Eight themes have been identified for the specialist and integrating sessions on Days 2-4, and the multi-authored outputs of these will comprise the remaining eight chapters in the book. These themes are:

A: Aspects of BCLME variability amenable to forecasting of value. This will draw on the presentations and discussion from Day 1 as well as sessions B-G. The focus will be on operational management and economic aspects of forecasting and applications for planning. Timeslots: Day 2 pm and Day 4 am.

B: Oceanic transboundary influences on the Benguela. Ocean-atmosphere variability in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans manifests itself on the Benguela shelf as perturbations of the main physical boundaries (external and internal fronts) and changes in shelf circulation, upwelling, stratification, altered weather patterns etc, which have major ecosystem consequences. During some years this variability may be characterised by Benguela Niños, Agulhas and Sub-Antarctic intrusions, changes in the main upwelling cell inter alia. This session will consider those modes of ocean-atmosphere variability which impact on the Benguela, examine various models which show promise for predicting extreme events, address the problems associated with downscaling from basin to shelf, and propose what should be done regionally (and via partnerships) in terms of modelling and data assimilation that is useful and affordable. Timeslot: Day 2 am and pm.)

C: Detecting and forecasting long-term ecosystem changes. This session will focus on ecosystem indicators that can detect and monitor ecosystem changes. The data requirements for an ecosystem observing system will be discussed and likely products identified. A schedule for implementation will be drafted. Timeslots: Day 2 am and Day 3 pm.

D: The requirements for forecasting harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Benguela. Part 1: Identification of the physical processes important to the development of HABs (incorporating the advection /transport of blooms as well as diffusion and mixing.) and identification of physical-biological couplings underlying HABs (including swimming behaviour and the interactions of physics with growth and mortality.)

Part 2: Real-time observation of HABs (both HAB observation technologies and observation processes related to development); modelling and prediction of HABs (numerical simulations of ecosystem dynamics and HABs in local flow fields as well as data assimilation procedures for integrating observations into models.) Timeslots: Part 1 Day 2 am, Part 2 Day 3 am.

E: Forecasting shelf processes in respect of low oxygen water (LOW) - hypoxia/anoxia etc. Episodic LOW events in the Benguela impact the distribution and recruitment of economically important fish species as well as operations and services. A pre-requirement for forecasting LOW variability and its impact on services and living marine resources is the ability to deal with the extreme range of scales involved. (The basin scales govern boundary conditions and local event scales modulate the variability that forces the ecologically important responses. The biogeochemical response is sensitively dependent on the linkages across these scales.) This output from this session is a key step in the development of a viable (future) predictive capability for LOW events in the Benguela. Timeslots: Day 2 am, Day 3 am and Day 4 am.

F: Forecasting shelf processes of relevance to living marine resources (LMR). The focus will be on environmental changes and events - mainly, but not only in, the physical oceanographic environment and plankton - that can affect the abundance and/or distribution of LMR on the shelf, or result in localised fish mortalities (e.g. fish kills from sulphur eruptions). This session, which will be multidisciplinary and will draw on the outputs of other sessions (e.g. B, D, E etc), is seen as a high priority for the BCLME and BENEFIT Programmes. Timeslots: Day 2 pm, Day 3 pm and Day 4 am.)

G: Maritime operations in the Benguela coastal ocean. The Benguela coastal ocean of Angola, Namibia and South Africa is the focus of increasing economic activity. The relevant offshore industries demand better forecasting capabilities of ocean environment to safeguard their maritime operations, and to protect the ecosystem from damage (e.g. from physical disturbance and pollutants). How their expectations, as well as those of the responsible management agencies, can best be satisfied will form the focus of this session. Timeslots: Day 3 am and pm.

H: Towards a future integrated forecasting system. This theme will bring together the advances of all the other sessions in the Workshop into the design of a future integrated forecasting (early warning) system for the BCLME. A pragmatic view of the challenges in capacity building and institutional strengthening in the region necessary for implementation of the envisaged forecast system will be addressed. Timeslots: Day 4 am and pm.

Names of the (local) Session Convenors are:

Session A: Vere Shannon and Mick O’Toole

Session B: Frank Shillington and Chris Reason

Session C: Coleen Moloney

Session D: Grant Pitcher

Session E: Pedro Monteiro

Session F: Pierre Freon and Carl van der Lingen

Session G: Marten Gründlingh

Session H: Geoff Brundrit

Outlines of the formats and structures of the Specialist Sessions have been proposed by the local Session Convenors and these outlines are now available on this website. Please note that they are only proposals, are flexible, and accordingly are likely to be updated prior to and during the WS. Suggestions for improving interaction at and between the eight Specialist Sessions will be welcomed.