Marine ecosystem modelling workshops at Plymouth, UK

Following on from the success of the 2005 AMEMR symposium, the UK Natural
Environment Research Council has provided funding for a series of modelling
workshops, covering travel and subsistence costs for up to 25 national and
international scientists per workshop. 

The purpose of these workshops will be to:-
. Review the status of current models and modelling systems with respect to
current knowledge.
. Assess the availability datasets from for model testing and development.
. Consider emerging scientific issues and relevant policy drivers.
. Identify gaps in current model capability.
. Produce recommendations for future modelling (and observational)
activities designed to address the identified gaps in understanding and
capacity. These will be fed to the relevant UK and International program
offices with a view to influencing the scope of funding programs.
. Identify synergies between research groups that may form the basis of
subsequent funding bids.

Each Workshop will be devoted to one of the following topics
. The response of marine ecosystems to increasing levels of CO2, including
acidification and warming. (Feb 07, contact Jerry Blackford, jcb@pml.ac.uk
to register your interest.)
. Model validation, analysis and quantification of error. (Feb 07, contact
Icarus Allen, jia@pml.ac.uk)
. Bridging the gap between lower and higher trophic levels.
. DMS production in the upper ocean.
. Operational biophysical oceanography


The ~3 day workshops are to be held in Plymouth, UK, during 2007. We aim to
bring together modellers and experimentalists, established and younger
researchers / students. We will welcome suggestions for program items and
intend the workshops to be informal. If appropriate we can consider writing
an overview paper for submission to a peer reviewed journal. 

This is an initiative of Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK.

Source: MARINE-B@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

Best,

Jorge Brenner