Dr E Young, Prof R Marsh, Dr P Brickle, Dr A Jenkins
No more applications being accepted
Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
About the Project
Project Rationale
Ocean currents on the Patagonian shelf are highly complex, and the dominant drivers of their variability are poorly understood. Shelf flows are influenced by the deep-ocean current patterns in the region, in particular the northward-flowing Falkland Current, but are modulated by strong winds, large tidal amplitudes, and substantial freshwater discharges through the Magellan Straits [1], all of which generate significant spatial and temporal variability.
The waters of the Patagonian shelf support a successful fishing industry, including for red cod and southern blue whiting. However, stocks of these species vary widely from year to year, and catches of southern blue whiting in particular have shown a significant decline in recent years [2]. The underlying causes of this variability are not well understood, but thought to be linked to the dispersal of the fish eggs and larvae, which is largely governed by the underlying oceanographic currents. Variability in these currents could therefore have a significant influence on the successful recruitment of larvae to adult stocks. Development of a better understanding of oceanographic variability on the Patagonian shelf and its subsequent influence on fish larvae transport would be a significant step towards more effective fish stock management.
Methodology
The aim of this project is to use numerical modelling tools to investigate the key drivers of oceanographic variability on the Patagonian shelf, and how this variability influences the dispersal and retention of fish eggs and larvae. The modelling will comprise two parts:
a) Develop a state-of-the-art high-resolution oceanographic model of the Patagonian shelf region (using NEMO) and undertake hindcast simulations spanning recent decades. The model will be run on the national supercomputer ARCHER. Validate the model using available in situ and satellite-derived oceanographic data (e.g. CTD data, drifters and altimetry). Investigate the characteristics and key drivers of seasonal and inter-annual variability in the regional oceanography.
b) Develop Individual Based Models for simulating the dispersal of the eggs and larvae of red cod and southern blue whiting, using high-resolution oceanographic flows from part (a) and incorporating key biological characteristics of the two species. Use these models to investigate the dominant influences on inter-annual variability in patterns of dispersal and retention. Consider the results in the context of recruitment variability and stock size.
Training
The SPITFIRE DTP programme provides comprehensive personal and professional development training alongside extensive opportunities for students to expand their multi-disciplinary outlook through interactions with a wide network of academic, research and industrial/policy partners. The student will be registered at the University of Southampton and hosted at the British Antarctic Survey.
Specific training will include: (1) regional ocean modelling (NEMO); (2) Individual Based Modelling of planktonic marine biota; (3) high-performance computing (ARCHER); (4) collation, analysis and interpretation of oceanographic datasets. In addition, the student will spend a minimum of 3 months in the Falkland Islands, with the potential to participate in a fisheries cruise and acquire relevant fieldwork experience.
The student’s experience of numerical modelling on large supercomputers will be in high demand in their future career. BAS has a vibrant student community, with weekly student seminars and discussion meetings and a range of social activities.
References
[1] Matano, R.P., Palma, E.D., Piola, A.R. (2010). ‘The influence of the Brazil and Malvinas Currents on the Southwestern Atlantic Shelf circulation’. Ocean Science 6, 983-995.
[2] Laptikhovsky, V., Arkhipkin, A., Brickle, P. (2013). ‘From small bycatch to main commercial species: Explosion of stocks of rock cod Patagonotothen ramsayi (Regan) in the Southwest Atlantic’. Fisheries Research 147, 399-403.