NerkaSim: A Research and Educational Tool to of Pacific Salmon in a Dynamic Environment

Abstract

Abstract This paper introduces NerkaSim, a computer program used to simulate and visualize the life history of Pacific salmon in a dynamic ocean environment. The computer program enables users to (1) archive and visualize biophysical oceanographic data; (2) execute a spatially explicit, individually based Pacific salmon model that can include migration, growth, and mortality processes; and (3) produce images of simulated migration trajectories and bioenergetic variables in both space and time. We anticipate a demand for the model for basic and applied research applications, where it can serve as a platform to explore hypotheses concerning migration, growth, and mortality processes for salmon in coastal and high-seas environments. Although designed to address issues related to British Columbia's Fraser River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), the model can easily be customized to accommodate different salmon species across the eastern Pacific Rim. Distributed as freeware, we hope that NerkaSim will becom...