Coastal observations and forecasts

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PREVIMER Objectives

PREVIMER’s main objective is to produce routine analyses and forecasts on the marine environment state in coastal zones at a range of scales (from the continental shelf to the bay) with a capacity for zooming-in to specific areas. Timescales include both retrospective analyses and short-term forecasts (48h, as delimited by detailed forecasts provided by the French National Weather Service (Météo France)).

The emphasis is on validating the maps produced, and their qualification by experts in the field, leading to the implementation and development of a coastal forecasting service, following the examples of meteorology, and more recently, of oceanic circulation.

For whom?
pecheurs a pied

  • The general public, for leisure activities (bathing, diving, shellfish harvesting, sailing, etc),
  • Professional users (shellfish farmers, fishermen, maritime transport, off-shore industries),
  • Coastal management bodies (local authorities, administrations),
  • Scientists (national and European cooperation),
  • Environmental R&D departments (impact surveys).

Why?
Tables ostreicoles avec poches, La Tremblade, 1995

  • Informing the public for leisure activities (yacht races, shellfish harvesting, etc),
  • Assessing the microbiological quality of water,
  • Quantifying the transport of eggs and larvae of marine organisms,
  • Following-up the introduction of terrigenous matter into the environment,
  • Studying the proliferation of plankton and macro-algae,
  • Strengthening the maritime/military security,
  • Reducing the risks of exposure to accidental pollution,
  • Improving the scientific knowledge of the environment, the coastal «climatology», etc.

How?

Wave recorder

Wave recorder

PREVIMER associates an « In-situand teledetection data » section with a « Modelling » section.

PREVIMER, for 2006-2007, will produce modelling results on diverse themes, through the following pilot sites:

  • English Channel and Bay of Biscay, MARS3D model with a 1.5 km resolution, 15 layers, barotropic tide and Mercator, within conditions in limited coastal zones,
  • Circulation and marine conditions demonstrator in Iroise Sea, MARS2D and 3D models, Wavewatch3 and Swan, 1km, 300 and 100m resolutions,
  • Sanitary Quality demonstrator for bathing water at Moulin-Blanc beach (Brest, Brittany), MARS3D model, 30m resolution (restricted access),
  • Primary Production demonstrator in the Bay of Biscay, MARS3D and ELISE models, 5km resolution (planned for 2007),
  • Hydrosedimentary Transportation demonstrator, MARS3D, Swan and SIAM-3D models, 700m resolution (planned for 2007),
  • Circulation and coastal-lagoon exchange demonstrator at Nouméa (New-Caledonia), ROMS and MARS3D models (planned for 2007),
  • Primary Production demonstrator in Brittany (coastal phytoplankton and green macro algae (ulvae)), MARS3D and ELISE models, 3km resolution (planned for 2007).