Complete Series of Technical Memoranda Describing
PFEL Upwelling Index For Major Coastal
Eastern Boundary Upwelling Regions
Current Status of Accomplishment or Milestone: Manuscripts are in publishable format awaiting final editing and production.
Background: Ocean upwelling systems are 20 times more productive than non-upwelling regions. They are regions of abundant fish production exploited by industrial, artisanal and subsistence fisheries supporting communities of wide cultural and ethnic diversity. An enormous variety of invertebrates, birds, reptiles and mammals also depend on upwelling systems during a portion of their life cycles. Previously, PFEL has routinely supplied upwelling index information for the California Current upwelling system. The remaining eastern boundary current upwelling regions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and their fisheries are of particular interest to PFEL and have been the objects of extensive and ongoing studies involving many local and foreign collaborators. These studies have lead to greater understanding of the California Current system. Previous Technical Memoranda (1973, 1975, 1986, 1996) describing the PFEL upwelling index for the California current region have been extremely successful and have been extensively cited in published scientific papers.
Purpose of Activity/Goal of Project: To improve the visibility of and to disseminate PFEL's new upwelling indices to researchers interested in fisheries and marine ecosystems. These Technical memoranda provide published documentation for Internet supplied products that are used by fisheries scientists, managers and fishers throughout the world.
Description of Accomplishment and Significant Results: These volumes provide valid citations in scientific journals as well as provide scientific data in less developed regions which may lack Internet access.
Significance of Accomplishment (e.g., to the Center, to Management, and to NMFS Strategic plan Goals): Present accomplishments include the extension of a service that has been proven useful to environmental researchers and managers throughout the world. This includes SWFSC researchers because comparative studies lead to greater understanding of upwelling processes in the California Current system. Eastern boundary current systems directly or indirectly provide sustenance to many threatened and endangered marine bird, mammal, reptile and fish species. Greater understanding of these environments brings greater understanding of the species that inhabit them.
Problems: None.
Key Contact: Jerry Norton (831-648-9031; jerrold.g.norton@noaa.gov).