Objective The objective is to strengthen the coupled hydrological ecological MIRO model for explaining the causes and predicting the environmental and socioeconomic consequences of spring phytoplankton blooms in coastal marine areas.The project constitutes an enlargement and extension of the joint European Commission project, dynamics of phaeocystis blooms in nutrient - enriched coastal zones (Contract EV4V-0102-B). It aims to establish a predictive mathematical model of the behaviour of phytoplankton during spring blooms occurring along the continental coastal zone of the North Sea. This model will allow calculation of the impacts of variations of nutrient discharges by north west European rivers into the coastal marine waters. The project includes an assessment of impacts of algal blooms in the southern North Sea on the adjacent northern North Sea regions as well as a feasibility study to evaluate quantitatively the socioeconomic impacts of phytoplankton blooms. The following approaches will be applied : annual synchronized field surveys of spring phytoplankton blooms along the continental coastal zones of northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark; statistical analysis of historical data sets of nutrient inputs from north west European rivers and development of idealized models of nutrient retention within river systems and estuaries; experimental process studies to determine the key factors that control free living Phaeocystis cells and colony size distribution, to investigate the basic maintenance and storage capacity of diatoms and Phaeocystis, to determine the autolysis of phytoplankton and to quantify zooplankton grazing on Phaeocystis colonies and aggregates of various sizes; study of the role of summer stratification of the water column (in Danish coastal waters) in the onset of Phaeocystis blooms and on sedimentation of dead phytoplankton matter; and testing of various management (pollution reduction) scenarios with the coupled ecological hydrological MIRO model. Fields of science natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesgeologysedimentologynatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollutionnatural sciencesmathematicsapplied mathematicsmathematical model Programme(s) FP2-STEP - Two specific research and technological development programmes (EEC) in the field of the environment STEP/EPOCH - STEP -, 1989-1992 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES EU contribution No data Address 221,Boulevard du Triomphe 221 1050 BRUXELLES Belgium See on map Total cost No data Participants (7) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all CHRISTIAN-ALBRECHTS UNIVERSITAET ZU KIEL Germany EU contribution No data Address Duesternbrooker Weg 20 24105 KIEL See on map Total cost No data Cranfield University United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Cranfield MK43 0AL Bedford See on map Total cost No data IFREMER - INSTITUT FRANÇAIS DE RECHERCHE POUR L'EXPLOITATION DE LA MER France EU contribution No data Address Technopôle de Brest - Iroise 29280 PLOUZANE See on map Total cost No data Netherlands Institute for Sea Research Netherlands EU contribution No data Address 1790 AB Den Burg-Texel See on map Total cost No data Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Ökologie Germany EU contribution No data Address An der Mühle 5 26548 Norderney See on map Total cost No data RHEINISCHE FRIEDRICH-WILHELMS-UNIVERSITÄT BONN Germany EU contribution No data Address Nussallee 12 BONN See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Water Quality Institute Denmark EU contribution No data Address 11,Agern Alle 2970 Hørsholm See on map Total cost No data
