Physical Oceanography Division
305-361-4328
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Ryan H. Smith Physical Oceanography Division 305-361-4328 |
Research Interests
| • | regional circulation of south Florida coastal waters |
| • | circulation patterns and water mass transport into and out of the Caribbean Sea |
| • | implementation of moored oceanographic sensor arrays |
| • | development of real-time oceanographic monitoring stations |
| • | lowered and hull-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler applications |
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| I am presently involved with the following research programs: | |
| • NOAA's South Florida Program / South Florida Regional Observing System (SF-ROS) | |
| • USVI Larval Reef Fish Distribution and Supply Study a SEFSC/ELH - AOML/PhOD collaborative project | |
| • Western Boundary Time Series in the Atlantic Ocean (WBTS) |
Recent Talks
| • | Collaborative 'Fisheries Oceanography' |
| An overview of the USVI Larval Reef Fish Distribution and Supply Study | |
| Presented by T. L. Gerard (SEFSC) and R. H. Smith (AOML) to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) Conservation and Fisheries Department in Road Town, Tortola, April 14, 2009. | |
Abstract The United States Virgin Islands' (USVI) Grammanik Bank, located to the south of St. Thomas, is the site of a multi-species spawning aggregation for economically important fish including yellowfin grouper, Nassau grouper, tiger grouper, and dog snapper. Fishing pressure at this suspected source of larval recruits prompted the US Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) in 2004 to close the bank yearly from February to April. A series of banks south of the USVI (St. Thomas and St. John) and the British Virgin Islands (BVI) provide similar habitats and spawning aggregation sites. Prior to the inception of this study, the biological and physical processes which drive production on these banks, the circulation connecting these banks, and the flows across these banks had not been quantified. As the 2004 management decisions were made in the absence of these data, regional Marine Protected Area (MPA) designations and temporary closures are presently based on professional judgment rather than quantifiable, defensible scientific information. In addition, meeting new annual catch limit (ACL) requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens reauthorization has become a priority of the CFMC. However, data limitations preclude comprehensive stock assessments for most fisheries in the region. To address these data gaps, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists from the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) and the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) in Miami, Florida, working with scientists from the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) and the USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) in St. Thomas, are presently conducting a multi-year, interdisciplinary research project utilizing the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster to conduct biological and physical oceanographic surveys of the Virgin Islands (VI) bank ecosystems and surrounding regional waters. The long-term sustainability of fisheries in the VI and surrounding regions will depend on a comprehensive understanding of regional spawning aggregations, larval transport, and overall larval recruitment in the study area. This endeavor is directed at answering one over-arching question: How are the unprotected VI banks, MPAs such as the Hind Bank Marine Conservation District, seasonally closed areas such as Grammanik Bank, inshore areas and adjacent islands ecologically linked via regional reef fish larval dispersal, transport, and life-history patterns? Data collected from this program will not only provide information on a data-poor region, but have the potential to address two specific needs identified through a comprehensive review process recently completed by SEFSC and CFMC. First, should fish stocks be delineated from individual island groups (e.g. Puerto Rico, St. Thomas/St. John, and St. Croix), from the US Caribbean, or from the broader Caribbean region? This interdisciplinary effort will provide information on the interconnectivity of fish populations and assist in this stock delineation. Secondly, indices of abundance have been identified as a critical component of the length-based assessment methods currently employed in the US Caribbean. However, regional indices are lacking, or in some cases nonexistent. This project will serve to improve existing and generate new indices of abundance for the study area.
Available for download...
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| • | Volume Transport and Variability at Windward Passage |
| Smith, R. H., W. E. Johns, E. M. Johns (2007), Volume transport and variability at Windward Passage, EOS Trans. AGU, 88(23), Jt. Assem. Suppl., Abstract OS52A-08. | |
| Presented at the AGU 2007
Joint Assembly, held in Acapulco, May 22-25, 2007 (presented by second author).
Abstract
The Gulf Stream system is fed via Atlantic inflow through the passages of the
Bahamas and the Caribbean. In contrast to the large amount of research focusing
on the downstream components of this system (Florida Current, Gulf Stream, Gulf Stream
extension), far fewer measurements of Atlantic inflow into the Caribbean Sea through
the Caribbean passages have been made. Of all of the major Caribbean passages, the
volume transport and variability through Windward Passage is probably the least well
understood, even though it is recognized as an important inflow channel.
Between October 2003 and February 2005, a moored current meter array was deployed
across the shallowest part of Windward Passage, and four hydrographic and lowered-ADCP
surveys were conducted in the region. Stations were located along sections at Windward
Passage and passages upstream, including passages between Cuba and Great Inagua, and
Haiti and Great Inagua, and selected passages through the southern Bahamas and Turks
and Caicos. Sections were also occupied downstream of Windward Passage across the
axis of the Cayman Basin. The transport entering Windward Passage is highly variable,
including reversals to net outflow. Transports measured during the cruises ranged
from -0.3 Sv (outflow) to 9.4 Sv (inflow), with an average inflow of 3.8 Sv.
Corresponding transports derived from the current meter array range from
approximately -5 to 15 Sv, with an average inflow of 3.6 Sv. On average there is net
inflow in the surface and thermocline layers (above ~600 m), net outflow in the
intermediate layer (~700-1200 m), and a deep inflow just above the bottom.
Data gathered from lowered and hull-mounted instrumentation during these surveys
have helped to resolve the vertical and horizontal structure of the flow through the
passage and will be used in conjunction with the hydrographic data to quantify the
volumes of the different water masses flowing through the passage and their regional pathways.
Available for download...
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| • | Fisheries Oceanography in the Virgin Islands: Preliminary Results from a Collaborative Research Endeavor |
| Smith, R. H., T. L. Gerard, E. M. Johns, J. T. Lamkin (2008), Fisheries Oceanography in the Virgin Islands: Preliminary Results from a Collaborative Research Endeavor, EOS Trans. AGU, 89(23), Jt. Assem. Suppl., Abstract OS43A-02 | |
| Presented at the AGU 2008 Joint
Assembly, held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, May 27-30, 2008.
Abstract
A multi-species spawning aggregation located on the banks south of
St. Thomas includes several economically important fish species,
including dog snapper, yellowfin grouper, Nassau grouper, and tiger
grouper. Increased fishing pressure on these banks has prompted the
Caribbean Fisheries Council to take actions such as seasonally closing
fishing grounds and establishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
Due to a lack of biological and oceanographic data for the region,
these management decisions have been based on professional judgment
rather than scientific data.
In response to this situation, NOAA scientists from SEFSC and AOML
began an interdisciplinary field study in the region in 2007. Research
cruises utilize biological sampling techniques such as MOCNESS, neuston,
and bongo trawl tows simultaneously with standard physical sampling
methods such as CTD/LADCP casts, hull-mounted water velocity measurements,
and Lagrangian drifter deployments. The three year project aims to
determine how the unprotected banks of the Virgin Islands and surrounding
region, the seasonally closed banks and MPAs, and near-shore areas are
ecologically linked in terms of larval dispersal, transport, and life
history patterns. This collaboration should produce an assessment, based
on scientific data, of the effectiveness of Caribbean Research Council
management decisions and suggest modifications and improvements to current
policy. Additionally, this project will also provide fisheries independent
data, and develop ecological indices which can be integrated into stock
assessment models.
Analysis of data gathered during the project's first research cruise is
yielding preliminary results. A total of 26,809 fish larvae were collected
from the Grammanik and Hind Banks and surrounding regions. Of this total,
585 Serranidae (grouper) and 93 Lutjanidae (snapper) larval specimens were
collected. Typical sampling transects included near-shore, shelf-break,
and offshore regimes. The most economically important species were
recovered at the near-shore sites, south of St. Thomas, St. John, and
British Virgin Islands and not on the reef /shelf-break sites as expected.
Concurrent Lagrangian drifter trajectories and shipboard ADCP measurements
showed a high degree of variability in regional surface water flow.
Possible transport pathways as related to the spatial distribution of the
larvae collected and the physical oceanography observed will be discussed.
Available for download...
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| • | Post-Katrina Pollutant and Contaminant Pathways: Downstream Transport or Local Retention? |
| Smith, R. H., P. B. Ortner, V. H. Kourafalou, T. N. Lee, E. M. Johns, S. R. Cummings, C. R. Kelble, C. Hu. (2006), Post-Katrina pollutant and contaminant pathways: downstream transport or local retention?, EOS Trans. AGU, 87(36), Ocean Sci. Meet. Suppl., Abstract OS16H-18 | |
| Presented at the Ocean Sciences 2006
Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, February 20-24, 2006.
Abstract
As part of a long-term study we have been conducting interdisciplinary
shipboard surveys, deploying moored instrumentation and Lagrangian drifters,
analyzing remote-sensing data and developing regional models of south Florida's
coastal and oceanic waters. The south Florida regional observing system and
the Regional South Florida Hybrid Coordinate Model (SoFLA-HYCOM) are being used
to evaluate changes in circulation and water properties around Florida Bay, the
Florida Keys, and the Dry Tortugas.
South Florida's unique coastal ecosystems have been frequently influenced by
remote events outside of our study area. In particular, we have episodically
observed the incursion of waters originating well to the north in the Gulf of
Mexico including Mississippi River water. The Loop Current/Florida Current
system, with its complex eddy field, provides a delivery mechanism for this
input.
It was apparent that our regional efforts alone would not suffice to determine
the probability of pollutant exposures resulting from the landfall of
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As a contribution to the overall federal
response, AOML and its academic and industry collaborators, along with the
State of Florida, initiated a coordinated set of oceanographic cruises,
coastal and ocean drifter deployments, analyses of satellite data and
numerical simulation results (HYCOM Consortium for Data Assimilation) to
address this specific issue. Data and analyses were made available to the
public in near real-time via the Internet:
http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/ocd/hurricaneresponse/2005.html
The mechanisms of offshore or alongshore transport, of removal or retention,
are highly variable since they are influenced by the development and evolution
of the buoyant Mississippi River plume, local wind stress, and the interaction
between coastal and large scale flows. In addition, the exact position of the
Loop Current front and associated spin-off or frontal eddies is a major factor
facilitating or preventing downstream transport to south Florida. Shipboard
survey data, station data, satellite observations, and numerical simulations
are used to address the contributions of these various processes.
Our synthesis of the data and model results suggests that while some water
originating just west of the Mississippi delta was carried offshore eventually
reaching south Florida waters, coastal retention and westward alongshore
transport processes were dominant in the weeks following hurricanes Katrina
and Rita. Moreover, these powerful hurricanes greatly influenced the eddy
field in the Gulf of Mexico, affecting subsequent pathways of Mississippi
waters around the delta and beyond.
Available for download...
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| • | The Influence of the 2005 Hurricane Season on Water Quality in Florida Bay and Surrounding Coastal Waters |
| Presented at the Florida Bay and Adjacent
Marine Systems Science Conference held in Duck Key, Florida,
December 11-14, 2005.
Abstract
The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was one of the most active ever recorded.
Of the 27 named storms, four hurricanes: Dennis, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma
directly affected south Florida and the surrounding coastal ocean.
Synoptic events, such as the passage of tropical cyclones, can have a
significant impact on water quality in areas where coastal waters are relatively
shallow such as Florida Bay, the Southwest Florida Shelf,
and the Florida Keys reef tract. The rapid precipitation, runoff, and direct
wind forcing associated with these storms produced measurable
changes in these waters.
As part of a long-term study funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's (NOAA) Coastal Ocean Program (COP), scientists from NOAA's
Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), the University of
Miami's (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), and
the University of South Florida's (USF) College of Marine Science (CMS) monitor
the physical, chemical, and biological properties of south Florida coastal
waters on a regular basis. Scientists utilize bimonthly regional hydrographic
surveys, monthly bay surveys (Florida and Biscayne), moored instrumentation,
Lagrangian drifters, and remote sensing techniques to gain a more comprehensive
understanding of how regional flow patterns and the resulting spatial
distribution of water properties are influenced by the Gulf of Mexico, the
Straits of Florida, and runoff from the south Florida watershed. These water
properties (salinity, chlorophyll concentration, turbidity, dissolved organic
matter, etc.) and their spatial distribution are a direct measure of the
condition of south Florida coastal ecosystems.
Routine hydrographic
surveys collecting continuous flow-through measurements and discrete vertical
station measurements of salinity, temperature, fluorescence, and transmittance
were completed on the Southwest Florida Shelf, the Florida Keys reef tract, and
in Florida and Biscayne Bays. During these surveys, moored instrumentation
deployed about the region, including acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP),
conductivity/temperature sensors (CT), fluorometers, and transmissometers, were
recovered, refurbished, and redeployed. Additionally, the region was regularly
seeded with Lagrangian shallow water surface drifters at Charlotte Harbor,
Shark River, and the Dry Tortugas.
Following Katrina, rapid response hydrographic surveys were also conducted in
Florida and Biscayne Bays. Preliminary results from these surveys show a
marked decrease in salinity due to direct precipitation and extensive runoff
through canals and rivers around the region. An increase in chlorophyll
concentration and water turbidity (decreased transmittance) was also recorded,
likely due to the resuspension of sediments and associated microphytes caused
by wind driven mixing of the water column. These survey results agree with
data recorded at real-time stations in the moored array.
The influence of the tropical cyclone can be seen in the data logs from Moser
Channel Real-Time Oceanographic Monitoring Station, located at the Seven-Mile
Bridge in the Florida Keys (http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/sfros/moser). In
addition, drifter trajectories during late August (not shown) emphasized the
effects that tropical cyclones can have on the regional circulation, recording
translations of up to 20 nautical miles in 24 hours
(http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/sfros/drifters).
Moored non-real-time data
covering the time period of this synoptic event will be compared with
collected survey data, drifter trajectories, and moored real-time data
following scheduled instrumentation recoveries in October 2005.
Available for download...
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Publications
| Articles | |
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Smith, Ryan H. (2010) Atlantic-Caribbean Exchange through
Windward Passage. Masters Thesis, University of Miami, Coral Gables.
130p.
Kelble, C. R., W. K. Nuttle, E. Johns, T. N. Lee, C. Hittle, R. H. Smith, and P. B. Ortner (2007). Salinity patterns of Florida Bay. Estuaries 71, 318-334. Lee, T. N., E. Johns, N. Melo, R. H. Smith, P. B. Ortner, and D. Smith (2006). On Florida Bay hypersalinity and water exchange. Bull. Mar. Sci., 79(2), 301-327. |
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| Abstracts | |
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Smith, R. H., T. L. Gerard, E. M. Johns, J. T. Lamkin (2008), Fisheries
Oceanography in the Virgin Islands: Preliminary Results from a
Collaborative Research Endeavor,
EOS Trans. AGU, 89(23), Jt. Assem. Suppl., Abstract OS43A-02
Johns, W. E., R. H. Smith, E. M. Johns, W. D. Wilson (2008), The Caribbean Mass Budget Revisited, EOS Trans. AGU, 89(23), Jt. Assem. Suppl., Abstract OS34A-03 Johns, E. M., R. H. Smith, J. T. Lamkin (2008), Connectivity of the South Florida Coral Reef Ecosystem to Upstream Waters of the Western Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, EOS Trans. AGU, 89(23), Jt. Assem. Suppl., Abstract OS43A-06 Smith, R. H., W. E. Johns, E. M. Johns (2007), Volume transport and variability at Windward Passage, EOS Trans. AGU, 88(23), Jt. Assem. Suppl., Abstract OS52A-08. Johns, W. E., R. H. Smith, J. Molina (2007), Deep overflow of Atlantic waters to the Caribbean Sea through Windward Passage, EOS Trans. AGU, 88(23), Jt. Assem. Suppl., Abstract OS52A-03. Smith, R. H., P. B. Ortner, V. H. Kourafalou, T. N. Lee, E. M. Johns, S. R. Cummings, C. R. Kelble, C. Hu. (2006), Post-Katrina pollutant and contaminant pathways: downstream transport or local retention?, EOS Trans. AGU, 87(36), Ocean Sci. Meet. Suppl., Abstract OS16H-18 Johns, B., E. M. Johns, R. H. Smith (2006), Bifurcation of the Atlantic Deep Western Boundary Current through the southern Bahamas, EOS Trans. AGU, 87(36), Ocean Sci. Meet. Suppl., Abstract OS54K-04 Smith, R. H., E. M. Johns, S. R. Cummings, P. B. Ortner, C. R. Kelble, N. Melo, T. N. Lee. The Influence of the 2005 hurricane season on water quality in Florida Bay and surrounding coastal waters. Proceedings, 2005 Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Conference, Duck Key, FL December 11-14, 2005. University of Florida, 146-147 2005. Johns, E., R. H. Smith, P. B. Ortner, T. N. Lee, C. R. Kelble, N. Melo. Real-time oceanographic and meteorological observations in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Proceedings, 2005 Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Conference, Duck Key, FL December 11-14, 2005. University of Florida, 133-134 2005. Johns, E., R. H. Smith, P. B. Ortner, T. N. Lee, C. R. Kelble, N. Melo. Salinity variability in south Florida coastal waters, 1995-2005. Proceedings, 2005 Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Conference, Duck Key, FL December 11-14, 2005. University of Florida, 135-136 2005. Lee, T. N., E. M. Johns, N. Melo, R. H. Smith, P. B. Ortner, D. Smith, N. Smith. On Florida Bay hypersalinity and water exchange. Proceedings, 2005 Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Conference, Duck Key, FL December 11-14, 2005. University of Florida, 123-124 2005. Johns, E., P. Ortner, R.H. Smith, C. Kelble, S. Cummings, J. Hendee, N. Melo, T.N. Lee, E.Williams, New interdisciplinary oceanographic observations in the coastal waters adjacent to Florida Bay. Proceedings, 2003 Joint Conference on the Science and Restoration of the Greater Everglades and Florida Bay Ecosystem, Palm Harbor, FL April 13-18, 2003. University of Florida, 45-47 2003. Lee, T.N., E. Williams, E. Johns, R.H. Smith, N. Melo. Circulation and exchange processes within Florida Bay interior basins. Proceedings, 2003 Joint Conference on the Science and Restoration of the Greater Everglades and Florida Bay Ecosystem, Palm Harbor, FL April 13-18, 2003. University of Florida, 26-27 2003. Melo, N., T.N. Lee, E. Williams, D. Smith, M. Framinan, R.H. Smith, E. Johns. A movie of Florida Bay sea level response to local wind forcing. Proceedings, 2003 Joint Conference on the Science and Restoration of the Greater Everglades and Florida Bay Ecosystem, Palm Harbor, FL April 13-18, 2003. University of Florida, 59-60 2003. Johns, E., R.H. Smith, W.D. Wilson, T.N. Lee, and E. Williams. Influence of hurricanes, tropical storms, and cold fronts on south Florida coastal waters. Proceedings, 2001 Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Conference, Key Largo, FL, April 23-26, 2001. University of Florida, 14-15 2001 Johns, E., P.B. Ortner, R.H. Smith, W.D. Wilson, T.N. Lee, and E. Williams. Salinity variability in Florida Bay from monthly high resolution surveys. Proceedings, 2001 Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Conference, Key Largo, FL, April 23-26, 2001. University of Florida, 16-17 2001 Fratantoni, D.M., P.L. Richardson, W.E. Johns, C.I. Fleurant, R.H. Smith, S.L. Garzoli, W.D. Wilson, and G.J. Go?i. The North Brazil Current Rings Experiment. AGU 1999 Spring Meeting, Boston, MA, June 1-4, 1999. Supplement to EOS, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 80(17):S179, OS31B-10 1999 Smith, R.H. IASlinks.org: Online management and distribution of oceanographic and meteorological data for the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Proceedings, First Biennial Intra-Americas Sea Initiative (IASI) Science Meeting, Panama City, Panama, November 9-11, 1999. University of Miami 1999 Wilson, W.D., E. Johns, R.H. Smith, T.N. Lee, and E. Williams. Interaction of freshwater riverine discharges from the Everglades with the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Bay: Preliminary results from a moored array and shipboard surveys. 1999 Florida Bay and Adjacent Marine Systems Science Conference, Programs and Abstracts, Key Largo, FL, November 1-5, 1999. University of Florida Sea Grant Program, 175-177 1999 Wilson, W.D., S.L. Garzoli, G.J. Goni, W.E. Johns, R.H. Smith, C.I. Fleurant, P.L. Richardson, and D.M. Fratantoni. The North Brazil Current Retroflection: Two recent surveys. AGU 1999 Spring Meeting, Boston, MA, June 1-4, 1999. Supplement to EOS, Transactions, American Geophysical Union,80(17):S179, OS31B-11 1999 Sheinbaum, J., J. Candela, J. Ochoa, A. Badan, I. Gonzalez, W.D. Wilson, and R.H. Smith. Velocity and transport measurements with a lower-acoustic Doppler current profile in the Yucatan Channel: Some preliminary results. Proceedings, Conference on the Transports and Linkages of the Intra-Americas Sea (IAS), Cozumel, Mexico, November 1-5, 1997. IOC/IOCARIBE/MMS, 57 1998 |
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| Technical Reports | |
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Fleurant, C.I., W.D. Wilson, W. Johns, S.L. Garzoli, R.H. Smith, D. Fratantoni,
P. Richardson, and G.J. Goni. CTD/O2, LADCP, and XBT measurements collected
aboard the R/V Seward Johnson, February-March 1999: North Brazil Current Rings
Experiment, cruise 2 (NBC-2). NOAA Data Report, OAR-AOML-37, 291 pp. 2000
Fleurant, C.I., W.D. Wilson, W. Johns, S.L. Garzoli, R.H. Smith, D. Fratantoni, P. Richardson, and G.J. Goni. CTD/O2, LADCP, and XBT measurements collected aboard the R/V Seward Johnson, February-March 2000: North Brazil Current Rings Experiment, cruise 3 (NBC-3). NOAA Data Report, OAR-AOML-38, 251 pp. 2000 Fleurant, C.I., W.D. Wilson, W. Johns, S.L. Garzoli, R.H. Smith, D. Fratantoni, P. Richardson, and G.J. Goni. CTD/O2, LADCP, and XBT measurements collected aboard the R/V Seward Johnson, November-December 1998: North Brazil Current Rings Experiment, cruise 1 (NBC-1). NOAA Data Report, OAR-AOML 39, 274 pp. 2000 Crane, M.L., R.H. Smith, M.H. Bushnell, W.D. Wilson, and S. Tosini. NSWC moored ADCP data, 1994 (Straits of Florida, 26°04.00'N, 80°03.50'W). CD-ROM, NODC-59, National Oceanographic Data Center, Washington, D.C. 1995
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