Erratum to “Global sensitivity analysis of an end-to-end marine ecosystem model of the North Sea: Factors affecting the biomass of fish and benthos” [Ecol. Model. 273 (2014) 251–263]

2014 ◽  
Vol 279 ◽  
pp. 114-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Morris ◽  
Douglas C. Speirs ◽  
Angus I. Cameron ◽  
Michael R. Heath
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Global Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Ecosystem Model ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Global Sensitivity ◽  
The North ◽  
Marine Ecosystem Model ◽  
The North Sea

scholarly journals Evidence for the effects of decommissioning man-made structures on marine ecosystems globally: a systematic map protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anaëlle J. Lemasson ◽  
Antony M. Knights ◽  
Murray Thompson ◽  
Gennadi Lessin ◽  
Nicola Beaumont ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Evidence Synthesis ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Systematic Map ◽  
Management Options ◽  
The North ◽  
Ecosystem Effects ◽  
Published Evidence ◽  
The North Sea

Abstract Background Numerous man-made structures (MMS) have been installed in various parts of the ocean (e.g. oil and gas structures, offshore wind installations). Many are now at, or nearing, the end of their intended life. Currently, we only have a limited understanding of decommissioning effects. In many locations, such as the North Sea, regulations restrict decommissioning options to complete removal, with little consideration of alternative management options might offer. To generate a reliable evidence-base to inform the decision-making processes pertaining to marine MMS management, we propose a wide-encompassing systematic map of published research on the ecosystem effects (including ecosystem services) of marine MMS while in place and following cessation of operations (i.e. including effects of alternative decommissioning options). This map is undertaken as part of the UKRI DREAMS project which aims to develop a system to show the relative effects of implementing different decommissioning strategies in the North Sea. Method For the purpose of this map, we will keep our focus global, in order to subsequently draw comparisons between marine regions. The proposed map will aim to answer the following two primary questions: 1. What published evidence exists for the effects of marine man-made structures while in place on the marine ecosystem? 2. What published evidence exists for the effects of the decommissioning of marine man-made structures on the marine ecosystem? The map will follow the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence Guidelines and Standards for Evidence Synthesis in Environmental Management. Searches will be run primarily in English in at least 13 databases and 4 websites. Returns will be screened at title/abstract level and at full-text against pre-defined criteria. Relevant meta-data will be extracted for each study included. Results will be used to build a database of evidence, which will be made freely available. This map, expected to be large, will improve our knowledge of the available evidence for the ecosystem effects of MMS in the global marine environment. It will subsequently inform the production of multiple systematic-reviews and meta-analyses.

Offshore North Sea Pipeline and Riser Loss of Containment Study (PARLOC)—Applications and Limitations in the Assessment of Operating Risks

1996 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. M. Robertson ◽  
D. Smart ◽  
T. Al-Hassan
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Risk Control ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Comparative Risk Assessment ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Safety Standards ◽  
The North ◽  
Risk Management Program ◽  
Comparative Risk ◽  
The North Sea

Since the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988, there has been an urgent requirement to prevent such tragedies occurring by the introduction of higher safety standards and by improving the confidence in the statistical information available for the assessment of the risks of loss of containment associated with operation of North Sea pipelines. In order to achieve the latter, two databases have been compiled: 1) a pipeline database containing details of pipelines and risers installed in the North Sea; 2) an incident database containing details of reported “occurrences” (covering the period from 1975 to end 1993), which directly resulted or threatened to result in loss of containment from a pipeline or riser. The data has been compiled from information obtained from: U.K., Norwegian, Dutch and Danish Regulatory Authorities; Operators in the U.K., Dutch and Danish Sectors; reports from previous studies made available to the study; published sources. The databases have been used to perform assessments of factors affecting the frequency of incidents, such as: incident cause; part of pipeline or riser affected; pipeline or riser diameter, length, contents, age, type; whether the line is trenched or buried, piggy-backed or not; hydrotest pressure; location of pipeline or riser in the North Sea. The PARLOC study identifies potential hazards and provides an indication of likely loss of containment frequency associated with the operation of North Sea pipelines and risers. Furthermore, PARLOC provides a continually updated key reference for comparative risk assessment and ultimately for the implementation of risk control as part of an overall risk management program.

scholarly journals Exit and entry of fishing vessels: an evaluation of factors affecting investment decisions in the North Sea English beam trawl fleet

2011 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 961-971 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex N. Tidd ◽  
Trevor Hutton ◽  
Laurence T. Kell ◽  
Gurpreet Padda
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Choice Model ◽  
Investment Decisions ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Beam Trawl ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The North ◽  
Fishing Vessels ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Tidd, A. N., Hutton, T., Kell, L. T., and Padda, G. 2011. Exit and entry of fishing vessels: an evaluation of factors affecting investment decisions in the North Sea English beam trawl fleet. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 961–971. A profitable fishery attracts additional effort (vessels enter), eventually leading to overcapacity and less profit. Similarly, fishing vessels exit depending on their economic viability (or reduced expectations of future benefits) or encouraged by schemes such as decommissioning grants and/or when there is consolidation of fishing effort within a tradable rights-based quota system (e.g. individual transferable quotas). The strategic decision-making behaviour of fishers in entering or exiting the English North Sea beam trawl fishery is analysed using a discrete choice model by integrating data on vessel characteristics with available cost data, decommissioning grant information, and other factors that potentially influence anticipated benefits or future risks. It is then possible to predict whether operators choose to enter, stay, exit, or decommission. Important factors affecting investment include vessel age and size, future revenues, operating costs (e.g. fuel), stock status of the main target species, and the impact of management measures (e.g. total allowable catches) and total fleet size (a proxy for congestion). Based on the results, the predicted marginal effects of each factor are presented and the impact of each is discussed in the context of policies developed to align fleet capacity with fishing opportunities.

scholarly journals EMPOWER-1.0: an Efficient Model of Planktonic ecOsystems WrittEn in R

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 2231-2262 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. R. Anderson ◽  
W. C. Gentleman ◽  
A. Yool
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Light Attenuation ◽  
Parameter Tuning ◽  
Ecosystem Model ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Model Structure ◽  
Structural Sensitivity ◽  
The North ◽  
Preliminary Model

Abstract. Modelling marine ecosystems requires insight and judgement when it comes to deciding upon appropriate model structure, equations and parameterisation. Many processes are relatively poorly understood and tough decisions must be made as to how to mathematically simplify the real world. Here, we present an efficient plankton modelling testbed, EMPOWER-1.0 (Efficient Model of Planktonic ecOsystems WrittEn in R), coded in the freely available language R. The testbed uses simple two-layer "slab" physics whereby a seasonally varying mixed layer which contains the planktonic marine ecosystem is positioned above a deep layer that contains only nutrient. As such, EMPOWER-1.0 provides a readily available and easy to use tool for evaluating model structure, formulations and parameterisation. The code is transparent and modular such that modifications and changes to model formulation are easily implemented allowing users to investigate and familiarise themselves with the inner workings of their models. It can be used either for preliminary model testing to set the stage for further work, e.g. coupling the ecosystem model to 1-D or 3-D physics, or for undertaking front line research in its own right. EMPOWER-1.0 also serves as an ideal teaching tool. In order to demonstrate the utility of EMPOWER-1.0, we implemented a simple nutrient–phytoplankton–zooplankton–detritus (NPZD) ecosystem model and carried out both a parameter tuning exercise and structural sensitivity analysis. Parameter tuning was demonstrated for four contrasting ocean sites, focusing on station BIOTRANS in the North Atlantic (47° N, 20° W), highlighting both the utility of undertaking a planned sensitivity analysis for this purpose, yet also the subjectivity which nevertheless surrounds the choice of which parameters to tune. Structural sensitivity tests were then performed comparing different equations for calculating daily depth-integrated photosynthesis, as well as mortality terms for both phytoplankton and zooplankton. Regarding the calculation of daily photosynthesis, for example, results indicated that the model was relatively insensitive to the choice of photosynthesis–irradiance curve, but markedly sensitive to the method of calculating light attenuation in the water column. The work highlights the utility of EMPOWER-1.0 as a means of comprehending, diagnosing and formulating equations for the dynamics of marine ecosystems.

scholarly journals Do microplastics affect marine ecosystem productivity?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tineke Troost ◽  
Térence Desclaux ◽  
Heather a. Leslie ◽  
Myra van der Meulen ◽  
A. Dick Vethaak
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Secondary Production ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Biogeochemical Model ◽  
Laboratory Findings ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Secondary Productivity

Marine and coastal ecosystems are among the largest contributors to the Earth’s productivity. Experimental studies have shown negative impacts of microplastics on individual algae or zooplankton organisms. Consequently, primary and secondary productivity may be negatively affected as well. In this study we attempted to estimate the impacts on productivity at ecosystem level based on reported laboratory findings with a modelling approach, using our biogeochemical model for the North Sea (Delft3D-GEM). Although the model predicted that microplastics do not affect the total primary or secondary production of the North Sea as a whole, the spatial patterns of secondary production were altered, showing local changes of ±10%. However, relevant field data on microplastics are scarce, and strong assumptions were required to include the plastic concentrations and their impacts under field conditions into the model. These assumptions reveal the main knowledge gaps that have to be resolved to improve the first estimate above.

scholarly journals Diversity and biological trait analysis of soft-bottom macrobenthic communities in the Belgian part of the North Sea.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi Breine ◽  
Annelies De Backer ◽  
Kris Hostens ◽  
Carl Van Colen ◽  
Tom Moens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Benthic Fauna ◽  
Soft Bottom ◽  
Macrobenthic Communities ◽  
Mobile Species ◽  
The North ◽  
Biological Trait ◽  
Spatial Coverage ◽  
The North Sea

Soft-bottom macrobenthic communities are an essential part of the marine ecosystem for which a healthy status is aimed at. Therefore, insights in the structural and functional (trait based) characteristics of the soft-bottom benthic communities in the Southern part of the North Sea are obtained based on 18 years of data, with a large spatial coverage. The communities show clear differences in their structural properties. The fine sand Abra alba community and coarse sand Hesionura elongata community have the highest species richness and diversity values. The muddy Limecola balthica community and medium sand Nephtys cirrosa community the lowest. However, looking at biological trait characteristics, the communities show some functional redundancy. In the relative coarser, permeable sands, more free living, mobile species, were found causing diffusive mixing, whilst the finer sand and mud communities have more sessile, tube building and burrow dwelling species. With their contribution to bioturbation and bio-irrigation processes, the benthic fauna prove to be essential for the biogeochemical status of these finer sand sediments. Based on this integrated evaluation of biodiversity and functional related characteristics, we will demonstrate how this improve status assessments and an appropriate determination of the habitat sensitivity to different human induced pressures.

Combined analyses reveal environmentally driven changes in the North Sea ecosystem and raise questions regarding what makes an ecosystem model’s performance credible?

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Mackinson
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Ecosystem Model ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Fish Stock ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Sea Temperature ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea

When an ecosystem model of the North Sea is calibrated to data from multiple trophic levels, the model estimated the primary production required to support the food web correlates temporally with observed changes in sea temperature and nutrient levels, supporting evidence from empirical analyses. However, a different result is given from an alternative calibration using fish stock data only. The inference taken from the emergent primary production – temperature relationship and empirical data are that, on balance, there is stronger overall evidence to support the calibration constrained at multiple trophic levels. Two important implications of the findings are (i) that the relative importance of fishing and environmental effects is likely to be interpreted differently depending on the calibration approach and (ii) the contrasting model calibrations would give different responses to fishing policies. It raises questions regarding how to judge the performance (and credibility) of an ecosystem model and the critical importance of conducting empirical and modelling analyses in parallel. Adopting a combined approach to ecosystem modelling is an important step in the pursuit of operational and defensible tools to support the ecosystem approach to management.

scholarly journals Low-frequency variability in North Sea and Baltic Sea identified through simulations with the 3-D coupled physical–biogeochemical model ECOSMO

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 801-815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ute Daewel ◽  
Corinna Schrum
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Decadal Variability ◽  
Model Simulation ◽  
Ecosystem Model ◽  
Biogeochemical Model ◽  
Ecosystem Productivity ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea

Abstract. Here we present results from a long-term model simulation of the 3-D coupled ecosystem model ECOSMO II for a North Sea and Baltic Sea set-up. The model allows both multi-decadal hindcast simulation of the marine system and specific process studies under controlled environmental conditions. Model results have been analysed with respect to long-term multi-decadal variability in both physical and biological parameters with the help of empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis. The analysis of a 61-year (1948–2008) hindcast reveals a quasi-decadal variation in salinity, temperature and current fields in the North Sea in addition to singular events of major changes during restricted time frames. These changes in hydrodynamic variables were found to be associated with changes in ecosystem productivity that are temporally aligned with the timing of reported regime shifts in the areas. Our results clearly indicate that for analysing ecosystem productivity, spatially explicit methods are indispensable. Especially in the North Sea, a correlation analysis between atmospheric forcing and primary production (PP) reveals significant correlations between PP and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and wind forcing for the central part of the region, while the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO) and air temperature are correlated to long-term changes in PP in the southern North Sea frontal areas. Since correlations cannot serve to identify causal relationship, we performed scenario model runs perturbing the temporal variability in forcing condition to emphasize specifically the role of solar radiation, wind and eutrophication. The results revealed that, although all parameters are relevant for the magnitude of PP in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, the dominant impact on long-term variability and major shifts in ecosystem productivity was introduced by modulations of the wind fields.

Change in the North Sea ecosystem from the 1970s to the 2010s: great skua diets reflect changing forage fish, seabirds, and fisheries

2018 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 925-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriella E Church ◽  
Robert W Furness ◽  
Glen Tyler ◽  
Lucy Gilbert ◽  
Stephen C Votier
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Seabird Species ◽  
Rissa Tridactyla ◽  
Fulmarus Glacialis ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea

Abstract Understanding anthropogenic impacts are crucial to maintain marine ecosystem health. The North Sea has changed in recent decades, largely due to commercial fishing and climate change. Seabirds can act as useful indicators of these changes. By analyzing n = 20 013 pellets and n = 24 993 otoliths regurgitated by great skuas Stercorarius skua in northern Scotland over five decades from the 1970s to the 2010s (in 36 years 1973–2017), we reveal how the diet of this top predator has changed alongside the changing North Sea ecosystem. Sandeels Ammodytes spp. were the most common dietary item during the 1970s, but became virtually absent from the 1980s onward. Discarded whitefish dominated skua diets from the 1980s to the present day, despite long-term declines in North Sea discard production. However, the discarded fish eaten by great skuas has become smaller and the species composition changed. Skua pellets only rarely contained avian prey in the 1970s but this increased during the 1980s, and fluctuated between 10% and 20% from the 1990s to 2010s. There have also been changes in the avian prey in the diet—black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla generally being replaced by auks Alcid spp. and northern fulmars Fulmarus glacialis. The Shetland marine ecosystem has experienced steep declines in sandeel stocks and in seabirds that feed on them. Great skuas have been able to prey switch to respond to this change, supported by abundant discards, enabling them to maintain a favourable population status while other seabird species have declined.

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