Sea surface temperature across four regional seas.

Displaying Ecosystem Indicators in a way that is easy to use and allows simple historical analysis to be carried out.

The Marine OPEC Data Portal provides free access to data on a range of ecosystem indicators. Models output a wide range of information including maps and plots. Improved understanding of ecosystem state indicators can help build management plans, set targets and monitor the marine environment.

Data products Simulations of the last 20 years: 20 year hindcast simulations of regional seas describing past states and trends in the ecosystem in terms of physics, nutrients, plankton and fish are available.

Rapid Environmental Assessment: The Rapid Environmental Assessments (REA) blends model and observations to provide the best available estimates of the current state (represented as the preceding 3 months) of the ecosystem.

These two data streams have been joined within the portal to provide one seamless data product.

Maps Multiple indicators may be loaded and displayed on the same base map for comparison and a graphical “time bar” allows for the selection of a particular date and shows the availability of data for each indicator.

Graphs Time series graphs can be generated for multiple indicators to highlight how they interact with each other or change over time showing seasonal variation and long-term trends.

Metadata Full metadata is available for each indicator providing detailed information on for example: the data provider, models used and their skill assessment, the simulation period and the data providers level of confidence in the data. Contact details are also included in case further information or explanation is required.

The Marine OPEC Data Portal

Key indicators in the portal:• temperature• salinity• phosphate• nitrate• silicate• chlorophyll• phytoplankton• zooplankton • fish biomass• ....and many more

Introduction The Marine OPEC Data Portal provides access to the model simulations/outputs (referred to as indicators) generated by advanced marine ecosystem model systems developed throughout this project.

The new data produced by them is made available, quickly and simply, through the data portal for the following regional seas: the NE Atlantic, and the Baltic, Black and Mediterranean Seas. The suite of ecosystem indicators paints a picture of the state of the marine environment from 1990 to 2014 in these four European regional seas.

Ecosystem models are fundamentally numerical simulations of real world systems which can be used to make predictions about the dynamics of the system. They are developed by combining our understanding of ecological relationships with field data.

European Project (283291) supported within DG SPACE for the Seventh Framework Programme for Cooperation

OPEC Project OfficePlymouth Marine Laboratory, UKopec@pml.ac.uk Project websites www.marineopec.eu | portal.marineopec.eu

Fact Sheet 7

Information and metadata panel

Creating a multi indicator graph

Example of phytoplankton against nitrate in the North East Atlantic

Shows the display options, allowing you to change scales and palettes

Shows the information about the indicator (Click on “more information” for access to metadata

Make a graph; draw a polygon around area of interest, click “Make new graph” and follow the prompts. A slider allows you to select time period of interest and multiple indicators can be add to each graph to allow comparisons.

Toggles visibility of the layer

Exploring the dataIndicators are grouped by Ecosystem categories, Regional Sea or EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) descriptor. Indicators may also be searched for by name. Once an indicator of interest is selected you simply follow the prompts and tick the boxes, the indicator will then be displayed on the base map with the default palette and scale shown in the panel.

An indicator’s entry consists of a name at the top then a series of icons that allow you to work with that indicator; below is an example of nitrate as a selected indicator.

The values displayed in the graph are available for download, so they may be viewed and manipulated locally, as can the raw data used to generate it.

Interesting maps and plots can be saved for future use or shared with colleagues via a simple link.

The portal will continue to be developed once the OPEC project has concluded, so please check back and see what new data and products are available.

A short film describing the OPEC project and providing further details on tools and features available in the portal can be viewed at www.marine-opec.eu/KE.html

Fact sheets produced by OPEC’s Knowledge Exchange Team at Plymouth Marine Laboratory

OPEC Access

The portal makes extensive use of open source software (Python, JavaScript, OpenLayers, D3, SQLite and THREDDS) and is itself available under an open source licence on GitHub (https://github.com/pmlrsg/GISportal.git).

For further information contact the PML Applications Web Visualisation Group, rsgweb@pml.ac.uk.