Transcript Document

Ecosystem Based Modeling for Sustainable Regional Development of the Marine and Estuarine Resources in Coastal NSW Philip Gibbs Karen Astles

The Program & Linkages

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DPI/CSIRO 5 year collaboration ‘Umbrella program’

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Comprehensive Coastal Assessment Enhanced decision support tools for NRM action plans (phase 2)

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Northern Rivers CMA (CLAM project) Initial project in Clarence Estuary CSIRO National Research Flagships ‘Wealth from Oceans’ theme

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Objectives

Modelling frameworks for a multiple – use management of coastal environments

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Develop and apply models of the ecosystem and human activities

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Design and evaluate potential ‘monitoring programs’ Broad “Whole of Landscape” Modelling

Management Objectives

Program Outline

Building virtual ecosystem (Operating model) Data Management strategy/ scenarios Atlantis Biogeochemical model Monitoring/ adaptive management Policy formation Management responses Presentation of outputs to decision makers

Ecosystem Modelling & Monitoring

impacts

Human activities Management

Interface Between

Stakeholders Management Science

Climate Change

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National Adaptation Framework Coastal Vulnerability Assessment

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Increasing Temperature Rainfall:- variability, total amount, ENSO Sea level rise Increasing ocean acidity

Likely Impacts

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Ocean current changes Storm surges Freshwater flow to estuaries

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Habitat change Recruitment patterns fish & invertebrates Biodiversity, Threatened species, Marine pests Socio economic effects

Tools

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Spatial biogeochemical model with coupled physical transport ‘ATLANTIS’

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Physical box model in 3 dimensions

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Nutrient flow (nitrogen silica), mass balance of functional groups (physical, O 2 CO 2 , living, detritus)

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Trophic dynamics (food web) of primary & secondary producers / consumers (phytoplankton to dolphins)

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Growth, mortality, recruitment, migration, consumption, excretion, predation, habitat dependency

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Computational limit

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“What if” Scenarios

Timeframe 1950 to 2030

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Fisheries management – catch, effort, gear, zoning, closures, by-catch

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Climate change

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Land-use

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Increasing population and urbanisation

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Socio economic change

The Future

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Finer resolution of the shelf model nearshore component

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Explicit representation of Marine Parks

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Second estuary with a focus on urban rather than agricultural inputs

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Coupling of estuary and shelf models

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Documentation of the “what if” outputs

Is Ecosystem Modelling Possible?

Plants and Animals

Geophysical environment People (social)

Politics

Economics

Thank You