The oceanography of the Sydney region

Middleton, Jason H.; Cox, Deborah R; Tate, Peter M.

doi:10.1016/s0025-326x(96)00170-1

Cited by 38 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The coastal waters off Sydney ( Fig. 1) are characterised by a dynamic oceanographic regime, which is influenced by the East Australian Current and associated eddies, coastal-trapped waves, and local wind forcing (Freeland et al 1986, Huyer et al 1988, Middleton et al 1996. The water column is usually thermally stratified between September and May (spring to autumn), with stratification usually greatest in January to April when differences in water temperature between surface and bottom (50 m) waters can exceed 5°C (Hahn et al 1977).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The depth and strength of the thermocline on the Sydney shelf can vary greatly over short time scales (e.g. hourly), and between relatively close locations along and across the shelf , Middleton et al 1996.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Vertical distributions of mesozooplankton are shown in Fig. 7 (hours to days) time periods (see also Middleton et al 1996, Lee & Pritchard 1997. The instability and lack of persistence of thermoclines in these waters may have profound effects on plankton distributions, particularly if there is a general preference for shallow water.…”

Section: Thermocline Variabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, the nature of pycnoclines in nearshore waters may vary according to: (1) perturbations of the thermocline caused by internal waves that may be of high amplitude (e.g. 20 m, Middleton et al 1996) and move at appreciable velocities (e.g. 0.25 to 1.25 km h -1 , Kingsford & Choat 1986); and (2) rapid changes in thermocline position due to changes in mainstream currents and eddies, wind-driven upwelling and downwelling, and storm events (Huyer et al 1988, Griffin & Middleton 1991, Middleton et al 1996.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Variability in thermocline depth and strength, and relationships with vertical distributions of fish larvae and mesozooplankton in dynamic coastal waters

Gray¹,

Kingsford²

2003

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this paper the dynamic nature of thermoclines is documented, and their influences on the vertical distributions of larval fishes and mesozooplankton in coastal waters off Sydney, southeastern Australia are tested. Significant small-scale spatial and temporal variability in thermocline depth and strength was observed, and even though there were strong depth-related differences in abundances of fish larvae and mesozooplankton, there were no predictable effects of thermoclines on their vertical distributions. Peak concentrations of some fish larvae were observed in thermoclines, but these patterns were not consistent among sampling locations and time periods. Fish larvae and mesozooplankton were most concentrated in the upper 30 m of the water column, regardless of thermocline position, and therefore trophic interactions among fish larvae and zooplankton would be strongest in this depth strata. Consequently, thermoclines were not considered the most important interface for trophic interactions in this dynamic coastal zone. We argue that thermoclines are probably not critical to the survival of fish larvae in relatively shallow coastal waters characterised by dynamic oceanographies where perturbations in the position and intensity of thermoclines are frequent.KEY WORDS: Ichthyoplankton · Zooplankton · Oceanography · Thermocline stability and persistence · Vertical distribution · Southeastern AustraliaResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Thermocline Variabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Variability in thermocline depth and strength, and relationships with vertical distributions of fish larvae and mesozooplankton in dynamic coastal waters

Gray¹,

Kingsford²

2003

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The potential physical distinctions between the habitats studied here include increased wave energy (Short & Trenaman 1992) and light penetration on exposed reefs (Rendell & Pritchard 1996), with stronger tidal currents and increased siltation on the sheltered estuarine reefs (Middleton et al 1996). There would also be greater loads of nutrients and fluctuations in salinity on the reefs in the estuarine locations (Middleton et al 1996, Rendell & Pritchard 1996. Differences related to predation (Ayling 1981), Table 4.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structure and dynamics of sponge-dominated assemblages on exposed and sheltered temperate reefs

Roberts¹,

Cummins²,

Davis³

et al. 2006

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Seasonality of sporadic physical processes driving temperature and nutrient high‐frequency variability in the coastal ocean off southeast Australia

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

[1] Physical processes forced by alongshore winds and currents are known to strongly influence the biogeochemistry of coastal waters. Combining in situ observations (moored platforms, hydrographic surveys) and satellite data (sea surface wind and sea surface height), we investigate the transient occurrence of wind-driven upwelling/downwelling and current-driven upwelling events off southeast Australia. Remote-sensed indices are developed and calibrated with multiannual time series of in situ temperature and current measurements at two shelf locations. Based on archives up to 10 years long, climatological analyses of these indices reveal various latitudinal regimes with respect to seasonality, magnitude, duration of events, and their driving mechanisms (wind or current). Generally, downwelling-favorable winds prevail in this region; however, we demonstrate that up to 10 wind-driven upwelling days per month occur during spring/summer at 28-33.5 S and up to 5 days in summer further south. Current-driven upwelling upstream of the East Australian Current separation zone (32 S) occurs twice as often as downstream. Using independent in situ data sets, we show that the response of the coastal ocean is consistent with our climatology of shelf processes: upwelling leads to a large range of temperatures and elevated nutrient concentrations on the shelf, maximized in the wind-driven case, while downwelling results in destratified nutrient-poor waters. The combination of these sporadic wind-and current-driven processes may drive an important part of the high-frequency variability of coastal temperature and nutrient content. Our results suggest that localized nutrient enrichment events of variable magnitude are favored at specific latitudes and seasons, potentially impacting coastal ecosystems.Citation: Rossi, V., A. Schaeffer, J. Wood, G. Galibert, B. Morris, J. Sudre, M. Roughan, and A. M. Waite (2014), Seasonality of sporadic physical processes driving temperature and nutrient high-frequency variability in the coastal ocean off southeast Australia,

show abstract

The oceanography of the Sydney region

Cited by 38 publications

References 4 publications

Variability in thermocline depth and strength, and relationships with vertical distributions of fish larvae and mesozooplankton in dynamic coastal waters

Variability in thermocline depth and strength, and relationships with vertical distributions of fish larvae and mesozooplankton in dynamic coastal waters

Structure and dynamics of sponge-dominated assemblages on exposed and sheltered temperate reefs

Seasonality of sporadic physical processes driving temperature and nutrient high‐frequency variability in the coastal ocean off southeast Australia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About