SCIENCE

May estimate the factors that influence the distribution and abundance a fish stock, the occurrence of red tides, or spread of contaminant spillage

 

Ricardo Capilla, president of the Supercomputing Center of Galicia (CESGA) and Eduardo Balguerías, director of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) have signed a collaboration agreement between the two institutions that will use the Finis Terrae supercomputer to simulate complex ecological models able to predict the distribution and abundance of fish stock, the appearance of red tides, or the dispersion of a pollutant discharge.  

 

At the headquarters of the Center Supercomputing Galicia in Santiago de Compostela yesterday, a collaboration agreement the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) and the Supercomputing Center of Galicia (CESGA) for Scientific and Technical was made in marine research collaboration.

The event was attended CESGA president and CEO of I+D+i of the Department of Economy and Industry of the Xunta de Galicia, Ricardo Capilla, the director of the Center Oceanográfico de Vigo IEO, Valentín Trujillo, the Director of CESGA, Javier García Tobias and the Oceanographic Center researcher IEO A Coruña, Manuel Ruiz.

 

The objective of this agreement is to establish closer collaboration between the IEO and CESGA and thus promote and regulate joint scientific and technical activities that contribute to enhance the capabilities of both institutions in the framework of analysis and knowledge of marine environment.

 

The construction of complex mathematical models that simulate ocean conditions and to predict with the highest reliability possible ecosystem responses in different scenarios are valuable tools to estimate, among other things, where and what volume have the stocks, or when and where there will be a red tide, which would minimize its economic impact. The accuracy of these models requires constant observation of the ocean and obtaining many measurements of many variables. Every time you get as much data from a larger number of variables and mathematical models, while more precise, become much more complex.

 

This evolution has naturally resulted in collaboration between the IEO and CESGA whose supercomputer, known as Finis Terrae and said Scientific-Technological Infrastructure (ICTS) by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, is an indispensable tool for performing complex calculations ecological models.

 

Calculating machines owned by the IEO need a whole week to conduct a single simulation, while the Supercomputer Finis Terrae performs the same calculation less than half the time and also with higher resolution and for geographic areas older. "The computational oceanography is a priority line for the IEO. Since its founding, IEO has been carrying out continuous observations of the ocean. The great development in recent years of computing power has driven major advances in the analysis of observations, which facilitates the management of the marine ecosystem, including fishery resources," said Manuel Ruiz.

 

For CESGA, it is a line of research that made ​​a strong commitment actively participating in European projects as far-reaching LIGHTS, GIS Ocean, ROMS or MYOC. CESGA has experience in generating, processing and distribution multipurpose operational oceanographic fields, e-commerce sector aquaculture, geographical information systems for meteorology, management specific shellfish resources and environmental risk management, offering computer support for operational oceanographic forecasting, resource optimization marine fisheries for the treatment of fishing discards on board.

 

Modelled on the IEO

In the field of three-dimensional modeling of the marine ecosystem, the IEO has driven in the last decade the development and implementation of three-dimensional circulation models in the Iberian Atlantic margin. El Centro Oceanográfico de A Coruña IEO has a three-dimensional model of circulation in the Iberian shelf and slope Atlantic, which provides attention to the platform north of Lisbon Portuguese, and Galician platform coast. This model is intended to provide information on the physical phenomena affect the marine ecosystem: tidal outcrops, freshwater plumes, variability in platform flows, etc.

 

In the modeled area are located fish stocks socio-economic interest in Spain, as the small pelagic fisheries, as sardines, anchovies and mackerel, and demersal species as hake. In addition, the IEO develops various oceanographic modeling projects on the influence oceanographic conditions in the making and recruitment of small pelagics, which include, for example, the effect of circulation on plankton that they feed.

Another line of work is the effect of oceanographic conditions on flowering of harmful algae (red tides), which have great economic impact on Galicia. These toxic species are filtered by shellfish that once contaminated and can not be consumed. The IEO is involved in various projects (ASIMUTH the 7 th Framework Programme research and cross-border cooperation RAIA) aimed at developing models oceanographic serve as a tool for end users: in this case the sector Galician aquaculture.

 

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