San Pedro Ocean Time-series (SPOT)
The SPOT program conducts monthly research cruises and supports other research and education groups to participate.
Location of the SPOT Station
The SPOT station (33˚33’ N, 118˚24’ W) is located approximately 10 miles offshore from the Port of Los Angeles in the southern California Bight.
Coastal areas are a home to nearly half of the U.S. population and contribute significantly to the economic and social vitality of the nation. There are more than 15 million people who live in the greater Los Angeles region. The proximity of the SPOT station to a highly impacted and urban coastline provides a unique vantage point to study the impact that human activity can have on the marine environment.
GSA Permission Granted for Image taken from Earth Science in the Urban Ocean: The Southern California Continental Borderland
By Lee and Normark (2009)
Biogeochemical and physical water column properties measured monthly by ship demonstrate low surface chlorophyll aconcentrations (< 2 ug/L) year-round. Relatively shallow mixing in winter (MLD max ~ 50 m) stimulates slight increases in Chlorophyll aconcentrations in spring. Depth of the deep chlorophyll a maximum varies seasonally (<20-60 m), and the site is persistently hypoxic (<1 mL/L) below ~300 m down to the bottom of the San Pedro Basin (~890 m).