20 years of nutrient input data compiled for acidification model

SCCWRP and its partners have compiled a series of data sets reflecting the contributions of major sources of nutrients to the Southern California Bight over the past 20 years, part of a five-year effort to develop a computer model that explains how West Coast ecosystems respond to these nutrient inputs.

The work, completed in late 2017, involved gathering data on a variety of local land-based and atmospheric discharges, including treated wastewater effluent, land-based runoff, atmospheric deposition and local atmospheric conditions. Researchers modeled the way that each source contributes nutrients to Bight coastal waters; SCCWRP member agencies helped compile much of the data.

The data are being used to evaluate the performance of a computer model that predicts how land-based sources of nutrients influence ocean acidification and hypoxia conditions along the West Coast.

Researchers are seeking to validate the model’s ability to accurately reflect biogeochemical cycling patterns in the Bight that result from the introduction of human-created nutrient sources from both air and land.