The Washburn Lab is focused on understanding how ocean circulation processes affect marine communities in ocean environments.
The lab currently has a number of research projects going on including studies to understand:
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transient circulation processes along the California coast that develop in response to the changing winds
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how oceanographic processes control ocean acidification in coastal waters near shore
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coastal ocean dynamics using surface current patterns that are mapped using radio waves
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how coastal current patterns control dispersal and settlement of marine organisms into near shore habitats as part of the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO)
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physical-biological coupling as part of the Santa Barbara Coastal and Moorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research (SBC-LTER and MCR-LTER) projects.
Members of the Washburn Lab are currently prototyping with UAVs to help better collect data.