Phytoplankton biomass and community structure have undergone dramatic changes in estuarine and coastal ecosystems over the past several decades in response to climate variability and human disturbance. These changes have short- and longer-term impacts on global carbon and nutrient cycling, food web structure and productivity, and coastal ecosystem services. The SCOR Working Group 137: “Global Patterns of Phytoplankton Dynamics in Coastal Ecosystems: Comparative Analysis of Time Series Observations” was formed in 2009 to examine the questions: 1) the qualitative character of the ecosystem responses (“what changes”), 2) their amplitudes (“by how much”), and 3) their timing and spatial and temporal scales (“when and where are rates of change the strongest.” This two day workshop is the fourth in a series aimed at identifying the underlying processes and measuring rates at which phytoplankton alter coastal ecosystems on a global scale. Day 1 (2 Nov.) of the workshop is a closed meeting during which SCOR Working Group 137 members will discuss and synthesize long time-series data sets from estuarine and coastal systems worldwide in order to examine patterns of anthropogenic and climate-driven change. Day 2 (3 Nov.) is an open meeting during which CERF members who have experience with decadal observational data from geographically diverse regions to join the Working Group to continue discussions. The wealth of information in these data sets provides an unprecedented opportunity to develop a global analysis and investigation of the dynamics and status of ecosystems where land and sea meet. For more information please visit the SCOR Working Group 137 website: http://wg137.net/
