Output
Position Paper 7, Modelling in Coastal and Shelf Seas - A European Challenge (June 2005)
You can see our more recent activities on Marine Ecosystem Modelling here.
Background
Models synthesize theory into algorithms and use observations to set-up, initialize, force, assimilate and evaluate. The use of models ranges from: gaining insight and ‘feel’, hypotheses testing, quantifying the stage of scientific development, forecasting (flood warning to scenario testing) to sensitivity testing of dependence on algorithms, computational resolution, accuracy and extent of observational data. The scope of the models involves linkages across ocean-atmosphere-seas-coasts and between physics-chemistry-biology-geology-hydrology.
Whilst many of these activities can best be done remotely in small innovative groups, international collaboration is essential for the necessary fine coastal resolution for coupled dynamics-ecology simulations. Europe leads in supporting a number of areas of ‘community code’ e.g. modules for wave, turbulence and ecology. Moreover, associated coastal engineering agencies support some of the most widely used ‘modelling packages’. However, the ever-increasing complexity of model codes (typically involving a million hours of software development), the need for multiple simulations to accommodate assimilation techniques, the extent, speed and sophistication of inputting and outputting data all require major infrastructure investment and access to the largest available computers
Objectives
The objective of this foresight activity was to identify initiatives to maintain leadership in European Science supporting innovative modelling of Coastal and Shelf Seas.
Related activities
- Workshop in Brest, France
Meetings
- 9 April 2003, Nice, France
- 24 October 2003, London, UK
- 10 May 2004 Galway, Ireland
Members
Wolfgang Fennel, Institut fuer Ostseeforschung Warnemuende (IOW), Germany
João Gomes Ferreira, IMAR - Centre for Ecological Modelling Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
Michael Hartnett, Marine Modelling Centre Dept. of Civil Engineering Martin Ryan Institute & National University of Ireland, Ireland
Peter Herman, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), The Netherlands
Michiel Knaapen, Univesity of Twente, The Netherlands
Hans Los, Delft Hydraulics, The Netherlands
Morten Pejrup, Institute of Geography University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Thomas Pohlmann, Institut für Meereskunde, Germnay
David Prandle, Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory, UK
Roger Proctor, Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory, UK
Yann-Hervé de Roeck, Ifremer, France
Karline Soetaert, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), The Netherlands
Takvor Soukissian, National Centre for Marine Research Institute of Oceanography, Greece
Tapani Stipa, Finnish Institute of Marine Research, Finland
Georg Umgiesser, OSMAR – CNR, Italy
Waldemar Walczowski, Institute of Oceanography, Poland
Contact at European Marine Board Secretariat: Email