The Coastal Oceanography Group (COG)

The UC Davis Coastal Oceanography Group is directed at the emerging discipline of "environmental oceanography", in which oceanographic study, analysis and insight is directed at resolving environmental issues that are critical to the sustainable interaction between human society and our earthly home.

John Largier, Ph.D.

Graduate Students

Dane Behrens- I am a PhD student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering  at UC Davis. Professor Largier is my co-advisor, along with Dr. Fabian Bombardelli from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. My work focuses on the interactions between rivers and the ocean, more specifically, the mouths of rivers and the complex estuaries that they protect. The behaviors of river mouths are affected by a number of interrelated factors, including waves, tides, river flow, and sediment transport (among many others). These are incredibly dynamic systems, and a multitude of questions remain about the various aspects of their behavior. My M.S. dealt with the mouth closure and morphological behavior of the Russian River, in Northern California. I developed the early form of a simple model which predicts inlet closure events based on wave forecasting. My PhD work will focus on three issues: The socioeconomics and behaviors of unstable rivers in the Pacific Rim, the stratification of estuaries with different closure patterns,and the effects of historical land-use and management changes on estuarine inlet stability in California.

Lauren Garske- In the past, many people have subscribed to the idea that ‘dilution is the solution to pollution’ but the assumption that coastal marine environments are able to absorb our nonpoint source pollutants without impact remains largely unfounded. Spatial, temporal and economic constraints on sampling techniques and limited insight on where to most efficiently focus research efforts have been key reasons for the paucity of data. However, by understanding how pollutant-carrying waters (such as that from rivers and storm drains) are transported beyond the land-sea interface and into the nearshore environment, we can be more strategic with investigations by first identifying areas at greatest exposure risk. My dissertation research begins with a strong foundation in nearshore oceanography and subsequently aims to develop and validate a data-rich model using information on pollutant patterns and kelp forest communities in the northern Monterey Bay. A major goal of my work is to provide coastal resource managers with a predictive tool applicable to a variety of issues. More

Stephen Lightfoote- I am a M.S. student at UC Davis in the Atmospheric Science Graduate Group.  I received my B.S. in Atmospheric Science at Cornell University in May 2007.  While currently attending classes on the UC Davis campus, I am working with professors John Largier and Ian Faloona under the NSF funded cyber-infrastructure grant titled COMET (COast-to-Mountain Environmental Transect).  My research interests include Boundary Layer and Air Quality Meteorology.  I am currently studying aspects of the Central California Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer, specifically its relationship to coastal ocean upwelling and associated inland meteorological effects.

Kerry Nickols- Although marine ecologists have developed ideas and theories surrounding the importance of recruitment for marine populations and communities, the dispersal stage of many marine organisms is still a black box.  In order to understand larval ecology and connections between benthic organisms and their larval stage, I am working to better understand the oceanographic connections between nearshore and offshore regions. I am especially interested in topographic influences on very-nearshore transport and mixing, as potential agents of larval retention.  I am focusing on the Coastal Boundary Layer, a region of attenuated flow adjacent to the coastline.  My field work thus far has concentrated on the really inner shelf along the California coast (i.e, inshore of the 20 m isobath), where I have measured current speeds as a function of distance from shore and depth.  I am also working on a particle dispersion model, which will explore the effects of the Coastal Boundary Layer on larval dispersal. More

Karen Shapiro- For my PhD dissertation I am investigating how a protozoan parasite (Toxoplasma gondii) shed in the feces of cats is transported from land to sea where it infects sea otters.  The specific question we are trying to address is whether wetland degradation along the California coast could have led to increased contamination of nearshore water with T. gondii.  This parasite can also infect people who ingest water contaminated with the parasite, and we hope that understanding how T. gondii behaves in aquatic environments will help implement better water treatment and habitat conservation measures to prevent infection in both people and wildlife.

Students not pictured:

Researchers

Chris Halle, Project Scientist

Silvia Piedracoba, Postdoctoral Researcher

Technicians

Megan Sheridan, Marine Technician, Staff Research Associate Dave Dann, Marine Technician, Research Assistant
       
Marcel Losekoot, Technician, Coastal Ocean Currents Monitoring Program (COCMP) Deedee Shideler,Technician, Coastal Ocean Currents Monitoring Program (COCMP)
Marcel Losekoot and Deedee Shideler both support BML’s portion of the Coastal Ocean Currents Monitoring Program (COCMP), a statewide project in support of real-time monitoring of sea surface currents in California that utilizes a network of high frequency radars. These data are available via Bodega Ocean Observing Node (BOON), and enrich existing oceanographic monitoring programs @ CeNCOOS, a regional organization that coordinates ocean observing activities in Northern and Central California and is part of the Integrated Ocean Observing System. For more information and products see Sea Surface Currents @ BOON

Oceanographic Equipment Check-Out Calendar

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