Abstract

Quantifying the coastal ocean response to climate changes requires us to first define the intrinsic coastal ocean variability on synoptic, seasonal and interannual time scales at the present time. Fundamental scientific questions to be addressed include: 1) what are the synoptic variability, seasonal characteristics, and interannual variations of coastal circulation; 2) what are the processes that lead to the large exchange of heat, salt, sediment, nutrient and carbon on the shelf; and 3) how does coastal circulation variability influence marine ecosystems? The talk will present some of my group's efforts and findings using in situ observations and coupled numerical models to understand coastal circulation dynamics, air-sea interaction, and biogeochemical processes in the northwest Atlantic coastal ocean.

Bio

Dr. He is a Distinguished Professor of North Carolina State University and an Adjunct Scientist of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. His research expertise spans from coastal circulation dynamics, air-sea interaction, to biophysical interactions. As the director of the Ocean Observing and Modeling Group (OOMG), he conducts coastal ocean observations, remote sensing data analyses, and also leads the development of prediction models of ocean circulation, air-sea-wave interactions, physical-biogeochemical couplings, as well as data assimilation.  Dr. He served as an Associated Editor for Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans, and as a guest editor for Ocean Dynamics. He also serves on the editorial boards of several other scientific journals and on the organizing committees of several major international science meetings. He is the vice-chair (chair) of Gordon Research Conference on Coastal Ocean Dynamics in 2015 (2017). He is presently also a member of UNOLS Ocean Observing Science Committee, a member of Integrated Ocean Observing System- National Modeling Steering Team, and a science team member of International GODAE OceanView project.