Trial of producing and distributing the daily map of sea surface oceanic condition in Hyuga-Nada by using fishing boat information

Abstract

We tried to produce a daily map of sea surface oceanic conditions in Hyuga-Nada by using temperature and current data measured by fishing boats. The map has been distributed since January 2013. The map of the surface layer was produced by a combination of the horizontal distribution of temperature and that of current. Horizontal distribution of temperature is produced by the surface temperature of round haul-net fishing boats, trolling-line fishing boats and Japan Meteorological Agency product. Horizontal distribution of current is described by the space-averaged current of round haul-net fishing boats in 1/6° latitude. The temperature and current data by fishing boats enable the daily map to depict a detailed temperature and current field at front in the coastal area that would be difficult to recognize by using an existing map. If problems such as the introduction of mechanisms to evaluate the map’s quality by fishermen and improvement of objective space-time interpolation method can be solved, the daily map gives more effective information for the coastal fishermen who pay attention to temperature front.