BSSC2017 Session Topics
Session 2 (S2) Processes that affect coastal sea systems
Coastal seas like the Baltic Sea undergo constant and direct influence from land. Forcing conditions for physico-chemical, biological and geological processes may change on very small time and spatial scales. Therefore, the Baltic Sea or similar seas may serve as a model and testing ground for investigating important processes in more detail. As a contribution to this session, we invite presentations that highlight recent findings on single or interacting processes that influence coastal seas in large and may focus on one or more of the following aspects:
- Turbulent mixing and other important physical processes, like upwelling: What is the linkage between geographical /physical conditions and the occurrence of hot-spots? What are the consequences to matter cycles, energy fluxes or sediment dynamics?
- Food-web interactions, biogeography and ecosystem function: What are the recent findings on the physiological performance and ecology of aquatic organisms from microbes to mammals influencing food-web structure and biodiversity? Do possible changes in food-web processes or species interactions affect the system?
- Matter fluxes and geochemical interactions: What do we learn from the Baltic low carbonate saturation for other ocean systems in terms of responses and effects of their carbonate systems? How do the relatively low salinity and biodiversity of the Baltic Sea affect biogeochemical processes and ecosystem services? Is the resilience of brackish systems naturally lower to anthropogenic pressures?
- Interaction atmosphere-ocean: Which specific processes are effective in the interaction of ocean and atmosphere? What role has the atmosphere in transporting and modifying substances that might affect processes in the ocean? What is triggering the feedback from the ocean to the atmosphere in detail, and what are the resulting effects? What do we have to consider in atmosphere-ocean interaction considering that the atmosphere is connecting an enclosed marginal sea to a much wider area? How does sea-ice influence the interaction?