Fact Sheet 1. Marine Ecosystem Models in Action - OPEC
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E c Operational Ecology Marine Ecosystem Forecasting o p Marine Ecosystem Models in Acon Goals and Impact OPEC is a proof of concept project that will develop our ability to project the future state of European marine ecosystems by improving the quality of operaonal applicaons for biogeochemical and ecological modelling. Focusing on four European regional seas (NE Atlanc, Balc, Mediterranean and Black Seas) a new ecological Marine Forecast System will be implemented which will include hydrodynamics, lower and higher trophic levels (plankton to fish) and biological data assimilaon. The EU-funded OPEC will provide tools and informaon for environmental managers, policymakers and other related industries to lay the foundaons for the next generaon of operaonal ecological products and help in idenficaon of knowledge / data gaps. Contribung to Policy OPEC feeds into several key policy areas. The European GMES program makes a major contribuon in providing high quality environmental informaon through a marine monitoring service. By adopng the GMES service model (overleaf), OPEC will maximise its impact by delivering regular and systemac informaon on the state of regional seas in a user relevant format. The results of the OPEC consorum will contribute directly to the sustainability and compeveness of European value-adding services. OPEC will provide informaon in support of the European Marine Strategy Framework Direcve (MSFD) which requires the development of regional conservaon and management plans to achieve and maintain good ecological status. OPEC can contribute to the implementaon of the MSFD and EU Common Fisheries Policy through the provision of knowledge (data, benchmarking ecosystem states, ecological indicators) to ensure that we protect the ocean resource base and reverse environmental degradaon. Background informaon The OPEC project (Operaonal Ecology) is developing and evaluang ecosystem forecast tools to help assess and manage the risks posed by human acvies on the marine environment and improve our ability to predict the “health” of marine ecosystems. Coastal seas provide many beneficial goods and services such as fisheries, recreaon, climate regulaon and coastal defences. However, these marine environments are being disrupted by climate change and human acvies. It is important that the marine environment is observed and monitored in order to provide high quality environmental informaon, understand its role in our Earth system, track any changes and to help predict the potenal response of the ocean to stressors. Co-ordinated by Plymouth Marine Laboratory, OPEC will use the European Union’s Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) Marine Service as a framework and feed directly into the research and development of innovave global monitoring products or applicaons. www.marineopec.eu OPEC Project Office Plymouth Marine Laboratory Scienfic Coordinaon: Icarus Allen Management & Knowledge Exchange: Jessica Heard Project websites www.marineopec.eu | portal.marineopec.eu European Project (283291) supported within DG SPACE for the Seventh Framework Programme for Cooperaon
Transcript of Fact Sheet 1. Marine Ecosystem Models in Action - OPEC
EcOperational EcologyMarine Ecosystem Forecasting
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Marine Ecosystem Models in Action
Goals and Impact
OPEC is a proof of concept project that will develop our ability to project the future state of European marine ecosystems by improving the quality of operational applications for biogeochemical and ecological modelling. Focusing on four European regional seas (NE Atlantic, Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Seas) a new ecological Marine Forecast System will be implemented which will include hydrodynamics, lower and higher trophic levels (plankton to fish) and biological data assimilation.
The EU-funded OPEC will provide tools and information for environmental managers, policymakers and other related industries to lay the foundations for the next generation of operational ecological products and help in identification of knowledge / data gaps.
Contributing to Policy
OPEC feeds into several key policy areas. The European GMES program makes a major contribution in providing high quality environmental information through a marine monitoring service. By adopting the GMES service model (overleaf), OPEC will maximise its impact by delivering regular and systematic information on the state of regional seas in a user relevant format. The results of the OPEC consortium will contribute directly to the sustainability and competitiveness of European value-adding services. OPEC will provide information in support of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) which requires the development of regional conservation and management plans to achieve and
maintain good ecological status. OPEC can contribute to the implementation of
the MSFD and EU Common Fisheries Policy through
the provision of knowledge (data, benchmarking ecosystem states, ecological indicators) to ensure that we protect the ocean
resource base and reverse environmental
degradation.
Background informationThe OPEC project (Operational Ecology) is developing and evaluating ecosystem forecast tools to help assess and manage the risks posed by human activities on the marine environment and improve our ability to predict the “health” of marine ecosystems.
Coastal seas provide many beneficial goods and services such as fisheries, recreation, climate regulation and coastal defences. However, these marine environments are being disrupted by climate change and human activities. It is important that the marine environment is observed and monitored in order to provide high quality environmental information, understand its role in our Earth system, track any changes and to help predict the potential response of the ocean to stressors.
Co-ordinated by Plymouth Marine Laboratory, OPEC will use the European Union’s Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) Marine Service as a framework and feed directly into the research and development of innovative global monitoring products or applications.
www.marineopec.euOPEC Project OfficePlymouth Marine LaboratoryScientific Coordination: Icarus AllenManagement & Knowledge Exchange: Jessica HeardProject websites www.marineopec.eu | portal.marineopec.eu
European Project (283291) supported within DG SPACE for the Seventh Framework Programme for Cooperation
Fact sheets produced by OPEC’s Knowledge Exchange Team at Plymouth Marine Laboratory
Model applicationsUsing the GMES Marine Service as a framework OPEC will advance existing best-practice in ecosystem modelling making use of state-of-the-art coupled end to end (whole system) models and biochemical data assimilation. The project will also focus on improving assessment of model accuracy and predictability to enhance model performance.
Key project outputs include:
A core model system for each region and model skill assessment for key indicators: this will provide information about policy relevant indicators such as abundance and distribution of zooplankton that can tell us about biodiversity, and chlorophyll levels relating to eutrophication - an essential Climate variable.
Develop ecosystem tools for Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA): this new service will support policy, environmental management and other downstream services by providing estimates of the state of the environment in the recent past. Emphasis will be placed on the MSFD descriptors for eutrophication, biodiversity and foodwebs and essential climate variables.
Explore timescales of predictability of key ecosystem variables: seasonal forecast is important because it provides information at the timescales required by marine resource managers to assess changes in ecosystem composition and health.
Assessment of current ecological monitoring systems and the data needs for a GMES ecological service: OPEC will address the specific needs for dedicated in-situ data for the development of a next generation of GMES products.
Data Delivery: OPEC will offer open and free access to data through a web-based portal to support the use of multi-platform and multi-parameter data. The portal will provide policy, environmental management and commercially relevant information products in a transparent and auditable manner.
Downstream Services: OPEC will develop and trial user specific products and novel services for marine water quality.
Knowledge Exchange: enhance cooperative links by establishing a working group made of the OPEC consortium and the operational centres in the marine core service. A major goal will be to define a roadmap for operational ecosystem services to 2020.
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Further informationThis fact sheet was composed by the Coordination team. Contact [email protected] for further details
NE Atlantic
Baltic Sea
Mediterranean
Black Sea
Rapid Ecosystem
Assessement
DownstreamServices
MonitoringSystem
Assessment
KnowledgeTransfer
System Set-Up Core Product Development and
Assessment
Product Delivery
DownstreamApplications
SeasonalPredictabilityAssessment
Web
Server
The GMES model as applied to OPEC
The OPEC Team
