Modeling High Resolution Nearshore Flow Patterns Along the Eastern Coast of Maine

LeAnn Conlon, University of Maine, Marine Science, Orono, ME, United States, Huijie Xue, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States and Philip Yund, Downeast Institute, Beals, ME, United States
Abstract:
A high resolution coastal circulation model is used to study flow patterns and across shelf transport along the Maine coast, as well as to study population connectivity in this region. We use FVCOM (Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model) to determine the nearshore flow patterns and the variability of these patterns. This model varies in resolution of between 100 to 4000 meters, with the highest resolution in intertidal regions to accurately capture flow dynamics in this region. This model is nested within the NERACOOS Gulf of Maine model and is validated with ADCP transects and CTD casts within the model domain. The model will be used to determine the factors influencing the variability in the location of the Maine coastal current and predict mesoscale circulation patterns. It is also being used to simulate blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) population connectivity and larval dispersal along the coast of Maine using lagrangian particle tracking.
Back to: Advances in Coastal Ocean Modeling, Observations, and Prediction II