The Cross-Surfzone/Inner-shelf Dye Exchange (CSIDE) Study

Understanding the role of surf-zone and inner-shelf processes in the fate of shoreline released tracers is critical to predicting coastal water quality and minimizing the human health impacts from point source pollution. During the NSF-funded Cross-Surfzone/Inner-shelf Dye Exchange (CSIDE) study, 2-surf-zone tracer releases conducted in Imperial Beach, CA and 1 Tijuana River/Estuary mouth release during ebb-tide were observed over relatively large scales (>1km, >5h) using a suite of in situ and remote sensing instrumentation. Tracer evolution was affected by multiple overlapping processes, such as rip-currents, internal waves, and tides, illustrating the complexity of tracer evolution in the nearshore (surfzone+inner-shelf) region.