What is ERSEM?

Background

PML is a charity, undertaking innovative, cutting-edge marine research, allowing society to benefit from clean, productive, biologically diverse seas, now and for future generations.

Ecosystem

The ecosystem in ERSEM is divided into functional types, which are further subdivided by traits such as size. In the pelagic, ERSEM by default distinguishes:

  • 4 types of phytoplankton: diatoms, picophytoplankton, nanophytoplankton, microphytoplankton

  • 3 types of zooplankton: nanoflagellates, microzooplankton, mesozooplankon

  • bacteria

The benthic system includes:

  • 3 types of infauna: meiofauna, suspension feeders, deposit feeders

  • 2 types of bacteria: aerobic and anaerobic

In addition, ERSEM tracks the concentrations of phosphate, nitrate, ammonium, silicate, iron, oxygen, dissolved inorganic carbon and alkalinity in the pelagic and in sediment porewaters. It includes several classes of particulate and dissolved organic matter in pelagic and sediment. A carbonate system module calculates pH and calcium carbonate saturation.

FABM also makes it easy to customise the default set of functional types described above, and to combine ERSEM with modules representing other parts of the ecosystem, including fish communities, shellfish, seagrass meadows and spectraly resolved irradiance.

ERSEM diagram

ERSEM schematic