General news | Mon, 12/23/2024 - 12:00

Perceguru: A customized marine forecast for barnacle fishermen

Percegurú, a service of the Coastal Observatory of the Xunta de Galicia (OCXG), is an application to provide a specific marine forecast for the goose-neck barnacles fishermen in Galicia, one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

The goose-neck barnacle (Pollicipes pollicipes), known as “percebe” in Galician, is one of the most prized seafood delicacies in Galicia. These barnacles grow on the base of cliffs where the rocks are constantly battered by waves. Harvesting them is an exceptionally dangerous profession, as "percebeiros" (barnacle fishermen) must descend to wave-exposed areas to collect them. Unfortunately, the extreme conditions occasionally lead to accidents, resulting in injuries or, in rare cases, fatalities.

The Observatorio Costeiro da Xunta de Galicia is an initiative dedicated to the observation, monitoring, and prediction of marine and coastal conditions in the region. It provides essential meteorological and oceanographic data and forecasts, and a range of products and services. The observatory is a collaborative effort of the Galician Ministries of the Sea and of the Environment, involving the Technological Institute for the Control of the Marine Environment of Galicia (INTECMAR), the Marine Tecnolological Center – CETMAR, and the Galician Meteorological Service (MeteoGalicia) and it is part of the cross-border RAIA Observatory.

One of the provided services is Percegurú, a specialized forecasting tool designed for barnacle fishermen, developed in the framework of the RAIA Observatory by INTECMAR and MeteoGalicia . This Application provides weather and maritime forecast tailored to the specific needs of the barnacle sector, with customization focused on three key aspects:

Geographical scope: The forecast is made for each barnacle shellfishing area and classified by fishermen associations.

Time window: The barnacle fisherman's working hours are regulated according to Decree of Galicia 15/2011, dated 28 January, which specifies in Art. 159 that their activity is permitted from two and a half hours before to two hours after the daytime low tide, with a cutoff time of 6:00 p.m.

Variables of interest: The predicted variables are those of interest to the sector, starting with wave height, direction and frequency, as well as wind direction and intensity, water temperature and tide height. For the definition of risk levels and the rest of the variables, meetings and conversations have been held with the sector.

The prediction is based on weather and wave models developed and maintained by MeteoGalicia. Everyday, predicted tide for the reference ports near the harvestingareas is consulted. The time window is calculated using these data, since the harvestingperiod spans four hours around the low tide. Oncethe time window is determined, a query is made to the MeteoGalicia model data services. The models consulted include either the 1 km WRF for meteorological variables, the SWAN model with unstructured mesh, and the MOHID model and ROMS for hydrodynamic variables. From these data, the maximum wave height for that time window is calculated from the SWAN node closest to each coastline where shellfishing occurs. The other variables correspond to the moment when the maximum value is reached. Based on these values, a map with a traffic light-style tool and the rest of the variables is generated. The color of the traffic ligh is selected based on whether the environmental conditions allow for safe working conditions. If the forecast indicates favorable conditions for shellfishing, the light will be green, signaling that it is safe to proceed. If the conditions are potentially hazardous, the light will be red, indicating that shellfishing should be avoided for safety reasons.

Following the success of the web application, the mobile application for IOS and Android has been developed within the scope of the European POCTEP-INTERREG MARRISK project.

PARTNERS:

Technological IInstitute for the Control of the Marine Environment of Galicia (INTECMAR), MeteoGalicia and CETMAR (the Technlogical Center of the Sea)

USELFUL LINKS:

Perceguru: http://mapas.intecmar.gal/perceguru/

Coastal Observatory of Xunta de Galica: https://observatoriocosteiro.gal/es