and compared to the field observations. The occurrence and behavior of tidal eddies is derived for a large set of simulations with varying nourishment size and shape. Results show that several different types of behavior exist, characterized by different combinations of the nourishment aspect ratio, the size of the nourishment relative to the tidal excursion length, and the influence of bed friction.

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2019.03.009 Surfzone mixing and transport on a sandy, steep (∼1/8 slope), reflective beach at Carmel River State Beach, California, are described for a range of wave and alongshore flow conditions. Depth-limited wave breaking occurred close to the shore due to the steepness of the beach, creating a narrow surf/swash zone (∼10 m wide). Fluorescent Rhodamine dye was released as a slug in the surfzone, and the temporal and spatial evolution was measured using in-situ dye sensors. Dye concentration measured as a function of time reveals sharp fronts that quickly decay resulting in narrow peaks near the dye release, which subsequently broaden and decrease in peak concentration with alongshore distance. The measurements indicate two stages of mixing and transport occur inside the surfzone on the steep beach. 1) In the near-field (50 m downstream from the dye release location), the mass transport was dominated by advection. The distance to the far-field is much shorter in the alongshore on a steep beach compared with a dissipative beach. Estimates of cross-shore and alongshore diffusion coefficients (κₓ, κᵧ) were found to be similar in magnitude within the surfzone. Outside the surfzone in the far-field, the results suggest that the mixing processes are independent of those inside the surfzone. The mixing and transport of material observed on this steep beach are found to be analogous to that previously measured on dissipative beaches, however the diffusion coefficients within and outside the surfzone were found to be smaller on this steep beach. National Science Foundation (OCE0926750) Department of Defense through the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Naval Research (ONR DURIP #N0001409WR20268)

Remotely-forced downwelling events are found to generate oceanic subtidal elevations along the Pacific Northwest that are transmitted upstream in a large, river-tide, convergent Columbia River estuary (CRE). The oceanic subtidal generation mechanism was evaluated using NOAA tidal and USGS river gage station data along the northern California, Oregon, and Washington estuaries and throughout the Columbia River and the NOAA Coastal Upwelling Index. Oceanic downwelling-induced subtidal motions propagate upstream with a slight decrease in amplitude. River discharge pulses also generate subtidal motions that propagate downstream with decreasing amplitude. The relative oceanic subtidal motions represent 90% of the total subtidal contribution near the entrance that decrease to 40% at 169 km upstream.

A unique spatiotemporal perspective of evolving surface currents off the northern California coast is provided with Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs) determined from attracting Finite-Time Lyapunov Exponents (FTLEs). The FTLEs are calculated from hourly 2-D surface current velocities obtained with HF radars. Attracting FTLE field maxima can identify confluence and shear in flows which can be useful in mapping dynamics associated with fronts. FTLE and SST fields are compared during three time periods in 2009: late March, early September, and late September. During strong upwelling-favorable winds in late March the FTLE and SST fields were not strongly related indicating that frontal dynamics were not strongly influencing surface circulation. Exceptions to this occurred when FTLE ridges calculated from a shorter integration period captured the evolution of a cold water filament and when a FTLE ridge migrated offshore along with an upwelling front. During the two September cases an improved relationship between the FTLE and SST fields was found although occasionally they became shifted. The shifts occurred when the FTLE integration period spanned backwards in time through periods of relaxed and upwelling-favorable winds. This suggests that frontal dynamics captured by LCSs during relaxed winds can subsequently become advected after the onset of wind-forcing by a surface mixed layer decoupled from stably stratified water below the surface mixed layer. Additionally, the LCSs were found to be useful in mapping the origin and destination of surface trajectories, the confluence associated with a persistent eddy-like feature, and retention zones off coastal promontories.

Most harmful algal blooms (HAB) originate away from the shore and, for them to endanger human health, they must be first transported to shore after which they must enter the surf zone where they can be feed upon by filter feeders. The last step in this sequence, entrance into the surf zone, depends on surf zone hydrodynamics. During two 30-day periods, we sampled Pseudo-nitzschia and particulate domoic acid (pDA) in and offshore of a more dissipative surf zone at Sand City, California (2010) and sampled Pseudo-nitzschia in and out of reflective surf zones at a beach and rocky shores at Carmel River State Beach, California (2011). At Sand City, we measured domoic acid in sand crabs, Emerita analoga. In the more dissipative surf zone, concentrations of Pseudo-nitzschia and pDA were an order of magnitude higher in samples from a rip current than in samples collected just seaward of the surf zone and were 1000 times more abundant than in samples from the shoals separating rip currents. Domoic acid was present in all the Emerita samples and varied directly with the concentration of pDA and Pseudo-nitzschia in the rip current. In the more reflective surf zones, Pseudo-nitzschia concentrations were 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than in samples from 125 and 20m from shore. Surf zone hydrodynamics affects the ingress of Pseudo-nitzschia into surf zones and the exposure of intertidal organisms to HABs on the inner shelf.

Numerical simulations of an idealized lagoon that is connected to the ocean via a tidal inlet show that the mean residence time is inversely proportional to tidal exchange. In the Delft3D model the tidal exchange is controlled by varying the inlet length, width and depth. These changes in the inlet geometry affect the tidal prism and the ebb/flood flow structure, which are shown to control the exchange of lagoon water with seawater. To map residence time within the lagoon, a new method that implements dye tracer is developed and shows that the tidally averaged residence time exhibits significant spatial variability. For inlet systems in which, as a first approximation, the lagoon can be described by a uniformly fluctuating water level, a simple transport model is developed to elucidate the specific processes that control tidal exchange and their effect on residence time. In this transport model tidal exchange is decomposed into two fractions, an ocean exchange fraction and a lagoon exchange fraction. It is shown that both fractions need to be included to better describe tidal exchange. Specifically, inclusion of a lagoon exchange fraction improves previous tidal prism models that assume complete mixing in the lagoon. The assumption of complete mixing results in an under-prediction of residence time. Relating the spatially averaged residence time results to the exchange fractions for each inlet geometry show that the residence time is inversely proportional to the product of the tidal exchange fractions. For these single inlet systems, Keulegan's 0-D hydrodynamic model shows good agreement with Delft3D in predicting the tidal prism, maximum flow velocity, and exchange fractions. With these parameters, estimates of the mean residence time can be reached through a relationship derived from the simple transport model.

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/osd-12-2361-2015 Discussion Paper Seiches are often considered a transitory phenomenon wherein large amplitude water level oscillations are excited by a geophysical event, eventually dissipating some time after the event. However, continuous small-amplitude seiches have recently been recognized presenting a question as to the origin of continuous forcing. We examine 6 bays around the Pacific where continuous seiches are evident, and based on spectral, modal and kinematic analysis suggest that tidally-forced shelf-resonances are a primary driver of continuous seiches.

River plumes often feature turbulent processes in the frontal zone and interfacial region at base of the plume, which ultimately impact spreading and mixing rates with the ambient coastal ocean. The degree to which these processes govern overall plume mixing is yet to be quantified with microstructure observations. A field campaign was conducted in a river plume in the northeast Gulf of Mexico in December 2013, in order to assess mixing processes that could potentially impact transport and dispersion of surface material near coastal regions. Current velocity, density, and Turbulent Kinetic Energy Values, e, were obtained using an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), a Conductivity Temperature Depth (CTD) profiler, a Vertical Microstructure Profiler (VMP), and two Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters (ADVs). The frontal region contained e values on the order of 10−5 m2 s−3, which were markedly larger than in the ambient water beneath (O 10−9 m2 s−3). An energetic wake of moderate e values (O 10−6 m2 s−3) was observed trailing the frontal edge. The interfacial region of an interior section of the plume featured opposing horizontal velocities and a e value on the order of 10−6 m2 s−3. A simplified mixing budget was used under significant assumptions to compare contributions from wind, tides, and frontal regions of the plume. The results from this order of magnitude analysis indicated that frontal processes (59%) dominated in overall mixing. This emphasizes the importance of adequate parameterization of river plume frontal processes in coastal predictive models.

The nearshore response to synoptic meteorological patterns called Cold Air Outbreaks (CAOs) was studied with a cross-shelf mooring array located 7 km west of an estuarine outflow in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. The array consisted of 6 stations that spanned the nearshore measuring waves, currents, temperature, and salinity for a two-week period in December 2013. CAOs are prevalent during winter and are characterized by the passage of atmospheric cold fronts with offshore winds known to cool coastal waters. The prefrontal phases of CAOs coincided with downwelling favorable winds and westward flow that introduced a river plume into the nearshore. Offshore winds during the high pressure phase formed a two-layer circulation with offshore flow in the surface layer and onshore flow beneath, which was moderated by a river plume. The downwind advection of the river plume tended to enhance surface transport until the plume was flushed out of the nearshore, which formed adverse density gradients that reduced surface transport through vertical mixing. When the plume was not fully flushed out of the inner shelf, surface transport remained enhanced during the high pressure phase due to stratification that limited the formation of adverse density gradients. When the plume was initially shore detached at the onset of the high pressure phase, offshore flow was not enhanced by the downwind advection of the plume due to the existence of initial adverse density gradients. These results highlight the effects of nearshore river plumes in regulating inner shelf circulation during cold fronts.

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00183 We investigated whether cross-shore distributions of coastal phytoplankton to the surf zone are controlled by hydrodynamics and their biological characteristics. Data from a rip-channeled beach indicate that concentrations of phytoplankton are higher in the surf zone than offshore. To examine how phytoplankton is transported toward the shore, we used a coupled biophysical model, comprised of a 3D physical model of coastal dynamics and an individual-based model (IBM) for tracking phytoplankton on the rip-channeled beach. Waves and wind in the biophysical model were parameterized by the conditions during the sampling period. Previous studies indicated that growth rates of phytoplankton can be enhanced by high turbulence, which might contribute to high phytoplankton concentration in the surf zone. Some numerical and laboratory works showed that turbulence can also increase the downward velocity of phytoplankton, which could be carried by onshore bottom currents and remain in the surf zone. Furthermore, we adapted the IBM with the theoretical model of diurnal vertical migration (DVM) for phytoplankton. The theoretical DVM works as follows: in the morning, phytoplankton cells adhere to air bubbles and stay at the surface and close to the shore in the daytime because onshore wind and surface current direction is usually onshore; in the late afternoon, the cells switch their attachment from air bubbles to sand grains and sink to the bottom where the water flow is normally onshore at night. Finally, depth-varying growth of phytoplankton was also incorporated into the DVM module. Simulations using neutral passive particles do not give the expected results of observed patterns. All tested mechanisms, i.e., wind- and wave-driven currents, rip-current circulation, turbulence-driven growth and sinking, DVM, and depth-varying growth, enhanced onshore phytoplankton migration and cell concentrations in the surf zone, indicating that both biological traits and physical factors can be essential to phytoplankton cross-shore transport and spatial variability. Our model is open to be modified and re-parameterized, followed by further analysis and validation, so that it can be more adequate for ecological assessment of coastal areas. National Science Foundation (OCE-092735) 1457769 National Science Foundation (1457769) Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium

We have performed large-eddy simulations (LES) to study the effect of complex land topography on the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) in coastal areas. The areas under investigation are located at three beaches in Monterey Bay, CA, USA. The sharp-interface immersed boundary method is employed to resolve the land topography down to grid scale. We have considered real-time and what-if cases. In the real-time cases, measurement data and realistic land topographies are directly incorporated. In the what-if cases, the effects of different scenarios of wind speed, wind direction, and terrain pattern on the momentum flux at the beach are studied. The LES results are compared with simulations using the Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) and field measurement data. We find that the land topography imposes a critical influence on the ABL in the coastal area. The momentum fluxes obtained from our LES agree with measurement data. Our results indicate the importance of capturing the effects of land topographies in simulations.

Manuscript received 6 March 2017, in final form 31 July 2017 The article of record as published may be located at http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/full/10.1175/JPO-D-17-0045.1 Moored observations of temperature and current were collected on the inner continental shelf off Point Sal, California, between 9 June and 8 August 2015. The measurements consist of 10 moorings in total: 4 moorings each on the 50- and 30-m isobaths covering a 10-km along-shelf distance and an across-shelf section of moorings on the 50-, 40-, 30-, and 20-m isobaths covering a 5-km distance. Energetic, highly variable, and strongly dissipating transient wave events termed internal tide bores and internal solitary waves (ISWs) dominate the records. Simple models of the bore and ISW space–time behavior are implemented as a temperature match filter to detect events and estimate wave packet parameters as a function of time and mooring position. Wave-derived quantities include 1) group speed and direction; 2) time of arrival, time duration, vertical displacement amplitude, and waves per day; and 3) energy density, energy flux, and propagation loss. In total, over 1000 bore events and over 9000 ISW events were detected providing well-sampled statistical distributions. Statistics of the waves are rather insensitive to position along shelf but change markedly in the across-shelf direction. Two compelling results are 1) that the probability density functions for bore and ISW energy flux are nearly exponential, suggesting the importance of interference and 2) that wave propagation loss is proportional to energy flux, thus giving an exponential decay of energy flux toward shore with an e-folding scale of 2–2.4 km and average dissipation rates for bores and ISWs of 144 and ¯ ¹, respectively. Office of Naval Research National Science Foundation N0001417WX01136 N00014-17-1-2890 OCE-1521653 N0017317WR00125

Surfzone sensible heat flux (HS,SZ) obtained through direct eddy-covariance estimates was measured at four different sandy beach sites along Monterey Bay, California. The HS,SZ source region is estimated from a footprint probability distribution function (pdf) model and is only considered when at least 70% of the footprint pdf occupies the surfzone. The measured HS,SZ is 2 times the modeled interfacial sensible heat (HS,int) using COARE3.5. A formulation for estimating sensible heat flux from spray droplets (HS,spray) generated during depth-limited wave breaking is developed. The sea-spray generation function for droplet radii ranging over 0.1 < ro < 1000 μm is based on self-similar spectra of spray droplets measured from the surfzone forced by the average depth-limited breaking wave dissipation across the surfzone. However, it is shown that the size of the spume droplets that contribute to HS,spray is limited owing to the relatively short residence time in air as the droplets fall to the sea surface during wave breaking. The addition of the surfzone-modeled HS,spray to the COARE3.5 HS,int gives values similar to the observed surfzone HS,SZ, highlighting the importance of depth-limited wave-breaking processes to sensible heat flux. Measured HS,SZ values are an order of magnitude larger than simultaneous open ocean observations.

The article of record as published may be found at https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-010816-060514 Plankton are transported onshore, providing subsidies of food and new recruits to surf-zone and intertidal communities. The transport of plankton to the surf zone is influenced by wind, wave, and tidal forcing, and whether they enter the surf zone depends on alongshore variation in surf-zone hydrodynamics caused by the interaction of breaking waves with coastal morphology. Areas with gently sloping shores and wide surf zones typically have orders-of-magnitude-higher concentrations of plankton in the surf zone and dense larval settlement in intertidal communities because of the presence of bathymetric rip currents, which are absent in areas with steep shores and narrow surf zones. These striking differences in subsidies have profound consequences; areas with greater subsidies support more productive surf-zone communities and possibly more productive rocky intertidal communities. Recognition of the importance of spatial subsidies for rocky community dynamics has recently advanced ecological theory, and incorporating surf-zone hydrodynamics would be an especially fruitful line of investigation. National Science Foundation (GeoSciences Directorate) Office of Naval Research

Cross-shore exchange between the surf zone and the inner shelf is investigated using Lagrangian and Eulerian field measurements of rip current flows on a rip-channeled beach in Sand City, California. Surface drifters released on the inner shelf during weak wind conditions moved seaward due to rip current pulses and then returned shoreward in an arcing pattern, reentering the surf zone over shoals. The cross-shore velocities of the seaward- and shoreward-moving drifters were approximately equal in magnitude and decreased as a function of distance offshore. The drifters carried seaward by the rip current had maximum cross-shore velocities as they exited the surf zone and then decelerated as they moved offshore. The drifters moving shoreward accelerated as they approached the surfzone boundary with maximum cross-shore velocities as they reentered the surf zone over shoals. It was found that Stokes drift was not solely responsible for the onshore transport across the surfzone boundary. The cross-shore diffusivity on the inner shelf was greatest during observations of locally contained cross-shore exchange. These field observations provide evidence that the cross-shore exchange between the surf zone and inner shelf on a rip-channeled beach is due to wave-driven rip current circulations and results in surface material being contained within the nearshore region.

This study investigates the potential of rotary wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor the surfzone. This paper shows that these UAVs are extremely flexible surveying platforms that can gather near-continuous moderate spatial resolution and high temporal resolution imagery from a fixed position high above a study site. The rotary wing UAVs used in this study can fly for ~12 min with a mean loiter radius of 1–3.5 m and a mean loiter error of 0.75–4.5 m. These numbers depend on the environmental conditions, flying style, battery type, and vehicle type. The images obtained from the UAVs, and in combination with surveyed ground control points (GCPs), can be georectified to a pixel resolution between 0.01 and 1 m, and a reprojection error—that is, the difference between the surveyed GPS location of a GCP and the location of the GCP obtained from the georectified image—of O(1 m). The flexibility of rotary wing UAVs provides moderate spatial resolution and high temporal resolution imagery, which are highly suitable to quickly obtain surfzone and beach characteristics in response to storms or for day-to-day beach safety information, as well as scientific pursuits of surfzone kinematics on different spatial and temporal scales, and dispersion and advection estimates of pollutants.

A tidal-cycle study at Destin Inlet, Northwest Florida, investigated intratidal and residual flow structures for the first time across the inlet. Underway current velocity profiles were combined with hydrographic station profiles at neap tides to document the appearance of tidal fronts, the distribution of tidal currents across two cross-sections, and the residual, or non-tidal, flow structure at the same cross-sections. Intratidal variations of water density and velocity showed the presence of fronts both in 1) late ebb-early flood and 2) late flood-early ebb tidal stages. Late ebb-early flood tidal intrusion fronts brought about depth-independent changes in water density >10 kg/m 3 in

Short-term observations of sea surface elevations η along the 10-m isobath and long-term observations inside and outside of a large bay (Monterey Bay, CA) were obtained to describe the nodal structure of the modes 0–3 seiches within the bay and the low-frequency (η white noise within seiche frequency bands (24–69 cpd) provides a continuous resonant forcing of the bay seiche with a η2 (variance) amplification of 16–40 for the different modes. The temporal variation of the oceanic η white noise is significantly correlated (R2 = 0.86) at the 95% confidence interval with the bay seiche η that varies seasonally. The oceanic η white noise is hypothesized as being from low-frequency, free, infragravity waves that are forced by short waves.

The article of record as published may be found at http://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1265 Larvae in the coastal ocean are transported toward shore by a variety of mechanisms. Crossing the surf zone is the last step in a shoreward migration and surf zones may act as semipermeable barriers altering delivery of larvae to the shore. We related variation in the structure of intertidal barnacle populations to surf zone width (surf zone hydrodynamics proxy), wave height, alongshore wind stress (upwelling proxy), solar radiation, and latitude at 40 rocky intertidal sites from San Diego, California to the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. We measured daily settlement and weekly recruitment of barnacles at selected sites and related these measures to surf zone width. Chthamalus density varied inversely with that of Balanus, and the density of Balanus and new recruits was negatively related to solar radiation. Across the region, long-term mean wave height and an indicator of upwelling intensity and frequency did not explain variation in Balanus or new recruit densities. Balanus and new recruit densities, daily settlement, and weekly recruitment were up to three orders of magnitude higher at sites with wide (>50 m), more dissipative surf zones with bathymetric rip currents than at sites with narrow (

Drag coefficients Cd obtained through direct eddy covariance estimates of the wind stress were observed at four different sandy beaches with dissipative surfzones along the coastline of Monterey Bay, California. The measured surfzone Cd (~2 × 10−3) is twice as large as open-ocean estimates and consistent with recent estimates of Cd over the surfzone and shoaling region. Owing to the heterogeneous nature of the near shore consisting of nonbreaking shoaling waves and breaking surfzone waves, the surfzone wind stress source region is estimated from the footprint probability distribution derived for stable and unstable atmospheric conditions. An empirical model developed for estimating the Cd for open-ocean foam coverage dependent on wind speed is modified for foam coverage owing to depth-limited wave breaking within the surfzone. A modified empirical Cd model for surfzone foam predicts similar values as the measured Cd and provides an alternative mechanism to describe roughness.

The article of record as published may be located at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12237-017-0278-2 Surf zones, regions of breaking waves, are at the interface between the shore and coastal ocean. Surf zone hydrodynamics may affect delivery of phytoplankton subsidies to the intertidal zone. Over a month of daily sampling at an intermediate surf zone with bathymetric rip currents and a reflective surf zone, we measured surf zone hydrodynamics and compared concentrations of coastal phytoplankton taxa in the surf zones to concentrations offshore. At the intermediate surf zone, ~80% of the variability in the concentration of coastal phytoplankton taxa within the surf zone was explained by their variation offshore; however, concentrations were much higher and lower than those offshore in samples from a bathymetric rip current and over the adjacent shoal, respectively. Hydrodynamics at this intermediate surf zone did not hinder the delivery of coastal phytoplankton to the surf zone, but the bathymetric rip current system appeared to redistribute phytoplankton concentrating them within eddies. At the reflective shore, we sampled surf zones at a beach and two adjacent rocky intertidal sites. Concentrations of typical coastal phytoplankton taxa were usually an order of magnitude or more lower than those offshore, even when offshore samples were collected just 20 m beyond the breakers. The phytoplankton assemblages inside and outside the surf zone often appeared to be disconnected. Surf zone hydrodynamics at the steep, reflective shore coupled with low phytoplankton concentrations in near-surface water appeared to limit delivery of phytoplankton subsidies to the surf zone. Surf zone hydrodynamics may be a key factor in the alongshore variation in phytoplankton subsidies to coastal communities. NSF-OCE no. 092735

Bradstreet, A.J.; Brander, R.W.; McCarroll, J.R.; Brighton, B.; Dominey, H.D.; Drozdzewski, D.; Sherker, S.; Turner, I.; Roberts, A., and MacMahan, J., 2014. Rip current survival principles: Towards consistency. Advances in applied rip current research over the past 10 years have dramatically increased our collective understanding of the hazard posed to communities by rip currents. Repeated drifter, dye, swimmer, in situ instrumentation, and model experimentation has demonstrated the highly variable nature of rip currents, which has significant implications for long standing survival strategies. Analysis of prevalent rip current survival advice revealed that under variable rip current conditions, the advice may not prove effective in-situ, resulting in individual adopting alternative behaviours, which may or may not have been endorsed or promoted by safety authorities. This paper discusses evidence supporting key principles prominent in the discourse between public safety practitioners and rip cu...

Simulations from a numerical model address the impact of nearshore morphology on surf zone retention on, open coast, rip-channelled beaches exposed to shore-normal waves. In the model, rip channels are regularly spaced alongshore with a given spacing λ. For a given reference case bathymetry (λ= 200 m), rip current circulations retain floating material at a hourly rate R of about 80 % which is in line with most existing field and laboratory studies in similar settings. The influence of a surf zone rip-channel morphology on surf zone retention is evaluated by a number of morphologic parameters. Results show that rip spacing is important. The ratio of the surf zone width X s to rip spacing λ controls surf zone retention with R rapidly increasing with increasing X s /λ up to a threshold of about 1 above which R levels off to become asymptotic to 100 %. The impact of the presence of a rip head bar is profound but nonlinear. The onset of wave breaking across the rip head bar drives a weak seaward located circulation providing major pathways for surface water exiting the surf zone compartment. Additional simulations suggest that alongshore variations in the offshore bathymetry are important. Patterns in the wave field enforced by wave refraction and potentially wave breaking across offshore bathymetric anomalies can provide a conduit for transporting floating material out of the surf zone and into the inner shelf region. This has major implications for surf zone flushing by inner-bar rips on multiple-barred beaches and on beaches facing bathymetric anomalies on the inner shelf.

Competent larvae of intertidal invertebrates have to migrate toward shore for settlement; however, their migration through the surf zone is not understood. We investigated larval transport mechanisms at a ripchanneled beach. Because tracking larvae in the surf zone is infeasible, we used a three-dimensional biophysical model to simulate the processes. The coupled model consists of a physical module for currents and waves, and a biological module for adding larval traits and behaviors as well as Stokes drift to Lagrangian particles. Model calculations were performed with and without onshore wind forcing. Without wind, wave-driven onshore streaming occurs in the bottom boundary layer outside the surf zone. With onshore wind, onshore currents occur near the surface. In the surf zone, offshore-directed rip currents and compensating onshore-directed currents over shoals are formed in both no-wind and wind cases. In the biological module, neutral, negative, and positive buoyant particles were released offshore. Additionally, particles either sank in the presence of turbulence or not. Two scenarios achieved successful onshore migration: Negatively buoyant larvae without wind forcing sink in the turbulent bottom boundary layer and are carried onshore by streaming; positively buoyant larvae drift toward shore in wind-driven surface currents to the surf zone, then sink in the turbulent surf zone and remain near the bottom while transported shoreward. In both cases, the larval concentration is highest in the rip channel, consistent with field data. This successful result is only obtained if turbulence-dependent sinking behavior and Stokes drift are included in the transport of larvae.

2014 International Oil Spill Conference CARTHE (http://carthe.org/) is a Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) consortium established through a competitive peer-reviewed selection process. CARTHE comprises 26 principal investigators from 14 universities and research institutions distributed across four Gulf of Mexico states and other four states. It fuses into one group investigators with unique scientific and technical knowledge and extensive publications related to oil fate/transport processes, oceanic and atmospheric turbulence, air-sea interactions, tropical cyclones and winter storms, and coastal and nearshore modeling and observations. Our primary goal is to accurately predict the fate of hydrocarbons released into the environment. Achieving this goal is particularly challenging since petroleum releases into the environment interact with natural processes across six orders of magnitude of time and space scales. We are developing a multi-scale modeling tool by incorporating state-of-the-art hydrophysical models, each applicable for a restricted range of scales, into a single, interconnected modeling system to predict the physical dispersal of hydrocarbons across scales ranging from the microscale at the wellhead to oceanic and atmospheric mesoscales. CARTHE is also conducting novel in-situ observations and laboratory experiments specifically designed for quantifying submesoscale dispersion as well as for both model validation and parameterization. Finally, we are providing a robust set of uncertainty metrics and analysis tools to assess model performance and quantify predictive uncertainty. This research was made possible by a grant from BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative. This research was made possible by a grant from BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative.