Numerical modeling of coastal ocean circulation underwent a sea change during the CoOP years. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, when CoOP was conceived and implemented, most of the focus in modeling subinertial coastal circulation was on the linear, first-order wave equations of coastal trapped wave theory. The early years of CoOP that followed coincided with the initial development of three-dimensional, primitive-equation numerical models of the coastal ocean, which had first appeared during the preceding decade. By the late stages of CoOP, advanced data assimilation methods were being used with high-resolution primitive-equation models that included detailed nonlinear parameterizations of the effects of stratified boundary layer turbulence to explore the complex dynamics of wind- and buoyancy-driven coastal ocean flow over realistic shelf and slope topography. The improved realism and accuracy of these models facilitated progress in ecosystem modeling as well.

Samelson, R.M., J.S. Allen, and P. MacCready. 2008. Progress in coastal ocean modeling during CoOP. Oceanography 21(4):136–147, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2008.10.

Editor’s Note: Oceanography does not usually permit citation of articles that are in review; however, because of the rapidly advancing nature of this issue’s topics, we are making an exception. Updates on the status of manuscripts cited as in review here will be posted on the CoOP Web site (http://www.skio.usg.edu/coop).
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