NANO regional research projects NANO SEA MeeƟ ng hosted by the InsƟ tute of Oceanography, Nha Trang, Vietnam

ScienƟfi c Coordinator for the Partnership for ObservaƟ on of the Global Oceans (POGO)

In April 2014, a meeƟ ng of 14 parƟ cipants of the NANO Southeast Asia (SEA) regional research project “EutrophicaƟ on in the coastal waters of Southeast Asia – an assessment” was arranged to discuss the progress made so far and to receive training on the LOICZ (Land-Ocean InteracƟ ons in the Coastal Zone) budget approach for determining residence Ɵ me and measuring eutrophicaƟ on indices. The meeƟ ng was coordinated by Mr. Phan Minh Thu and hosted by the InsƟ tute of Oceanography in Nha Trang, Vietnam (VNIO). In addiƟ on, the parƟ cipants were joined by the Vice Director and the ex-Director of the VNIO and Dr Vikki Cheung aƩ ended on behalf of the POGO Secretariat. The meeƟ ng enabled the NANO SEA research group to apply the LOICZ budget methods where appropriate and present the data collected so far from the fi rst fi eld trips from each parƟ cipaƟ ng country (Vietnam, Philippines and Thailand). During the workshop Mr. Phan Minh Thu gave an overview on the method used for measuring eutrophicaƟ on. Dr Laura David then gave a presentaƟ on which explained the LOICZ budget methodology and provided a comprehensive overview on how to make each of the measurements necessary to apply the procedure. PresentaƟ ons were made by each of the NANO SEA Project co-leaders with the results so far, as well as a presentaƟ on from Prof. Bui Hong Long describing some hydrodynamic characterisƟ cs of the Sea of Vietnam and Bien Dong Sea. AddiƟ onally, several poster presentaƟ ons on research conducted in the waters of Vietnam were available for the parƟ cipants to view and discuss. It was a producƟ ve and useful meeƟ ng enabling discussion sessions where the iniƟ al data from the fi rst set of fi eld studies were reviewed and the methods to be applied were evaluated. It was found that to make the residence Ɵ me calculaƟ ons for each of the study sites using the LOICZ budget approach, the diff erence in salinity needed to be at least 2 ppt. However, the salinity range in the study sites for the Philippines did not meet this requirement and therefore the residence Ɵ me was calculated by using DELFT3D-WAQ model for this study area, whereas in the Gulf of Thailand and in the sites for Vietnam, the necessary salinity diff erences were applicable and therefore the LOICZ single-box methods were applied. A follow-up meeƟ ng is planned for November 2014, with Burapha University as the host. A brief update on the project progress since the last ediƟ on of NANO News is provided in the following arƟ cle.