The Use of Satellite Data to Determine the Changes of Hydrodynamic Parameters in the Gulf of Gdańsk via EcoFish Model

Abstract

Using mathematical models alone to describe the changes in the parameters characterizing the analyzed reservoir may be insufficient due to the complexity of ocean circulation. One of the ways to improve the accuracy of models is to use data assimilation based on remote sensing methods. In this study, we tested the EcoFish numerical model that was developed for the Gulf of Gdańsk area, under the FindFish Knowledge Transfer Platform. In order to improve the model results and map local phenomena occurring in the studied water, which would be difficult to simulate using only mathematical equations, EcoFish was extended with a satellite data assimilation module that assimilates the sea surface temperature data from a medium-resolution imaging spectroradiometer and an advanced ultrahigh-resolution radiometer. EcoFish was then statistically validated, which resulted in high correlations for water temperature and salinity as well as low errors in comparison with in situ experimental data.