The Dogger Bank
The Dogger Bank is a shallow region in the southern part of the North Sea and an important fishing area. The water column is stratified during summer, but subsurface peaks of chlorophyll, and the associated new production, contribute significantly to the observed high annual productivity. The four most important physical processes for upwelling of nutrient-rich water to the euphotic zone during summer are: 1) cross frontal circulation, 2) tidal pumping, 3) exchange across thermocline and 4) deepening of the thermocline (Figure 1). However, the effects of future climatic changes on the system are not known.
DFU are using the hydrodynamic model GETM (General Estuarine Transport Model) in corporation with Bolding & Burchard Hydrodynamics to study these effects on the system. A simple biological model (nutrients, phytoplankton, zooplankton, detritus) will also be implemented to study these effects on the pelagic ecosystem. The present weather data and future climatic scenarios are provided by DMI.
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For more information: Marie Maar