title: Modelling the global coastal ocean.
abstract: Shelf and coastal seas are regions of exceptionally high biological productivity, high rates of biogeochemical cycling and immense socio-economic importance. They are, however, poorly represented by the present generation of Earth system models, both in terms of resolution and process representation. Hence, these models cannot be used to elucidate the role of the coastal ocean in global biogeochemical cycles and the effects global change (both direct anthropogenic and climatic) are having on them. Here, we present a system for simulating all the coastal regions around the world (the Global Coastal Ocean Modelling System) in a systematic and practical fashion. It is based on automatically generating multiple nested model domains, using the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory Coastal Ocean Modelling System coupled to the European Regional Seas Ecosystem Model. Preliminary results from the system are presented. These demonstrate the viability of the concept, and we discuss the prospects for using the system to explore key areas of global change in shelf seas, such as their role in the carbon cycle and climate change effects on fisheries.
authors.affiliation: Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory, 6 Brownlow Street, Liverpool L3 5DA, UK. jholt@pol.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holt
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harle
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Proctor
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ashworth
authors.forename: Crispian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Batstone
authors.forename: Icarus
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Smyth
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haines
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bretherton
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D002980:Climate; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004463:Ecology / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D020407:Internet; D055904:Meteorology / Q000379:methods*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D012984:Software; D014887:Weather