{"id":24595,"date":"2025-05-21T15:19:36","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T15:19:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=24595"},"modified":"2025-05-21T15:19:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T15:19:37","slug":"using-salinity-to-trace-seasonal-ocean-changes-new-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/using-salinity-to-trace-seasonal-ocean-changes-new-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Salinity to Trace Seasonal Ocean Changes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">Scientists leverage salinity data to understand changes in the cold pool of the U.S. Northeast continental shelf, highlighting crucial findings for marine ecosystem management.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. Northeast continental shelf&#8217;s &#8220;cold pool,&#8221; an essential habitat for diverse marine life, faces increasing seasonal changes due to shifting oceanic conditions. In a significant breakthrough, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have harnessed the power of salinity as a tracer to investigate these changes, offering new insights that could aid in sustainable fisheries management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;This paper provides first evidence for a seasonal salinification of the cold pool on the US Northeast continental shelf, as consistently observed in the multi-year mooring record of the [Ocean Observatories Initiative] Coastal Pioneer Array,\u201d lead author Lukas Taenzer, a recent doctoral graduate from the MIT-WHOI Joint Program, said in a news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1029\/2024JC021270\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Published<\/a> in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, the study introduces a novel methodology deploying salinity measurements to track the influx and exit of ocean water in the cold pool. The research shows that this technique can reveal the physical processes impacting coastal ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We follow the signatures of the ocean\u2019s salinity, rather than temperature, to identify the physical processes that are responsible for the observed changes of coastal ecosystem conditions,&#8221; added Taenzer. &#8220;Our results demonstrate the value of salinity measurements to highlight how the interplay between air-sea interactions, offshore forcing and upstream conditions influence coastal ecosystem conditions in the sheltered cold pool on the timescales of weeks to years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This exploration into salinity\u2019s role proves especially significant considering the limitations of temperature data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;That\u2019s really hard to determine when using temperature as a tracer, because with temperature you can\u2019t really distinguish why the pool gets warmer. By tracking salt, we can actually pinpoint why the cold pool changes throughout the year,&#8221; Taenzer added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study\u2019s implications extend beyond academic curiosity, emphasizing practical applications for fisheries management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;This understanding is important to help NOAA Fisheries manage U.S. fish stocks sustainably,&#8221; added Taenzer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Svenja Ryan, an assistant scientist in WHOI\u2019s physical oceanography department, highlighted the impact of continuous subsurface measurements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We didn\u2019t see the salinification of the cold pool previously because we didn\u2019t have continuous subsurface measurements,&#8221; she said in the news release. &#8220;The fact that salinity is a valuable tracer enables us to advance our dynamic understanding of the seasonal cycle and the processes in the ocean.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Complementing this current study, Ryan and colleagues\u2019 2024 <a href=\"https:\/\/agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1029\/2024JC021534\">companion paper<\/a> focused on surface salinity variations using historical data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cContinuous, global sea surface salinity observations from satellites, such as the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite mission, are critical for tracking surface ocean conditions in near-real time. They enabled our novel findings about the seasonal evolution of freshwater signals across the Northeast U.S. shelf over the past decade,&#8221; added\u00a0Caroline Ummenhofer, a senior scientist in WHOI&#8217;s physical oceanography department and lead principal investigator on the NASA project that co-funded both papers. &#8220;Also, they are increasingly used by the fishing community, for example, in their decision-making.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:13px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whoi.edu\/press-room\/news-release\/salt-tracers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The U.S. Northeast continental shelf&#8217;s &#8220;cold pool,&#8221; an essential habitat for diverse marine life, faces increasing seasonal changes due to shifting oceanic conditions. In a significant breakthrough, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have harnessed the power of salinity as a tracer to investigate these changes, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[103,351],"class_list":["post-24595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-climate-and-environment","tag-mit","tag-woods-hole-oceanographic-institution"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The U.S. Northeast continental shelf&#8217;s &#8220;cold pool,&#8221; an essential habitat for diverse marine life, faces increasing seasonal changes due to shifting oceanic conditions. In a significant breakthrough, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have harnessed the power of salinity as a tracer to investigate these changes,&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24595"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24682,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24595\/revisions\/24682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}