Coastal monitoring and forecasting systems in Finland by

FIMR Pekka Alenius

Leading scientist

Finnish Institute of Marine Research

POL Workshop

Mallorca 22.-24.10.2007

Authorities that do coastal observations in Finland

In Finland there are several authorities doing coastal observations. Among these are-Finnish Institute of Marine Research (FIMR)-Finnish Environment Institute (FEI)-Regional Environment Centres (13 of which 6 at coasts)-Environment centres of big cities

This presentation concentrates on the activities of FIMR which is the main Finnish actor in (open) sea monitoring.

Observation and forecasting activities of FIMR

-Sea level-Surface waves-Ice-Hydrography (T & S)-Cyano-bacterial biomass-Nutrients-Ecosystem

http://www.fimr.fi/en.html

Sea level observations

-FIMR has 13 sea level stations-Oldest in Hanko since 1887-In Helsinki since 1904-Youngest in Rauma since 1933

-Observation interval 1 minute-Real-time data transfer to FIMR-Temperature is measured, too-See http://www.itameriportaali.fi/en/

itamerinyt/en_GB/vedenkorkeus/

Sea level forecasts

-Three models (old, Wetehinen, OAAS)

-Meteorological input from HIRLAM (54 h forecasts and ECMWF up to 10 day forecasts)

-Two different boundary conditions in the Danish Straits

-Each model is run four times a day (every 6 hours)

-Software for estimating the forecast from ensemble of model results

-Manmade forecasts are done if ordered by customers

Example of the sea level forecast screen

Surface waves

Observations at Northern Baltic Proper (1) and near Helsinki (2)

Wave heightMap of the Baltic Sea1.Northern Baltic Proper 59°15 N 21°00 E Significant wave height: 0.7 m Highest individual wave: 1.3 m Sea surface temperature: 11.3 °C 22.10.2007 at 18:00 UTC

See: http://www.itameriportaali.fi/en/itamerinyt/en_GB/aallonkorkeus/

Wave forecasts

http://www.itameriportaali.fi/en/itamerinyt/en_GB/aallonkorkeus/http://www.itameriportaali.fi/en/itamerinyt/en_GB/aaltoennuste/

Ice in the Baltic Sea

What ice means to FinlandThe Baltic Sea ice seasons in 3 severity classes:

•Mild season: All Finnish harbours are icebound

•Average season: Ice from the north lat. of Stockholm

•Severe season: Baltic Sea is almost or totally frozen

Ice for 6-7 months

3 weeks

3-4 months

Finnish Ice Service

-Observations

-Remote sensing algorithm development

-Forecasts

-Serves winter navigation in close cooperation with Finnish Board of Navigation

Finnish PolarView products

-SAR based ice thickness charts-spatial resolution 500x500 m-End users; shipping-30 minutes after the SAR image is downloaded-On the average 160 charts in an ice season

Ice forecasts pagehttp://haavi.fimr.fi/polarview/forecast.php

-Ice motion and concentration

-Mean ice thickness

-Ridged ice thickness

-Ridged ice concentration

-Compressive region

-Deformed ice fraction

-Area

FROM

-Northern Baltic Sea

-Bay of Bothnia

-Gulf of Finland

Alg@line - Operational Monitoring of the Baltic Sea

Alg@line monitors the fluctuations in the Baltic Sea ecosystem in real-time using several approaches:-research vessels-high-frequency automated sampling onboard several merchant ships-satellite imagery-buoy recordings-traditional sampling in coastal waters

Without the high-frequent observations with the ship-of-opportunity technique, the rapid fluctuations in the Baltic Sea ecosystem could not be monitored

What Alg@line ishttp://www.itameriportaali.fi/en/levatiedotus/en_GB/levatiedotus/

-Alg@line is the only research project in the Baltic Sea region, which utilizes the ship-of-opportunity technique in the monitoring of the state of the environment on this scale. Alg@line has analyzers and sample collectors on five ships.

-The information based on the unattended recordings on the ships is available to anyone on Internet at Baltic Sea Portal and on Internet pages of the Finnish Institute of Marine Research at Baltic Sea Now

-Monitoring research of Alg@line is on the highest level of its field. This has been made possible through unique cooperation with Finnish and foreign research institutes and scientific communities.

Alg@line SOOP measurements and routesEquipment onboard:- flow through fluorometer- thermosalinograph- GPS navigator- computer- refridgerated water sampler

Parameters onboard:- latitude, longitude, date, time- in vivo chlorophyll a fluorescence- temperature,salinityOn laboratory:- chlorophyll a- phytoplankton species composition and relative abundances- phosphate and total phosphorus- ammonium, nitrate and total nitrogen- silicate- partly turbidity

Alg@line example:Finnmaid 17 - 18 October 2007

-SST (red) and SSS (blue)

-Chl-a

along the route of the ferry Finnmaid (Travemünde - Helsinki).

BalEco - A range of brackish water ecosystem models

-BalEco is a suite of ecological models- for the description of brackish water ecosystems,- with the Baltic Sea especially in mind.

-Brackish waters are demanding biological environments, and require a special treatment to capture the salinity adaptation of marine and freshwater organisms.

BalEco1

-BalEco1, the first level model, is embedded in a prototype for a scientific forecasting system of the Baltic Sea. -The system builds on well-established, scientifically validated models and boundary conditions where available-Combines them with observation-derived state estimates to arrive at routine short-term forecasts of the Baltic Sea state. -The short-term forecasts are used for model validation purposes and ecosystem predictability studies.

Ecosystem model forecasts

- Temperature, salinity, cyanobacterial biomass

Bluegreen algae prognosis

-Is done annually after winter monitoring cruise

-joint effort of FIMR and FEI

-published eg. in Alg@line pages

Monitoring cruises by rv Aranda

-four annual monitoring cruises to the Baltic Sea

-chemical monitoring in January

-zoobenthos and oxygen in May-June

-cyanobacterial blooms/biology in August

-chemical monitoring in December

-other scientific cruises in between

Aranda in the web: http://www.fimr.fi/en/aranda.html

Example of usefulness of monitoring cruisesAmerican comb jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi)

-The sudden spreading in the northern Baltic Sea has surprised nearly everyone.-the population density was as high as 600 individuals per square metre.-was found to be extremely adaptable It can reproduce in the northern Baltic Sea in colder conditions than previously observed.

FIMR-BMP

Choose data

Access to products

Algaline page

PolarView page