Coastal Margin Observation and Prediction (CMOP): Sustained Observations and Modeling of the Columbia River Estuary and Plume to Enhance Understanding of a Critical Ecosystem
Abstract
The Columbia River estuary is a fast-flowing river-dominated, mesotidal estuary that provides critical habitat for juvenile Pacific salmon. Estuary biogeochemistry is dynamic, influenced by tidal exchange from the California Current system, river flows (regulated by hydropower operations), and local processes. River outflow into the Pacific forms a buoyant plume that influences the stratification and biogeochemistry of coastal shelf waters. Coastal upwelling delivers low-oxygen water to this system during summer, causing physiological stress to Pacific salmon, which are an important cultural and economic resource for the Columbia River treaty tribes.
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission’s Coastal Margin Observation and Prediction (CMOP) program maintains a long-running physical and biogeochemical observation network and numerical modeling capabilities through the river-estuary-ocean continuum. Physical data (e.g., temperature, salinity, water levels, and currents) have been collected since 1996 and biogeochemical data (e.g., dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll fluorescence, phycoerythrin fluorescence, turbidity, nitrate, and quantum yield) have been collected since 2008. Real-time initial data and QC’d data are available from the CMOP (cmop.critfc.org) and Northwest Association for Networked Ocean Observing System (NANOOS, nvs.nanoos.org) websites.
Authors
Citation
Gradoville, M.R., S. Riseman, A.E. Salazar Estrada, M. Swirsky, J. Needoba, and C. Seaton. 2024. Coastal Margin Observation and Prediction (CMOP): Sustained observations and modeling of the Columbia River estuary and plume to enhance understanding of a critical ecosystem. Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 18-23, 2024. New Orleans, LA.