Coastal Observatory Investigates Energetic Current Oscillations on Southeast Florida Shelf

Coastal circulation along the southeast Florida shelf is strongly related to the dynamics of the Florida Current. The current follows the steep bottom terrain along the shelf break separating the deep ocean from the coastal zone (Figure 1 a, b). Energetic and complex flow regimes arise along the current's western edge, causing transient features such as sub-meso-scale eddies [ Lee and Mayer, 1977; Shay et al., 2000] and energetic internal oscillations [ Mooers, 1975; Soloviev et al., 2003], which affect mixing between the shelf and deeper ocean waters. Understanding of these regimes is important for modeling and prediction of the coastal circulation on the southeast Florida shelf and description of western boundary current/continental shelf interactions.