Workshop on model data requirements

On 10-11 March 2020, a workshop was held to discuss the data requirements of the population and ecosystem models used in MEESO as part of its work package on estimating mesopelagic resources and their resilience to harvesting and climate change. The workshop was originally scheduled to be held at Strathclyde University at its Ross Priory conference venue (pictured), but the event coincided with increasing concerns about international travel due the coronavirus outbreak. Instead, the workshop went ahead successfully as an online meeting. 

The purpose of the meeting was to get together representatives from each of the research teams doing population and ecosystem modelling work in order to discuss the data needed for each model. Researchers from Strathclyde University (UK), The Danish Technical University (Denmark), the Institute of Marine Research (Norway),  Collecte Localisation Satellites (France), and AZTI (Spain) joined the virtual meeting.

There were four main sessions, mostly focussing on presentations about the four main models being deployed. The models form a progression in model complexity, delivering distinct outputs for the programme from single-species stock assessment through to exploring potential ecosystem-level impacts of harvesting mesopelagic sticks. The meeting also heard a presentation on ongoing work at DTU on reviewing of the published literature on the biology of Maurolicus muelleri, one of the two target species.

The work package 5 leader, Dr Douglas Speirs of the University of Strathclyde said “Outputs from this meeting will help to maximise the use of new data gathered by the project being directly inputted to the modelling effort, and will provide an overview of the models for the modelling and field researchers alike researchers. It’s all about communication.”  

Contact

Douglas Speirs, University of Strathclyde, d.c.speirs@strath.ac.uk
Coordinator of MEESO work package 5