This award supports cooperative research in physical oceanography to be conducted by Bjorn Kjerfve of the University of South Carolina in collaboration with Bastiaan Knoppers of the Universidade Federal Fluminense in Niteroi, Brazil. The work will consist of the measurement of the dynamic characteristics of the largest coastal lagoon along the Fluminense coastline. It is vital to establish a base line for lagoon dynamics before planned intense development begins. This lagoon is hypersaline, being choked off from the ocean (unlike estuaries where there is a mixing zone). Characteristics to be measured include salinity structure, sedimentation rates (runoff), wind effects, nutrient concentration, temperatures and evaporation rates and tidal dynamics. These data will be compared to those taken in other fresh and brackish water lagoons in which previous oceanographic and ecological studies have been carried out. There are coastal lagoons around the world, notably in New England and the Gulf coast of the U.S. Not all of them are in arid climates but climatic variability affects hydrological and ecological processes and the study of this hypersaline example will extend the range of such effects. It will also add to the extensive biological, chemical, geological and geographical work in progress as well as investigations in health, sociology and economics studies underway on these lagoons. Modelling and the use of this data will help develop predictive capability for linear and nonlinear processes in lagoon systems. Kjerfve's experience in hydrology and ecology will complement those of the Brazilian multidisciplinary team and in particular the biogeochemical work of Knoppers. Students will participate in the work in Brazil and some will follow this field work with Ph.D. studies in the U.S.
