Project Grant 2242163

This $405,733 project grant from the National Science Foundation Division of Ocean Sciences, under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050), will fund research examining submesoscale frontal dynamics and exchange processes in San Luis Obispo Bay, California. Over a three-year period from September 2023 to August 2026, San Jose State University will lead efforts to measure ocean flows, temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen using ship-based instruments and ocean bottom sensors. These field data will be supplemented by high-resolution computer modeling at different spatial scales to resolve fronts. The project will also evaluate biological implications of physical processes generating and dissipating fronts, and their influence on hypoxia and algal blooms in the bay. Broader impacts include supporting early-career researchers, engaging students from diverse institutions, and producing outreach graphics for a local aquarium.