GEOLOGIC DIVISION CONTINUING PROJECT WORK PLAN - FY 2000

Project Title: Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms in the Gulf of Maine (ECOHAB-GOM)

Project Type: SIR AND REIM Project Status: AO/TCS REVIEW
Project Number: 7241-03
Project start date: 10/01/1998 Project end date: 10/01/2002

Project chief: Signell, Richard P
Email address: rsignell
Org. Name: GEO-ERG-MCS
Phone: (508)457-2229 Fax: (508)457-2310
Mail address: 384 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA 025431598

Programs from which Fiscal Support is Solicited:
Coastal and Marine Geology Program

Prospectus Goals/Objective, elements, activities, sub-activities:

6.1.1 Regional Coastal and Offshore Pollution Studies
Percentage: 100

BACKGROUND NARRATIVES

Type: PROPOSED
Project Summary:
Harmful algal blooms, commonly called "red tides" or HABs, are a serious economic and public health problem throughout the world. In the U.S., the most serious HAB problem is paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), a potentially fatal neurological disorder caused by human ingestion of shellfish that accumulate toxins as they feed on dinoflagellates of the genus Alexandrium. These organisms cause human illness and death due to PSP, repeated shellfish harvest quarantines, and the mortality of fish and marine mammals. This phenomenon, which affects thousands of miles of U.S. coastline and numerous fisheries resources, has expanded dramatically in the last two decades, especially in the Gulf of Maine. The ECOHAB-GOM program is a multi-agency, multi-institutional collaborative research project funded primarily by NOAA and EPA with the purpose of understanding the ecology and oceanography associated with toxic "red tide" blooms in the Gulf of Maine. The USGS component of the ECOHAB-GOM project focuses on resuspension of Alexandrium cysts from the marine sediments and subsequent transport of the organisms in the coastal waters.

This project is receiving $33K from the ECOHAB program office ($23K after assessments). Of the total $44K OE requested by this project, $21K is requested from the Coastal and Marine Program.

Project Objectives and Strategy:
ECOHAB-GOM addresses several fundamental issues regarding Alexandrium blooms in the Gulf of Maine: 1) the source of the Alexandrium cells that appear in the fresh water plumes in the western Maine coastal current (WMCC); 2) Alexandrium cell distribution and dynamics in the eastern Maine coastal current (EMCC); and 3) linkages among blooms in the WMCC, the EMCC and on Georges Bank. Utilizing a combination of numerical modeling, hydrographic, chemical, and biological measurements, moored and drifting current measurements, and satellite imagery, we are working to characterize the structure, variability and ecology of the major Alexandrium habitats in the Gulf of Maine.

Like Pfiesteria, the benthic encysted stage plays an important role in the life cycle of the organism, and thus issues of cyst resuspension by waves and currents are key to understanding the sources of the Alexandrium blooms. Once introduced into the water column, the vegetative cells are transported by currents and their growth is controlled by a variety of factors, including nutrient, temperature and light levels. The USGS is making measurements of salinity, temperature, suspended sediment at key locations, and using this information (along with supporting field work from the rest of the ECOHAB program) to constrain and verify numerical models of resuspension and transport. The USGS (Signell) is also responsible for developing the physical component of a coupled biological-physical model of Alexandrium, and is cooperatively conducting numerical simulations with Dr. Dennis McGillicuddy of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution that are designed to determine the key components of the bloom dynamics.

Potential Impacts and Major Products:
Results from this study will increase our understanding of fundamental harmful algal bloom issues such as cyst resuspension, nutrient requirements, the role of physical vs. biological processes. In conjunction with a three-dimensional coupled biological-physical model, these findings will allow coastal managers to better determine anthropogenic impacts on bloom frequency and extent. It will also allow regulators and aquaculture farmers to make more informed decisions on siting of new shellfish and finfish farms. Products from this study will include papers for outside publication and a comprehensive site on the Web containing interactive browsing of model results, animation of key dynamical processes, etc. The model itself is a product that may be used to explore the impacts of future environmental decisions regarding fin & shellfish resources and nutrient loading in the Gulf of Maine.
 

Collaborators:
Massachusetts, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Contact: Don Anderson
Massachusetts, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Contact: Dr. James Churchill
Canada, Dalhousie University
Contact: Dr. John J. Cullen
Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Region
Contact: Dr. Gregory Doucette
Massachusetts, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Contact: Dr. Wayne (Rocky) Geyer
Massachusetts, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Contact: Mr. Bruce Keafer
Maine, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences P. O. Box 475 - McKown Point W. Boothbay Harbor, ME
Contact: Dr. Maureen Keller
New Hampshire, University of New Hampshire, Durham
Contact: Dr. Ted Loder
New Hampshire, Dartmouth University
Contact: Dr. Dan Lynch
Canada, Biological Station Department of Fisheries and Oceans St. Andrews, N. B., E0G 2X0,Canada
Contact: Dr. Jennifer Martin
Massachusetts, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Contact: Dr. Dennis McGillicuddy
Maine, University of Maine
Contact: Dr. Neal Pettigrew
Maine, University of Maine
Contact: Dr. Andrew Thomas
Maine, University of Maine
Contact: Dr. David Townsend
Massachusetts, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
Contact: Dr. Jefferson Turner

Full Bibliographic Citation for All Products Completed During the Life of the Project:

EQUIPMENT/FACILITY/SUPPORT CAPABILITY

Equipment/Facility/Capability  Source Description

WORK PLAN

Task: 1
Title: Time series measurements of processes that affect Red Tides in the Western Gulf of Maine

Task Text Status: PROPOSED

Task priority: 1
Task Summary and Objectives:
The objective of this task is to address issues of temporal variability relating to Red Tide in the Gulf of Maine. As part of this multi-institutional study, the USGS is committed to prepare, deploy and recover moorings for ECOHAB-GOM in the western Gulf of Maine. The time series data collected in this effort is an integral part of the overall ECOHAB-GOM program and is essential for determining temporal variability between bi-weekly field surveys. The moored array task is a cooperative effort between the University of Maine (Neil Pettigrew) and the USGS (Rich Signell).

The Univerity of Maine is responsible for moorings in the eastern Maine coastal current, while the USGS is responsible moorings and data collected in the western Maine coastal current. Large field programs are in FY1998 and FY2000, with a smaller effort in FY2001.

Work to be undertaken during the proposal year and a description of the methods and procedures:
A major field experiment will occur in Spring 2000, and the moored array will be a critical element. The 1998 field data showed unexpectedly large and broad concentrations of cells offshore of eastern Maine, and the focus of the year 2000 experiment will be to identify where these patches come from and the conditions under which they reach the shore. The USGS will again be deploying roughly 16 instruments at four or five locations, measuring currents, temperature, salinity, beam attenuation and presure. WHOI is paying $60,000 worth of expendible hardware required for preparing for the deployment, most of the deployment cost.

Planned Outreach:
Journalists and documentary crews have been on board the cruises and have reported on the project in the popular media. See for example: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/algaebloom980917.html .

Publications Designated for Completion During the Proposal and Future Years:
Churchill, J., Geyer, W.R., Keafer, B. and Signell, R.P., 2000, Alexandrium Tamarence and the Kennebec/Androscoggin River Plume in the western Gulf of Maine, submission to Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

Anderson, D.A., Townsend, D., Keafer, B., Geyer, R., Signell, R., Pettrigrew, N., 2000, Red Tides in the Gulf of Maine: Evidence for offshore initiation, submission for EOS

Geographic area of task:
United States, North Atlantic States, Maine
Polygon Lat/Long: 41/-71 41/-65 46/-65 46/-71

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Current year nonpublication accomplishments and outcomes:
During FY1999 the data from the 1998 field year was processed and made available to the ECOHAB team.

Highlights- summary of the most significant outcome:
Mussel bags hung from the moorings during the 1998 field season showed early arrival of toxicity, and currents measured during the initial bloom indicate offshore initiation. This has lead the State of Maine to begin monitoring offshore islands as an "early warning system" for PSP outbreaks along the Maine Coast.

New Directions or Major Changes for Proposal Year:
 

Publications actually delivered/completed, submitted for publication, during current fiscal year:

Task: 2
Title: Modeling Red Tides in the Gulf of Maine

Task Text Status: PROPOSED

Task priority: 1
Task Summary and Objectives:
Numerical modeling plays a key role in ECOHAB-GOM due to the number and complexity of the processes that affect Alexandrium through its life cycle (Figure 2). A numerical model is an important tool that can interpolate between gaps in data sets, isolate key dynamical processes and weak links in our understanding, and act as a numerical laboratory in which specific hypothesis can be tested. The models currently used in ECOHAB-GOM range from sophisticated three-dimensional biological/physical models with excystment, swimming and cell growth to simpler climatological advection/diffusion and empirical models.

Work to be undertaken during the proposal year and a description of the methods and procedures:
The models are being applied in several different domains and scales, from a high-resolution Casco Bay model to a lower resolution model of the entire Gulf of Maine (Figure 1).

I. Casco Bay. A high resolution (grid spacing 100-200 m) three-dimensional model has been developed to study the dynamics of the source region in a domain that encloses the region of high-resolution field studies. These studies seek to understand the fine scale structure of the river plume, Alexandrium abundance, and their inter-relationship.

II. Western Maine Coastal Current (WMCC). Previous studies has shown that downstream patterns in Alexandrium abundance result from fluctuations in the WMCC. Earlier efforts to explain the observed downstream patterns were limited by imprecise knowledge of how the cells entered the system. As we have obtained more information about cyst distributions and excystment rates, we have a better representation of the source region and are conducting retrospective analysis of the 1993-94 WMCC data using our existing model (http://crusty.er.usgs.gov/wgulf/) with either an improved parameterization of the source region.

III. Maine Coastal Current. The ECOHAB-GOM surveys have allowed unprecedented coverage of the coastal region encompassing two distinct zones of toxicity separated by the Penobscot Bay toxin free zone. The model used in (I) and (II) above has been configured for a domain encompassing the two toxicity regions to provide a context for dynamically interpolating the survey data and exploring the linkages between eastern and western Maine.

IV. Large Scale GOM. Studies of short term (intra-annual) variations in Alexandrium abundance such as those described above can be conducted in the context of the near-coastal circulation of the Maine coastal current. However, lower frequency phenomena must be addressed in terms of the larger scale circulation in which the coastal currents are embedded. One important set of such questions is: How are Alexandrium populations maintained over long time scales? Does the large scale/low frequency circulation provide a mechanism for retention within the GOM and eventual re-seeding of the source region? We will use the climatological high resolution finite element model of Lynch et al. (1996) to address these questions.

V. Empirical Models for Toxicity Prediction. Insight gained from the three-dimensional modeling studies I-IV may allow us to articulate the mechanisms underlying PSP outbreaks into simpler dynamic models driven by a small number of observable parameters. Essential processes will probably include wind forcing, river discharge, and recent observations of toxicity. As we gain scientific knowledge of the causes of PSP outbreaks, we will develop simple predictive tools and evaluate their skill using historical data.

Planned Outreach:
Have been interviewed by "THE VISIONARIES" documentary team. Will present modeling results to State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Fact sheet on ECOHAB modeling.

Publications Designated for Completion During the Proposal and Future Years:
Franks, P.S.J. and Signell, R.P., 1999, Coupled Physical-Biological Models for Red Tide Research , Journal of Plankton Research

Signell, R.P. and McGillicuddy, D., 2000, Modeling Red Tide in the Gulf of Maine, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

Geographic area of task:
United States, Atlantic Coastal States, Maine
Polygon Lat/Long: 41/-71 41/-65 46/-65 46/-71

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Current year nonpublication accomplishments and outcomes: Highlights- summary of the most significant outcome:
Previous to this study, it was known that harmful algal blooms in western Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts are usually associated with fresh water plumes from the Gulf of Maine rivers that can effectively transport organisms along the coast. The river plumes originate at the coast and are typically coastally trapped, while peak cyst concentrations are typically found 30-50 km offshore, seaward of the 100 m isobath. How do the offshore cells get into the plumes? It was thought that small pockets of cysts in coastal embayments might be responsible for inshore initiation of the blooms. The modeling does not refute the mechanism of inshore initiation, but it has identified a mechanism for offshore initiation as well. When the wind blows from the southwest, the plume moves rapidly offshore in a thin layer only a few meters thick. In a couple of days, the plume can extend 30-50 km offshore (Figure 3, upper panel). Cells from the offshore cyst beds can swim directly up into the plume, where the buoyancy of the plume helps them to maintain high light conditions and perhaps find beneficial nutrients or trace elements that stimulate growth. A subsequent wind event from the northeast induces downwelling which returns the plume water shoreward and delivers the cells to the coast (Figure 3, lower panel). This was consistent with field data during Spring 1998, which had strong evidence of offshore initiation. The State of Maine, realizing the possibility of offshore initiation, modified their monitoring program for Spring 1999, adding shellfish toxicity testing sites at offshore islands that could provide an "early warning system" for the Maine coast.

New Directions or Major Changes for Proposal Year:

Publications actually delivered/completed, submitted for publication, during current fiscal year:

Task 1

STAFF REQUEST
Name Function Grade PP Salary&Benefits
Signell, Richard P. Physical Oceanography GS-1360-14/4 2 $7,410
Hyatt, Jason Physical Oceanography GS-1360-9/2 2 $3,380
Borden, Jonathan , Equipment Operations GS-0856-9/9 5.2 $11,201
Martini, Marinna A. , Marine Ship Support GS-0855-12/5 4.6 $12,912
Hotchkiss, Frances S. , Data analysis/processing GS-1360-12/6 3.6 $10,498
Davis, Raymond E. , Hardware Support GS-0830-13/9 .5 $1,677
Newell III, Joseph S. , Marine Ship Support GS-0301-11/7 1.6 $3,624
Barton, Robert W. , Equipment Operations WG-4737-6/4 1 $1,402
Staff Total $52,104

OE REQUEST
Description/Justification Object Class Amount
Overtime for Spring 2000 field work 115 $3,800
Travel to and from field site for Spring 2000 experiment 210 $2,500
3 mo. of ECO contract for field work support 252 $9,000
OE Total $15,300
Task Total $67,404

Task 2

STAFF REQUEST
Name Function Grade PP Salary&Benefits
Signell, Richard P. Physical Oceanography GS-1360-14/4 4 $14,820
Hyatt, Jason Physical Oceanography GS-1360-9/2 8 $13,520
Staff Total $28,340

OE REQUEST
Description/Justification Object Class Amount
Travel to national meeting and regional workshop 210 $2,000
WHOI Cooperative Agreement for partial graduate student support ($9K), small boat ship time ($9K) and indirect costs ($2K) 255 $20,000
1/4 cost of high performance multi-processor computer for numerical simulation (existing computer is overburdened since the arrival of post-doc Harris) 310 $7,000
OE Total $29,000
Task Total $57,340
Project Staff Total  $80,444
Project OE Total  $44,300
Project Total  $124,744

Figures and Charts


Description: Figure 1. Location map for the large scale observational program and the extent of computation domains for modeling elements I-IV (see text for details). 


Description: Figure 2. Life cycle of a single algal cell.


Description: Figure 3. Upper Panel: Surface salinity and offshore cells after a sustained upwelling event. Lower Panel: Strong downwelling event has delivered cells to the coast.