Realistic Multiannual Simulations of the Coupled North Sea and Baltic Sea System Using the Getm Model

This report presents a brief summary of modelling work done for the North Sea/Baltic Sea area within the institutional action ECOMAR (Monitoring and assessment of marine ecosystems) at the Joint Research Centre (JRC). First the underlying model equations are briefly recalled. Then different model setups for the coupled North Sea - Baltic Sea system using the General Estuary Transport Model (GETM) are described.JRC.H.3-Global environement monitorin

On MODIS Retrieval of Oil Spill Spectral Properties in the Marine Environment

With its two daily acquisitions and the possibility to obtain near-real-time data free of charge, the NASA Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) shows interest- ing potential as a cost-effective supplementary tool for oil spill monitoring in the marine environment. The mechanism behind MODIS oil feature detection, as well as the type of information that might be retrieved, strictly depends on the illumination condi- tions. In the presence of sunglint contamination, MODIS can just locate the oil spill as a sea surface roughness anomaly, in similarity with radar observations, and no additional spectral information can be retrieved. MODIS detection in the absence of sunglint con- tamination however might allow extraction of oil feature spectral properties, which, in turn, may help in oil discrimination and classification. Careful atmospheric correction must be applied. An example of oil spill spectral property extraction from MODIS images is here shown for the Deepwater Horizon accidental oil spill.JRC.H.1-Water Resource

Merged Series of Normalized Water Leaving Radiances Obtained from Multiple Satellite Missions for the Mediterranean Sea

Merging time series of ocean color derived products provided by independent satellite missions supports related biogeochemical and environmental applications by combining temporally overlapping data sets and by increasing data coverage. The creation of a merged series of normalized water leaving radiances Lwn, the primary ocean color product, is presented for the Mediterranean Sea using the SeaWiFS and MODIS data records. The merging relies on an optically-based technique that combines the available Lwn information in a spectrally consistent way. Validation statistics indicate uncertainties associated with the merged Lwn decreasing from 24% at 412 nm to 12% in the spectral range 500-555 nm. The inter-comparison of the sensor specific products, conducted at the scale of the basin for daily to monthly time scales, indicates an overall consistency. The level of differences varies with the wavelength considered and shows a marked seasonal cycle, with differences that tend to be higher in winter. The merged series is remarkably consistent with the sensor specific data, with average absolute percentage differences lower than 10% for all wavelengths below 555 nm. The benefit of merging in terms of sampling frequency over the basin is also illustrated. A merged series of Lwn data based on the two considered missions provides valid data over 42% of the basin area on a daily basis.JRC.H.3-Global environement monitorin

Assessment of Large Scale Eutrophication Driven Oxygen Depletion Risk in the Black Sea

During the last three decades anthropogenic eutrophication has been identified as a key ecological problem for the coastal Black Sea region (especially its North-Western (NW) part subjected to the strong influence of freshwater input), resulted in dramatic alterations in the chemical and biological regimes.Depending on meteorological, hydrothermal, and hydrobiological conditions during summer/autumn, oxygen deficiency (hypoxia or anoxia) and mass mortality caused by eutrophication have become an annual event in the NW shelf area where anoxic zones expanded from covering 3 500 km2 in 1973 to 40 000 km2 in 1990. In the 1970s-1980s, increased nutrient input via the major rivers resulted in strong eutrophication of the shallow Northwestern/Northern Black Sea. An urgent need for a harmonization of criteria and indices at the European scale applied at basin scale is expressed by decision makers and the scientific community in order to compare the status and trends of eutrophication. In this paper, a complementary pair of advanced eutrophication (risk) indices for coastal marine areas for application at the European scale is proposed. The Physically Sensitive Area index to eutrophication (PSA) based on 3D hydrodynamic modeling demonstrates the wide variability in the physical resistance of coastal European regions to the eutrophication phenomena. The Oxygen Depletion Risk index (OXYRISK) represents the most probable oxygen deficiency distribution near the bottom integrating data from physical modeling and satellite-derived chlorophyll-a, the latter being considered as the main source of organic matter.JRC.H.3-Global environement monitorin

Copernicus Marine Service Ocean State Report, Issue 3

The Ocean State Report is an annual publication of the Copernicus Marine Service that provides a comprehensive and state-of-the-art assessment of the current state, natural variations, and changes in the global ocean and European regional seas. It is meant to act as a reference document for the ocean scientific and business communities as well as decision-makers and the general public. The Ocean State Report provides a 4-D view (including forecasts) from above (through satellite remote sensing data) and from the interior (in situ measurements) of the blue (e.g. hydrography, currents), white (e.g. sea ice) and green (e.g. phytoplankton) ocean. It draws on expert analysis and is written by more than 100 scientific experts from more than 30 European institutions. Scientific integrity is assured through a process of independent peer review in collaboration with the Journal of Operational Oceanography. This summary highlights a few selected results of the report and focuses on ocean analysis for the year 2017

Copernicus Marine Service Ocean State Report, Issue 5

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Copernicus Marine Service Ocean State Report, Issue 5

International audienc

Copernicus Marine Service Ocean State Report, Issue 3 Introduction

International audienc

Copernicus Marine Service Ocean State Report, Issue 4

Editors: Karina von Schuckmann; Pierre-Yves Le Traon.-- Review Editors: Neville Smith (Chair); Ananda Pascual; Samuel Djavidnia; Jean-Pierre Gattuso; Marilaure Grégoire; Glenn Nolan.The authors would like to thank the Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya (ICGC) for providing data. Thanks are due to FCT/MCTES for the financial support to CESAM (UID/AMB/50017/2019), through national funds.Chapter 1: Introduction and the European Environment policy framework.-- CMEMS OSR4, Chapter 2: State, variability and change in the ocean.-- CMEMS OSR4, Chapter 3: Case studies.-- CMEMS OSR4, Chapter 4: Specific events 2018.-