The aquaculture decision support tool of the Oceans and Coasts Monitoring Information System

Dr Marie Smith, CSIR Senior Researcher

The National Oceans and Coastal Information Management System (OCIMS) project supports marine-related initiatives by providing information and decision support for the protection and management of South Africa’s oceans and coasts.

Environmental threats such as harmful algal blooms and ocean heatwaves have the potential to negatively affect both natural and farmed marine resources. ​The OCIMS Fisheries and Aquaculture Decision Support Tool provides a capability for monitoring, assessing and mitigating these environmental risks to avoid unnecessary economic losses. The tool utilises freely available global Earth observation data, knowledge about local marine ecosystems and oceanographic patterns, and localised algorithms to provide maps and regionally relevant indicators through an interactive web application, providing operational support for daily decision-making.

About the CSIR:
The CSIR, an entity of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, is one of the leading scientific and technology research, development and implementation organisations in Africa. Constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1945 as a science council, the CSIR undertakes directed and multidisciplinary research and technological innovation and industrial and scientific development to improve the quality of life of all South Africans. For more information, visit www.csir.co.za/

Follow us on social media:
Twitter: twitter.com/CSIR
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CSIRSouthAfrica
Instagram: instagram.com/csirsouthafrica
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/csir
Youtube: youtube.com/user/CSIRNewMedia