Modeling of coastal processes and Lagrangian transport around the Monterey Peninsula

Author(s): Lowe, Anna Burke | Advisor(s): Edwards, Christopher A | Abstract: The Monterey Peninsula is an ecologically important area, highlighted by numerous marine protected areas (MPAs), but little is known about the specific circulation processes that support its species-rich ecosystems. This suite of research used the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) to simulate the circulation during the 2014 and 2015 spring/summer upwelling seasons through a series of nested grids to resolve the circulation on the central California coast at approximately 120 m resolution. A particle tracking model, OpenDrift, calculated Lagrangian trajectories to identify source water and simulate near-surface larval transport. We examine the circulation patterns and temperature structure in Carmel Bay, a small embayment in the lee of the Monterey Peninsula. We explore mechanisms driving local population connectivity: self-recruitment and connectivity between populations ~10 km apart by simulating transport of kelp rockfish (Sebastes atrovirens) larvae from populations in southwest Monterey Bay and Carmel Bay. We characterize submesoscale sea surface temperature (SST) fronts off the southern edge of the Monterey Peninsula by strain, that generate different Lagrangian transport patterns. Collectively, these results demonstrate that nearby populations (and thus MPAs) do not have homologous recruitment or exchange, which has important implications for MPA management, and how this heterogeneity results from dynamic circulation processes.