CMOP Seminar 2/13: Tim Cowles

Paul Clayton Building—Room 401

Persistent Finescale Planktonic Structure: Resolving the balance between vertical and horizontal biological and physical processes

Tim Cowles, Oregon State University

ABSTRACT: The biologically-active region of the upper ocean often displays steep vertical gradients in physical, biological, and chemical properties. These gradients often coincide with local maxima in phytoplankton and/or zooplankton concentration, resulting in horizontally coherent thin layers of material (often less than 1m thick) that may extend tens of kilometers over the continental shelf. Cruises over the Oregon shelf during the past decade have documented many examples of such phenomena, and we are beginning to understand the interplay between the physical and biological processes that form and maintain these ecologically important features. This presentation will review the instrumentation and methodologies required to characterize such features, and will present data that shows the necessity of resolving horizontal velocities on 1-2m vertical scales if we are to effectively estimate biological rates in the upper ocean.

View Dr. Cowles' CV (PDF, 244 KB)
View Dr. Cowles' schedule for 13 Feb 2008 (DOC, 24 KB)

The seminar will take place in the usual location for CMOP Seminars:

Paul Clayton Building—Room 401
OGI School of Science & Engineering
Oregon Health & Science University (West Campus)
20000 NW Walker Road
Beaverton, OR 97006

The seminar may be also available by two-way videoconference and by webcast (non-interactive). Contact Jim Nurmi for more information.

To meet with Dr. Cowles during his visit, contact Lydie Herfort.

View/Download Print-Friendly Seminar Announcement (PDF, 604KB)

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