Coastal and Estuarine Physical OceanographyThe coastal oceanography research group at the University of Oregon focuses on understanding the dynamics of how estuarine circulation and the shelf interact. We use a combination of observational oceanography and numerical modeling techniques to investigate how well our current conceptual models of these regions work. The coastal ocean is a critical area environmentally: population pressure is increasing, particularly near the coast, which brings additional stress to the nearshore ecosystem. On top of these anthropogenic impacts, estuaries and nearshore ocean regions display striking natural variations on timescales from tidal to seasonal to interannual. Understanding how this variability influences the estuarine and coastal circulation is the primary question driving our group. The circulation in these regions drives many of the headline-grabbing science topics in the news today: How fast will sea level rise? If there is an oil spill in Coos Bay, where will it disperse? What drives hypoxia and dead zones on the Oregon shelf? What impact does meltwater have on fjord circulation? Check out other marine science happening at the UO!
PeopleFacultyDave Sutherland Dave is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences, as well as core faculty in the Environmental Studies Program. He loves all things ocean, especially when he can dive in himself. Graduate StudentsDustin Carroll, PhD candidate Interested in graduate or undergraduate research in physical oceanography or interdisciplinary oceanography at UO? Please contact me with your research interests and general background. I am always looking to talk to motivated students with strong math and physics backgrounds! |
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UO Campus address: Mailing address: UO home
last updated 25-feb-13 |
Dave's 
Dustin comes to UO with a MSc in Physical Oceanography from Moss Landing Marine Labs. His interests here lie in high-latitude oceanography, particularly in ice-ocean interactions in Greenlandic fjords. 
George received a BS in Oceanography from UW and is starting out here with diverse interests spanning anything to do with glacial fjords.
Molly obtained a BS in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Lehigh, as well as a M.Ed in Secondary Education. She is interested in estuarine circulation and its impact on biological systems. 
Research
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Ice-ocean interactions: Many of Greenland's large outlet glaciers empty into deep, narrow fjords, e.g., Helheim Glacier in the Southeast and Jakobshavn Isbrae along the west coast. Interannual variability within these systems supports some common climate forcing impacting the glaciers' accelerations and discharge. We are studying how circulation within these fjords may impact the glacier dynamics and how the coastal ocean may respond to increased meltwater production.
- Link to NASA-funded West Greenland project (2012-2015)
- Check out this issue of Annals of Glaciology for the latest on Sermilik Fjord and other ice-ocean topics
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Estuarine processes: Estuaries are typically thought of as where the river meets the sea, mixing zones of brackish water. Anyone who has lived on the coast knows that estuaries are dynamic regions, supporting an abundance of marine life, huge swings in physical conditions (salinity, temperature, nutrient availability, etc.), but also highly susceptible to environmental stresses. We study how estuaries, such as Coos Bay along the Oregon coast as well as the fjords of Greenland and Puget Sound, work--what forces drive the basic circulation within these regions and what happens when river discharge (or ice melt) changes?
- Oregon Institute of Marine Biology: new NSF grant funded with A. Shanks and R. Emlet on wintertime spawning
- Link to Puget Sound modeling work (MoSSea)
- Article on development of Coos Bay model
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Ecosystem services: Ecosystem services are the benefits we as humans derive from nature, e.g. fisheries, clean water, aestheric beauty, etc. We often take these services for granted and do not consider them when making land use or economic decisions for a region. This is particularly true in the oceans, where zoning is in its infancy, yet many competing uses are vying for space in the coastal zone (marine sanctuaries, fishing vessels, oil platforms, beachgoers, etc.). We have worked with the the Marine InVEST group of the Natural Capital Project, to being to examine some of these tradeoffs in the ocean context.
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Buoyancy driven currents: Along many coastal regions near freshwater sources one can find buoyancy driven currents that follow a consistent pattern, influenced by the low-density freshwater and the Earth's rotation. Examples we have studied here include the East Greenland Coastal Current and the Hudson Strait outflow. They are prevlanet outside many estuaries, with the best example along the US West Coast ebing the Columbia River plume, whose impact is felt both north and south of the river mouth. How do smaller estuaries in the Northwest impact the coastal ocean? How do the meltwater plumes coming from Greenland's fjords impact the larger coastal current found along its east coast? These are questions we are striving to answer.
- My thesis and first publications were on the East Greenland Coastal Current
- Check out the Arctic-Subarctic Ocean Fluxes (ASOF) program and links therein
Teaching
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Introduction to Environmental Studies: Natural Sciences, ENVS 202 (sample syllabus)
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Introduction to Oceanography, GEOL 307 (sample syllabus)
Oceanography Links
Oregon-related
Marine Science at UO
Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB)
Oregon State Physical Oceanography
South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
General
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)
UW Oceanography
Parker MacCready, UW
Fiamma Straneo, WHOI
Bob Pickart, WHOI