Independent Review of a Coupled Remote Ocean Monitoring System (ROMS) and Biogeochemical Elemental Cycling (BEC) Model
Introduction. The State of California, the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP), and a team of acclaimed ocean scientists are developing a new modeling tool integrating two recognized oceanic operation models to help understand why ocean acidification and hypoxia is increasing in the Pacific Ocean off Southern California. The use of such a “Coupled Model” would result in wide-ranging public health, environmental, regulatory, and fiscal implications. Therefore, SCCWRP’s governing Commission, acting on a recommendation from its Technical Advisory Group or CTAG, solicited a proposal from NWRI to administer and facilitate an independent peer review of the Coupled Model.
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Goals of Independent Review
(1) Assess the Coupled Model readiness to answer management questions; (2) advise on the Coupled Model’s uncertainty associated with addressing management questions; and (3) recommend next steps for improving the Coupled Model’s readiness.
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Meeting Dates
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Webinar 1 – December 12, 2023, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Time (Click to view video of the meeting)
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Webinar 2 – January 9, 2024 (Click to view video of the meeting)
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Webinar 3 – May 15, 2024 (Click to view video of the meeting)
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Panel Meeting 1 – January 17-18, 2024 (Agenda is here) at the Atrium Hotel in Irvine, California. (Address: 18700 MacArthur Blvd., Irvine, CA 92612; Phone: 949-833-2770)
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Click to download powerpoint presentations for both days:
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Contact: Tianna Manzon, NWRI Research Project Coordinator at tmanzon@nwri-usa.org for more information.
The independent peer review will assess a coupled model that is designed to understand increasing ocean acidification and hypoxia in a stretch of the Pacific Ocean off of Southern California from Point Conception, California, south to Punta Colonet, Mexico.
Panelists
Peer review panelists include the following scientists and subject-matter experts:
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W. Gordon Zhang, PhD, (Panel Chair), Associate Scientist with Tenure, Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts
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Neil Banas, PhD, Reader in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland
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Fei Chai, PhD, Chair and Professor in Marine Science at Xiamen University, Fujian, CN and Professor Emeritus at University of Maine
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Marjorie Friedrichs, PhD, Research Professor at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at William & Mary
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Alexander Kurapov, PhD, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
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Mike Stukel, PhD, Associate Professor of Oceanography at Florida State University
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Stakeholders. At CTAG’s request, NWRI formed a Project Steering Committee that includes the following project stakeholders and science advisors:
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Lorien Fono, Executive Director, Bay Area Clean Water Agencies
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David Gibson, Executive Director, Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Diego Region
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Justine Kimball, Senior Climate Change Program Manager, California Ocean Protection Council
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Karen Mogus, Deputy Director, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality
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Steve Wagner, General Manager, Goleta Sanitary District
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Lan Wiborg, Director of Environmental Services, OC San
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Sean Bothwell, Executive Director, California Coastkeeper Alliance
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Kristin Davis, PhD, Associate Professor, University of California, Irvine
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Steve Weisberg, Executive Director, SCCWRP
Links to download additional information about this project:
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IPR Review Process Outline. Project meetings overview.
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Kessouri et al., PNAS 2021. Coastal eutrophication drives acidification, oxygen loss, and ecosystem change in a major oceanic upwelling system
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Frieder et al., in press. Effects of urban eutrophication on pelagic habitat capacity in the Southern California Bight
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Kessouri et al., in press. Cross-shore transport and eddies promote large scale response to urban eutrophication
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Analysis of Limitations of SCCWRP Variant ROMS-BEC Model Source Code, report by Michael Baker International.
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Concept Proposals to Improve Management Confidence in the ROMS-BEC, by a SCCWRP technical advisory group.
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Journal Article Links. More information about the model setup and performance assessment.
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Cross-shore transport and eddies promote large scale response to urban eutrophication.