National Ocean Service

About: National Ocean Service is a government organization based out in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Algal bloom & Population. The organization has 500 authors who have published 643 publications receiving 46096 citations.

The Impact of Hurricane Andrew on the Near-Surface Marine Environment in the Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract: Hurricane Andrew was a relatively small but intense hurricane that passed through the Bahamas, across the Florida Peninsula, and across the Gulf of Mexico between 23 and 26 August 1992. The characteristics of this hurricane primarily beyond its core are summarized using 1) marine observations from three National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) buoys and three Coastal-Marine Automated Network stations close to the storm track; 2) water levels and storm surge at 15 locations in the Bahamas, around the coast of Florida, and along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico; 3) currents, temperatures, and salinities at a depth of 11 m in the northern Gulf; and 4) spatial analyses of sea surface temperature (SST) before and after the passage of Andrew. Sea level pressure, wind direction, wind speed, wind gust, air temperature, and the surface wave field were strongly influenced at locations generally within 100 km of the hurricane track. Maximum sustained winds of 75 m s−1 occurred just north of the storm track ...

A multivariable approach for evaluating major impacts on water quality in murrells and north inlets, south carolina

Abstract: Urbanization poses a particular threat to the coastal areas of the southeastern United States where uplands surrounding wetlands are still relatively undeveloped compared with other regions. Predictive models, which would correlate information on land use change and development, would be useful so that downgrades in water quality can be predicted before they occur to allow effective land management decisions to be made. The approach used for this study involved a historical comparison of land use change and fecal coliform bacterial densities on Murrells Inlet (MI) (urbanized site) (n = 2026 samples) and North Inlet (NI) (pristine site) (n =1656 samples), both bar-built estuaries located on the northern coast of South Carolina south of Myrtle Beach. The microbiological and water quality data used in this research covered the period of 1967–1995 and the following parameters were used: date of sampling, most probable number (MPN) of fecal coliform bacteria, salinity, rainfall and water temperature. ...

Scenario analysis can guide aquaculture planning to meet sustainable future production goals

Abstract: Marine aquaculture holds great promise for meeting increasing demand for healthy protein that is sustainably produced, but reaching necessary production levels will be challenging. The ecosystem approach to aquaculture is a framework for sustainable aquaculture development that prioritizes multiple-stakeholder participation and spatial planning. These types of approaches have been increasingly used to help guide sustainable, persistent, and equitable aquaculture planning, but most countries have difficulties in setting or meeting longer-term development goals. Scenario analysis (SA) for future planning uses similar approaches and can complement holistic methods, such as the ecosystem approach to aquaculture framework, by providing a temporal analogue to the spatially robust design. Here we define the SA approach to planning in aquaculture, outline how SA can benefit aquaculture planning, and review how this tool is already being used. We track the use of planning tools in the 20 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea member nations, with particular attention given to Norway’s development goals to 2050. We conclude that employing a combination of an ecosystem framework with scenario analyses may help identify the scale of development aquaculture goals over time, aid in evaluating the feasibility of the desired outcomes, and highlight potential social-ecological conflicts and trade-offs that may otherwise be overlooked.