Pacific island ecosystem to be captured in online model
17 Feb 2015 | by scidev.net
The entire ecosystem of Mo'orea, a volcanic island in French Polynesia, will be captured in a computer model that seeks to understand how climate change and human activities affect the local environment.
The Moorea Island Digital Ecosystem Avatar (Moorea IDEA) will model the island from its peak to the surrounding sea, including fish, corals, plants and its population of around 17,000 people. It is designed to enable researchers and local people to visualise and predict how different factors relating to climate change and human development influence each other and the island.
For example, the model is intended to show how coral reefs change when the sea level rises and what environmental policies are needed to maintain fish stocks.
Mo’orea is already well studied. France has operated a field station there, the Centre for Island Research and Environment Observatory (CRIOBE), there since 1971, while the University of California, Berkeley’s research station will celebrate its 30th anniversary next month.
“We have a lot of data,” says Joachim Claudet, one of the ecologists behind the project. “For example, the CRIOBE has data series about coral reefs covering more than 30 years.” - See more at: http://www.scidev.net/global/environment/news/pacific-island-ecosystem-online-model.html#sthash.yDvJBxYW.dpuf
For example, the model is intended to show how coral reefs change when the sea level rises and what environmental policies are needed to maintain fish stocks.
Mo’orea is already well studied. France has operated a field station there, the Centre for Island Research and Environment Observatory (CRIOBE), there since 1971, while the University of California, Berkeley’s research station will celebrate its 30th anniversary next month.
“We have a lot of data,” says Joachim Claudet, one of the ecologists behind the project. “For example, the CRIOBE has data series about coral reefs covering more than 30 years.” - See more at: http://www.scidev.net/global/environment/news/pacific-island-ecosystem-online-model.html#sthash.yDvJBxYW.dpuf
