The Across Shelf and Hudson River Estuary: a Synoptic Glimpse of Hydrographic, Biogeochemical, and Biological Processes

In July 2004, oceanographic data were measured from the shelf edge to fresh water in the Hudson River estuary onboard the research vessel Tioga by researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University, the University of New Hampshire, and the University of Rhode Island. Multi-disciplinary observations including parts of the life cycle and carbon cycle were performed. Data included surface temperature, salinity, fluorescence, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide, dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, colored dissolved organic matter, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and a focus on zebra mussel larvae. The very large gradients observed from shelf waters to fresh water provided a wide range of environmental conditions governing the carbonate system and the life cycle of phytoplankton and larvae. This unique suite of measurements provides insight into the transport, distribution, and dynamics of the physiology of the Hudson River plume. The relationship between hydrographic conditions, biogeochemistry, and biology will be discussed.