Hypoxia forecasts as a tool for Chesapeake Bay fisheries

The Estuarine Hypoxia component of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System Coastal and Ocean Modeling Testbed (COMT) is evaluating existing hydrodynamic and water quality models used, or likely to be used, for operations in the Chesapeake Bay. As a proof-of-concept, an implementation of the Regional Ocean Modeling System in the Chesapeake Bay (ChesROMS) is linked to a simple respiration model for hypoxia (Hypoxia_SRM). The modeling system is presently being used to produce real-time nowcasts and short-term (3-day) hypoxia forecasts for the Chesapeake Bay, which are currently available on the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) website. Workshops with citizen stakeholders have explored potential applications of the estuarine hypoxia nowcast/forecast products in support of recreational and commercial fishing. Interest in this product is high, particularly by recreational fishermen and charter boat captains, since reduced catch per unit effort in the Bay is clearly associated with regions where dissolved oxygen is low. This presentation reviews the insights gained at these stakeholder workshops, including how these stakeholders might apply these products to improve the efficiency and success of their fishing activities and what forecast presentation formats are most useful. Future work involves transporting the hypoxia forecast tool to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System (MARACOOS), and eventually linking the product with NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Operational Forecasting System (CBOFS)