Long-term monitoring reveals the combined effects of local conditions and large-scale climatic drivers on water quality in a Salish Sea embayment.
Presentation Abstract
Padilla Bay is a shallow embayment north of Puget Sound and one of 28 National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs) that have been established as a living laboratory to monitor and research water quality in estuarine ecosystems. An integral part of the Padilla Bay monitoring program is maintaining long-term monitoring stations throughout the bay which provide continuous measurements of water quality parameters. In this presentation we report on over fifteen years of monitoring data and the patterns in temperature and salinity these data have revealed. Our analyses reveal that despite large diel and monthly variability in temperature driven by local environmental conditions in Padilla Bay (i.e. a large, shallow embayment), longer temporal scale patterns appear to be strongly influenced by climatic cycles (e.g., PDO, ENSO). Analysis of surface salinity data during the same time period reveals a general trend from more saline waters in the early 2000’s to fresher conditions in recent years. Surface salinity is also influenced by periodic intrusions of freshwater to Padilla Bay, with discharge data suggesting that both Nooksack and Fraser Rivers play an important role. Our investigation also employs a multivariate classification framework to analyze data from multiple NERRs across the US, identify short- and long-term variability in ocean temperature across these estuaries, and identify how drivers of ocean temperature are unique in waters of the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Not surprisingly, PDO is relatively important in driving surface water temperatures in the PNW relative to east coast estuaries, whereas salinity is less variable. Our analyses provide insight into factors influencing temperature, salinity and other aspects of water quality in the Salish Sea and how these change on multiple spatial and temporal scales.
Session Title
Changes in Ecosystem Function and Climate Revealed by Long-term Monitoring in the Salish Sea
Conference Track
Climate Change and Ocean Acidification
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Estuaries--Research--Washington (State)--Padilla Bay; Ocean-atmosphere interaction--Washington (State)--Padilla Bay; Water quality biological assessment--Washington (State)--Padilla Bay
Subjects – Names (LCNAF)
National Estuarine Research Reserve System
Geographic Coverage
Padilla Bay (Wash.); Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Long-term monitoring reveals the combined effects of local conditions and large-scale climatic drivers on water quality in a Salish Sea embayment.
2016SSEC
Padilla Bay is a shallow embayment north of Puget Sound and one of 28 National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs) that have been established as a living laboratory to monitor and research water quality in estuarine ecosystems. An integral part of the Padilla Bay monitoring program is maintaining long-term monitoring stations throughout the bay which provide continuous measurements of water quality parameters. In this presentation we report on over fifteen years of monitoring data and the patterns in temperature and salinity these data have revealed. Our analyses reveal that despite large diel and monthly variability in temperature driven by local environmental conditions in Padilla Bay (i.e. a large, shallow embayment), longer temporal scale patterns appear to be strongly influenced by climatic cycles (e.g., PDO, ENSO). Analysis of surface salinity data during the same time period reveals a general trend from more saline waters in the early 2000’s to fresher conditions in recent years. Surface salinity is also influenced by periodic intrusions of freshwater to Padilla Bay, with discharge data suggesting that both Nooksack and Fraser Rivers play an important role. Our investigation also employs a multivariate classification framework to analyze data from multiple NERRs across the US, identify short- and long-term variability in ocean temperature across these estuaries, and identify how drivers of ocean temperature are unique in waters of the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Not surprisingly, PDO is relatively important in driving surface water temperatures in the PNW relative to east coast estuaries, whereas salinity is less variable. Our analyses provide insight into factors influencing temperature, salinity and other aspects of water quality in the Salish Sea and how these change on multiple spatial and temporal scales.
