We generally use idealized and realistically configured ocean models to explore the dynamics and consequences of turbulent ocean currents and waves, complementing simulations with measurements and theory. 

​We aim to uncover new processes, which can often emerge in simulations, and understand how turbulent flows ​impact heat, energy, material transport, biogeochemical cycling, and ecosystem functioning across multiple scales.

​We primarily use the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS) and collaborate with many other researchers (too many to list here) spread across many institutions.  In particular, we collaborate with the UCLA ROMS group on ROMS simulation and code development.

Ongoing code developments in ROMS include:
  • online coupling of dynamic kelp to circulation and biogeochemistry
  • updated surface wave-current interaction module (w/ Delphine Hypolite, UCLA)​​

Ongoing research
Coastal eddies, fronts, and waves
The coastal ocean uniquely hosts a variety of oceanic 'weather' patterns: submesoscale fronts and filaments that form in the surface boundary layer; internal tidal bores that result from internal waves propagating up a sloping bottom; surf-zone vortices that arise with variable surface gravity wave forcing or bathymetry; headland wakes resulting from large-scale flows feeling topographic irregularities; and river plumes that eject seaward.  The local flows associated with these coherent structures can dominate material transport on hour to daily time-scales.  However, little is known of their combined influences on stratification and material fluxes.  Our work aims to develop new understanding of these process, particularly interactions between regimes that have historically been treated separately. 

Submesoscale dynamics and turbulence
Submesoscale currents are relevant to a variety of oceanic processes and arise in both the coastal and open-ocean.  These turbulent currents, 0.01 - 1 km in lateral scale, mainly reside in the surface boundary layer as density fronts and filaments or vortices.  The localized overturning circulation of submesoscale fronts and filaments, in a departure from the rotationally dominated geostrophic balance more typical of the mesoscale, exhibit extreme surface convergence and downwelling capable of re-stratifying the surface boundary layer and governing the fate and transport of upper-ocean material.  Present and future work investigates the interactions between submesoscale fronts, surface gravity waves, internal waves, and transient atmospheric forcing in the open-ocean and on the shelf.​​​​​​​ 

Kelp forests, farms, and carbon sequestration
​Do kelp forests increase or decrease coastal residence times? What processes control material exchange between kelp forests and the coastal and deep ocean?  Is kelp cultivation and purposeful sinking at industrial scales a viable carbon dioxide removal strategy?  This work centers on the ongoing development and application of a modeling system -- that couples a regional circulation-biogeochemical model (ROMS-BEC) to a dynamic model for kelp growth ([Mo]MAG) -- that can help answer basic and applied questions related to kelp forests and farms.  ROMS-BEC-[Mo]MAG is presently being deployed to investigate the ecological impacts and carbon sequestration potential of giant kelp farms.  A planned extension of this work is to leverage this modeling system to simulate natural kelp and its interactions with coastal currents and biogeochemistry.  However, many measurements are needed to better constrain model predictions of cultivated and natural kelp systems, both for the physics (e.g., kelp drag) and biology (e.g., kelp exudation rates). ​​​​​​​​​​​