Use Case 1: Overview of Kelp Forest Nitrogen Budget

Overview of Scientific Problem:

Nitrogen is essential for kelp growth. Scientist would like to know the sources of nitrogen for kelp forests along the California Coast (Santa Barbara and Monterey).  Kelp takes up nitrogen from water in dissolved form, as nitrate (NO3), nitrite (NO2) and ammonium (NH4). Growth of kelp and nutrient uptake varies seasonally. Major sources of nitrogen for kelp include the Pacific Ocean (carried by ocean currents), and various rivers and streams which enter the ocean near the kelp forest. Delivery for both sources varies seasonally. Scientist would like to know the relative importance of these two sources to kelp growth, and resulting nitrogen-content of kelp tissue. Both ocean delivery modes and nitrogen content, and stream discharge rate and stream nitrogen concentration are affect by large-scale climatic events. Scientists will want to the effect of El Nino events on nitrogen delivery and kelp budgets. 

{Pacific} Kelp Nitrogen budget: Overview of Use case steps

1. Find distribution of kelp forests (of interest)
   
2. Estimate (historical) terrestrial N inputs
3. Estimate (historical) oceanic N inputs
4. Estimate N usage by kelp
5. Calculate overall budget
6. Compare budget in El Nino vs non El Nino years

Specific Challenge Tasks

1. Discovery: Discover data on concentrations of dissolved nitrogen contributed to Kelp forest from Santa Barbara and Monterey that is outside the kelp forest but within 1km distance. Discover data describing water flow which can be used to calculate delivery of dissolved nitrogen
   
1. requires polygon/footprint for the kelp forest locations as input
2. data can come from different sources (moorings, ship samples, AUV sample)
3. data will come from both terrestrial and oceanic sources
   
2. Assessment: Determine if given data sources can be used in particular methods for estimating Nitrogen delivery
   
1. requires describing and matching constraints of the nitrogen estimation model of interest
   
3. Integration: Create a derived data product that contains observations from each of the appropriate data sources with an estimate of Nitrogen delivery (mass per time vectors) at given scale X (space+time) for each kelp bed
1. requires combining concentration data with current data to produce mass flow vectors

Use Case 1a: Estimate Nitrogen Input from streams into Kelp forest systems for Pacific Coast (Use Case 1a: Nitrogen Input )

• Goal
• Discover data that quantifies sources of Nitrogen (terrestrial streams emptying to ocean, and delivered by ocean  currents) for various kelp systems
• Calculate an estimated budget nitrogen sources for the system using historical data
  

Use Case 1b: Nitrogen Budget for Kelp forest systems for Pacific Coast (Use Case 1b: Nitrogen Budget in Kelp Forest )

• Goal
• Discover data that quantifies sources of Nitrogen in various kelp systems
• Calculate a nitrogen budget for the system using historical data
  

Use Case 1c: Predict effects of El Nino on Nitrogen Budget for Kelp forest systems for Pacific Coast (Use Case 1c: El Niño Effect )

• Goal
• Then predict nitrogen in Kelp in El Nino vs non-El Nino years (requires integration across data sources)