Report of the U.S. GLOBEC Georges Bank Phase IV Synthesis - Startup Planning Meeting 11/12 July 2002, Woods Hole, Ma Acknowledgments The U.S. GLOBEC Georges Bank Scientific Investigator's Meeting and this report were sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Table of Contents Introduction Narrative Appendix I. Agenda Appendix II. List of Participants Appendix III. Abstracts of Talks Introduction The U.S. GLOBEC Georges Bank Program completed all field work in 1999 and has now entered a period of data integration and synthesis. The Phase IV competition for funds to work on synthesis projects took place in 2001 and funding decisions were made in early 2002. Five projects were selected for funding. These are: The Physical Oceanography of Georges Bank and Its Impact on Biology - Bob Beardsley (WHOI), Ken Brink (WHOI), Dick Limeburner (WHOI), Jim Churchill (WHOI), Jim Ledwell (WHOI), Changsheng Chen (UMassD), Jim Bisagni (UMassD), Charles Flagg (BNL), Ron Schlitz (NEFSC) Zooplankton Population Dynamics on Georges Bank: Model and Data Synthesis - Peter Franks (SIO), James Pringle (UNH), Changsheng Chen (UMassD), Ted Durbin (URI), Wendy Gentleman (UW) Patterns of Energy Flow and Utilization on Georges Bank - Dian Gifford (URI), John Steele (WHOI), Michael Fogarty (NEFSC), Michael E. Sieracki (BLOS), Jim Bisagni (UmassD) Tidal Front Mixing and Exchange on Georges Bank: Controls on the Production of Phytoplankton, Zooplankton and Larval Fishes - Bob Houghton (LDEO), Dave Townsend (UME), Changsheng Chen (UMassD), R. Gregory Lough (NEFSC), Lew Incze (BLOS) Integration and Synthesis of Georges Bank Broad-Scale Survey Results - Peter Wiebe (WHOI), Carin Ashjian (WHOI), Larry Madin (WHOI), Dennis McGillicuddy (WHOI); David Mountain (NMFS), J. R. Green (NMFS), Peter Berrien (NMFS); S.M. Bollens (SFU); Dave Townsend (UMaine); Ted Durbin (URI), Bob Campbell (URI), Barbara Sullivan (URI); Ann Bucklin (UNH), Jeff Runge (UNH) A sixth project was funded to support the joint meetings and workshops during the synthesis phase: Phase IV Data Synthesis Scientific Investigators' Symposia - Peter Wiebe and Bob Groman (WHOI) Although not all of the projects had their funding in place, a two-day meeting was held in Woods Hole to start the planning for the integrating the activities for the individual projects. The goals of the meeting were: To exchange information about the nature of each of the projects, including discussion about the context/conceptual framework for the synthesis effort as well as pertinent details. To discuss where input/results from other groups were needed, where opportunities for collaborations existed, and what elements might be missing that could hamper the synthesis effort. To develop a time line for working group meetings, symposia, meeting presentations, and publications. Included in this report is a brief narrative of the meeting and some of the results, and several appendices that contain the meeting agenda, list of participants, and outlines of the project descriptions. Narrative The meeting started at 1000 on 11 July 2002 in Smith conference room at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. After opening remarks by Peter Wiebe and Bob Beardsley, the rest of the morning and early afternoon were devoted to talks by the lead PI's for each of the projects. An open discussion ensued during the latter half of the afternoon covering a variety of topics including what do people need from other funded groups, what's missing from the synthesis effort, and what NSF/NOAA might have in mind for next call for proposals on modeling. Also discussed was the special working sessions for day two's morning sessions. Widely recognized as essential was the development of a chronology of physical and biological events that took place during the GLOBEC field years. This chronology has already been started as part of working group sessions held in 2000 and will be completed during the first year of the synthesis effort. The gridding of data sets was also the subject of considerable discussion, in particular the need for a common set of grid points and possibly a common gridding methodology. A group ( D. McGillicuddy, J. Quinlan, T. Durbin, J. Bisagni, and D. Mountain) was formed to come up with a plan for how to do this by the October Broad-scale workshop in late October. Time Series products for Georges Bank that rely on gridded data include data sets of zooplankton species and biomass, temperature, salinity, nutrients, chlorlophyll, POC/DON, ADCP currents, acoustic backscatter (several sources), position of fronts. For the ADCP currents there is an issue of the synoptic time-scale for Bank wide currents and whether it is even possible to create accurate maps given the temporal variability that occurred within the time frame of a cruise. Two items were specifically addressed as "missing" from the synthesis effort that would likely be needed. The absence from the synthesis of larval fish process work and the development of a more realistic metabolic models for larval fish could significantly affect the trophodynamic modeling of the target fish species. Similarly, the absence of cross-frontal zooplankton studies with MOCNESS, VPR, and SeaSoar were considered liabilities. The second day of the meeting (12 July) was held in the conference room at the National Marine Fisheries Service Aquarium in Woods Hole. During the morning on Day two, there was an open discussion to outline a plan of workshops and meetings followed by two working group sessions. The first working group session involved almost all of the investigators and again focused on sharing information about how each of the projects intended to carry out there synthesis plans. During the second session, the zooplankton modeling group met separately to coordinate their internal activities while general discussions amongst the other groups continued. In developing a time line, discussions focused the occurrence of individual project workshops to be held early in Phase IV year one and a larger jointly held data workshop to be held in the latter half of year one. After considerable discussion about the nature of "Phase IV Symposia" that were described in the proposal coordination document prepared by the Georges Bank Executive Committee for use in Phase IV proposals, the term was dropped. Instead the first yearly meeting would be used as a follow-up to data workshop to see how work promulgated there had progressed and to work on synthesis volume publications. Several National and International Meetings (listed below) were targeted as especially important forums in which Phase IV investigators should be encouraged to present the synthesis results. Time Line for Phase IV Workshops/meetings and relevant Scientific Meetings 2002 October International GLOBEC open meeting in China. October - Last half of the month. A Broad-scale Workshop back to back with a PO modeling workshop. November 15 Abstracts Due for the Third International Zooplankton Productivity Symposium 2003 January 7-10: IGBP Post JGOFS/GLOBEC planning meeting in Paris. February ASLO Aquatic Science Meeting March Phase IV Data Workshop - 3.5 days May 20-23 Third International Zooplankton Productivity Symposium. July Last week in Month. Second Joint Phase IV meeting. 2004 February AGU/ASLO Ocean Science Meeting. July U.S. GLOBEC Symposium (this would be a symposium organized by the National Office for all of the investigators in the U.S. Program (Georges Bank, Northeast Pacific, and Southern Ocean). The meeting ended around 1300 on 12 July.