Patterns of Potential Temperature Risk During Intertidal Emergence in Different Tide Regimes
Katherine
Allison
Smith, University of South Carolina, kasmith@biol.sc.edu
(Presenting)
David
Wethey, University of South Carolina, wethey@biol.sc.edu
Brian
Helmuth, University of South Carolina, helmuth@biol.sc.edu
Organisms living in marine intertidal zones are exposed to terrestrial conditions during a portion of each day. When low tide occurs during midday in summer, organisms may reach high body temperatures that are physiologically harmful. Therefore timing of the low tide is important for determining thermally risky areas. Past studies have shown variability in the timing low tide across regions and continents using predictions from individual tide stations. However, individual tide stations do not provide the spatial information necessary for determining large-scale patterns in the timing of the low tide. We used the OSU Tidal Inversion Software which is based on TOPEX POSEIDON/Jason I altimetry data for the timing of low tide and the NASA JPL Horizons software for solar elevations to model potential temperature risk. While this method does not account for wind, waves, and local topography, it does provide a useful baseline to select potentially interesting areas for more localized studies on the effects of thermal stress.
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