Implementation of an end-to-end coupled model including small pelagic fish in the Canary Current Upwelling System

Eastern Boundary Current Upwelling Systems are extraordinary productive regions of the World Ocean that are essential to the world’s fisheries. These upwelling ecosystems are subject to substantial variability ranging from few days to decades, and are sensitive to the expected climate change via modification of the global wind patterns. Due to their broad biological and commercial relevance, understanding the source of fluctuations and the likely climate drift of these regions is of major interest. Here we present progresses in the implementation of an end-to-end biophysical coupled model including pelagic fish in the Canary Current upwelling ecosystem. With this model approach we aim at getting new insights into how the physics, biochemistry and biology combine to give rise to the observed variability.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Probabilistic localization of gas emission areas with a mobile robot in indoor environments

This work deals with the problem of gas source localization by a mobile robot with gas-sensing capabilities. Particularly, we address the problem for the case of indoor environments, where the presence of obstacles and the possibly complex structure with multiple rooms, inlets and outlets provoke the chaotic dispersion of the gases. Under these challenging conditions, where traditional approaches based on tracking or mathematical modeling of the plume cannot be applied, we propose a two-stage methodology to split the search into coarse and fine localization. Focusing on the broad localization, we contribute with a novel approach to estimate, from a set of sparse observations, the likelihood of different regions in the environment to hold a gas source. Experiments demonstrate that our approach is suitable to locate gas emission sources.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Interaction flow bathymetry at tidal scale in the main sill of the Strait of Gibraltar

Data collected in the north and south channels of the main sill of the Strait of Gibraltar (Camarinal sill) are used to investigate processes connected to the internal hydraulics of the exchange through the Strait at tidal frequencies. Observations strongly suggest the setting up of hydraulic jumps at both the western and eastern flank of the sill, the latter associated with the reversal of the Mediterranean undercurrent during spring tides. The northern site is more sensitive to processes triggered by the formation and release of the jump formed east of the sill during intense enough ebb tide cycles, which is thus better traced at this location; the southern site detects more neatly the fluctuations and footprints associated with the hydraulic jump regularly formed to the west of the sill during flood tides. A detailed inspection of the high resolution bathymetry of the area reveals the existence of two enclosed depressions at either side of the sill, almost certainly carved by the bottom flow over the millennia, whose shape and morphology are suggestive of this spatial differentiation.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Lagrangian particle tracking for the assessment of the flushing efficiency of harbor structures: the case of the Port of the Bay of Algeciras, Strait of Gibraltar

The Bay of Algeciras, an inlet of about 9 x 11 km located at the eastern margin of the Strait of Gibraltar, opens to the south, where the Atlantic jet leaves the Strait and starts spreading into the Alboran Sea. In its western side, the Bay hosts one of the main ports in Europe, neuralgic base of the major traffic load from Europe to Africa and from Europa to the rest of the oversea countries. The massive transport of liquid and solid bulk or bunkering activity, daily carried out in the Bay, combined with the harsh weather conditions that often lash the zone, give the ideal scenario for an incipient ecological disaster. This high environmental risk motivates the interest for a deeper understanding of the small scale dynamics of the Bay and the role played by the port structures in case of oil spill or other surface contaminations. A series of Lagrangian particles tracking (LPT) experiments were carried out to investigate the flushing patterns of the Bay and 8 different docks inside the local port, under a representative variety of external conditions, such as tide phase and strength, and winds. A 2D LPT algorithm has been adapted to fully exploit the outputs of a very high resolution (∼30m) three-domain-nested hydrodynamic model, with the aim of resolving the complex circulation within the structures of the harbor. Winds are a clearly dominant factor, with westerlies featuring e-folding times one order of magnitude lower than easterlies. Fortnightly tidal modulation presents a counter-intuitive effect, with spring tides that, despite promoting higher ventilation in a first instance, end up providing higher accumulation of particles inside the docks and higher e-folding times than neap tides. Tide phase affects the current direction at the entrance of the docks during the first few hours of simulation and its effect is progressively masked throughout the experiment. In the 45% of the experiments, a significant quantity of particles flow out to the Alboran Sea (55% in the whole Bay experiment), confirming the importance of the Bay on the exportation of pollutant/properties to the nearby basin.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar, CEIMAR. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Mediterranean outflow and its link with upstream conditions in Alboran Sea

The Western Alboran Gyre (WAG) at the eastern entrance of the Strait of Gibraltar can influence the Mediterranean outflow (MOW) by favoring or hampering the flow of Levantine and Western Mediterranean (LIW and WMDW) waters, the main constituents of the MOW. Observations collected at Camarinal sill in the Strait and AVISO data are used to investigate this issue.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

The influence of tides on the exchange through the Strait of Gibraltar and on properties of the Mediterranean Sea

A. Ishlinsky Institute for Problems in Mechanics, Rusi

Estimación probabilística de áreas de emisión de gases con un robot móvil mediante la integracion temporal de observaciones de gas y viento

En este trabajo se aborda el uso de un robot m ovil para determinar la posición de una fuente de gas. Específicamente, nos centramos en el caso de entornos complejos, donde la presencia de múltiples habitaciones y obstáculos favorecen una dispersión caótica de los gases, lo cual dificulta en gran medida un modelado matemático del problema. Bajo estas condiciones, proponemos dividir la tarea de localización en dos fases: primero, determinar la zona del entorno donde se encuentra la fuente, y luego, determinar con precisión la localización de la misma dentro de la zona seleccionada. Centrándonos en la primera fase, proponemos el uso de un novedoso enfoque basado en un marco Bayesiano-probabilístico. Nuestro planteamiento se basa en la generación previa de un conjunto de mapas de dispersión de gas (empleando herramientas de simulación), atendiendo a las diferentes zonas del entorno y condiciones de viento. Comparando estos mapas con la información sensorial adquirida por el robot en cada instante de tiempo, derivamos la probabilidad de localización de la fuente, y guiamos el movimiento del robot hacia la dirección de máxima probabilidad. Para validar nuestro enfoque presentamos un total de 36 experimentos en los que un robot móvil localiza una fuente de gas en un entorno compuesto por múltiples habitaciones conexas.Este trabajo está financiado por el proyecto Español MINECO Retos AEROMAIN (DPI2014-5983-C2-1- R) así como por el proyecto AEROARMS (AErial RObotic system integrating multiple ARMS and advanced manipulation capabilities for inspection and maintenance), número de contrato 644271. La tesis de Alejandro Suárez está financiada por el Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte a través del programa FPU.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Blackspot seabream early life stages dispersal by hydrodynamic modelling (Strait of Gibraltar - Alboran Sea)

The Blackspot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo) is a commercially appreciated demersal fish, widespread in the north-eastern Atlantic and middle-western Mediterranean. The Strait of Gibraltar (SoG) is an important fishing area where artisanal fleets from Spain and Morocco target this species using special longline gears known as “voracera”. Different studies on the health status of this species claim an overexploitation of the resource without any kind of objective management measures implemented yet by the associated countries. Improving the knowledge of the population dynamics, and particularly during the spawning window, is crucial for a better management of the fishing effort for this species. There is an agreement in literature in considering the SoG as an especially energetic and dispersive spawning zone for this species. Once spawned, eggs and larvae (ELS) are assumed to be scattered by the currents towards both sides of the SoG, mostly to the eastwards Alboran basin, where high concentrations of juveniles occur. A high resolution hydrodynamic model coupled to a Lagrangian particle tracking system is employed to assess the potential dispersal pathways of blackspot seabream ELS spawned in the SoG. Recursive releases of passive tracers in different virtual spawning spots and depths within the SoG region are tracked under different tidal conditions in order to obtain an overall characterization of the spatial dispersion patterns of the studied species. Semidiurnal tidal currents emerge as the primary factor in determining the horizontal dispersion and pathway of the spawning products, although the spring-neap tidal cycle and the spawning depth can be also important variables depending on the region considered as well as the arrival zone for the ELS dispersal paths over the Alboran SeaUniversidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional CEIMA

A Configurable Smart E-Nose for Spatio-Temporal Olfactory Analysis

This paper describes a novel electronic nose (enose) aimed at applications that require knowing not only the gas composition and concentration, but also its temporal and spatial evolution. This is done by capturing additional information related to the chemical substance such as the timestamp and geo-location of the measurements, as well as other physical magnitudes of the environment like temperature and humidity for correcting and interpreting the data. The device has been conceived following a modular architecture as a set of independent smart modules, which are interconnected and controlled through an I2C interface by a central processing unit. Each smart module can identify itself, store settings for autoconfiguration and perform signal pre-processing of the measured variables. Smart module types include: chemical sensors, communication interfaces, batteries, data storage, GPS, temperature and humidity.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Efectos de la dinámica mareal en los patrones de conectividad del voraz (Pagellus bogaraveo) en el Mar de Alborán

El voraz (Pagellus bogaraveo) es una especie de pez teleósteo demersal altamente apreciada tanto por su valor económico como gastronómico, que tiene un importante caladero en el Estrecho de Gibraltar. Dentro del ámbito científico, existe un consenso que considera que, para optimizar las pesquerías, simultáneamente a dejar de sobre explotar el recurso, es necesario hacer estudios de dinámica poblacional y conectividad. Con el objetivo de conocer mejor la dinámica poblacional de la especie y sus mecanismos de dispersión en el Mar de Alborán, se ha estudiado su conectividad hidrodinámica a partir de un modelo numérico [MITgcm], utilizando los estadios de vida temprana (huevos y larvas) como partículas virtuales lagrangianas advectadas por la dinámica mareal. Se han realizado análisis de sensibilidad en función de la variabilidad espacial y temporal. Para determinar la sensibilidad espacial, se definieron tres zonas de suelta en el Estrecho de Gibraltar, zona preferencial de desove del voraz y cinco profundidades de liberación desde la superficie hasta los 81 metros. Para determinar la sensibilidad temporal, se definieron ocho combinaciones de marea en función de la fase mareal y de la modulación quincenal (marea viva-marea muerta). Para cada uno de estos escenarios mareales iniciales se hicieron simulaciones de 60 días, que es la duración pelágica del voraz, en distintas fechas para estudiar la variabilidad subinercial asociada al forzamiento meteorológico, todo ello en el periodo comprendido entre diciembre de 2004 y abril de 2005 En conjunto se realizaron 480 simulaciones, de cuyo análisis se ha deducido que la modulación quincenal es el factor predominante para la dispersión horizontal, siendo el escenario de marea muerta el que produce una dispersión más baja y velocidad más uniforme de los huevos y larvas.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech