The 2009 Gordon Conference on Coastal Circulation will synthesize recent advances in the understanding of the physical processes determining circulation and mixing in the coastal ocean. Recent advances in observational and modeling techniques, as well as a number of large interdisciplinary field studies, have led to significant advances in our understanding of coastal physical processes. In order to capture the diverse and dynamic nature of the field, the Conference will feature sessions that are organized around three types of themes. The first is the physical environment itself, and will include sessions that focus on shelf circulation, inner shelf dynamics, nearshore environments, and estuaries. The sessions in the second theme are organized by physical processes, and will include buoyancy-driven flows, air-sea interaction, flow-topography interactions and small-scale mixing. Finally, physical-biological interactions, and the implications for coastal ecosystems remains an important interdisciplinary frontier for coastal physical oceanography, and will be featured in a session on coastal ecosystem dynamics.

The Conference will bring together a diverse collection of physical oceanographers, including experimentalists, modelers, and theoreticians, who are at the forefront of their fields. All attendees will be encouraged to present their work in poster format, especially junior scientists and graduate students, to facilitate the exchange of ideas and the development of new collaborations. In keeping with the traditions of the Conference, opportunities for informal interactions will be scheduled in the afternoons that exploit the recreational facilities of the conference site and the beautiful countryside of New England.