The Center for Integrated Marine Technologies: Integrating Advanced Technologies to Understand California's Upwelling Ecosystems

The Center for Integrated Marine Technologies: Integrating Advanced Technologies to Understand California's Upwelling Ecosystems (March 2005)

Rondi Robison, Scott Benson, Ken Bruland, Yi Chao, Francisco Chavez, Dan Costa, Don Croll, Andrew DeVogleare, Chris Edwards, Gary Griggs, Jim Harvey, Raphe Kudela, Steve Lonhart, Baldo Marinovic, Margaret McManus, Jeff Paduan, Leslie Rosenfeld, Mary Silver, and John Vesecky

Poster presentation at the 2005 Sanctuary Currents Symposium, Seaside, CA

ABSTRACT

The Center for Integrated Marine Technologies (CIMT) was formed in 2002 out of the Wind to Whales Program (1996). CIMT has created a coastal ocean monitoring program that links new technologies and data across disciplines of marine science to address key questions for the management and conservation of California coastal marine resources. Specifically, CIMT is using these technologies to investigate the critical linkages among: 1) Physical forcing mechanisms; 2) The availability of critical nutrients; 3) The distribution, abundance and species composition of phytoplankton and zooplankton; and 4) The distribution, abundance and species composition of top-level consumers including fish, seabirds, marine mammals and sea turtles. This comprehensive interdisciplinary approach will serve as a model for integrated coastal ocean observing systems and establish the scientific basis for the effective monitoring and management of coastal fisheries and protected resources, especially those of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.