The Urban Ocean

Alan F. Blumberg is an urban oceanographer who studies the interaction between cities and their offshore coastal waters. He is co-founder of Jupiter, a Silicon Valley startup company deeply committed to the practical application of the world's best hydroscience, weather prediction and climate modeling. The Princeton Ocean Model, developed by Blumberg and George Mellor, is utilized by scientists and institutions throughout the world. For fifteen years, he was George Meade Bond Professor of Ocean Engineering and Director of the Davidson Laboratory at Stevens Institute of Technology where he led several major studies to predict and assess storm flooding events. He is the recipient of the 2001 Karl Emil Hilgard Hydraulic Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the 2007 Denny Medal from the Institute of Marine Engineering. A Fellow of both the American Meteorological Society and the American Society of Civil Engineers, Dr Blumberg is the author of more than 150 journal articles. Because of his extensive research expertise, he is highly sought after by the media during unusual weather conditions. Michael S. Bruno is Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Hawaii, Manoa and a Visiting Professor in Mechanical Engineering at University College London. He is the author of more than 100 technical publications regarding coastal dynamics, ocean observation systems, and community resilience. He has served on numerous advisory committees, including Chairing the Marine Board of the National Academies. A Fulbright Scholar, Dr Bruno is also a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He received the Denny Medal from the Institute of Marine Engineering in 2007, the Young Investigator Award from the Office of Naval Research in 1991, and the Outstanding Service Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1988.

• 1. Overview: people and water; 2. Characteristics of seawater; 3. Urban ocean characteristics; 4. Governing dynamics; 5. Mass, salt and temperature 'conservation'; 6. Water level changes; 7. Estuarine and coastal ocean flows; 8. Urban meteorology; 9. Coastal processes and shoreline modification; 10. Marine pollution; 11. Coastal extreme events: the risks and the responses; 12. Coastal ocean observing systems; 13. Climate change; 14. Cities and water – building resilience; References; Index.

'Extremes are becoming more extreme in the most extreme places of our planet where too much water hits us hardest: on our coasts and along our rivers. These coastal areas increasingly urbanize, becoming more and more vulnerable to disasters, with stronger storms and rising sea levels. Blumberg and Bruno argue from their inspiring perspective of hope and belief in impactful human action that these urban hotspots along our coasts and rivers are our best opportunity for a resilient future. Here we can turn climate risks into real urban rewards. But this is only if - by design - we dare to face and better understand our climate challenges, value and manage the urban opportunities, and be radically inclusive in our approaches to produce the best solutions and increase the resilience of our urbanizing coastal regions. We'd better start now with putting their words into practice!' Henk W. J. Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs, the Netherlands