Salish Sea nutrient loading scenarios modeling for the management of key species and habitat recovery: the value of new tools and analysis available to managers
Presentation Abstract
One of the key ongoing uses of the Salish Sea Model (SSM) is an extensive effort quantifying the sources, processing, and impacts of nutrient loading on water quality. Model outputs are used by the State of Washington to calculate Dissolved Oxygen (DO) impairment for areas where the standard is applied. This provides a tremendous opportunity for the wider management community to now leverage ongoing efforts to further key species and habitat management and recovery goals, such as Salmon and Eel Grass recovery. Towards this end, the Salish Sea Modeling Centre (SSMC) - a University of Washington/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory initiative - was started with a mission to provide access and use of Salish Sea basin wide models to the wider community. The center is working to extend the analysis and tools available for SSM outputs. These advances enable modelers to provide a richer set of information to decision makers across three areas: First, temporal analysis, with readily accessible visualizations of daily through to seasonal outputs. Second, spatial detail and depth integration, including transects for each basin and key inlets of interest. Finally, ready access to additional phenomena of interest; accessing the underlying key mechanistic drivers of change in DO and water quality. For example, Net Primary Production, Nitrate, Turbidity, and pH, among others, are parameters relevant to wider aspects of ecosystem management such as Climate Change, and are modeled at each time step in these loading scenarios, and at each depth in a manager’s area of interest in the Salish Sea.
Session Title
Data Science 1
Conference Track
SSE1: Science for the Future
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-traditionals-465
Start Date
26-4-2022 1:30 PM
End Date
26-4-2022 3:00 PM
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Marine pollution--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Measurement; Environmental monitoring--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.);
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Environmental conditions
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Salish Sea nutrient loading scenarios modeling for the management of key species and habitat recovery: the value of new tools and analysis available to managers
One of the key ongoing uses of the Salish Sea Model (SSM) is an extensive effort quantifying the sources, processing, and impacts of nutrient loading on water quality. Model outputs are used by the State of Washington to calculate Dissolved Oxygen (DO) impairment for areas where the standard is applied. This provides a tremendous opportunity for the wider management community to now leverage ongoing efforts to further key species and habitat management and recovery goals, such as Salmon and Eel Grass recovery. Towards this end, the Salish Sea Modeling Centre (SSMC) - a University of Washington/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory initiative - was started with a mission to provide access and use of Salish Sea basin wide models to the wider community. The center is working to extend the analysis and tools available for SSM outputs. These advances enable modelers to provide a richer set of information to decision makers across three areas: First, temporal analysis, with readily accessible visualizations of daily through to seasonal outputs. Second, spatial detail and depth integration, including transects for each basin and key inlets of interest. Finally, ready access to additional phenomena of interest; accessing the underlying key mechanistic drivers of change in DO and water quality. For example, Net Primary Production, Nitrate, Turbidity, and pH, among others, are parameters relevant to wider aspects of ecosystem management such as Climate Change, and are modeled at each time step in these loading scenarios, and at each depth in a manager’s area of interest in the Salish Sea.
