Some Criteria for Selection of Physical Forces/Processes/Features that Impact Marine Populations

• Currently a significant factor within one or more regions, in terms of:

  ---Dispersing or aggregating target species or prey

  ---Impacting growth rates/life history of target species

• Would be impacted under hypothetical climate change scenarios in a way that could affect target species

• Exists in different regions, but varies in importance, timing, etc. (indicates covariance, potential climate change effects)-links to variability in biology between regions

• "Integrator" of system dynamics, variability that influences marine populations