The default North Sea, Baltic Sea and Clyde marine region editions of MSP Challenge each have their own bespoke ecosystem model and simulation running in the background.
In each case the ecosystem model was developed with the well-established free and open source software Ecopath-with-Ecosim (EwE). The MSP Challenge server feeds input data into the EwE model, after which the EwE model runs one simulated month, in order to feed back relevant output data to the MSP Challenge server again. This process turns the EwE model into a discrete-event ecosystem simulation. The software component that does this is called MEL, standing for MSP Challenge - EwE - Link. The overall ecosystem simulation thus depends on the combination of MEL, the EwE platform itself, and the specific EwE ecosystem model made with that platform.
- Read more about the technical design and implementation of MEL in this design document.
- Read more about the overall design and implementation of the North Sea and Clyde marine region EwE models, as well as their integration within the MSP Challenge simulation platform in this paper.
- Read more about the overall design and implementation of the Baltic Sea EwE model, as well as it's integration within the MSP Challenge simulation platform in this paper.
Co-funded by the European Union.