A systematic study of highly branched isoprenoids (HBI) was carried out in
suspended particulate material (SPM) and Washington coastal sediments to determine
their origin and fate. SPM collected at 10 m depth was filtered through Nitex
membranes. C₂₅ HBI were found only in the 1.2-40 μm range over the shelf....
The objective of this research was to improve our understanding of how
changes in the environment affect ecological processes. Change detection is often
confounded by the large variation found in ecological data due to the difficulty of
finding replicates in nature. Intertidal communities were chosen for studies of biophysical
interactions...
The time-averaged velocity field in the North Pacific was estimated in two
sets of inverse calculations. The planetary geostrophic equations were the basis for
dynamical models of the flow in each case. The inverse estimates of the circulation
were obtained by minimizing a positive-definite cost function, which measured the
inconsistency...
Physical-biological interactions in the Southern Ocean were investigated using remote sensing data from several different satellite sensors. Satellite sea surface temperature data were used to study the dynamics of the Antarctic Polar Front (PF). Satellite ocean color data were used to estimate surface chlorophyll concentrations and their relation to various...
Swash zone processes are of significant importance to foreshore morphologic change. This thesis addresses the importance of the uprush and backwash fluid motions and flow duration effects to the resulting sediment transport. The analysis relates the field observations to well known sediment transport formulations as well as investigates the importance...
MOCNESS plankton tows, sediment traps and sedimentary material are used to determine
the linkage between bio-physical forcing and foraminiferal response over a range of time
scales from the event scale to the glacial interglacial cycle. The annually averaged planktic
foraminiferal fauna of the modem California Current is a diverse community...
Global increases in ultraviolet-B radiation (UVBR:290-
320 nm) resulting from decreases in stratospheric ozone
concentration have the potential to alter marine primary
production and affect global climate and marine trophic
dynamics. Effects of UVBR on phytoplankton carbon fixation
were determined from open ocean exposure studies conducted
off the coast of...
Calanoid copepod diet was investigated in Oregon coastal waters to determine
the trophic significance of phagotrophic protists as copepod prey within an ecosystem
where the microplankton biomass is typically dominated by large diatoms. Prior to and
during the 1991 upwelling season, clearance rates on phytoplankton and phagotrophic
ciliates were measured...
Volcanic rocks from hotspots and island arcs/backarcs typically have enriched trace
element and isotopic compositions that contain a contribution from subducted oceanic crust.
Isotopic and trace element data suggest that the enriched components in hotspot volcanism
are ancient subducted sediment and crust, and the enriched components in arc/backarc
volcanism are...
Northeast Pacific Ocean sediments were analyzed to determine the past
relationship between northeast Pacific sea surface conditions and the climate on the
adjacent continent, the Pacific Northwest of North America. Studies of modern
ocean-atmosphere interactions demonstrate the significant effect sea surface conditions
and atmospheric circulation in the Northeast Pacific Ocean...
