Decadal variability of the pacific: physics, biology and feedbacks

ocean-atmosphere system accumulate through extensive networks of observing systems, prominant fluctuations on decadal timescales increasingly reveal distinct patterns of variability and intriguing linkages between the physical ocean climate and the oceanic ecosystem. It is imperative to develop a clearer understanding of the mechanisms that lead to these physical and biological changes because of the important economical and societal impacts that these variations wield on our global communities. Our objective here is to summarize the current state of understanding of the processes controlling physical climate variations of the Pacific Ocean on decadal timescales, the mechanisms by which the physical environmental changes alter the oceanic ecosystem, and the ways that the oceanic ecosystem may alter the physical climate state through feedbacks.