Ocean modelling is a key research programme in Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) that supports research, advice, service, and decision-making. DFO ocean modelling has mainly focused on four themes: ocean climate modelling, short-term ocean forecasting, aquaculture-related modelling, and environmental quality (acoustic noise) modelling (Han et al., Citation2022).
Theme 1 Ocean climate modelling focuses on the development and application of regional ocean models. These models are used to produce hindcasts and future projections of physical and biogeochemical ocean conditions for Canada’s Atlantic, Arctic, and Pacific oceans, in support of DFO management of ecosystems, fisheries, and coastal infrastructure. Theme 2 Short-term ocean forecasting develops and implements coastal and port models to predict ocean conditions within several days, for supporting ship navigation, search and rescue, and response to oil spills. Theme 3 Aquaculture-related modelling develops and applies nearshore ocean models, mainly to support DFO aquaculture regulatory programmes. Theme 4 Environmental quality modelling carries out numerical simulation of noise levels associated with large vessels, helping address DFO priority in marine conservation. The five papers in this special issue represent some of our recent research and applications in ocean climate modelling and aquaculture-related modelling.
Amid the United Nations Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development, the DFO Ocean Modelling Community (MODCOM) continues to strengthen the coordination and collaboration in model development and application internally and externally. We work together to further enhance our ability and capacity in scientific innovation and service delivery.
References
- Han, G., Bianucci, L., Chassé, J., Foreman, M., Holden, J., Horwitz, R., Holdsworth, A., Lambert, N., Lavoie, D., Le Corre, N., Lu, Y., Peña, A., Ratsimandresy, A., Wang, Z., Perrie, W., Steiner, N., Thupaki, P., Zhai, L., Brickman, D., … O’Flaherty-Sproul, M. (2022). Status of DFO Ocean Modelling: A National Review. Canadian Technical Report of Hydrography and Ocean Sciences, 338, viii + 58 p.