MSCA Fellow in the field of Ocean Modelling

• Your supervisor for your research through training project will be Martin Vodopivec, and here is link to his references;
  
  ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0163-1264

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“Computer simulations are our only way to experiment with the planet” (Cushman-Roisin and Beckers, 2011). Ocean circulation models are an extremely useful tool to study ocean dynamics, ranging from circulation processes, effects of climate change, extreme events, dense water formation, storm surges to tsunamis etc. They are an indispensable part of the Earth System models and therefore one of the key components in climate simulations. They can be used to provide short-term and long-term forecasts of the ocean state or, in combination with Lagrangian particle tracking, spreading of pollutants or provide support in search and rescue operations. Combining the Lagrangian approach with Individual Based Models opens an incredible array of possibilities to study the population dynamics of marine species. Such models are used to simulate the dispersal of larvae, animal migrations and connectivity between populations or e.g. marine protected areas. When coupled with biogeochemical models, the ocean circulation models provide a holistic overview, continuous in space and time, of the functioning of the marine ecosystem – from most basic principles to the lower trophic levels. Something none of the observational approaches are capable of.

Our main tools are CROCO (formerly ROMS_AGRIF) circulation model, OpenDrift software package for Lagrangian applications and we have coupled CROCO with BFM biogeochemical model in cooperation with the Jožef Stefan Institute. We have used our array of models to study the surface currents, dense water formation, spreading of pollutants, impact of offshore gas platforms on the jellyfish population dynamics, the dynamics of Pelagia noctiluca in the Mediterranean Sea, the impact of jellyfish bloom decay on the marine ecosystem etc. We were also involved in the development of the operational ocean modelling chain used in forecasts provided by the Slovenian Environment Agency.