Developing high-resolution hydrodynamic models of the shelf regions around South Georgia and the South Orkney Islands

Many of the key oceanographic and ecological processes that determine the structure and functioning of ecosystems in the regions around South Georgia and the South Orkney Islands operate over small scales of <10 km.  This paper reports the initiation of a project to develop high-resolution hydrodynamic models that will be used to examine the detailed oceanography of the South Georgia and South Orkney Islands shelves and surrounding regions.  The models will be based on the NEMO-Shelf model, with the capability to resolve tides, atmospheric forcing, and sea ice processes, and with a ~3 km horizontal resolution.  They will provide a numerical basis for detailed examination of the controls on the distribution of krill and fish around the islands, their interactions with predators and availability to fisheries.  Such detailed analyses will help inform WG-EMM activities aimed at developing spatial and feedback management procedures.