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Working PaperBeach dynamics at Sippewissett Marsh(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1972)This is a preliminary report of a study of beach dynamics at Black Beach, outlying Sippewisset Marsh, near North (West) Falmouth, Massachusetts. This study was initiated in September, 1971, and the analysis of data presented here was completed by August, 1972: most of the work was done in my spare time. This project is not yet completed, but the results to date may be discussed independently. The remainder of the data will be analyzed, as time permits, after the completion of my pre-thesis exams. When the project is completed, I shall prepare a final report.
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Working PaperFinal cruise report and post-cruise sample processing R/V Gulf Challenger “GC Mixo 23-04”(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2023-11-28)A primary topic of interest in the field of biological oceanography is the role of planktonic productivity in the global carbon cycle. Over the past 20+ years, the traditional food web of algal production, zooplanktonic consumers and higher trophic level predators has been undergoing revision with a stronger understanding of the contributions made within the microbial loop. Of particular interest has been mixotrophy, the blurring of trophic mode assignments within the microbial eukaryotes. The overall goal of this cruise was to obtain a snapshot of the prevalence of mixotrophy within the Gulf of Maine and the potential contributions of mixotrophs to copepod diets. This cruise was meant to supplement the previous cruise (2303) during which we were only able to sample one station (WB7). The specific goal for this cruise was to sample WB2.
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Working PaperFinal cruise report and post-cruise sample processing R/V Gulf Challenger “GC Mixo 23-03”(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2023-11-28)A primary topic of interest in the field of biological oceanography is the role of planktonic productivity in the global carbon cycle. Over the past 20+ years, the traditional food web of algal production, zooplanktonic consumers and higher trophic level predators has been undergoing revision with a stronger understanding of the contributions made within the microbial loop. Of particular interest has been mixotrophy, the blurring of trophic mode assignments within the microbial eukaryotes. The overall goal of this cruise was to obtain a snapshot of the prevalence of mixotrophy within the Gulf of Maine and the potential contributions of mixotrophs to copepod diets. We proposed to accomplish this goal by sampling water and zooplankton from 3 stations.
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Working PaperFinal cruise report and post-cruise sample processing R/V Gulf Challenger “GC Mixo 23-02”(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2023-11-28)A primary topic of interest in the field of biological oceanography is the role of planktonic productivity in the global carbon cycle. Over the past 20+ years, the traditional food web of algal production, zooplanktonic consumers and higher trophic level predators has been undergoing revision with a stronger understanding of the contributions made within the microbial loop. Of particular interest has been mixotrophy, the blurring of trophic mode assignments within the The overall goal of this cruise was to obtain a snapshot of the prevalence of mixotrophy within the Gulf of Maine and the potential contributions of mixotrophs to copepod diets. We proposed to accomplish this goal by sampling water and zooplankton from 3 stations.
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Working PaperFinal cruise report and post-cruise sample processing R/V Gulf Challenger “GC Mixo 23-01”(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2023-11-28)A primary topic of interest in the field of biological oceanography is the role of planktonic productivity in the global carbon cycle. Over the past 20+ years, the traditional food web of algal production, zooplanktonic consumers and higher trophic level predators has been undergoing revision with a stronger understanding of the contributions made within the microbial loop. Of particular interest has been mixotrophy, the blurring of trophic mode assignments within the microbial eukaryotes. The overall goal of this cruise was to obtain a snapshot of the prevalence of mixotrophy within the Gulf of Maine and the potential contributions of mixotrophs to copepod diets. We proposed to accomplish this goal by sampling water and zooplankton from 3 stations.
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Working PaperPaths forward for exploring ocean iron fertilization(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2023-10-26)We need a new way of talking about global warming. UN Secretary General António Guterres underscored this when he said the “era of global boiling” has arrived. Although we have made remarkable progress on a very complex problem over the past thirty years, we have a long way to go before we can keep the global temperature increase to below 2°C relative to the pre-industrial times. Climate models suggest that this next decade is critical if we are to avert the worst consequences of climate change. The world must continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and find ways to adapt and build resilience among vulnerable communities. At the same time, we need to find new ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in order to chart a “net negative” emissions pathway. Given their large capacity for carbon storage, the oceans must be included in consideration of our multiple carbon dioxide removal (CDR) options. This report focused on ocean iron fertilization (OIF) for marine CDR. This is by no means a new scientific endeavor. Several members of ExOIS (Exploring Ocean Iron Solutions) have been studying this issue for decades, but the emergence of runaway climate impacts has motivated this group to consider a responsible path forward for marine CDR. That path needs to ensure that future choices are based upon the best science and social considerations required to reduce human suffering and counter economic and ecological losses, while limiting and even reversing the negative impacts that climate change is already having on the ocean and the rest of the planet. Prior studies have confirmed that the addition of small amounts of iron in some parts of the ocean is effective at stimulating phytoplankton growth. Through enhanced photosynthesis, carbon dioxide can not only be removed from the atmosphere but a fraction can also be transferred to durable storage in the deep sea. However, prior studies were not designed to quantify how effective this storage can be, or how wise OIF might be as a marine CDR approach. ExOIS is a consortium that was created in 2022 to consider what OIF studies are needed to answer critical questions about the potential efficiency and ecological impacts of marine CDR (http://oceaniron.org). Owing to concerns surrounding the ethics of marine CDR, ExOIS is organized around a responsible code of conduct that prioritizes activities for the collective benefit of our planet with an emphasis on open and transparent studies that include public engagement. Our goal is to establish open-source conventions for implementing OIF for marine CDR that can be assessed with appropriate monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) protocols, going beyond just carbon accounting, to assess ecological and other non-carbon environmental effects (eMRV). As urgent as this is, it will still take 5 to 10 years of intensive work and considerable resources to accomplish this goal. We present here a “Paths Forward’’ report that stems from a week-long workshop held at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in May 2023 that was attended by international experts spanning atmospheric, oceanographic, and social sciences as well as legal specialists (see inside back cover). At the workshop, we reviewed prior OIF studies, distilled the lessons learned, and proposed several paths forward over the next decade to lay the foundation for evaluating OIF for marine CDR. Our discussion very quickly resulted in a recommendation for the need to establish multiple “Ocean Iron Observatories’’ where, through observations and modeling, we would be able to assess with a high degree of certainty both the durable removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide—which we term the “centennial tonne”—and the ecological response of the ocean. In a five-year phase I period, we prioritize five major research activities: 1. Next generation field studies: Studies of long-term (durable) carbon storage will need to be longer (year or more) and larger (>10,000 km2) than past experiments, organized around existing tools and models, but with greater reliance on autonomous platforms. While prior studies suggested that ocean systems return to ambient conditions once iron infusion is stopped, this needs to be verified. We suggest that these next field experiments take place in the NE Pacific to assess the processes controlling carbon removal efficiencies, as well as the intended and unintended ecological and geochemical consequences. 2. Regional, global and field study modeling Incorporation of new observations and model intercomparisons are essential to accurately represent how iron cycling processes regulate OIF effects on marine ecosystems and carbon sequestration, to support experimental planning for large-scale MRV, and to guide decision making on marine CDR choices. 3. New forms of iron and delivery mechanisms Rigorous testing and comparison of new forms of iron and their potential delivery mechanisms is needed to optimize phytoplankton growth while minimizing the financial and carbon costs of OIF. Efficiency gains are expected to generate responses closer to those of natural OIF events. 4. Monitoring, reporting, and verification: Advances in observational technologies and platforms are needed to support the development, validation, and maintenance of models required for MRV of large-scale OIF deployment. In addition to tracking carbon storage and efficiency, prioritizing eMRV will be key to developing regulated carbon markets. 5. Governance and stakeholder engagement: Attention to social dimensions, governance, and stakeholder perceptions will be essential from the start, with particular emphasis on expanding the diversity of groups engaged in marine CDR across the globe. This feedback will be a critical component underlying future decisions about whether to proceed, or not, with OIF for marine CDR. Paramount in the plan is the need to move carefully. Our goal is to conduct these five activities in parallel to inform decisions steering the establishment of ocean iron observatories at multiple locations in phase II. When completed, this decadal plan will provide a rich knowledge base to guide decisions about if, when, where, and under what conditions OIF might be responsibly implemented for marine CDR. The consensus of our workshop and this report is that now is the time for actionable studies to begin. Quite simply, we suggest that some form of marine CDR will be essential to slow down and reverse the most severe consequences of our disrupted climate. OIF has the potential to be one of these climate mitigation strategies. We have the opportunity and obligation to invest in the knowledge necessary to ensure that we can make scientifically and ethically sound decisions for the future of our planet.
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Working PaperEXport Processes in the Ocean from RemoTe Sensing (EXPORTS) North Atlantic sensor calibration and intercalibration documents(NASA STI Program and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2023-10-11)The following documents collect information regarding the calibration and intercalibration of various sensors that were deployed during the North Atlantic field component of the NASA EXPORTS project (EXPORTS NA), which took place between May 4 and June 1, 2021 (Johnson et al., 2023). The EXPORTS NA campaign was designed to to provide a contrasting end member to the earlier North Pacific field campaign, and focused on carbon export associated with the North Atlantic spring bloom in which gravitational sinking of organic particles, the physical advection and mixing, and active transport by vertically migrating zooplankton are all expected to provide significant flux pathways. During EXPORTS NA data sets were collected from a variety of shipbased, autonomously-piloted, and Lagrangian platforms. Intercalibration activities were tasked to different groups within the EXPORTS project team. Team leads and contact information are listed below. The overarching goal of these activities was to identify a trusted sensor, carry out a careful calibration of this sensor, then base any intercalibraiton needs off of this sensor, occasionally propagating information across platforms. Full details of the intercalibration approach, assumptions, and summary are provided in the attached documents. All calibration and intercalibration activities were completed before data set were uplaoded to the NASA SeaBASS data repository. Data related to this cruise can be publicly accessed at: https://seabass.gsfc.nasa.gov/cruise/EXPORTSNA Updates to calibration and intercalibration documents required to reflect revised data sets will also be provided through SeaBASS. Questions concerning referencing these documents or accessing data sets should be directed to Inia Soto Ramos. NASA EXPORTS Science Lead: David Siegel, davesiegel@ucsb.edu NASA EXPORTS Project Scientist: Ivona Cetini´c, ivona.cetinic@nasa.gov NASA EXPORTS Data Manager: Inia Soto Ramos, inia.m.sotoramos@nasa.gov Calibration and intercalibration leads Temperature and salinity sensors: Andy Thompson, andrewt@caltech.edu Chlorophyll fluorescence sensors: Melissa Omand & Kaley Sten, momand@uri.edu Oxygen sensors: Shawnee Traylor & Roo Nicholson, shawnee@mit.edu Optical backscatter sensors: Xiaodong Zhang, Xiaodong.Zhang@usm.edu Lagrangian float sensors: Eric D’Asaro, dasaro@apl.washington.edu Underway sensors: Leah Johnson, leahjohn@uw.edu Underwater Vision Profiler (UVP)-Particle Size Distribution (PSD): David Siegel, davesiegel@ucsb.edu
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Working PaperEXPORTS North Atlantic eddy tracking(NASA STI Program and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2022-10)The EXPORTS North Atlantic field campaign (EXPORTS-NA) of May 2021 used a diverse array of ship-based and autonomous platforms to measure and quantify processes leading to carbon export in the open ocean. The success of this field program relied heavily on the ability to make measurements following a Lagrangian trajectory within a coherent, retentive eddy (Sections 1, 2). Identifying an eddy that would remain coherent and retentive over the course of a monthlong deployment was a significant challenge that the EXPORTS team faced. This report details the processes and procedures used by the primarily shore-based eddy tracking team to locate, track, and sample with autonomous assets such an eddy before and during EXPORTS-NA.
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Working PaperEXPORTS Measurements and Protocols for the NE Pacific Campaign(NASA STI Program and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2021-02)EXport Processes in the Ocean from Remote Sensing (EXPORTS) is a large-scale NASA-led and NSF co-funded field campaign that will provide critical information for quantifying the export and fate of upper ocean net primary production (NPP) using satellite information and state of the art technology.
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Working PaperSignals, Underwater Sound (SUS), Description, Operation and Handling Instructions, NAVAIR 11-1-107(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1971-09-15)This collection includes scientific instruments and equipment and instrument manuals, catalogs, and other material that are being maintained in conjunction with the collection of oceanographic instruments and equipment presently stored in the Falmouth Technology Park offsite storage facility. Also included in the collection are a video and photographs of a traveling exhibit by the U.S. Navy on historical oceanographic instruments, The Briny Deep Discovered, that included a number of instruments loaned to the Navy by WHOI. The exhibit made its final stop at WHOI to coincide with the Institution's 75th Anniversary, and was located in the lobby of the Clark building. This collection includes scientific equipment and instrument manuals, catalogs, reports, designs, drawings and other material. List of Series: Subject Files Equipment Manuals U.S. Navy Historical Instrument Exhibit WHOI Historical Instrument collection Instrument Development Photographs Oversized Design Drawings
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Working PaperAn oceanographic study of the eastern Mediterranean : a joint Egyptian-U.S.A. research program, sediment sampling operations, Chain cruise 119, leg 2, cruise report(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1975)The sampling program was arranged so that periods of close spaced, intensive sampling on the continental shelf were interspersed with periods of widely-space piston coring in the deep sea, to ensure the proper rest for both scientists and ships' crew. In addition, in order to familiarise both the Egyptian scientists and guest investigators with all of the shipboard operation (for example echo-sounding, data logging, piston coring, dredging, grab and underway sampling, water sampling, an so on), individuals were assigned to different operations under the guidance of Al Driscoll or Bob McGirr or Ed Boyle, on a roatational basis throughout the cruise.
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Working PaperPOLYMODE data inventory, POLYGON Mid-Ocean Dynamics Experiment, June 1981(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1981-06)
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Working PaperWind Waves at Sea(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1950-06)
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BookInternational profiles on marine scientific research : national maritime claims, MSR jurisdiction, and U.S. research clearance histories for the world's coastal states(WHOI Sea Grant Program, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1992)The WHOI Sea Grant International Marine Science Cooperation Program has been tracking maritime claims and the evolving jurisdictions over marine scientific research for 146 coastal states covering the past 21 years. This monograph profiles each coastal state (through February 1992) for its Law of the Sea treaty status, size of marine area, claimed maritime zones, breadth and date of claims, maritime boundaries with other coastal states, jurisdiction over marine scientific research specifying national legislation and extent of jurisdiction, and the coastal state's history with U.S. research clearance requests from 1972-90. The coastal state profiles are followed by a series of tables which show the country data from various perspectives and several figures which illustrate the current situation of national maritime claims and regulation of oceanographic research.
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Working PaperMarine area governance and management in the Gulf of Maine : a case study(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1996-08-01)This case study provides a description and evaluation of marine area governance and management in the Gulf of Maine. On the advice of the Oversight Committee, we began the study at a broad level by identifying marine resources, uses of the resources, existing management regimes, and conflicts among users of the resources. The results of these initial reviews are collected in the tables in Appendix A. The Oversight Committee also suggested that we develop a chronology of important events relating to marine area governance and management in the Gulf of Maine, which is included as Appendix B. As is clear from even a quick scan of the material in Appendix A, almost every conceivable use of the marine environment occurs in the Gulf of Maine at some scale. However, some of these uses are more problematic than others in terms of the governance and management problems they engender. Rather than take a broadbrush approach that might not have done justice to any of the region's many ocean resources and uses, we decided to focus the case study on one or more of its most difficult and consequential governance and management issues. The initial survey enabled us to focus in on a subset of resources, use conflicts, and governance issues, namely those associated mainly with marine fisheries governance and management. Several considerations support the argument for a focus on fisheries governance and management. The marine fisheries are a regional-scale resource and industry, due to the mobility of the fish stocks, the geographic distribution of the users of the resource, and the fact that governance institutions have been designed to have regionwide authority. Thus fisheries mismanagement has the potential to inflict widespread social detriment and significant economic losses. Indeed, the net cost of depleted groundfish stocks under the current management structure, relative to the condition of stocks in an optimally managed fishery, has been estimated at about $139 million annually, or just under one-fifth the landed value of the entire Gulf of Maine commercial catch. Other ocean resources with potentially regional impacts, such as offshore energy, are not being pursued in the Gulf of Maine region at levels that pose significant concerns. Consequently, non-fishery resource management problems in the Gulf of Maine are, for the most part, local in scale, of comparatively minor economic significance, and not unique to the region. There is no evidence, for example, of "system-wide degradation of marine environmental quality in the Gulf of Maine. . . . The Gulf as a whole remains relatively clean, although the deep central basins appear to be accumulating several pollutants, including PAHs and PCBs" (GOMCME 1994; see also Dow and Braasch 1996 and Gould, Clark, and Thurberg 1994). Given that most pollutants of concern are concentrated in inshore waters near urban areas and in the mouths of industrialized rivers, it is not at all clear that they could be dealt with more effectively or efficiently at the regional level. In sum, our focus on fisheries reflects our judgment that the greatest net benefits might be obtained from improvements in the governance and management of these marine resources within the Gulf of Maine region.
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Working PaperA preliminary review of the the amberjacks, genus Seriola, of the western Atlantic(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1958)From the introduction: The genus Seriola belongs to the large and widespread group of carangid fishes which also includes the jacks (genus Caranx) and the pompanos (genus Trachinotus) .as well as other genera. Several species of amberjacks have been recorded in the western Atlantic, and scientific workers still disagree over their nomenclature. I believe that it is fairly easy to separate the various species, once they have acquired their adult characteristics. There are difficulties, however, in determining the correct scientific names for the respective species. A major one arises from the inadequte original descriptions of several of the species and the apparent lack of type specimens for some of them. Moreover, few American workers have been able to examine the types or an adequate amount of material from the respective type localities. Furthermore the important changes in color pattern, in body and fin proportions, and even in counts, which the respective species undergo with growth, tend to make the study of the genus especially difficult. Therefore, for each species it is necessary to examine a series of specimens covering its complete size range. In comparing species, individuals of approximately the same size should be selected, and in dealing with early descriptions it is important to take into consideration the size of the specimens on which they were based.
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Working PaperA review of oyster culture and the oyster industry in North America(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1970)Among the various marine species presently considered appropriate for intensive and controlled culture, the oyster is perhaps most prominent. Ryther and Bardach (1968) have described certain biological criteria that should be satisfied in order for a species to be adaptable to culture: responsiveness to efforts to effect reproduction under captive conditions; tolerance of eggs and larvae to the culture environment; nutritional requirements that may be easily satisfied in this environment; and a relatively rapid rate of growth from egg to maturity. To a large extent the oyster satisfies these criteria, and it possesses other favorable qualities as well. The oyster is sedentary rather than fugitive; its lack of mobility subsequent to the planktonic larval period obviously eliminates certain problems in management associated with fugitive species. Since it is herbivorous, the oyster's nutritional requirements are more readily satisfied, and at greater efficiency, than are those of a carnivore. The oyster is highly fecund, a single female being capable of producing many millions of eggs at a single spawning. Finally, and of considerable importance with respect to economic considerations of aquaculture, oyster culture protentially is highly profitable and is a traditional industry in the majority of coastal states. Therefore, certain marketing and institutional constraints that might apply to the commercial culture of other species are, in the case of the oyster, avoided. The oyster's popularity for cultural purposes is further enhanced by the fact that oyster production during this century has undergone a severe decline, to the extent that the survival of the industry has been seriously questioned (Wallace, 1960). As a result of regional scarcity, e.g., the New England States, the oyster has become a luxury, rather than staple, food item in some areas, with a corresponding high market value. The purpose of this report is to review the current status of oyster culture and the oyster industry in various geographical areas of North America. Although the initial purpose of this study was to describe recent techniques employed in culture, it quickly became apparent that the various approaches to, and methods of, culture reflected the socio-economic conditions of the industry in the area concerned. For this reason, this report will attempt to describe the various reasons as to why certain methods of culture have, or have not, been adopted, which, in addition to advances in technology, would include a broad· spectrum of nontechnical factors and constraints. The subject of aquaculture is becoming of increasing interest, in this country and elsewhere. Despite its current glamour, however, the development of this industry will be impeded, and in certain areas prevented, by factors not necessarily technical in nature. Such factors will be discussed in this report. It is hoped that certain of the information contained here may therefore be of interest to those not necessarily engaged in oyster culture or in the oyster industry but rather in any form of coastal water use, since certain of the problems described arc not restricted to the former group alone. The information contained in this report was obtained by means of personal interview with members of the industry and with scientists involved in oyster research, and by a review of pertinent literature. In view of the large number of oyster culture and research operations and investigations being undertaken in North America, only representative groups and agencies could be contacted during the period allocated for this study. The interest and cooperation of those who provided this information are acknowledged in an appendix to this report.
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Working PaperAbstracts with program : second International Conference on Paleoceanography, Woods Hole, 6-13 September, 1986(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1986)
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Recording, acousticalWhale and porpoise voices : a phonograph record(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1962)The vocal sounds of cetaceans are a little known and even less understood feature of the complex adaptation of these animals, whose ancestors lived on the dry land, to an entirely aquatic existence. Even in the clearest surface waters, sight is limited to about a hundred feet or less in daytime, and visibility ranges are mostly negligibly short for fast-swimming animals, so that they are effectively partly or wholly blinded. Therefore sound and hearing have an especially important place in their lives. Sound is used not only in direct communication, but also to a large degree in navigation and hunting (echo-location). The excerpts presented here are samples of such sounds made by eighteen species, all obtained by eavesdropping in the open sea (except for the Inia selection, which was made in captivity). These recordings have not been speeded up or slowed down, and so are true in natural frequency and time; there has been no editing or filtering except as noted.
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Working PaperA bibliography of physical, chemical, and biological studies of rings in the world's oceans(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1983)This bibliography marks the end of several years of sporadic attempts to put together a set of references on rings. The scope of the effort encompasses the chemistry, biology, and physics of the long-lived, coherent features which are commonly referred to as rings after Fuglister (1972). There is a vast literature on the mesoscale eddy field in different parts of the world. The present set of references includes a subset of this body of work. The basic criterion used in the compilation of this bibliography is fairly narrow compared to the range of eddies found in the world's oceans. The emphasis here is on the highly nonlinear features formed due to the instability processes in boundary currents and in the planetary scale jet which surrounds the Antarctic. The nomenclature "ring", refers to the strong encircling current which forms a kinematic trap in which the core of the ring is embedded.